Workplace Retaliation Attorneys in Pasadena, California
Former Corporate Defense Lawyers Now Fighting for Pasadena Employees
Workplace retaliation is one of the most common employment law violations California workers face, and one of the most difficult to fight alone. When an employer fires, demotes, or sidelines an employee for reporting illegal conduct, requesting accommodation, or cooperating with a government investigation, they count on the employee not knowing how to respond. At Domb Rauchwerger LLP, we do. Zack Domb and Devin Rauchwerger spent years representing Fortune 500 companies at a leading employment defense firm before founding this practice. That background means we know the arguments defense counsel can make before they make them.
We represent Pasadena retaliation clients as two partners on every case. No handoffs to junior associates, no rotating contacts. Both partners are involved from the first consultation through resolution. We’ve secured multi-million-dollar outcomes in complex employment matters, including a $9.9 million arbitration award and a $5.7 million jury verdict. Clients include physicians and nurses whose careers and professional licenses were on the line. We take cases on contingency, so there are no upfront fees and no attorney fees unless we recover for you. If you believe you’ve been retaliated against, call us for a free consultation.
Contact Domb Rauchwerger LLP online or at (213) 772-5882 to schedule a free initial consultation today.
What Makes an Employee Retaliation Claim?
California employees are protected from retaliation under multiple state and federal statutes, including the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and Labor Code Section 1102.5, which covers whistleblower retaliation. Every retaliation claim requires proof of three elements.
Three elements are essential to any retaliation claim:
- The employee engaged in a protected activity
- The employer took an adverse employment action against the employee
- A causal link exists between the protected activity and the adverse action
Consider a common example: an employee returns from protected medical leave and receives their first negative performance review in three years. The review itself may be the adverse action. The timing is the causal link. Proving the review was motivated by the leave rather than an actual performance decline is where the legal work happens.
Causation is the most contested element in nearly every claim. The employer can argue the action was a legitimate business decision. Having attorneys who built careers defending that exact argument puts us in a position to see through it.
What Counts as a Protected Activity in California?
“Protected activity” refers to conduct the law shields from employer punishment. The categories are broader than most employees realize.
Don't face legal challenges alone. Contact us at (213) 772-5882 to discuss your case with our experienced attorneys.
Adverse Actions
An adverse action is any employer conduct that materially and negatively affects the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment. The more obvious forms are termination and demotion, but California law recognizes a wider range of employer conduct as retaliatory.
Common adverse actions include:
- Termination or constructive discharge, where conditions are made so intolerable the employee has no realistic option but to resign
- Demotion or failure to promote a qualified employee
- Pay cuts or reduction in hours
- Suspension of benefits
- Negative performance evaluations not based on actual performance
- Removal of job duties or exclusion from meetings and advancement opportunities
- Involuntary transfers
- Verbal abuse or public disparagement
Proving Employment Retaliation
Connecting the protected activity to the adverse action is where most claims are won or lost. Because we spent years on the defense side watching how employers document these decisions, we know the pretextual justifications corporations use to make retaliatory actions look like legitimate business choices. We work to dismantle those justifications using three primary methods.
Temporal Proximity
The timing between the protected activity and the adverse action is one of the most direct indicators of causation. When a demotion follows an internal complaint by two weeks, that proximity creates a strong inference. The shorter the gap, the harder it is for an employer to argue coincidence.
Employer Knowledge
Causation requires that the decision-maker knew about the protected activity. If an employee complained to a coworker and that information never reached the supervisor who issued a negative review, the causal link weakens considerably. We look carefully at who knew what and when.
An Established Pattern of Behavior
What Does It Cost to Hire a Retaliation Attorney?
Many retaliation victims delay seeking legal help because they assume they can’t afford it. That assumption costs them time they can’t recover. Domb Rauchwerger LLP takes retaliation cases on a contingency fee basis: no attorney fees and no upfront expenses. If we recover compensation for you through settlement or trial, our fee comes as a percentage of that amount. If we can’t obtain monetary compensation, you owe nothing.
Timing matters for a separate reason. Under FEHA, employees generally have three years to file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD). Once the CRD issues a right-to-sue notice, you generally have one year to file in civil court. Missing either deadline may eliminate the right to pursue a claim regardless of its merits. The sooner you speak with us, the more options may remain open. You can reach someone on our team directly by call or text, and we answer questions promptly throughout the process, not just at major milestones.
What Makes Us Different
-
Former Defense AttorneysGain a unique advantage with our firsthand knowledge of how corporations and insurance companies operate.
-
Collaborative ApproachOur founders collaborate on every case. This dynamic approach enhances our ability to secure favorable outcomes for you.
-
Respected in the Legal CommunityOur esteemed reputation and well-established connections within the legal community set us apart.
-
Free ConsultationsTalk through all of your legal options during a free consultation.
-
Millions Recovered on Behalf of Our ClientsOur track record of successful outcomes demonstrates our proficiency and commitment to fighting for your rights.
-
Hablamos EspañolEmployment law help provided by a Spanish-speaking team.
Why Pasadena Employees Choose Domb Rauchwerger LLP for Retaliation Claims
Zack Domb and Devin Rauchwerger founded this firm after spending years representing Fortune 500 companies at a leading employment defense firm. That experience gave them a detailed understanding of how corporations and their insurers approach retaliation claims, which arguments they rely on, and how they work to minimize damages. That knowledge now works entirely for employees.
Two Partners on Every Case
Both partners work on every case together. Clients in Pasadena and throughout California get consistent, senior-level attention from intake through trial or arbitration, not a handoff to an associate months into the matter. We handle the full process, from filing administrative complaints with the EEOC or California Civil Rights Department through to final resolution. We’ve secured multi-million-dollar outcomes, including a $9.9 million arbitration award and a $5.7 million jury verdict. Physicians and nurses facing retaliation where their careers and professional licensing were at stake have trusted us to handle their cases.
Accessible, Plain-Language Representation
We communicate in plain language at every stage and work carefully with clients whose primary language is not English. Former clients describe outcomes that went beyond financial recovery to address the broader harm workplace injustice causes. They also describe a firm that stayed available throughout what can be a years-long process, never leaving them without answers. That consistency is deliberate. It reflects how we believe retaliation cases should be handled: with the same level of attention a well-funded employer receives from its defense team.
Call us at (213) 772-5882 or complete our free case evaluation form to get started.
