Employment Attorney in Manhattan Beach
For Manhattan Beach and South Bay workers who were fired, pushed out, or shorted on their final paycheck. What counts as wrongful termination, what to gather, and how to talk with an attorney.
Manhattan Beach is a coastal city in the South Bay. If you live or work there and you have just lost your job — or you are being pushed toward the door — the first weeks matter. Evidence disappears and deadlines approach quickly. Cohen Law Group represents employees throughout California from our office in Century City. Meetings by appointment at our Century City office.
Fired, forced out, or shorted on your final paycheck
California is an at-will state, but even at-will employees cannot be fired for an illegal motive. A termination may be wrongful when it is driven by:
- Discrimination based on a protected characteristic, such as age (40 and over), disability, pregnancy, race, or gender
- Retaliation for reporting harassment, filing a complaint, or taking protected leave
- Your refusal to do something illegal — like falsifying records or violating safety regulations
- A broken employment contract, offer letter, or company policy limiting termination to “for cause”
Two related problems often show up at the same time. If you were forced to resign because conditions became intolerable, that may qualify as a wrongful termination claim (often called constructive termination). And employers are required to provide timely final pay — late or incomplete final wages can carry waiting-time penalties. For more on these and other workplace claims, visit our employment law page.
What to gather before you call
You don't need everything to get started, but these help an attorney see the picture:
- Your offer letter, any employment agreement, and the employee handbook if you have it
- Recent performance reviews and any write-ups
- Emails or messages about the decision, or about complaints you raised
- Your final pay stub and any separation paperwork you were given
- A short timeline of what happened and when
Talking with a Century City firm from the South Bay
Call (310) 747-1883 to speak directly with an attorney, or request a consultation online and an attorney will review it and follow up promptly. Consultations are free, confidential, and carry no obligation. Hablamos español. Attorney Jordan Cohen speaks Spanish and can meet with you in Spanish.
Why Cohen Law Group
Jordan M. Cohen, the firm's founder, has led legal teams before. He ran the Pro Athlete Law Group, representing professional athletes in workers' compensation and player benefit matters while overseeing attorneys and staff across multiple offices. Earlier, he was an associate and partner at Levine, Steinberg & Miller, focused on complex tort litigation.
Susan Peterson, Associate Counsel, has spent the past two decades in private practice representing clients in matters that include employment disputes — handling every stage, from case strategy and discovery to settlement negotiations and trial preparation.
Questions from South Bay workers
I quit because things became unbearable. Do I still have a claim?
Possibly. When working conditions become so intolerable that an employee is forced to resign — for example, after retaliation for reporting misconduct — it may qualify as a wrongful termination claim. These cases depend heavily on the facts.
How long do I have to bring a claim?
Strict deadlines apply, and they vary by claim. Some can be as short as one year, and some claims require filing with a government agency before going to court. Delay can permanently bar a claim, so prompt evaluation matters.
What can I recover if I was wrongfully fired?
Depending on the case, remedies can include back pay, front pay, lost bonuses, commissions, and benefits, and damages for emotional distress. Punitive damages may be available in cases involving fraud, oppression, or malice, and reinstatement is sometimes possible. Every case depends on its own facts, and no outcome is guaranteed.
Beyond employment law, the firm also takes on serious injury cases, insurance bad-faith disputes for policyholders, and business litigation.
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Learn more about wrongful termination and wage and hour violations, or meet our attorneys.
Employment claims we handle: Wrongful Termination, Workplace Retaliation, Whistleblower Claims, Discrimination & Harassment, Wage & Hour Violations, Employee Misclassification.
Next step
Request a consultation
California matters only. Call (310) 747-1883 or request a consultation online. Hablamos español. Attorney Jordan Cohen speaks Spanish and can meet with you in Spanish.