Worker Rights Law | The Casas Law Firm, P.C.

Practice Areas — Overview

Six Areas of Worker Protection

Protecting working people when employers abuse their power, cut corners, retaliate, or put profits ahead of their employees.

Workplace Discrimination

When employment decisions are based on who you are rather than how you perform, the law provides protection. We represent employees facing discrimination based on race, age, sex, pregnancy, disability, and more.

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Wrongful Termination

Fired for the wrong reasons — retaliation, discrimination, or violation of public policy? We hold employers accountable when they terminate workers illegally and pursue the full compensation you're owed.

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Retaliation & Whistleblower Protection

No worker should be punished simply for speaking up. We represent employees who were retaliated against after reporting misconduct, filing HR complaints, or exercising their legal rights.

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Harassment & Hostile Work Environment

Every worker deserves a workplace free from intimidation by supervisors, managers, or coworkers. We pursue claims involving harassment, bullying tied to protected characteristics, and hostile work environments.

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Wage & Hour Violations

Unpaid overtime, off-the-clock work, misclassification as a contractor, tip theft. If your employer didn't pay you what the law requires — we recover what you're owed plus penalties.

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Worker Injury & Disability Rights

Hurt on the job? Employer ignoring medical restrictions or refusing reasonable accommodation? We fight for injured workers and employees with disabilities against employers and insurance companies.

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01 — Workplace Discrimination

You Deserve
Equal
Treatment.

When employment decisions are based on who you are rather than how you perform, the law provides powerful protections. Federal and state anti-discrimination laws prohibit employers from treating employees or job applicants differently because of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Discrimination can take many forms — from being passed over for a promotion to being subjected to unequal pay, undesirable assignments, or termination. In many cases, discrimination is subtle and systemic, and employers work hard to disguise it. Our attorneys know how to investigate, document, and prove discriminatory conduct.

Worker Rights Law represents employees at every stage — from initial EEOC charges through trial. We pursue claims under Title VII, the ADEA, the ADA, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, state fair employment laws, and other federal and state protections.

Common claims include:

Race, color, and national origin discrimination

Sex, gender identity, and pregnancy discrimination

Age discrimination (40 and older)

Disability discrimination and failure to accommodate

Religious discrimination

Failure to hire based on protected characteristics

Unequal pay and disparate treatment

Discriminatory performance reviews and terminations

Because discrimination laws vary by state and the strength of a claim depends heavily on documentation and timing, it is critical to speak with an attorney as soon as possible. Deadlines to file charges can be as short as 180 days from the discriminatory act.

Get a Free Case Review →

02 — Wrongful Termination

Your Job.
Your
Rights.

Most workers in the United States are employed "at will," meaning their employer can technically terminate them for any reason — but not for an illegal reason. When an employer fires a worker because of their race, age, disability, or other protected characteristic, or in retaliation for reporting misconduct or exercising a legal right, that termination is wrongful and actionable.

Wrongful termination also occurs when an employer violates a written or implied employment contract, fires a worker in violation of public policy, or constructs a situation designed to force an employee to quit (constructive discharge). These cases can be complex, and employers often manufacture reasons to justify a termination after the fact.

Worker Rights Law investigates wrongful termination claims thoroughly — reviewing documentation, interviewing witnesses, and building the strongest possible case for reinstatement, back pay, lost benefits, and compensatory damages.

We handle:

Termination based on race, age, sex, or disability

Retaliation termination after reporting misconduct

Violation of public policy (fired for jury duty, voting, etc.)

Constructive discharge — forced to quit due to intolerable conditions

Breach of written or implied employment contract

Termination after FMLA or medical leave

Pretextual terminations with fabricated reasons

Severance negotiation and wrongful separation claims

If you were fired and something felt wrong about it — trust that instinct. Many workers don't realize they have a legal claim until they speak with an attorney. The initial consultation is always free.

Discuss Your Termination →

03 — Retaliation & Whistleblower Protection

Speaking Up
Should Never
Cost You.

It is illegal for an employer to punish an employee for reporting workplace misconduct, filing a complaint with a government agency, cooperating with an investigation, or exercising any right protected by law. Despite this, retaliation remains one of the most common forms of workplace illegal conduct.

Retaliation can be obvious — like termination — or subtle, including demotion, pay cuts, schedule changes, increased scrutiny, or hostile treatment designed to push an employee out. Whatever form it takes, it is illegal, and workers are entitled to fight back.

Worker Rights Law represents employees who were retaliated against after filing an HR complaint, reporting safety violations, refusing to participate in illegal conduct, exercising their right to medical leave, or cooperating with a government investigation. We also represent whistleblowers under applicable federal and state statutes.

Protected activities include:

Filing an HR complaint or EEOC charge

Reporting workplace safety violations to OSHA

Cooperating with a government investigation

Refusing to participate in illegal conduct

Requesting medical leave or disability accommodation

Reporting wage theft or unpaid wages

Whistleblower protections under federal and state statutes

Opposing discriminatory practices in the workplace

If you spoke up and your employer made your work life harder as a result — that is retaliation. You should not have to choose between doing the right thing and keeping your job. We're here to make sure you don't have to.

Report Retaliation →

04 — Harassment & Hostile Work Environment

You Deserve
a Safe
Workplace.

Every worker deserves to come to work free from intimidation, harassment, and hostility. When supervisors, managers, coworkers, or even clients create an environment that is hostile, abusive, or offensive based on a person's protected characteristics, that conduct violates the law.

Harassment includes unwelcome sexual conduct (quid pro quo harassment), but it also includes a broader range of abusive behavior — including racial slurs, offensive comments, bullying tied to protected characteristics, threats, and sustained patterns of conduct that make it unreasonably difficult to do your job.

Worker Rights Law represents employees who have been subjected to harassment and hostile work environments. We understand that reporting this conduct internally is often difficult or unsafe — and that employers frequently fail to act when reports are made. We step in to enforce your rights when the internal process fails.

We handle:

Sexual harassment — quid pro quo and hostile environment

Racial harassment and racially offensive conduct

Bullying tied to protected characteristics

Intimidation by supervisors and managers

Sustained hostile conduct that affects your ability to work

Employer failure to investigate or address reported harassment

Third-party harassment by clients, customers, or vendors

Constructive discharge resulting from hostile conditions

You do not need to have reported the harassment internally to have a valid legal claim in many cases. Speak with our attorneys first — we will evaluate your situation and advise you on the best path forward.

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05 — Wage & Hour Violations

You Earned It.
You're Owed It.

Wage theft is one of the most pervasive forms of employer misconduct — and one of the least reported. Employers routinely violate wage and hour laws by requiring off-the-clock work, misclassifying employees as independent contractors to avoid paying benefits and overtime, manipulating timekeeping records, and denying legally required meal and rest breaks.

Workers are often unaware that these practices are illegal — or afraid that speaking up will cost them their job. Worker Rights Law represents individuals and groups of workers in wage and hour claims, recovering unpaid wages, overtime, penalties, and attorney's fees.

We handle individual claims as well as collective and class actions where employers have subjected large groups of workers to the same illegal wage practices. If your employer has been shorting your pay, we will pursue the full amount you're owed — plus all available penalties.

We handle:

Unpaid overtime and minimum wage violations

Off-the-clock work and time-shaving

Employee misclassification as independent contractors

Tip theft and tip pool violations

Missed meal and rest breaks

Unlawful paycheck deductions

Third-party contractor and staffing agency claims

Collective and class action wage claims

Wage claims have strict statutes of limitations. In some states, you can only recover back wages for the past two to three years. The sooner you act, the more you can recover.

Recover Your Wages →

06 — Worker Injury & Disability Rights

Hurt at Work.
We Fight
for You.

When you are hurt on the job, your employer and their insurance company have teams of professionals working to minimize what they pay you. Worker Rights Law levels that playing field — fighting for injured workers to receive the full medical care, wage replacement, and compensation they are legally entitled to.

We also represent employees with disabilities whose employers have failed to provide reasonable accommodations, ignored medical restrictions, or discriminated against them because of their condition. The Americans with Disabilities Act and state disability laws impose significant obligations on employers — and we enforce them.

In cases involving catastrophic injuries, premises liability, or third-party negligence, we pursue all available avenues of recovery — including workers' compensation, personal injury claims, and employer liability litigation.

We handle:

Workers' compensation claims and disputes

Employer retaliation for filing a workers' comp claim

Failure to provide reasonable accommodation for disability

Employer ignoring medical restrictions

Catastrophic workplace injuries and premises liability

Third-party negligence claims related to workplace injury

Disability discrimination under the ADA and state law

FMLA violations related to medical leave and return to work

If your employer is telling you to "walk it off," ignoring your medical restrictions, or pressuring you to return to work before you're ready — those are warning signs that you need legal representation immediately.

Get Help Now →

Our Team

The Attorneys Behind the Mission

Experienced trial lawyers across five states — united by one mission: protecting workers from employers who break the law.

Joseph N. Casas

Managing Partner · JD, MBA · California · Illinois

Joseph is the firm's founder and Managing Partner. Bilingual trial lawyer with U.S. Marine Corps and Navy JAG prosecution experience, with almost twenty years of litigation experience. After serving as a JAG Corps prosecutor, he learned civil litigation at McKenna, Long, and Aldridge LLP (Now Dentons US). His experience includes corporate law, bankruptcy, immigration, and employment matters. As a private military defense lawyer, Joseph obtained numerous acquittals in high-stakes trials involving war crimes allegations, including US v. Andrew Grayson. He has first-chaired dozens of trials. Joseph is licensed in California, Illinois, Military Courts, and various U.S. district courts. J.D. from Chicago Kent-College of Law; MBA from Stuart School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology; B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.

John V. Golaszewski

Senior Partner · New York · East Coast Litigation

Senior partner responsible for east coast litigation. Over a decade of experience in IP, privacy and media, business, real estate, and securities disputes in federal and state courts. Clients range from Fortune 500 corporations to entrepreneurs, athletes, and entertainers. First-chair trial lawyer handling all aspects of complex civil litigation from pre-suit through appeal. Significant experience in Lanham Act, RICO, FLSA, trade secret, defamation, fraud, breach of contract, and corporate dissolution matters. Also advises clients subject to SEC, DOJ, and FINRA inquiries. Licensed in New York and various federal courts. Graduate of University of Pennsylvania Law School and Bucknell University.

Mila Khomiak

Florida Partner · Civil Litigation

Licensed Florida civil litigation attorney specializing in complex litigation, specifically talent rights protection in the fashion and entertainment industry. Vast experience in business litigation, mortgage lending, and consumer finance. Tried an extensive amount of bench trials and participated in class action lawsuits with a very high success rate. Most recently part of the trial team that secured a federal court victory on behalf of talent clients. B.S. from University of Toronto; J.D. from St. Thomas University School of Law, Miami, where she was an articles editor for the Intercultural Human Rights Law Review.

Dennis Postiglione

Texas Partner · Personal Injury · Insurance

Trial lawyer with over 15 years of litigation experience in state and federal court. Represents clients in catastrophic personal injury, trucking, wrongful death, premises liability, construction defect, breach of contract, and misappropriation matters. Prior to joining the firm as Partner in the Austin/San Antonio office, represented a broad base of clients across Texas and the U.S. B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Austin (Dean's List, 1993); J.D. from South Texas College of Law (2003).

Monica Padilla

California Partner · Employment & Business Litigation

Attorney with 11 years of experience representing athletes, artists, celebrities, corporations, small businesses, and entertainment management companies nationally and throughout California. Led teams on large-scale complex business litigation for both individuals and corporate clients. Experience spans boutique firms in San Diego to some of the largest law firms in the world, dedicated to entertainment, corporate law, and civil litigation. J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law; B.F.A. with Pre-Law Political Science Minor from the University of Central Florida.

Shelby Chesnes

Associate · Florida

The firm's newest litigation associate licensed in Florida. Before law school, Shelby was a model and actress — her first-hand talent industry experience brings tremendous value to clients. Began her legal career in-house at a financial firm, then clerked for both a criminal law firm and a hospitality law firm. Also worked as a Miami realtor, providing unique real estate law perspective. J.D. from University of Miami School of Law; B.A. in Psychology from University of Miami (double cane).

Why Us

Why Workers Choose The Casas Law Firm

We're not afraid of the courtroom. Most attorneys settle because trials are hard. We're built to litigate — and corporations know it.

Years Combined Firm Experience

Our team brings over 80 years of combined legal experience across private practice, JAG prosecution, and civil litigation — all focused on one mission: winning for plaintiffs.

6 Trial Attorneys. National Reach.

California, Texas, Illinois, Florida, New York, and Washington D.C. — with a network of trusted local counsel nationwide. We serve workers wherever their rights are violated.

National Reach.

No matter where you are, we fight for you. Through our network of trusted co-counsel across the country, we handle worker rights matters in all 50 states — wherever employers break the law.

Your Employer Has Lawyers. Now So Do You.

Your employer has HR, in-house counsel, and outside attorneys working in their favor from day one. We level the playing field — and we fight back hard.

No Fee Unless We Win

Most worker rights cases are handled on contingency — meaning we only get paid if you win. The initial consultation is always free. There's no risk in calling us.

Big Firm Power. Small Firm Feel.

We routinely take on the largest corporate law firms in the country. But you'll always know your attorney by name — and they'll always know your case.

Free Case Review

Get Your Free, Confidential Case Review

Tell us what happened. We'll tell you whether you have a case, what it might be worth, and what to do next. No pressure. No fees unless we win your case.

(855) 267-4457

Prefer to call? We're available.

FAQ

Common Questions

We understand you may have concerns before reaching out. Here are answers to what most workers ask us first.

How much does it cost to hire you?

Nothing upfront. We work on contingency for most worker rights cases — meaning we only get paid if we win or settle your case. The initial consultation is always free.

How long do I have to file a claim?

It depends on the type of case and the state. Some claims have deadlines as short as 180 days. Don't wait — contact us today so we can evaluate your timeline before any deadline passes.

Will my employer find out I contacted a lawyer?

Your consultation is confidential. We don't contact your employer unless and until you decide to move forward with your case.

What if I'm not sure I have a case?

That's exactly what the free consultation is for. Many workers don't realize their rights have been violated until they talk to an attorney. There's no obligation — just answers.

I still work there. Can I still pursue a claim?

Yes. Many of our clients are still employed when they contact us. We counsel workers on how to protect their position while pursuing their legal rights — and how to document ongoing violations.

What states do you practice in?

We're licensed in California, Texas, Illinois, Florida, New York, and Washington D.C. — with a network of trusted local counsel nationwide. We serve workers across the country.

Your Job.Your Rights.Our Mission.

Six Areas of Worker Protection

You DeserveEqualTreatment.

Your Job.YourRights.

Speaking UpShould NeverCost You.

You Deservea SafeWorkplace.

You Earned It.You're Owed It.

Hurt at Work.We Fightfor You.

The Attorneys Behind the Mission

Why Workers Choose The Casas Law Firm

Get Your Free, Confidential Case Review

Common Questions

Your Job.
Your Rights.
Our Mission.

You Deserve
Equal
Treatment.

Your Job.
Your
Rights.

Speaking Up
Should Never
Cost You.

You Deserve
a Safe
Workplace.

You Earned It.
You're Owed It.

Hurt at Work.
We Fight
for You.