Practice areas / Harassment and Discrimination
Workplace Harassment & Discrimination Lawyer in Southern California
A hostile workplace is unlawful, and California's protections reach further than federal law. Under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, it is illegal to harass or discriminate against you because of who you are, and you do not have to quit to have a claim.
$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.
- Sexual harassment, unwanted advances, or a sexually hostile environment
- Discrimination in pay, promotion, or discipline because of a protected trait
- Racial, age, disability, religious, or gender-based mistreatment
- Retaliation after reporting harassment or discrimination
- A single severe incident that altered your working conditions
What the law protects
FEHA bars harassment and discrimination based on race, sex, gender, age, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, pregnancy, and other protected characteristics. It covers hiring, pay, promotion, discipline, and the daily conditions of your job. For harassment, it reaches employers with even one employee, holds individual harassers personally liable, and makes an employer strictly liable for a supervisor's conduct.
Harassment does not have to be physical to be actionable, and reporting it should never cost you your job.
If you complained and were ignored or punished, that can be its own violation.
What you may be able to recover
California places no statutory cap on compensatory or punitive damages in FEHA cases. Depending on the facts, you may recover lost pay, emotional distress damages, punitive damages, and attorney's fees, and you may be able to pursue both the employer and the individual harasser.
| What | Covers |
|---|---|
| Lost pay | Wages lost because of the conduct |
| Emotional distress | No statutory cap under FEHA |
| Punitive damages | No statutory cap under FEHA |
| Attorney's fees | Recoverable under FEHA |
| Who you can pursue | The employer, and the individual harasser |
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.
- Tell the state agency what happened (required first)
- 3 years
- File your lawsuit, once the state clears you
- 1 year
- Go to the federal agency instead
- 300 days
- File your lawsuit, once the federal agency clears you
- 90 days
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 Workplace Harassment & Discrimination Lawyer in Southern California, verified as of July 28, 2026
Lost pay · California
Wages lost because of the conduct
Emotional distress · California
No statutory cap under FEHA
Punitive damages · California
No statutory cap under FEHA
Attorney's fees · California
Recoverable under FEHA
Who you can pursue · California
The employer, and the individual harasser
Tell the state agency what happened (required first) · Deadline to act
3 years
See How long you have, above
File your lawsuit, once the state clears you · Deadline to act
1 year
See How long you have, above
Go to the federal agency instead · Deadline to act
300 days
See How long you have, above
File your lawsuit, once the federal agency clears you · Deadline to act
90 days
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.
Do I have to quit before I can bring a claim?
No. You do not have to quit to have a claim. Leaving can change what you are able to recover, so it is worth talking through before you decide.
Does an arbitration agreement end my case?
No, and for harassment it may not even apply. Since March 2022 a federal law lets you refuse to arbitrate a sexual harassment or sexual assault dispute even if you signed an agreement when you were hired. That choice is yours. For other claims, arbitration changes where your case is heard, not whether you have a case.
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 →Retaliation and Whistleblower
Punished for speaking up? Retaliation can be a claim of its own.
Wrongful Termination
At-will doesn’t mean an employer can fire you for an unlawful reason.
Pregnancy Rights
Leave, accommodation, and your job back, among the nation’s strongest protections.
Employment Issues
The full range of California employment disputes, handled for workers, not employers.
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.