Wrongful discharge, also referred to as wrongful firing or wrongful termination, covers a broad area of employment law. In discriminatory firing situations, the employee has been fired because of personal characteristics which are protected by law such as race, gender, disability, etc. Other types of wrongful termination situations include retaliation and firings against public policy. In order to have a cause of action for a retaliatory firing, the employee generally must have been engaged in activity protected by statute prior to the firing. Examples of protected activity include making complaints of discrimination or harassment and availing yourself of protection under specific statutes. A termination against public policy can arise when an employer fires an employee and the firing is in derogation of a significant public policy. An example may be where an employee refuses to commit a violation of law on the job and is fired for it.

Mr. Shoemaker has over 15 years of experience as a trial attorney and is a partner in the law firm of Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein, L.C. ("PWHD"), based in Virginia.

Mr. Shoemaker, his partners and associates are available for representation nationwide. If you feel that you have been wrongfully discharged we encourage you to contact us online or call us, toll free, at 1-888-611-4599 or 757-223-4560. One of our paralegals will review the facts of your case and discuss our consultation policy for this type of case.