Serving Individuals Wronged at Work Throughout Orange County & Los Angeles Areas: Aegis Law Firm

The Silicon Review

Aegis Law Firm is a labor and employment law firm founded in 2003. Since then, partners Kashif Haque and Samuel A. Wong have shaped Aegis into a leading employment law firm serving all of Southern California. Aegis specializes in representing employees in sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, disability discrimination, and wage violation cases. In the last year alone, Mr. Haque and Mr. Wong have obtained over ten million dollars for their clients. The Orange County employment law attorneys at Aegis are well respected litigators with impressive success rates in trials, arbitration, and administrative proceedings. Aegis sets itself apart from its competitors in several areas. The attorneys at Aegis graduated from top law schools and have invaluable experience from some of the nation’s most prestigious firms. This allows Aegis to provide superior legal representation to individual plaintiffs and small businesses, which is normally only available to large corporations.

Most importantly, the quality of service you receive from Aegis is unlike anything you will find elsewhere.

Orange County Wrongful Termination Attorney

If you believe you have been wrongfully terminated, know that you have rights. At Aegis Law Firm, its Orange County wrongful termination attorneys have decades of experience tenaciously representing the rights of employees throughout California and can help you seek the compensation you deserve.

Reasons why you can trust Aegis with your wrongful termination case:

More than $300 million recovered in verdicts and settlements
Experienced, trial-tested advocates
99% success rate
No fees unless they win

Have you been wrongfully discharged from your job? Call (949) 379-6250 or contact Aegis online for a free case review.

Damages for Wrongful Termination

There are a range of damages that may be available to you if your wrongful termination claim is successful. These include:

Back pay for lost earnings and benefits
Damages for emotional distress
Attorney’s fees and costs
Punitive damages

Note that not all successful claims are entitled to punitive damages. A claimant will be entitled to punitive damages if there is clear evidence to show that the employer was guilty of oppression, fraud, or malice. Punitive damages are awarded in addition to actual damages suffered, as a way to punish the employer for their actions.

How to Determine if You Were Wrongfully Terminated

Employers are not required by law to give advance warning or a reason for terminating your employment. They also do not have to allow you the opportunity to correct any issues related to your work performance or let you defend yourself. However, if you cannot think of any negative behavior committed on your part that would warrant being fired, ask yourself the following questions:

Did you recently file a complaint related to sexual harassment, discrimination, or a violation of public policy? (Retaliation)
Did you use false information given to you by your employer and were fired as a result? (Fraud)
Did you recently or were you about to amend your employment contract? (The contract may stipulate when you can be terminated)
Was the reason for your firing typically responded to in a different manner? For example, if another employee did the same thing and only received a warning. (Discrimination)
Was your reputation or community standing damaged by your employer in the termination process? (Libel)

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might have a case for wrongful termination. Consider speaking to an Orange County wrongful termination attorney as soon as possible, and keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list. It is always worth consulting a lawyer to determine if your firing qualifies.

Breach of Contract

Employees often enter into a contract when beginning to work with a new employer. If your termination meant that your employer broke a promise made to you, you may be able to pursue a wrongful termination lawsuit based on a breach of contract. For instance, a breach of employment contract or wrongful dismissal typically occurs when a contracted employee is:

Terminated without reasonable notice;
Terminated without notice for misconduct, and there were no reasonable grounds to do so; or,
Terminated before the end of a fixed term.

A written or oral employment contract typically outlines an employee’s pay, duties, and obligations to the employer but also may include limits on your employer’s right to fire you. For example, it may stipulate that you cannot be fired at a moment’s notice and that it can only occur within or after a certain time period, or only for particular reasons. In fact, it is common for employment contracts to state that an employee will not be fired without “just cause.”

Since “just cause” is left open for interpretation, employers must have a fair and honest reason to fire an employee, supported by substantial evidence. An example of termination in breach of contract without “just cause,” as stipulated in a contract, would be if an employee is well-liked by co-workers and good at their job but the head of the company fires this employee to hire a business associate and bring them into the company.

California also recognizes “implied contracts,” suggested by an employer’s statements or actions. For example, if there are policies in place that dictate specific disciplinary procedures that will occur prior to a termination of employment. However, violations of a spoken contract can be much more challenging to prove.

Even if you have signed a mandatory employment arbitration agreement, you still have a right to be represented by a knowledgeable employment law attorney in the arbitration process. If you have signed a mandatory employment arbitration agreement, all hope of getting justice is not lost.

Kashif Haque, FOUNDING PARTNER