Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Torrance

Torrance wrongful-termination cases concentrate in three sectors: automotive corporate (American Honda restructurings; Toyota's Torrance corporate operations relocated to Plano, Texas in 2017), aerospace manufacturing (where defense-contractor whistleblower protections layer on California law), and Torrance Memorial Medical Center (where Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 protects patient-safety whistleblowers). Call us at 1-800-371-3088.

What Is Wrongful Termination in Torrance

California is an at-will state, but the at-will rule has many exceptions. The leading case is Tameny v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (1980) 27 Cal.3d 167, which established the public-policy tort: an employee fired for refusing to commit an illegal act, for asserting a statutory right, or for reporting illegal conduct can sue in tort. Other Torrance wrongful-termination grounds include FEHA (Cal. Government Code section 12940), Labor Code section 1102.5 (whistleblower retaliation), Labor Code section 6310 (Cal/OSHA retaliation), Labor Code section 232 (wage-discussion retaliation), and Labor Code section 132a (workers' compensation retaliation).

Torrance Industries Where Wrongful Termination Claims Are Most Common

• Automotive industry workers at American Honda Motor Co. - at American Honda Motor Co. headquarters at 1919 Torrance Boulevard - Honda has been a major Torrance employer for decades and is the U.S. headquarters of the global Japanese automaker (publicly traded as NYSE: HMC). Honda workers are covered by California FEHA, Cal. Labor Code, and federal Title VII / ADA / ADEA. Public-company employees (NYSE: HMC) have specific protections under Sarbanes-Oxley (18 U.S.C. section 1514A), Dodd-Frank section 922 (15 U.S.C. section 78u-6), the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (18 U.S.C. section 1836), the California Uniform Trade Secrets Act (Cal. Civil Code section 3426 et seq.), and California Bus. & Prof. Code section 16600 (no non-competes).
• Former Toyota Motor Sales USA workforce and Toyota legacy / Cal-WARN history - at the former Toyota Motor Sales USA headquarters in Torrance. Toyota moved its North American headquarters from Torrance to Plano, Texas by 2017, relocating about 3,000 jobs - one of the largest Cal-WARN events in South Bay history. Workers terminated in this relocation had rights under the California WARN Act (Cal. Labor Code section 1400 et seq.) for 60 days' advance notice and up to 60 days of back pay plus benefits. Workers who took age-based involuntary terminations may have FEHA age-discrimination claims (Cal. Gov. Code section 12940) and federal ADEA (29 U.S.C. section 626) claims.
• Healthcare workers at Torrance Memorial Medical Center and Providence Little Company of Mary - at Torrance Memorial Medical Center and Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance - two major hospitals serving the South Bay. Covered by SB 525 healthcare-worker minimum-wage schedule (Cal. Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16), California Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 ($25,000-per-violation civil penalty for patient-safety retaliation), and CNA / SEIU-UHW / NUHW collective bargaining agreements. Providence-system workers have additional precedent in the $229 million Bennett v. Providence unpaid-wages jury verdict (April 18, 2024 King County, covering 33,000+ Providence Health & Services workers).
• K-12 education workers at Torrance Unified School District (TUSD) - at the Torrance Unified School District. Covered by California Education Code sections 44930-44987, the Educational Employment Relations Act (EERA / Cal. Gov. Code sections 3540-3549.3), Cal. Education Code section 44113 (school-employee whistleblower protections), and CTA-affiliated collective bargaining agreements. PEPRA and the 6-month government-claim deadline apply.
• Community college workers at El Camino College - at El Camino College (which serves Torrance from its nearby campus). Community-college employees are covered by HEERA (Cal. Gov. Code sections 3560-3599) for management/excluded employees or EERA for faculty and classified staff, Cal. Education Code sections 87600-87683, PEPRA, and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.
• City of Torrance government and public-safety workers - at the City of Torrance (charter city, incorporated 1921), the Torrance Police Department, and the Torrance Fire Department. Per the Torrance Chamber of Commerce, the City of Torrance does not have its own minimum-wage ordinance; the state minimum wage applies. Police covered by POBR (Cal. Gov. Code section 3300 et seq.); firefighters by FBOR (Cal. Gov. Code section 3250 et seq.); all public employees by PEPRA, MMBA (Cal. Gov. Code sections 3500-3511), and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline (Gov. Code section 911.2).
• Retail workers at Del Amo Fashion Center - at the Del Amo Fashion Center (3525 W. Carson Street, Torrance - one of the largest shopping malls in the United States). Retail workers covered by IWC Wage Order 7 (mercantile industry). Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1474).
• Aerospace and defense workers (Northrop Grumman and others) - at aerospace and defense contractors in and around Torrance (Northrop Grumman has historical Torrance-area operations). Public-company aerospace contractor employees have specific protections under the federal False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. sections 3729-3733), Defense Contractor Whistleblower Protection (10 U.S.C. section 4701), Sarbanes-Oxley (18 U.S.C. section 1514A), and Dodd-Frank section 922.

Torrance Mass-Layoff Notice Rights

If you were part of a Torrance mass layoff, the California WARN Act (California Labor Code sections 1400 through 1408) requires covered employers with 75 or more workers to give 60 days' advance written notice of a mass layoff of 50 or more employees in any 30-day period, a plant closing, or a relocation. Federal WARN (29 U.S.C. sections 2101-2109) applies to employers with 100+ employees. Damages: up to 60 days of back pay and benefits, plus an additional civil penalty of up to $500 per day under federal WARN if notice is not given to the local government. SB 617 (effective January 1, 2026) expanded the required notice content. Honda and Toyota have both faced significant Torrance-area restructurings. Toyota relocated about 3,000 jobs from Torrance to Plano, Texas (by 2017) - one of the largest Cal-WARN events in South Bay history. Honda has periodically restructured at its Torrance headquarters as well. The California WARN Act (Cal. Labor Code section 1400 et seq.) gives affected workers 60 days' advance notice and up to 60 days of back pay plus benefits for inadequate notice.

California Law

For the full California framework, including Tameny, Labor Code section 1102.5, FEHA, Cal-WARN, and public-employee due-process rights, see our California employment law page.

What Compensation Can You Recover

Back pay, front pay (or reinstatement where appropriate), emotional-distress damages, punitive damages (unlimited under FEHA and under the Tameny tort), 60-day Cal-WARN back-pay damages where applicable, and attorneys' fees and costs (Cal. Government Code section 12965(c); Labor Code section 1102.5(j)). For details, see our California employment law page.

How to File a Wrongful Termination Claim in Torrance

FEHA charges go to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), Los Angeles Office, 320 West 4th Street, 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Federal charges go to the EEOC Los Angeles District Office, 255 East Temple Street, 4th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Whistleblower and wage claims can be filed with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE Long Beach Office, 300 Oceangate, Suite 302, Long Beach, CA 90802). Civil suits are heard at the Los Angeles County Superior Court - Torrance Courthouse, 825 Maple Avenue, Torrance, CA 90503 (Southwest District). Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.