Employment & Civil Rights
Your workplace rights are civil rights. We provide strategic, compassionate representation for employees facing discrimination, retaliation, and unlawful workplace practices.
How we help
We represent employees, executives, and classes of workers in disputes across the spectrum of employment and civil rights law. Whether you're facing termination, harassment, or systemic wage violations, we bring the preparation and strategy your case requires.
Employment Discrimination & Retaliation
Workplace discrimination takes many forms, including unfair hiring, promotion, firing, or demotion based on race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, military status, family responsibilities, immigration or citizenship status, and other protected characteristics. Retaliation, such as being fired, demoted, or stripped of benefits after reporting discrimination, is also illegal under federal and state law. Standing up to discrimination and retaliation is emotionally challenging, and you do not have to fight alone. We are resolute in defending your rights and holding employers accountable, with client-centered, trauma-informed advocacy.
Sexual Harassment & Other Unlawful Harassment
Sexual harassment in the workplace occurs when there is offensive or unwelcome sexual conduct, such as unwanted touching, sexual remarks or 'jokes,' promises of employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors (quid pro quo), or conduct severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile work environment. Title VII and state laws also prohibit harassment based on race, national origin, religion, and other protected characteristics, which may take the form of slurs or physical violence. If you have experienced workplace harassment, sexual or otherwise, we are resolute in defending your rights and holding employers accountable.
Employment & Severance Agreements
Reviewing and negotiating employment and severance agreements can be a heavy lift. Because these agreements are generally binding, it is crucial to analyze them carefully and know what you are signing, whether it is a non-compete clause limiting future employment opportunities, a non-solicitation clause restricting outreach to employees or customers, or a confidentiality clause governing how employment information may be used or disclosed. Through comprehensive reviews and strategic negotiations, we help you secure favorable terms that align with your goals.
Reasonable Accommodations
By law, employers must provide reasonable accommodations to ensure work is accessible and feasible for people with physical or mental disabilities. Accommodations may include changes to job duties, reassignment to a more suitable role, modified schedules, assistive equipment, or flexible hours for pregnant workers. Requesting and receiving a reasonable accommodation is your legal right. If you need support with a request, or your employer refuses or retaliates, we are here to relentlessly and tactically fight alongside you.
Whistleblower Protection
When fraud, corruption, unsafe conditions, public health or safety hazards, or other illegal activity occur at work, federal and state whistleblower laws protect workers who report or oppose employer misconduct. Employers cannot fire or punish workers for reporting what they reasonably believe is illegal or harmful. If you have faced retaliation for whistleblowing, or need help making a protected report, we will zealously pursue your claims and hold your employer accountable.
Unpaid Wages & Overtime
You clocked in. You performed your work. You clocked out. But you were not paid for it? That is wage theft, when employers withhold or fail to pay legally entitled wages. Wage theft can include unpaid wages, unpaid overtime, denied meal and rest breaks, denied bonuses, or misclassifying workers as independent contractors or overtime-exempt. Employers who deny your earnings deny your ability to care for yourself and your loved ones. We are resolute in helping you recover every cent stolen.
FMLA & Leaves of Absence
Life does not stop for your job, nor should it. Sometimes you need time off for health issues, to care for a sick family member, for pregnancy, or to bond with a newborn. Under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and state laws, covered employees can take unpaid leave for serious health conditions. If your employer violates your leave rights, you may be owed back pay, front pay, and other damages. We help you request leave, fight retaliation or interference, and recover what you are owed.
Hire me as your mediator
The services above are for employees seeking attorney representation. The offering below is different: it is for parties (employees, employers, or their counsel) who want to retain me as a neutral, third-party mediator to help resolve a dispute. In a mediation engagement, I do not represent either side.
Mediation Services
About 80% of cases settle through mediation, and in employment cases 90–98% settle before trial, making mediation the most successful dispute resolution method for legal conflicts. As a Certified Mediator, I take a neutral, facilitative approach, helping both parties find a mutually agreeable solution and make informed decisions. Upon request, I can also provide an evaluative assessment of claims and defenses, informed by my experience as a federal judicial law clerk, an EEOC judicial law clerk, and a litigator. As a neutral in these judicial clerkship roles, I have applied the facts to the law objectively, irrespective of my employee-side representation as a legal practitioner, and have researched and drafted opinions resolving disputes in the employer's favor. Sessions are flexible and confidential, and the parties control the terms and outcome. For employers and employees seeking mediation services, please contact Chiamaka@EchebiriLawFirm.com.
We Answered All
Plain-language answers to the questions employees most often ask us about workplace rights, harassment, accommodations, contracts, and severance.
Have a question that isn't answered here? Reach out for a confidential consultation.