Azadian Law Group, PC Answers Employment & Wrongful Termination Questions for a Feature Story by Pasadena Now Magazine

When is it a good time to speak with a Pasadena employment lawyer?We ask employment & wrongful termination lawyer George Azadian who has recovered millions for employees…

We spend most of our days, if not most of our lives, at work, and with that, we sometimes face tough challenges in the workplace, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation for voicing certain concerns, and of course, termination.

Many people in Pasadena and throughout Los Angeles face these crushing challenges on a daily basis and are often unaware of their rights as employees. To get a better understanding of employee rights and when someone should consider speaking with an employment lawyer, we sat down with George Azadian of the Azadian Law Group, PC, an employment law firm located in the heart of Pasadena that only represents employees.

When should you speak with an employment lawyer? “If you have been fired, laid off, or feel that you are on the verge of such action, and think that the cause may be illegal, it is always worth talking to an employment lawyer. You should also consult with an employment lawyer if you think you are not being paid correctly for all hours workedor you are not being provided meal or rest breaks” says, Mr. Azadian. He explains: “Often times employers will mask their illegal reasons for termination as poor performance, attendance problems, or misconduct, leaving the employee shocked and confused as to what they can do about it. This is where an employment lawyer comes in and will be able to assess whether the employee has potential legal claims. If so, they might want to, for example, try to negotiate a severance package, demand a settlement, file administrative charges or a lawsuit against the employer, or decide it makes more sense just to move on.”

What should I look for in finding an employment lawyer? Mr. Azadian stresses the importance of talking to a lawyer who focuses their practice on employment law, not someone who has a diverse practice with employment law being one of them. According to Mr. Azadian: “We strongly believe in the saying, ‘Jack of all trades, master of none.’ If you have a heart problem, you should see a cardiologist, not a liver specialist. The same is true about lawyers. If a lawyer is doing personal injury or some other area of the law, chances are he or she does not have the time to understand the nuances of employment law. Also, make sure you see a lawyer who focuses his or her practice on representing employees.”

Mr. Azadian added, “You should ask the attorney what similar cases he or she has had and the results in those cases, who will be handling my case, and for a timeline of what they expect will happen.”

What do employment lawyers look at in evaluating a potential case? Mr. Azadian who has been a tremendous success obtaining and collecting over $30,000,000 in the last three years alone for employees, explains how he approaches a case: “We take only cases that have merit. This is the reason why we do not charge clients a penny out-of-pocket. If we take your case, we see a strong potential in winning, and we only get paid by winning a recovery for our clients. It’s as simple as that. And to do this, you need an actual lawyer who will listen to you. So when a potential client calls our office, we do not route them to an intake person who just asks generic questions and tells them that someone will be in touch. Instead, either I or another one of our employment lawyers will take the time to listen and evaluate whether there is a case. Although I have successfully represented over 100 employees, each case is different and we really spend time asking potential clients a lot of questions and explaining the entire process.”

Why does your office only represent employees? Mr. Azadian, who graduated in the top 1% of his class from UCLA Law, started his career at two prestigious international law firms where he defended Fortune 500 companies. When asked why he left the defense side of the law and now only represents employees, he stated: “From day one, I wanted to be a lawyer representing individuals, not corporations. But I also knew that having a good pedigree and practicing as a defense attorney would set me apart from the majority of plaintiffs lawyers and would make me a better attorney.”

Mr. Azadian describes the gratitude and fulfillment he gets from helping individuals, stating: “I have represented employees from all walks of life, ranging from janitors and garment workers to highly compensated executives and world-renowned doctors, but at the end of the day, my goal is to help each of my clients get the best result possible and ease their stress. Knowing that I get to help these employees obtain justice is what drives me every day to fight for our clients.”

Azadian Law Group, PC is located at 790 East Colorado Blvd., Ninth Floor, Pasadena. You can reach their team of Los Angeles employment lawyers at 626-449-4944 (extension 5027 for after-hours calls) or by sending them an email.

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Original story published in April 2016 edition of Pasadena Now