Torrance Employee Rights Lawyers
Free Case Evaluation
$2 Billion
in Personal Injury Results
$150 Million
in Employment Law Results
for First Responders
Protecting employees from discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and contract violations for 35 years
Police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and other first responders protect Torrance’s residents and visitors every day. Public and private employees help Torrance’s beautiful beachfront community of nearly 150,000 people thrive. At McNicholas & McNicholas, our lawyers help employees thrive when employers violate federal, California, and Los Angeles County laws – and the contracts employees have with their employers. Our Torrance employment lawyers handle claims that involve violations of your employee rights because of your identity characteristics and personal background instead of your abilities. We also file retaliation, wrongful termination, compensation, and other employment claims. Call us now if your employer is violating your rights or your employment contract.
Our attorneys have secured more than $150 million for our first responder clients. Some of our larger successes include the following:
$11.65 Million
for an LAPD K9 Bomb Unit dog handler in retaliation case.
$11.56 Million
jury verdict for a former LAPD Bomb K9 trainer who faced discrimination and retaliation after he reported violations of the law.
$5.9 Million
for ten Los Angeles Police Department motor officers who claimed they were retaliated against for refusing to follow a ticket quota.
$5.8 Million
against the City of Los Angeles in a retaliation case on behalf of an LAPD officer.
$5.6 Million
for a Bomb Tech discrimination case.
$3 Million
for six firefighters who suffered retaliation after blowing the whistle on LAFD’s dangerous and unlawful building inspections.
$3 Million
on behalf of six Whittier police officers who allegedly faced retaliation for refusing to participate in an illegal quota.
$2.5 Million
for four officers from the Internal Surveillance Unit, an elite sector of the LAPD’s Special Operations Division, in a retaliation case.
$13.1 Million
for two male LAPD Police Officers in sex discrimination and retaliation case.
$10.1 Million
secured a $10.1 million verdict on behalf of a Captain at the Los Angeles Police Department, against the Los Angeles Police Department.
$5.3 Million
verdict in favor of an African American member of a Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad for harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.
$3.6 Million
for an LAPD employee facing retaliation after standing up for a female officer who had been subjected to harassment and discrimination.
$3.59 Million
for a Japanese-American police officer for harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.
$2.8 Million
secured a $2.8 million verdict on behalf of now-retired Riverside Police Department Officer Shawn Casteel against the City of Riverside.
$2.3 Million
for a female SWAT officer denied a position on an elite squad.
$2.23 Million
for three LAPD female employees for discriminatory and retaliatory actions.
Quick Questions
- What employees do your Torrance lawyers represent?
- What types of employment claims do you handle?
- What are the requirements for filing a discrimination claim in Torrance?
- What are the requirements for filing a harassment claim in Torrance?
- What are the requirements for filing a retaliation claim in Torrance?
- What laws authorize employment claims in Torrance?
- How do your Torrance employment lawyers fight for employees?
- What damages can I receive for my employment claim in California?
- Do you have a Torrance employment discrimination lawyer near me?
What employees do your Torrance lawyers represent?
At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, we represent employees, contractors, and volunteers who work in both the public and private sectors. Many of the employees we represent include:
- Police officers, sheriffs, deputies, and other law enforcement workers. These workers protect Torrance from crime, provide assistance when there are accidents, and help educate Torrance’s residents, businesses, and others about how to prevent and monitor crime in their neighborhoods.
- Firefighters. Our Torrance employment lawyers represent firefighters and their support staff who confront structural fires, wildfires, and hazardous chemicals throughout Torrance and, when necessary, other parts of the Los Angeles region.
- First responders. Our team also fights for all first responders who provide emergency help and protect Torrance in many ways — including corrections officers, court officials, paramedics, EMTs, park rangers, and other first responders.
Our Torrance employment lawyers have the experience to represent employees and other workers who work for the City of Torrance Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the City of Torrance Fire Department, and other Torrance employers.
What types of employment claims do you handle?
At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, we have the skills, experience, and working relationships with vocational, financial, and other types of experts to handle the following types of employment claims:
- Discrimination and harassment claims. We file these claims if you are a member of a protected class (a class defined by characteristics such as race or sex) and your employer adversely affects your employment in any way or harasses you because of these We discuss discrimination and harassment employment claims in more detail below.
- Retaliation claims. Employers cannot retaliate against you because you assert your legal rights or come to the aid of a co-worker who is asserting their rights. We discuss retaliation claims in more detail below.
- Wage and hour claims. Our Torrance employment lawyers hold employers accountable for their duty to pay you on time for every hour you work. We file wage and hour claims based on the Federal Labor Standards Act, the Equal Pay Act, California’s employment laws, Los Angeles County regulations, and any written contracts you have.
- Executive compensation claims. Employers such as police and fire departments usually have executive contracts for their chiefs, lead officers, and other workers with executive responsibilities. We file breach of contract complaints when employers and the City of Torrance fail to comply with the terms of their contracts. These terms include salaries, insurance coverage, pension and retirement benefits, severance pay, and any other forms of agreed-to compensation.
- Qui tam/whistleblower claims. The federal False Claims Act and California False Claims Act encourage workers to disclose fraud by compensating them with a portion of any recovery – subject to certain conditions. Our Torrance employment lawyers file qui tam/whistleblower claims. We also file retaliation claims when your employer responds to your disclosures of fraud by firing you or punishing you in some other way.
- Family medical leave claims. Employees who meet the federal and state requirements for asking for medical leave for members of their family may meet resistance from their employers. At McNicholas & McNicholas, we file retaliation claims when employers adversely affect your employment because you seek leave to care for a sick parent, welcome a new family member, or for other legitimate reasons.
- Wrongful termination. At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, we seek reinstatement of your employment and/or full financial compensation if your employer fires you in violation of the relevant laws and your contracts.
What are the requirements for filing a discrimination claim in Torrance?
Generally, you can file a discrimination claim if you belong to a “protected class” and your Torrance employer is adversely affecting your employment due to your membership in that class.
Protected class
The California Fair Housing and Employment Act (CFHEA) and federal discrimination laws protect employees and other workers when employers make employment decisions based on any of the following characteristics:
- Race, color, national origin, or ancestry
- Sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation
- Disability
- Age (40 or older)
- Religion or creed
- Medical condition or genetic information
- Marital status
- Veteran or military status
Adverse employment conditions
Adverse work conditions include the following:
- Firing you
- Refusing a promotion or a pay raise that you deserve
- Refusing to consider your job application
- Denying you the education and training you need to perform your job
- Transferring you to an undesirable location
- Reducing your pay
- Suspending you
- Denying you the reasonable workplace accommodations you need if you have a disability or you are pregnant
Discrimination protection generally applies to employees, independent contractors, and volunteers.
What are the requirements for filing a harassment claim in Torrance?
Employers in Torrance cannot harass workers who belong to a protected class or tolerate harassment by anyone in the workplace (supervisors, coworkers, and others) according to the California Fair Housing and Employment Act and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Employers should implement policies and procedures to educate their workers about harassment and encourage the reporting of harassment. Generally, you can file a harassment claim even if someone else is the target of the harassment.
There are two types of workplace harassment:
- Hostile work environment harassment. This type of harassment involves offensive verbal and physical conduct that creates an abusive or intimidating atmosphere or prevents you from doing your job. Examples include offensive comments, jokes, images, videos, messages, and website postings. Sexual harassment that creates a hostile workplace environment includes unwelcome sexual advances, leering, offensive sexual jokes, sexual photos, and nonconsensual sexual physical contact.
- Quid pro quo harassment. This type of harassment occurs when your employer or supervisor conditions your employment, promotion, or other work opportunities on sexual favors or sexual advances.
What are the requirements for filing a retaliation claim in Torrance?
Our Torrance employment lawyers have no tolerance for employers who punish workers for asserting their legal rights. At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, we file retaliation claims when employers retaliate when workers assert any of the following rights:
- Filing:
- A discrimination, harassment, or retaliation claim.
- A wrongful termination lawsuit.
- A qui tam/whistleblower claim.
- A claim for workers’ compensation benefits.
- Refusing:
- Sexual advances.
- To engage in harassment or discrimination of a worker.
- Requesting:
- Reasonable workplace accommodations to perform your job due to a disability or pregnancy.
- Family medical leave.
- Asserting any other legal right.
What laws authorize employment claims in Torrance?
Our Torrance employment lawyers use every federal and state law that protects your employment rights, including:
California law
- California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)
- The California False Claims Act
- California Family Rights Act
Federal laws
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
- The Equal Pay Act of 1963
- Family Medical Leave Act
- Federal False Claims Act
- The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
- The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA)
How do your Torrance employment lawyers fight for employees?
At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, we are respected by former clients and the California legal community for our dedication to our clients, thorough preparation, working relationships with experts in your field of work, experts in proving discrimination, negotiating skills, and courtroom advocacy skills.
Our Torrance employment attorneys begin each case by reviewing the basis for your claim. We can explain your rights and prepare you for each step of your claim. Our lawyers review the relevant records in the possession of your employer and formally question (under oath) the employers, managers, and other people who know your work and have information regarding your claim.
We skillfully analyze and verify all of your financial and personal damages. Our lawyers will file your claim with the appropriate agencies and courts, including the following:
- The California Civil Rights Department (CCRD)
- The S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission(EEOC)
- The Superior Court of Los Angeles
- The S. District Court for the Central District of California
Our lawyers are always ready to argue your case before a local jury.
What damages can I receive for my employment claim in California?
At McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, our employment lawyers seek to make you whole again – to compensate for all your past and future damages. Our attorneys will help you obtain compensation for the following losses:
- Your income losses, including wages, overtime, bonuses, salary, and financial incentives
- Loss of seniority
- Loss of vacation/leave
- Loss of health insurance
- Executive compensation benefits
- Emotional distress
- Compensation for any damage to your reputation
- Legal fees and court costs
- Statutory damages
- Punitive damages for malicious conduct
We also seek court orders that direct your employer to reinstate you, grant a promotion or a raise on the merits, and comply with other employment remedies.
Do you have a Torrance employment discrimination lawyer near me?
McNicholas & McNicholas meets with police officers, firefighters, first responders, and other Torrance employees at our Los Angeles office located at 10866 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1400. We conduct remote consultations by phone and through FaceTime, Zoom, and other online applications.
We’ve helped many other employees obtain the compensation and justice they deserve.
Contact our accomplished Torrance employment lawyers today
Our employment attorneys are dedicated to fighting for the employees who protect Torrance and help the community thrive. We fight to help employees serve their community based on their skills and experience – according to the relevant laws and their employment contracts. Call McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP today or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation.
List of Agencies We are Suing or Have Sued
Police departments:
- Berkeley PD
- Chula Vista PD
- Culver City PD (Non-LEO)
- El Monte PD
- El Segundo PD
- Fremont PD
- Huntington Beach PD
- Palo Alto PD
- Pomona PD
- Redondo Beach PD
- Riverside PD
- San Diego PD
- Ukiah PD
- Walnut Creek PD
- Willits PD
Sheriff departments:
- Contra Costa Sheriff (Non-LEO/Employment)
- LA Co Sheriff
- Santa Barbara County Sheriff
- San Joaquin County Sheriff
- Shasta County Sheriff
Fire departments:
- Berkeley Fire/CoB (Non LEO)
- LAFD
City of Richmond (Non-LEO/Employment)
LAWA