- Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- - SE HABLA ESPAÑOL
- Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- - SE HABLA ESPAÑOL
If you were a senior executive, manager, or professional in Sacramento and you were fired, pushed out, or pressured to sign a severance agreement, we can help you understand whether what happened violated California law — and whether the package on the table is fair. Free, confidential review with a senior attorney. SE HABLA ESPAÑOL.
NYU Law & NYU Stern · Skadden & Latham alumni · No-charge consultation · Employment law only · 24/7.
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Most senior employees who call us are not sure whether they have a case. They know something felt wrong — a sudden performance review after raising a concern, a reorganization that targeted only them, a severance offer that came with an NDA. The honest answer usually starts with three questions: Why does the employer say you were fired? When did you raise a concern or assert a right at work? What is the documentary record actually showing? A short, confidential call with a senior attorney can usually answer the threshold question.
California gives workers stronger protections than federal law alone. The most important laws in wrongful-termination and severance cases are:
You do not have to know which law applies. We will identify the strongest claim based on your facts.
California is an at-will employment state, which means an employer can fire most workers for almost any reason — or no reason at all. But it cannot fire you for an illegal one. If you were terminated after reporting misconduct, requesting medical or family leave, complaining about discrimination or harassment, refusing to participate in something unlawful, or raising concerns about wages or workplace safety, that termination may have violated California law.
For senior employees, the question is usually not whether something illegal happened — it usually did — but whether the documentary record will carry the case to settlement or trial. You do not need to know the exact legal claim before speaking with an attorney.
The terminations we evaluate fall into a few patterns — most of them affect senior employees with documented earnings histories:
Each pattern has its own evidence requirements. A lawyer can help identify what to preserve and explain your options.
Free, confidential review for executives, managers, and professional employees in Sacramento and the region. Honest read on whether the claim has a path.
Mercer Legal Group is a California employment law firm that represents employees only — never employers. Our founding partner, Simon Moshkovich, was a litigator at Skadden, Arps and Latham & Watkins before moving to plaintiff-side employment work. We take cases for senior executives, managers, and senior individual contributors with documented earnings and substantial economic damages.
A typical case involves listening to what happened, pulling your personnel file (Labor Code §1198.5) and equity / severance documents, identifying the strongest legal claims and deadlines, and negotiating — or filing suit when necessary. Most cases run on contingency: no fee unless we recover. Clients may still be responsible for case costs separate from attorney’s fees per the written retainer.
Sacramento is not just a government town. The capitol corridor concentrates lobbying, policy consulting, and trade-association leadership; healthcare-system executives and senior physicians sit across Sutter Health, UC Davis Health, and Kaiser Permanente; tech and finance professionals cluster along the I-80 corridor and downtown. Most wrongful-termination cases we take from this region involve senior employees in one of these settings — with equity, retention bonuses, or executive comp on the line. If you also held a senior role at a California state agency and were fired after reporting fraud, waste, or a legal violation, the California Whistleblower Protection Act (Government Code §8547) and Labor Code §1102.5 may both apply; those claims have shorter deadlines under §8547.8 and a Tort Claims Act presentation requirement under §910.
For senior employees with documented earnings, the damages in a wrongful-termination or retaliation case can be substantial. Recoverable categories may include:
Every case is different. Actual recovery depends on the facts, the documentary record, and how the case resolves.
Not before having a lawyer review it. Severance agreements in California often include a release of claims, an NDA, and non-disparagement provisions — some no longer enforceable after SB 331. There is also often unpaid equity, earned commissions, or accrued PTO the first version of the package leaves on the table. A short review usually pays for itself.
Yes. At-will means an employer can fire you for most reasons — or no reason — but not for an illegal one. If you were fired for asserting a right (reporting misconduct, taking protected leave, refusing to break the law) or in violation of a protected characteristic, you may have a wrongful-termination claim under the Tameny doctrine or another California statute.
It can be. California treats earned compensation as wages once vested under the grant agreement. Firing an employee specifically to avoid paying RSUs about to vest can support both a wage claim and a wrongful-termination claim. The case turns on the timing between protected activity and the firing, the vesting schedule, and what the documentary record shows.
A pretextual reason — one that does not match the documentary record — is what most California wrongful-termination cases turn on. Courts look at whether the stated reason was raised before the protected activity, applied to other employees the same way, and supported by the personnel file. A reason that appears only after a complaint is the pattern of pretext.
Most California employment lawyers, including Mercer Legal Group, work on contingency — no fee unless there is a recovery. Typical contingency rates range from one-third to 40% of the gross recovery. Clients may still be responsible for case costs separate from attorney’s fees per the written retainer agreement. For severance review or non-compete defense, hourly or flat-fee arrangements are sometimes used. Initial consultations are free.
Save emails, text messages, performance reviews, HR communications, the termination notice, pay records, equity grant agreements, and the severance package on the table. Do not forward company information to personal accounts — preserve what you already have access to.
Note the dates of complaints, requests, performance reviews, and meetings — who was present and what was said. Memory fades quickly. A short written timeline matters when evidence is reviewed later.
If you were offered a severance package, do not sign it before having a lawyer review the release, the NDA, and the consideration. SB 331 has voided NDA provisions that were standard two years ago, and there is often more value in the package than the first version reveals.
Most California employment claims have strict deadlines. The sooner you speak with an attorney, the more options you typically have. Free, confidential consultations are available 24/7.
Free, confidential review by a senior attorney for executives, managers, and senior professional employees. No fee unless we recover. SE HABLA ESPAÑOL.
Legal Disclaimer: The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this page, contacting the firm, or sending information through the case-evaluation form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every employment case turns on its specific facts, and outcomes vary. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Mercer Legal Group is a California-licensed law firm; this site is not intended as solicitation in jurisdictions where the firm is not licensed. To discuss your specific situation, schedule a free confidential consultation.
Responsible attorney: Simon Moshkovich, California State Bar No. 323584. Mercer Legal Group, 21031 Ventura Blvd., Suite 103, Woodland Hills, CA 91364.
