Practice areas / Contracts and Severance
Employment Contract & Severance Lawyer in Southern California
Employment, severance, and separation agreements are drafted to protect the company, not you. Before you sign, it is worth understanding what you are giving up, what you are actually getting, and whether the terms are even enforceable in California, where many restrictions are not.
$3,000,000
No. 1 Riverside County employment verdict, 2023
13 yrs
Representing California workers since 2013
$0
Consultation is free, and confidential
Verdict obtained with co-counsel Jared M. Irmas of Irmas Law APC. Listed by TopVerdict.com. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Tell Justin what happened
You'll hear back within one business day, or call 818-585-1267.
Recognized by
Written and reviewed by Justin Silverman
CA Bar #292036 · Reviewed July 2026
Does this sound like you?
If one of these describes your situation, it is worth a conversation. If none of them quite fit, call anyway, because the list is not exhaustive.
- A severance agreement you were asked to sign quickly
- A non-compete or non-solicitation clause restricting your next job
- An arbitration or class-action waiver in an offer letter or handbook
- A stay-or-pay clause billing you for training if you leave
- A confidentiality or non-disparagement term that may be unlawful
What the law protects
California voids most non-compete agreements outright, even narrowly written ones and even those signed in another state. The law also limits what a severance release can require: an employer generally cannot force you to keep quiet about unlawful harassment or discrimination, and a waiver of unknown claims must meet specific requirements to be valid. New rules also restrict stay-or-pay clauses that try to bill you for training or costs when you leave.
A severance offer is a negotiation, not a take-it-or-leave-it.
Understanding the real value of what you are being asked to release is often worth far more than the number on the page.
What you may be able to recover
The value of contract review is often in what it protects: rights you would otherwise sign away, room to negotiate a better severance, and freedom to take your next job. Where an employer requires or enforces an unlawful term, that can also create its own claim.
| What | Covers |
|---|---|
| Rights you keep | Claims you would otherwise sign away |
| A better severance | Room to negotiate the terms on the table |
| Freedom to work | Ability to take your next job |
| A claim of its own | Where an employer requires or enforces an unlawful term |
How long you have
These are the dates that can end a case before anyone looks at what happened to you. Many claims have two. One to tell a government agency, and a second to file in court after that agency responds.
- Sue over an agreement you signed
- 4 years
- Sue over a spoken or handshake agreement
- 2 years
- Sue over unfair dealing under a written agreement
- 4 years
- Sue over unfair dealing under a spoken agreement
- 2 years
These are the general limits, not advice about your situation. Exceptions can make them shorter or longer, and the clock does not always start on the day you think. If you are close to one of these, or you think you are already past it, it is still worth asking.
Working with Justin
- 1The call. You speak with Justin, not an intake screener. It is free and confidential.
- 2The review. He tells you which lines your facts cross, and which they do not.
- 3The case. You reach him directly, by phone and email, throughout.
Key points
Each point is explained and sourced above · Verified July 28, 2026
Key points from Employment Contract & Severance Lawyer in Southern California, verified as of July 28, 2026
Rights you keep · California
Claims you would otherwise sign away
A better severance · California
Room to negotiate the terms on the table
Freedom to work · California
Ability to take your next job
A claim of its own · California
Where an employer requires or enforces an unlawful term
Sue over an agreement you signed · Deadline to act
4 years
See How long you have, above
Sue over a spoken or handshake agreement · Deadline to act
2 years
See How long you have, above
Sue over unfair dealing under a written agreement · Deadline to act
4 years
See How long you have, above
Sue over unfair dealing under a spoken agreement · Deadline to act
2 years
See How long you have, above
Questions workers ask
Do you only take cases in Southern California?
No. Justin represents workers anywhere in California. These pages speak to Southern California because that is where the office is, but where in the state you work does not decide whether he can take your case.
Does an arbitration agreement end my case?
Usually not. Employers often make arbitration a condition of employment and those agreements are frequently enforceable, though not always. Arbitration changes where your case is heard, not whether you have a case, and certain representative claims for Labor Code penalties cannot be waived.
What does it cost to hire Justin?
The consultation is free, and these cases are handled on a contingency basis. There is no fee unless we win, and if there is no recovery you owe no costs either.
Will my employer find out I called?
The consultation is confidential. Talking through what happened does not put your employer on notice, and nothing is filed because you called.
Other ways I help workers
All nine practice areas →Wrongful Termination
At-will doesn’t mean an employer can fire you for an unlawful reason.
Employment Issues
The full range of California employment disputes, handled for workers, not employers.
Wage and Hour
Unpaid overtime, missed breaks, or a late final check, recovered with penalties.
Retaliation and Whistleblower
Punished for speaking up? Retaliation can be a claim of its own.
Over $12 million recovered for clients. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. You can reach the office at 818-585-1267.