Rebecca Kagin, who co-chairs California Employment Lawyer’s Association’s Immigrant Employee Rights Committee, designed and moderated the continuing legal education seminar “Advocating for Our Essential Workforce During the Pandemic” on August 11, 2021. Speakers addressed how to protect our essential workforce during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, with a special focus on the rights of immigrant workers. […]
$3 Million Jury Award against Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
Levy Vinick Burrell Hyams won a jury trial in Alameda County on behalf of a licensed RN, who had been employed by The Permanent Medical Group and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals for almost 20 years at the time of her termination. The nurse received excellent performance reviews, including one two months before she announced her need for leave. Her supervisors started writing her up almost immediately after she requested a medical leave, placed her on a performance improvement plan after her return from leave, and ultimately terminated her. The jury trial lasted six weeks and resulted in an jury verdict awarding over $3,000,000 in damages. For more information about this case, Metzner v. The Permanente Medical Group, et al., follow this link to the press release.
Confidential Settlement for Woman Retaliated Against After Taking Medical Leave
A woman who missed work because of her serious health condition was fired by her employer under its “no fault” absence policy. Partner Jean Hyams filed suit on her behalf. The employer ended up footing the bill for the plaintiff’s attorneys fees and paying the plaintiff money damages to avoid a jury trial.
Arbitration Award for Employee Terminated After Taking Medical Leave
In a case arbitrated pursuant to a mandatory employment arbitration agreement, partners Jean Hyams and Leslie Levy won a case for a woman who was terminated from her job after taking time off as medical leave. Since the termination took place as part of a major corporate reorganization and the layoff of hundreds of people, […]
LVBH Sues Golden Gate Fields on Behalf of an Injured Groundskeeper
For more than a dozen years, Alejandro Muñoz worked as a year-round Laborer/Groundskeeper at the Golden Gate Fields. He injured his knee at work. In 2015, Muñoz had a knee replacement. Thereafter, his doctor released him to work with no restrictions, because his doctor believe that Mr. Muñoz could perform all the essential functions of his […]
Firefighter Fired for Using Sick Leave to Care of His Family Files Lawsuit
Firefighter Fired for Using Sick Leave to Care for His Family Files Discrimination Lawsuit Against American Canyon Fire Department San Francisco – February 3, 2017 – Lawyers for Carlo Teruel, a 34-year old firefighter-paramedic, have filed suit in Napa County Superior Court against American Canyon Fire Protection District and the City of American Canyon. The […]
LVBH Files Case on Behalf of Male Firefighter Terminated for Taking Leave to Care for Family
Partner Sharon Vinick, along with co-counsel Jennifer Liu and Rebecca Peterson-Fisher of The Liu Law Firm PC, have filed a case on behalf of Carlo Teruel, a firefighter who worked for the American Canyon Fire Protection District and the City of America Canyon. Mr. Teruel came to work in American Canyon after previously serving as […]
Levy Vinick Burrell Hyams LLP Wins Award of $3,050,000 in Disability Retaliation Case
On November 23, 2015, a jury in Alameda County awarded $3,050,000 to Trish Metzner, who was represented by Levy Vinick Burrell Hyams LLP. The case, which was tried by Darci Burrell, Katherine Smith and Leslie Levy, was brought against The Permanente Medical Group/Kaiser Foundation Hospitals. The case, which is captioned Metzner v. The TMPG, was […]
Six Figure Settlement for Plaintiff Who Was Terminated While on Medical Leave
Partners Leslie Levy and Sharon Vinick filed a complaint on behalf an employee who was sexually harassed, and later terminated following an on-the-job injury. From the beginning of her employment Plaintiff was sexually harassed by a high ranking official of the company. Fearing retaliation, Plaintiff did not report the harassment, but instead tried to avoid […]
Nursing Home Employee Subjected to Discrimination on Basis of Race and Disability Settles Case
Partner Leslie Levy filed a complaint on behalf of a disabled African American woman who was employed at a Bay Area nursing home facility. The employee was denied approved disability leave and subjected to differential treatment because of her race. Additionally, the employer failed to provide basic accommodations for the employee, such as wheelchair accessible […]
