Standing Up For Fairness In The Workplace

Despite laws in place to protect the rights of workers, employment law violations still occur every day in California. At Bryant Whitten, LLP, we are committed to holding employers accountable for unequal and discriminatory treatment in defiance of state and federal laws. With skill and compassion, our team will fight for your workplace rights and fair compensation.

Our law practice handles employment discrimination litigation in the Central Valley, the Bay Area and Northern California. We handle a broad range of employment law issues, including:

• Sexual harassment
• Discrimination based on age, race, gender, nation of origin, disability or religion
• Pregnancy and maternity leave
• Meal and rest breaks
• Wage and hour disputes
• The Family and Medical Leave Act
• Military service
• Whistleblowers’ rights
• Workplace injuries
• Wrongful termination
• Defamation, Libel & Slander
• Overtime/Wage & Hour Disputes
• Unequal Pay

Making a claim is a scary step, especially if you do not want to lose your job. We help clients document and report illegal conduct, and we are with you all the way if you go forward with a lawsuit against the company. We will deal forcefully with any retaliation and do everything we can to enforce your rights.

Why Hire Bryant Whitten, LLP?

Your choice of law firm is critical to recovering what you deserve after suffering a workplace violation. Our firm has the track record, credentials and recognition to level the playing field when you are pitted against an enormous corporation or organization. The case for choosing Bryant Whitten, LLP is strengthened by these factors:

• Our attorneys have successfully taken on major California and national employers, including Starbucks, Walmart, Taco Bell, the California Department of Corrections and E.&J. Gallo Winery.
• They represent clients throughout many parts of the state – from Bakersfield to Sacramento to Oakland.
• Attorney Amanda Whitten has training in trauma-informed advocacy and more than 15 years of experience in working with victims of sexual harassment and abuse at work.
• Ms. Whitten has been selected for inclusion on the Rising Stars/Super Lawyers lists from every year since 2017; Mr. Bryant was selected for inclusion on the Northern California Employment Law Rising Stars list in 2012 and has been selected to the Super Lawyers list every year since 2013.

In addition to the above, both our attorneys have been Lead Counsel Verified by LawInfo, indicating their good standing with the bar association and their focus in their advertised practice areas.

What Qualifies As A Workplace Violation?

California is recognized as a national leader in protecting employees from workplace mistreatment. Statutes such as the California Labor Code, the Fair Employment And Housing Act, the California Family Rights Act, and the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act provide a comprehensive safety net. You may have experienced a workplace violation if you’ve had any of the following happen to you:

• You’ve been discriminated against on the job on the basis of your race, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation or another protected class
• You’ve been denied your work break or lunch period
• Your paycheck contains errors or you were not paid for hours worked
• You were fired or demoted for reporting workplace violations or other legal violations at your company
• You were denied paid sick leave to recover from illness or care for a family member
• You were not paid for overtime in a job that is not exempt from overtime pay
• Your request was denied for unpaid extended leave to care for a family member, recuperate from an illness or injury or bond with your new child

Details of the violation are critical to determine if you have a case, so make notes about the time, place, actions and people involved. Our attorneys will review the facts of your case and help you determine your best course of action.

Our Attorneys Build On Their Backgrounds To Construct A Strong Case For You

Our accomplished trial lawyers, Shelley Bryant and Amanda Whitten, have successfully sued large corporations for discriminatory practices. Their ability to build a compelling case has resulted in many notable recoveries for lost earnings, emotional distress and other adverse effects of employment discrimination.

Shelley Bryant

Mr. Shelley Bryant earned his bachelor’s degree from Chapman University and his law degree from the University of California Davis. Prior to Ms. Whitten and Mr. Bryant forming Bryant Whitten, LLP, he represented corporations in employment law matters as a shareholder at Jory, Peterson, Watkins & Smith. His time working with defendants in employment law matters has given him sharp insights into how the other side of a case will behave. He is a member of the California Employment Lawyer’s Association and the National Employment Lawyer’s Association, and also belongs to the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.

Amanda Whitten

Within the last few years, Ms. Whitten has recovered millions of dollars for her clients in sexual abuse and employment cases against big companies and medical facilities. She understands and leverages the impact that technology, the internet, and even social networking have had on the workplace and employee’s rights.
Attorney Whitten graduated with a B.S. in political science from California State University – Fresno, and received her law degree from the University of California, Davis, School Of Law. A native of California’s Central Valley, her passion is protecting the rights of women and workers throughout the state.

What To Expect When Working With Our Firm

While we prioritize compassionate, hands-on representation for our clients, technology plays a significant role in how we research, strategize and present our cases. Our attorneys believe that using relevant, up-to-date tools to discover, track and litigate cases provides a significant advantage to the plaintiffs we work with.

Our firm’s use of technology starts with your intake. Attorneys Bryant and Whitten track every item associated with your case – whether it’s a strategy idea, new case law or a new finding of fact – in a sophisticated database system that helps us locate and utilize tens of thousands of documents.

During the discovery phase, we can use our database and other tools to find a “needle in the haystack” that validates your claim. Large organizations often try to bury critical evidence in a mountain of paperwork; our technology tools allow us to find it.

If your case proceeds to court, our attorneys employ computer and projection technology capably to present your story and document your claims. They also invest in expert witnesses to validate and explain crucial aspects of the story and private investigators to locate critical witnesses or evidence.

Delivering Results That Matter

You may be concerned that if you file a lawsuit against your current or former employer, you might “win the battle but lose the war” and your case will sink your chances for future career advancement. Our litigation results factor in the unique circumstances of your position and your career. Our goal is to recover damages from your suit that reflect the full cost of the violation.

Some recent results we’re especially proud of include:

• A $1,750,000 settlement for utility workers who were not allowed to take lunch breaks.
• A $1,275,000 settlement for dairy farm workers who were not paid overtime.
• A $1,125,000 settlement for beverage company CFO who was terminated because of age discrimination.

What Our Clients Say

Because our attorneys work hard and fight on-the-job injustice, our firm has earned the respect of our former clients. Here’s a sampling of how they describe partnering with us on their case:

“Shelley is an outstanding attorney. He was reassuring, articulate, knowledgeable and effective.”

“Razor sharp, honest, fair and incredibly responsive; if you need help, Shelley Bryant and Bryant Whitten, LLP will fight for you every step of the way.”

“Amanda is a great attorney! She responded to my inquiry fast! She was very helpful with everything that had to do with my case.”

“I am so thankful I was recommended to Amanda Whitten. Amanda did a fantastic job handling my case.”

We concentrate our practice 100 percent on employees and aim to find successful resolutions for workplace conflicts we handle.

Get Our Help To Stand Up For What Is Right

We are here to protect you from further adverse action and hold the employer accountable. Contact our attorneys for an explanation of your rights and a free evaluation of your employment law claim. To reach us, please call us or send us an email. You can call our Fresno office at 559-216-1265, our San Luis Obispo office at 805-328-6206, our Oakland office at 510-901-0774 or our San Francisco office at 415-830-8941.