Employment Discrimination Lawyer in San Francisco & San Jose, California
Arlo Uriarte and Liberation Law Group file cases for workers facing workplace discrimination across the Bay Area. We fight for workers. We do not defend employers. Over 30 years of experience. No fee unless we win.
Are you being treated differently at work because of your race, gender, age, disability, or where you were born? Have you watched less qualified coworkers move ahead while you stay in the same position year after year? Does your workplace feel hostile, unfair, and like nothing is ever going to change?
What you are describing has a name: workplace discrimination. And in California, it is completely illegal.
My name is Arlo Uriarte. I am an employment attorney at Liberation Law Group and I have spent over 30 years filing cases on behalf of workers in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Napa, and throughout Northern California. We are a plaintiff's firm — we fight for workers, we file cases, and we do not defend employers. Our office is at 2760 Mission Street, Second Floor, in the Mission District, three minutes from 24th Street BART. We speak Spanish. We know our community. And we know how to build a case that wins.
If you think you are being discriminated against at work, call today for a free consultation in Spanish or English. No cost. No obligation. Regardless of your immigration status. Available 24/7.
What Is Workplace Discrimination? California's FEHA Explained
California's Fair Employment and Housing Act — FEHA — is one of the strongest workplace protection laws in the country. Unlike federal law, FEHA protects every worker in California regardless of how many employees their employer has. A one-person company is covered the same as a Fortune 500 corporation.
Workplace discrimination occurs when an employer makes an unfavorable employment decision — firing, refusing to hire, denying a promotion, cutting pay, or changing working conditions — based on a personal characteristic protected by law. Not based on performance. Not based on behavior. Based on who you are.
Discrimination can come from your direct supervisor, the company owner, HR, or even coworkers if the employer fails to stop it. And it is not always obvious. Many times it is subtle — disguised as "business decisions" or "performance issues" that appear only after you reveal a pregnancy, a disability, or a religious observance.
Types of Employment Discrimination We Fight in San Francisco
Liberation Law Group handles every type of workplace discrimination under California's FEHA and federal law. Each link below takes you to a detailed page about that specific type of discrimination, your rights, and the legal deadlines that apply:
If you are not sure which type of discrimination applies to your situation, do not worry. Call 1-888-442-2642 and we will evaluate your situation for free. Many cases involve more than one type of discrimination — which frequently results in higher available damages.
Free consultation in Spanish or English. Available 24/7. Regardless of immigration status. No commitment required.
1-888-442-2642 or request your free case evaluation hereWorkplace Discrimination by the Numbers — Real Statistics from California
Workplace discrimination is not a problem of the past. It is a daily reality for thousands of workers in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Napa, and throughout the Bay Area. The numbers are clear.
In California, the most common types of discrimination complaints are: retaliation (54%), race (33%), disability (29%), sex (22%), and age (21%). And when it comes to promotions — for every 100 men promoted to management, only 89 white women are promoted, 54 Black women, and just 54 Latinas.
These are not abstract statistics. They represent workers in your community, your industry, your city. Many of them never called an employment attorney because they did not know they had rights. Do not make that same mistake.
Employment Discrimination in San Francisco: What We See Every Week
From our office on Mission Street, we hear from workers across the city and Northern California every week. The cases we file reflect the industries and communities at the heart of San Francisco.
Technology and Startups — SoMa, South Bay, and Silicon Valley
Tech companies in San Francisco's SoMa district — between Howard and Folsom streets near the Moscone Center — and in the corporate campuses along US-101 toward Mountain View and Palo Alto are where we file the most gender and racial discrimination cases involving professional workers. Women engineers passed over for promotions while less qualified male colleagues advance. Latino employees with "communication issues" that their Anglo counterparts do not face. Workers over 50 who are suddenly "not a cultural fit." All of this is illegal discrimination — and we file cases against tech companies regularly.
Restaurants and Hospitality — Mission District, North Beach, Union Square
San Francisco's restaurant industry — from the kitchens of North Beach near Washington Square Park to the hotels surrounding Union Square — produces a high volume of racial discrimination, gender discrimination, and pregnancy discrimination cases. Mexican and Central American workers who work harder and earn less than their counterparts. Pregnant employees who develop sudden "performance problems." Latino cooks who are never promoted to executive chef regardless of their skill and experience.
Wineries and Agriculture — Napa Valley and Sonoma County
In the wineries of Napa County and the vineyards of Sonoma County, where a significant portion of the workforce is Latino, discrimination based on race, national origin, and disability is prevalent. We have taken cases to trial before the Napa County Superior Court at 825 Brown Street in downtown Napa — and those cases made headlines in California's most respected publications. Workers with decades of service terminated when they need medical accommodations. Employees denied language access during critical HR meetings.
Healthcare — SF General, UCSF, Community Clinics
Healthcare workers at San Francisco General Hospital on Potrero Avenue, at UCSF on Parnassus, and in community clinics in the Excelsior district face gender and racial discrimination that affects their pay and advancement opportunities. Latina nurses with heavier patient assignments than their non-Latina colleagues. Mental health workers with disabilities denied reasonable accommodations. Physicians of color passed over for leadership positions despite stronger credentials.
Construction and Trades — Mission Bay, Bayview-Hunters Point
With major construction projects underway near Chase Center in Mission Bay and in the Candlestick development in Bayview-Hunters Point, many Latino tradespeople face racial and national origin discrimination disguised as "language barriers" or "lack of qualifications." We file cases against construction employers throughout the Bay Area.
8 Signs of Workplace Discrimination You Should Not Ignore
Discrimination is not always obvious. In many cases, the signs are subtle — framed as "company policy" or "casual comments." Recognizing these patterns can be the first step in protecting your rights.
Less qualified coworkers are advancing. There is no transparency in the promotion process. Evaluations feel subjective or inconsistent. If this happens repeatedly and you believe it relates to a protected characteristic, it may be discrimination.
If you and another employee do the same work with the same experience but your pay is lower, this may be pay discrimination — illegal under California's Equal Pay Act, which is broader than federal law.
Being isolated from key decisions — especially when it consistently affects the same groups (Latinos, women, LGBTQ+ employees, older workers) — can be a form of indirect discrimination.
Micro-aggressions — subtle comments about your accent, appearance, age, or beliefs — create a hostile work environment. You are not being "too sensitive." This is illegal under FEHA when severe or persistent enough.
If your supervisor constantly looks for errors in your work while ignoring the same issues in others — and you believe this relates to a protected characteristic — it may be discrimination.
If things got worse right after you announced your pregnancy, disclosed a disability, or requested a religious accommodation, the timing of those changes is powerful evidence of discrimination.
If the workplace feels tense, unsafe, or deeply uncomfortable for reasons related to who you are — and the employer knows about the problem but does nothing — you may be experiencing indirect discrimination.
If after filing a complaint you were reassigned, had your pay cut, had your hours reduced, or were terminated — that is illegal retaliation under FEHA. Retaliation is an additional violation that frequently equals or exceeds the value of the original discrimination claim.
30+ years filing cases for workers in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Free consultation in Spanish or English. No fee unless we win.
1-888-442-2642 or request your free case evaluation
What to Do Immediately If You Are Being Discriminated Against
Discrimination rarely improves on its own. Employers count on the fact that you will wait too long, doubt yourself, or decide it is not worth fighting. Do not give them that advantage.
Write a private journal — never stored on work devices — recording each incident with the exact date, what was said word for word, who was present, and how it affected you. Do this the same day it happens. A contemporaneous journal is powerful evidence in court.
Screenshot discriminatory emails from your personal phone. Forward important work emails to your personal address. Download performance reviews, pay stubs, and company policy documents. Do this before the employer has any reason to delete evidence — and employers do delete things.
Who saw or heard what happened? Are there coworkers in similar situations? Write down their full names and contact information. Witnesses are often the difference between winning and losing a case at trial.
File a formal written complaint to HR via email so there is a permanent record. Save all responses — or the lack of them. An employer that receives a written discrimination complaint and takes no action is in a very weak legal position.
If your employer offers a severance or separation agreement, do not sign before speaking with an attorney. Once you sign, you may permanently waive your legal rights. Call 1-888-442-2642 — the consultation is completely free.
What Evidence Do You Need to Prove Workplace Discrimination?
One of the most common things we hear: "But I don't have proof." The reality is that you almost never need a smoking-gun email where your manager explicitly says "I fired you because of your race." That kind of direct evidence is extremely rare — discriminating employers do not leave that kind of trail.
The vast majority of discrimination cases are won with circumstantial evidence — a pattern of facts that, taken together, allow a jury to infer that the employer's motivation was discriminatory. The most useful evidence:
- Performance reviews — especially if they worsened inexplicably after you revealed a protected characteristic
- Emails and messages — communications showing differential treatment or discriminatory comments
- Payroll and compensation records — to compare with coworkers of different races, genders, or ages
- Promotion and assignment records — who was promoted, when, and why
- Witnesses — coworkers who observed the discriminatory treatment
- Personal journal with dates — notes written at the time of incidents are highly credible
- The employee handbook and company policies — to show gaps between written rules and how they are actually applied
If you have none of this, do not give up. Through the legal process called discovery, we can compel the employer to produce internal payroll records for all employees, internal emails, promotion decision documents, and all personnel communications. Employers are required by law to produce this information — and what it reveals often tells the real story of what happened.
California Legal Deadlines — Time Works Against You
California has specific deadlines for filing workplace discrimination cases. Missing them can permanently eliminate your right to file — regardless of how strong your case is.
3 years from the most recent act of discrimination to file a lawsuit directly in court. In San Francisco, that is the San Francisco Superior Court at 400 McAllister Street, near Civic Center BART. In Napa, the Napa County Superior Court at 825 Brown Street. In San Jose, the Santa Clara County Superior Court at 191 North First Street, near SAP Center in downtown San Jose.
1 year to file an administrative complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) at 455 Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco.
300 days to file with the EEOC (federal), located at 450 Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco.
The deadline begins from the most recent act in an ongoing pattern of discrimination — not the first. Even so, do not wait. Call today.
Real Cases We Have Filed — Real Results for Workers Like You
No honest attorney can promise a specific outcome. What we can show you is what we have achieved for workers in real situations, including cases that made headlines in California's most respected publications.
Jury verdict — Napa County Superior Court, 825 Brown Street, Napa. Martha Martinez, a temporary packing worker at Rancho Gordo in Napa, was terminated while pregnant. After four days of deliberation, the jury found that her pregnancy, sex, and national origin were factors in her termination and that the company retaliated against her. Covered by the San Francisco Chronicle, Eater SF, and SFGate. Liberation Law Group represented her.
Chappellet Winery, Napa Valley — Napa County Superior Court. Ana Maria Chavez Jimenez, with 29 years of service at the Pritchard Hill winery overlooking Lake Hennessey, filed for disability, race, and national origin discrimination — including repeated denial of a Spanish interpreter in critical HR meetings. Elizabeth Lyons of Liberation Law Group is lead counsel. Covered by the SF Chronicle and Wine Business Monthly.
Female attorney at a Financial District law firm in San Francisco — denied partnership after 8 years while male colleagues with fewer billable hours were elevated. Gender discrimination — "glass ceiling." Case resolved before trial.
Three Latina nurses at a Bay Area hospital — heavier patient assignments and worse shifts than their male and non-Latina colleagues. Intersectional gender and race discrimination. Combined result for three workers.
* Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each case is unique.
No commitment. No cost. No fee unless we win. We file cases — we do not settle for less than you deserve.
1-888-442-2642 or request your free case evaluation onlineIntersectional Discrimination — The Compounded Barrier Latino Workers Face
If you are a Latino worker in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, or anywhere in Northern California, the discrimination you face is often not just one type. It is a combination of race, national origin, gender, and language that creates barriers white workers simply do not encounter.
The statistics confirm the scale of the problem: Latina women earn only 54 cents for every dollar earned by white men — the largest wage gap of any demographic group in the United States. In San Francisco, where a one-bedroom apartment averages over $3,000 per month, that gap is not just unfair — it is a survival issue for families in our community.
In cases involving intersectional discrimination — where multiple types of discrimination operate simultaneously — the available damages are frequently two to three times higher than in single-type cases. That is because there are multiple civil rights violations, each with its own damages available under California law.
At Liberation Law Group, we have spent over 30 years representing specifically the Latino workers who face this compounded barrier. We understand the culture, we speak your language, and we know how to document and present these cases effectively before juries in San Francisco, Napa County, and Santa Clara County.
Why You Need an Employment Attorney — Not Just "Hire Us"
You can technically file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department without an attorney. For simple cases where the employer cooperates, that can work.
In reality, employers in San Francisco — especially mid-size and large companies — have employment defense attorneys whose full-time job is to protect the company from exactly the type of case you have. When you file without legal representation, you are negotiating your financial future against a team of professionals trained to minimize what the company pays.
What we do that you cannot do alone:
- Know what evidence to demand from the employer that you do not know exists — and have the legal tools to compel it
- Understand the exact deadlines and correct jurisdictions — a procedural error can permanently end your case
- Negotiate from a position of strength because employers know we are prepared to take cases to trial — and we do
- In most successful employment cases, the employer pays our attorney fees — not you
- Have over 30 years of experience with San Francisco, Napa County, and Santa Clara County juries
At Liberation Law Group we work on full contingency. You pay nothing unless we win. No hidden fees. No bills. No surprises. If we do not recover money for you, you owe us nothing.
What Our Clients Say
"I spent years being overlooked for promotions while coworkers with less experience moved ahead. Liberation Law Group investigated, found emails the employer thought were deleted, and we won the case. Thank you for believing me when I was starting to doubt myself."
— Client in San Francisco (name protected by confidentiality)
"Arlo Uriarte explained everything clearly, in Spanish, without making me feel ashamed. I did not have papers and I was afraid. In less than a year we resolved the case and I recovered more than I ever expected. Thank you for defending our community."
— Worker in the Bay Area (name protected)
Where We Serve — San Francisco and All of Northern California
Our main office is at 2760 Mission Street, Second Floor, in the Mission District of San Francisco — three minutes from 24th Street Mission BART and around the corner from Dolores Park. We handle cases throughout Northern California:
San Francisco: Mission District, Excelsior, Tenderloin, SoMa (near Moscone Center), Financial District (near the Embarcadero and Ferry Building), North Beach, Bayview-Hunters Point, Castro, Union Square, Potrero Hill, Chinatown.
Santa Clara County: San Jose (downtown near the Superior Court at 191 North First Street, a few blocks from SAP Center; East San Jose; Santana Row area), Santa Clara, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, Mountain View.
Alameda County: Oakland (especially Fruitvale near the BART station, with 53.8% Hispanic population), Hayward, Fremont, Berkeley, San Leandro, Pleasanton, Union City.
North Bay: Napa County (city of Napa near the Superior Court at 825 Brown Street), Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, Marin County, Vallejo, American Canyon, Solano County, Fairfield.
San Mateo County: Daly City, South San Francisco, San Mateo, Redwood City, East Palo Alto.
Central Coast: Monterey County, Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, Salinas.
Liberation Law Group — Employment Attorneys for Workers 24/7. Free consultation in Spanish or English. No fee unless we win.
1-888-442-2642 or request your free consultation onlineFrequently Asked Questions About Workplace Discrimination in California
How do I know if I am being discriminated against at work?
Workplace discrimination is not always obvious. You may be experiencing it if you notice a pattern of unequal treatment compared to coworkers without a clear performance-based explanation. Key signs: coworkers with less experience are being promoted while you are not; you receive more criticism or discipline than colleagues with similar performance; you are excluded from important meetings or projects; your treatment changed right after you revealed a pregnancy, disability, or other personal characteristic; or you earn less than colleagues in equivalent positions.
The most important factor is identifying a pattern — not an isolated incident, but a series of events that point in the same direction. If the unfair treatment seems connected to who you are rather than how you work, you probably have a case worth evaluating. Call Arlo Uriarte at 1-888-442-2642 for a free evaluation of your specific situation.
Can I file a discrimination case as an undocumented worker?
Yes — full rights, full protection. California's FEHA explicitly protects every worker in the state regardless of immigration status. Your employer cannot use your immigration situation as an excuse to discriminate against you, and doing so constitutes an additional legal violation.
More importantly: if your employer threatens to report you to immigration authorities to silence your discrimination complaint, that is illegal retaliation under California Labor Code Section 1019, carrying penalties of up to $10,000 per threat — separate from your main discrimination case.
At Liberation Law Group, we handle every case with complete confidentiality. We never ask about immigration status and we never share that information with anyone. Call 1-888-442-2642. Available 24/7 in Spanish and English.
How long do I have to file a workplace discrimination lawsuit in California?
California provides multiple options with different deadlines. The most generous is 3 years from the most recent act of discrimination to file a lawsuit directly in court. In San Francisco, that is the Superior Court at 400 McAllister Street near Civic Center BART. In Napa, the Napa County Superior Court at 825 Brown Street. In San Jose, the Santa Clara County Superior Court at 191 North First Street near SAP Center.
For administrative complaints with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), the deadline is 1 year. For the EEOC (federal), 300 days.
The deadline begins from the last act in an ongoing pattern of discrimination — not the first. Do not wait. Call 1-888-442-2642 to find out exactly which deadline applies to your situation.
What evidence do I need to prove workplace discrimination?
Most discrimination cases are won with circumstantial evidence — a pattern of facts that allows a jury to conclude the employer's motivations were discriminatory. Direct evidence, like a manager explicitly stating a discriminatory reason, is rare. What matters is the pattern.
The most useful evidence includes: performance reviews (especially if they worsened after you revealed a protected characteristic), emails and messages showing differential treatment, payroll records for comparison with colleagues, witnesses who observed the discrimination, and a personal journal with detailed contemporaneous notes from each incident.
If you have no documents, do not give up. Through legal discovery, we can compel the employer to produce internal records, emails, and salary data for all employees. What those records reveal often tells the real story. Call 1-888-442-2642 for a free evaluation of what evidence you have and what we can obtain.
What happens if I am fired for complaining about discrimination?
Call an employment attorney immediately — and do not sign anything. What you are describing is workplace retaliation: an independent legal violation separate from the original discrimination claim. In California, retaliation for reporting workplace discrimination is illegal and carries serious consequences for employers.
When you are fired for reporting discrimination, you have a wrongful termination claim in addition to the original discrimination claim. Damages frequently double or triple when retaliation is involved. And a sequence of events — worker reports discrimination, employer fires worker — is very difficult to defend before a Bay Area jury.
Call Arlo Uriarte at 1-888-442-2642 immediately. Available 24/7. Do not sign any severance or separation agreement before speaking with us — the consultation is completely free.
How much can I recover in a workplace discrimination case?
California's FEHA provides some of the most generous damages available anywhere in the country for workplace discrimination victims. You can recover back pay — everything you lost because of discriminatory treatment. Future lost earnings if your career was damaged. Emotional distress damages with no statutory cap — unlike federal law, California's FEHA places no ceiling on these amounts. Punitive damages to punish intentional discrimination. And in most successful employment cases, the employer pays your attorney fees.
In intersectional discrimination cases — where multiple protected characteristics are involved simultaneously — damages are frequently two to three times higher. We obtained a $252,000 jury verdict in Napa County Superior Court in a case of pregnancy, sex, and national origin discrimination against Rancho Gordo, covered by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Every case is different. Call 1-888-442-2642 for a free, honest evaluation of what your specific situation might be worth.
Is it hard to win a workplace discrimination case in California?
It is not impossible — and with experienced legal representation, success rates improve significantly. The challenge is that discrimination rarely leaves obvious evidence. Employers do not typically write emails saying "I denied you the promotion because of your race." Cases are built through patterns of conduct, witness testimony, comparison with coworkers, and documents obtained from the employer through discovery.
What also matters is understanding your specific court. We have over 30 years of experience filing cases in San Francisco Superior Court, Napa County Superior Court, Santa Clara County Superior Court, and federal court in the Northern District of California. We know these venues, these juries, and how to present discrimination cases effectively in each one.
Call 1-888-442-2642. We will evaluate your case for free and tell you honestly what we think it would take to win.
What is intersectional discrimination and why does it matter for Latino workers?
Intersectional discrimination occurs when multiple protected characteristics — such as being a Latina woman or a Latino immigrant with a disability — combine to create compounded barriers that none of those characteristics would create on their own. A Latina worker may face gender discrimination (women are not promoted), racial discrimination (Latinos are not promoted), and national origin discrimination (accented English is penalized) — all simultaneously.
For Latino workers in San Francisco, San Jose, and Northern California, intersectional discrimination is the norm rather than the exception. Latina women earn only 54 cents for every dollar earned by white men — the most extreme wage gap of any demographic group. For every 100 men promoted to management, only 54 Latinas are promoted.
In cases involving intersectional discrimination, the available damages are frequently two to three times higher because multiple civil rights violations are present. Call 1-888-442-2642 for a free evaluation of your specific situation and which types of discrimination apply to your case.
Discrimination practice areas: Racial Discrimination · Gender Discrimination · Pregnancy Discrimination · Age Discrimination · Disability Discrimination · Equal Pay
