Marin County Employment Lawyers

Why Marin County Employees Need an Employment Lawyer

Strict deadlines apply to every employment claim: CRD (California Civil Rights Department) requires an administrative complaint within 3 years of the violation and a civil suit within 1 year of the right-to-sue notice; EEOC charges must be filed within 300 days; the Government Claims Act requires presentation of personal-injury, wrongful-death, and personal-property tort claims against public entities within 6 months (Government Code section 911.2); all other claims must be presented within 1 year. California does not cap FEHA emotional-distress or punitive damages - but you must protect the deadlines first. We file the claim, handle the agency or court process, and recover what you're owed. No fee unless we win.

Common Employment Law Violations Across Marin County

• BioMarin May 2024 layoff - 170 employees (5% of workforce) - BioMarin Pharmaceutical announced a 5% workforce reduction in May 2024 - approximately 170 of 3,400 employees. Followed by a separate layoff of 225 employees later in 2024. California WARN Act (Labor Code sections 1400-1408) requires 60-day advance notice for mass layoffs of 50+; federal WARN (29 U.S.C. section 2101+) requires same for 100+ at a single site. (Source: Marin Independent Journal)
• BioMarin August 2024 layoff - 225 employees (7% of workforce) - Per SEC 8-K filed August 23, 2024, BioMarin Pharmaceutical committed to reduce its global workforce by approximately 225 employees, or about 7% of total headcount. Combined with the May 2024 reduction of 170 employees (5%), the two actions cut a combined ~395 of ~3,400 employees (~11.6% of the global workforce); the Press Democrat reported about 120 of the August 2024 cuts were in the North Bay. California WARN Act (Labor Code sections 1400-1408) applies to mass layoffs of 50+ in any 30-day period. (Sources: SEC 8-K Aug 23, 2024 · Press Democrat)
• Autodesk San Rafael headquarters consolidation (October 14, 2022) - Autodesk closed its San Rafael headquarters at 111 McInnis Parkway effective October 14, 2022, transferring all 578 affected employees to its San Francisco office at One Market Street with no layoffs. Office consolidation, not a mass layoff: the company's August 15, 2022 EDD WARN notice was filed "as a courtesy and in an abundance of caution"; only 5 of the 578 employees were required in-office, with the remainder designated hybrid. WARN damages are unlikely to flow from a relocation where employees keep their jobs. (Sources: CA EDD WARN database · North Bay Business Journal)

Marin County Worker Protections by Industry

We represent employees across all Marin County industries. Below are the largest employers and the rules that govern wage, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful-termination claims in this county.

Largest Marin County employers

• BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (San Rafael) - publicly traded biotech; SOX section 806 + Dodd-Frank section 922 + FDA Whistleblower (21 U.S.C. section 399d); 5% workforce reduction announced May 2024 (170 employees) plus follow-on layoff of 225 employees - California WARN Act (Labor Code sections 1400-1408) applies
• Kaiser Permanente (multiple Marin facilities, ~995 employees) - Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5; covered by 2022 *Stewart v. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, S.F. Sup. Ct. CGC-21-590966* $11.5M settlement (S.F. Sup. Ct.)
• County of Marin (~742 employees) - public-sector; Skelly pre-discipline rights + 6-month Government Claims Act notice
• Autodesk Inc. (formerly San Rafael HQ) - publicly traded software; SOX section 806 + Dodd-Frank; San Rafael HQ at 111 McInnis Parkway closed October 14, 2022, with 578 employees transferred to Autodesk's San Francisco office at One Market Street (office consolidation; no layoffs reported)
• MarinHealth Medical Center (Greenbrae) - section 1278.5 hospital-whistleblower protections
• Dominican University of California (San Rafael) - private nonprofit university; Title IX + FEHA
• San Quentin State Prison (CDCR) - state public-sector; Skelly + CDCR personnel rules + state-employee whistleblower protections (Government Code section 8547+)

Local wage rules

Marin County follows the California state minimum wage of $16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026. Marin County has no county-wide ordinance, but the City of Novato has its own MWO effective January 1, 2026: $17.73/hr (100+ employees), $17.46/hr (26-99 employees), $16.90/hr (25 or fewer). There is no county-wide local ordinance setting a higher rate, and individual cities in Marin County are not on the UC Berkeley Labor Center 2026 inventory of separate city ordinances. Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn $20.00/hour under AB 1228 (Labor Code section 1474+). Sources: UC Berkeley Labor Center · CA DIR

Industry-specific protections

• Publicly-traded biotech employers (BioMarin) - Sarbanes-Oxley section 806 (180 days to OSHA), Dodd-Frank section 922, FDA Whistleblower (21 U.S.C. section 399d) for FDA-regulated companies
• Hospital workers (Kaiser Marin, MarinHealth, Sutter) - Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 (civil penalty up to $25,000 + reinstatement and back pay)
• California WARN Act (Labor Code sections 1400-1408) - applies to employers with 75 or more employees; requires 60 days' written notice for mass layoffs of 50 or more employees in any 30-day period; up to 60 days back pay damages
• State public-sector workers (San Quentin / CDCR) - Skelly pre-discipline rights + Government Code section 8547+ state-employee whistleblower protections
• Public-sector workers (County, cities, school districts) - Skelly + 6-month Government Claims Act notice
• All workers - FEHA, Title VII, EFAA, PWFA, CFRA, PDL, Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310, Labor Code section 1102.5 whistleblower

How to File an Employment Claim in Marin County

Civil employment cases brought by Marin County workers are heard at the Marin County Superior Court - Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903. Most California employment claims are filed first as administrative complaints with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) or the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) before they can be filed as civil lawsuits.

Deadlines: CRD: 3 years to file an administrative complaint and 1 year to sue after right-to-sue; EEOC: 300 days; Government Claims Act (public employees): 6 months; Labor Code section 1102.5 / Tameny / FEHA civil action: 3 years; Labor Code section 510/226/1194 wage claims: 3-4 years; PAGA: 1 year (preceded by LWDA notice).

Government Resources for Marin County Workers

Why Marin County Workers Choose Eghbali Law Firm

• Employees only

  We never represent employers. Every resource goes toward winning your case.

• No fee unless we win

  You pay nothing unless we recover for you. No upfront costs. No hidden fees.

• Free confidential consultation

  No cost to speak with us. Everything you share is protected by attorney-client privilege.

• Statewide California practice

  We serve workers across all of California regardless of where you live or work.

• Phone or video - no office visit needed

  Most consultations happen by phone or video. You only attend if your testimony is required.

• Multilingual staff available

  We serve clients in multiple languages - contact us to discuss your case in your preferred language.