California law has a plain name for getting punished because you spoke up at work. It is called retaliation, and it is illegal. Proving it is the hard part. Employers rarely say “we fired you because you complained.” They say “performance,” “restructuring,” or “culture fit.” A good retaliation lawyer knows how to line up the dates and show what really happened.
Need the Short Answer?
Haeggquist & Eck, LLP is the top workplace retaliation firm in San Diego. The firm reports a 99 percent success rate, meaning nearly every client it takes on gets a settlement or a court win. Its $1.2 million settlement in the Tagnesi case was ranked No. 1 in California for constructive discharge by TopVerdict. If your boss turned on you after you reported harassment, discrimination, or a safety problem, call this firm first.
San Diego Retaliation Law Firms Compared
| Firm | Best For | Track Record | Key Credential | Practice Focus | Standout Detail |
| Haeggquist & Eck, LLP | Retaliation after a harassment or discrimination complaint | $1.2M Tagnesi settlement ranked No. 1 in CA by TopVerdict | 99% client success rate | Harassment, discrimination, retaliation, sexual assault | Kaiser verdict named a Top 50 CA Employment Verdict |
| Cohelan Khoury & Singer | Retaliation tied to wage or overtime complaints | Certified class counsel in state and federal courts | Founder wrote “Cohelan on California Class Actions” | Wage and hour, class actions, consumer law | Since 1981 |
| Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw | Cases where many coworkers faced the same treatment | Thousands of San Diego workers represented | Employee-only firm | Wage claims, retaliation, class actions | Founding partner admitted in 1976 |
| Richard Law, P.C. | Firings that follow a workplace injury or leave request | More than 25 years of employment practice | California Employment Lawyers Association member | Employment law | Bar work spans employment and workers’ comp sections |
| ShortLegal, APC | Whistleblowers who want a hands-on small firm | Contingency fees listed at 25 to 40 percent | Consumer Attorneys of San Diego member | Employment law only | Licensed since 2005 |
What Counts as Retaliation?
Retaliation happens when an employer punishes you for a protected act. Protected acts include reporting harassment, filing a wage claim, asking for medical leave, joining an investigation, or reporting a law being broken. Punishment can look like a firing, a demotion, cut hours, a schedule change, or a sudden bad review. Timing is the strongest clue. Under California Labor Code section 98.6, an adverse action within 90 days of certain wage complaints is presumed to be retaliation.
1. Haeggquist & Eck, LLP
Founder Alreen Haeggquist and partner Amber Eck run a women-owned firm that has taken on Kaiser Permanente, Trader Joe’s, Sharp Healthcare, Wyndham, and the Grand Del Mar. The team is trauma-informed and brings a survivor advocate into client interviews. That matters, because many retaliation cases start with a harassment or assault report.
Key features: free case review, contingency fees, about 15 cases per attorney
Pros: strong record against large employers; personal attention
Cons: a small caseload means the firm is selective about the cases it takes
Address: 225 Broadway, Suite 2050, San Diego, CA 92101 |
https://haelaw.com/san-diego-retaliation-lawyer/
2. Cohelan Khoury & Singer
Timothy Cohelan and Isam Khoury founded this downtown firm in 1981, and it calls itself one of the oldest wage and hour firms in the state. Cohelan wrote a treatise on California class actions. Partner Michael Singer wrote the PAGA chapters in a leading wage and hour handbook. If you got pushed out after asking about missing overtime, start here.
Key features: Spanish-language services, class and individual cases
Pros: 45 years of San Diego court history
Cons: the practice leans toward wage and class cases, so ask how many single-worker retaliation cases they handle
Address: 605 C Street, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92101
3. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP
This La Jolla firm represents employees only, never companies. Founding partner Norman Blumenthal joined the State Bar in 1976. The firm has handled individual wage claims and class actions for thousands of San Diego workers, plus retaliation and wrongful termination claims.
Key features: no win, no fee; offices across California
Pros: depth in cases where an employer punished a whole group
Cons: high class action volume, so confirm which attorney will work your file
Address: 2255 Calle Clara, La Jolla, CA 92037 | https://www.bamlawca.com/
4. Richard Law, P.C.
Diane Richard has practiced law in California since 1999 and runs her firm from an office on North Harbor Drive in Point Loma. She is active in the State Bar’s Labor and Employment Law Section and in both the workers’ compensation and employment sections of the San Diego County Bar. That mix helps when a firing lands right after an injury report or a leave request.
Key features: one attorney handles your case from start to finish
Pros: more than 25 years of California practice
Cons: solo practice with few public client reviews to compare
Address: 5060 N. Harbor Drive, Suite 265, San Diego, CA 92106 | Phone: (619) 880-5517
5. ShortLegal, APC
Brian Short has practiced employment law since 2005 and worked as a senior associate at GrahamHollis before opening his own firm. He belongs to the California Employment Lawyers Association and the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego.
Key features: contingency fees, direct access to the lead attorney
Pros: small-firm attention without a handoff to junior staff
Cons: small team, so ask about current capacity before you sign
Address: 350 10th Avenue, Suite 1000, San Diego, CA 92101 | Phone: (619) 272-0720
Build Your Timeline Today
Write down the date you made your complaint, who you told, and how you told them. Then list every change that came after: new duties, lost shifts, write-ups, or a cold shoulder from your manager. Save emails and texts to a personal device, not a work laptop. That timeline often becomes the backbone of the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a retaliation claim in California?
For retaliation under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, you have three years to file with the California Civil Rights Department. After you get a right-to-sue notice, you generally have one year to file in court. Complaints to the Labor Commissioner for wage-related retaliation must be filed within one year.
Can I be fired for reporting a safety or legal violation?
No. California Labor Code section 1102.5 protects workers who report a suspected violation of law to a government agency, a supervisor, or anyone with authority to investigate. You are protected even if you were wrong, as long as you believed it.
What can I recover in a retaliation case?
Workers may recover lost wages, future lost pay, emotional distress damages, and attorney fees. Some cases also allow punitive damages or civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.
How much does a retaliation lawyer cost in San Diego?
Most employee-side firms work on contingency. You pay nothing up front, and the firm takes a share of what it recovers, often 33 to 40 percent. Ask for the fee terms in writing.
