Employment Discrimination Lawyer Los Angeles | FEHA & Title VII Claims

If you need an employment discrimination lawyer in Los Angeles, Mesriani Law Group is here to help. Employment discrimination occurs when an employer treats an employee or job applicant less favorably because of a protected characteristic — race, gender, age, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by California or federal law.

At Mesriani Law Group, our Los Angeles employment discrimination attorneys represent workers in every type of discrimination claim under California’s FEHA and federal Title VII. We have over 30 years of experience building the evidence needed to hold employers accountable when they hide discriminatory decisions behind pretextual justifications. All cases handled on contingency — you pay nothing unless we win.

What Is Employment Discrimination Under California Law?

Employment discrimination occurs when an employer takes an adverse employment action against an employee or applicant because of a protected characteristic. Under FEHA (Government Code § 12940 et seq.) and federal Title VII, protected characteristics include. See our full guide to California anti-discrimination laws:

• Race, color, and ethnic background
• Sex, gender, and gender identity or expression
• Sexual orientation
• National origin and ancestry
• Religion and religious creed
• Age (40 and older under FEHA and the ADEA)
• Physical and mental disability
• Pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions
• Medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics)
• Marital status
• Military and veteran status
• Genetic information

An adverse employment action includes termination, demotion, reduction in pay, failure to hire, failure to promote, unequal working conditions, and any other decision that materially affects the terms and conditions of employment. See our guide on who is protected under California’s FEHA.

How Employment Discrimination Is Proven: The Evidentiary Framework

Employers rarely admit to discrimination. California and federal courts apply established frameworks for evaluating whether an employer’s stated reason is genuine or pretextual:

Direct Evidence

Explicit statements or documents showing a protected characteristic was a factor in an employment decision — a manager’s email seeking “younger energy,” a performance review referencing disability, or texts expressing bias. Powerful but rare.

Disparate Treatment: McDonnell Douglas Burden-Shifting

Most employment discrimination cases proceed under the disparate treatment theory using the McDonnell Douglas framework. See our overview of federal and California employment anti-discrimination laws:

1. The employee establishes a prima facie case: member of a protected class, qualified for the position, suffered an adverse action, treated differently than similarly situated employees outside the protected class.
2. The burden shifts to the employer to articulate a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for the adverse action.
3. The employee must show the employer’s stated reason is pretextual — a false justification concealing the real discriminatory reason.

Evidence of pretext includes: inconsistencies in the stated reason, deviation from standard procedures, differential treatment of comparable employees, proximity between protected activity and adverse action, and discriminatory statements by decision-makers.

Disparate Impact

A facially neutral policy that has a disproportionate adverse impact on a protected group constitutes unlawful discrimination even without discriminatory intent. The employee shows a statistical disparity; the employer must demonstrate business necessity; the employee may then show a less discriminatory alternative exists. Common in hiring, testing, and promotion processes.

Types of Employment Discrimination Claims We Handle

Racial Discrimination

Discriminatory treatment in any phase of employment based on race, color, or national origin, including racial harassment and hostile work environment claims — see our racial discrimination page.

Sex and Gender Discrimination

Unequal treatment based on sex or gender, including pregnancy discrimination, pay disparity, and failure to accommodate pregnancy-related conditions — see our gender discrimination page.

Age Discrimination

Discrimination against workers 40 and older under FEHA (5+ employees) and the ADEA (20+ employees), including discriminatory layoffs, denied promotions, and forced retirement — see our age discrimination page.

Disability Discrimination

Discrimination based on physical or mental disability, including failure to accommodate and failure to engage in the interactive process — see our disability discrimination page under FEHA Government Code § 12940(n).

Religious Discrimination

Discrimination based on religious beliefs or practices, including failure to provide reasonable religious accommodation — see our religious discrimination page.

Pregnancy Discrimination

Discrimination because of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. California’s PDL and CFRA provide additional state-law protections — see our pregnancy discrimination page.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination

FEHA explicitly protects sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Bostock v. Clayton County (2020) extended Title VII protections to these characteristics under federal law.

National Origin Discrimination

Discrimination based on national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, or accent, including language-based discrimination without legitimate business justification.

Common Adverse Employment Actions

• Termination or wrongful discharge based on a protected characteristic — see our wrongful termination page
• Failure to hire a qualified applicant
• Failure to promote
• Demotion or reduction in job duties
• Pay disparity versus similarly situated employees outside the protected class
• Differential discipline
• Hostile work environment — harassment so severe or pervasive it alters the terms and conditions of employment
• Constructive discharge — conditions made so intolerable a reasonable person would be compelled to resign

Muldrow v. City of St. Louis (2024): The U.S. Supreme Court held that a job transfer or other workplace change can constitute an adverse employment action even without a reduction in pay or rank — see our analysis of what counts as an adverse employment action, as long as it causes some harm to the terms and conditions of employment.

The Administrative Process: CRD and EEOC

• FEHA claims: File a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) within three years of the discriminatory act. After receiving a right-to-sue notice, you have one year to file a lawsuit.
• Title VII / ADEA / ADA claims: File a charge with the EEOC within 300 days of the discriminatory act. After receiving a right-to-sue notice, you have 90 days to file.

Our attorneys handle the entire administrative process. If your employer retaliated against you for filing a complaint, see our workplace retaliation page. We advise on whether FEHA in California state court or federal court provides the stronger forum. In most Los Angeles cases, FEHA claims in California state court provide greater protection and higher potential recovery.

What Compensation Can You Recover?

• Back pay: Lost wages and benefits from the date of the discriminatory act
• Front pay: Future lost earnings if reinstatement is not feasible
• Compensatory damages: Emotional distress, humiliation, and damage to professional reputation
• Punitive damages: Available under FEHA for malicious or oppressive conduct; capped under Title VII by employer size
• Attorney’s fees and costs: Prevailing plaintiffs recover attorney’s fees under both FEHA and Title VII
• Reinstatement: A court order requiring the employer to rehire you, though often replaced by front pay

Why Choose Mesriani Law Group?

• Over 30 years representing employees in employment discrimination cases throughout Los Angeles and California
• Hundreds of millions of dollars recovered for clients
• Full evidentiary toolkit: comparative employee data, statistical analysis, internal communications, witness development
• Strategic expertise in FEHA vs. Title VII forum selection
• No Win, No Fee — you pay nothing unless we win
• Available 24/7 in English, Spanish, and Farsi