Practice

Employment

Representing employees is all about making sure each of us has a level playing field on which to compete in the workplace. Without a level playing field, no other civil rights can be achieved.

We are all taught from childhood that diligence and hard work will bring us prosperity and success. It’s hard enough to survive in this world toiling 40+ hours a week in jobs which may or may not be personally rewarding. To have our performance tainted, blocked, inhibited, or in any way harmed by someone else’s discriminatory conduct is abhorrent. To have our labor go underpaid, unpaid or exploited by employers which do not comply with basic wage ordinances is unconscionable. To have employers cheat us out of commissions or bonuses earned through our reliance upon the company’s compensation policies is intolerable.

The civil rights movements which gave rise to workplace fairness legislation all have one common goal—that we be judged by the content of our character. The only way this vision will ever be fully realized is when the workplace is free from discrimination and everyone has the opportunity to make their own way, to put food on the table for their family, and to reap the benefits of their own labor.

We work with clients who have the courage to come forward to protect their rights to be free from discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, and any other violations that occur in the workplace. We negotiate employment agreements, provide advice on employment matters, and litigate to protect and enforce our clients’ rights.

If you believe you have been harmed by unlawful workplace practices, please .

Civil Rights

At DPLO, we work with clients to protect and enforce their right to be free from discrimination. The attorneys at DPLO have extensive experience representing individuals seeking redress for discrimination on the basis of gender, race, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, medical condition, and disability in state and federal courts as well as arbitration. We have represented women who have been discriminated against by educational institutions, individuals with disabilities seeking access to public accommodations, and workers discriminated against on the basis of gender, disability, orientation, race, and national origin.

If you believe you have been a victim of discrimination and wish to pursue your rights, please .

Consumer

Consumers are sometimes harmed as a result of corporate greed or misconduct. The attorneys at DPLO are experienced in prosecuting such malfeasance, and obtaining real results which include putting a stop to the unlawful conduct and obtaining restitution for those injured. Often many consumers have been harmed in the same way, which makes it appropriate to pursue legal recourse on a class action basis. A class action allows a group of similarly situated people to seek relief in the courts in a single case for corporate wrongdoing.

The attorneys at DPLO are experienced in prosecuting consumer class actions. We believe that such actions are essential to protecting consumers in the marketplace. Representative cases include against telecommunication companies for hidden and unlawful charges, and cases against financial institutions for predatory lending practices such as unfair mortgage loans, excessive credit card fees and abusive debt collection practices.

If you feel you have been the victim of an unlawful consumer practice, please .

Appellate

DPLO believes in representing individuals through the entire litigation process, which sometimes can include bringing or responding to an appeal. In addition, DPLO can associate into a case to assist or handle an appeal or writ proceeding, even when they have not been involved at the trial court level.

Monique Olivier has particular expertise in handling civil appeals and is a Certified Appellate Specialist (State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization). Monique has briefed, argued, and won several cases that have led to reported decisions for consumers and victims of discrimination in the California Supreme Court, the California Courts of Appeal, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, including Mansourian v. Regents of the Univ. of Calif., 602 F.3d 957 (9th Cir. 2010), a landmark Title IX case eliminating procedural hurdles for individual victims of discrimination, ensuring broad access to Title IX remedies.

If you have an appeal or writ you would like our assistance with, please .