Help SpaceX Whistleblower Seek Justice

Carney Shegerian of Shegerian & Associates, Inc., a Santa Monica-based litigation law firm specializing in employee rights, is representing a man who claims he was wrongfully terminated by Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) after blowing the whistle on his managers for pressuring test technicians to deviate from written procedures and to sign off on tests that had not been performed per protocol.

The man who filed the complaint, Jason Blasdell, had served at the rocket and spacecraft manufacturer’s Hawthorne headquarters since 2010 as an Avionics Test Technician. He received consistently positive reviews from management for his work but he began noticing safety issues related to the testing procedures of rocket parts, which led him to question the quality of the testing and the risks it posed for not just the rockets potentially exploding, but for the potential loss of human life as well.

According to Blasdell’s complaint, he was terminated from his employment after he blew the whistle to HR, the company’s president and, ultimately, SpaceX founder Elon Musk, regarding a series of potentially dangerous deviations from protocol that his managers were pressuring test technicians to make.

Specifically, Blasdell complained that SpaceX’s failure to properly mark and serialize parts made it impossible for him to research each part’s possible history of failure, which could potentially lead to the wrong part or a faulty part being put on a rocket. He also complained that his managers were implementing practices that led to a culture in the test lab of ignoring procedures and deviating from protocols in order to pass tests through and not hold up production. He reported that he and other employees were pressured to falsify testing procedures to make it look like they were following specific testing requirements when in fact they had not.

According to the complaint, shortly after Blasdell attempted to blow the whistle to the highest levels of the SpaceX organization regarding these issues, he was told by the company’s Human Resources department that he was being terminated “for being disruptive.”

“During the duration of Mr. Blasdell’s employment at SpaceX, he was consistently rated by his management as ‘excellent,’ and received merit-based raises based on his performance,” said Shegerian. “He was even the recipient of the company’s ‘SpaceX Kick Ass Award’ for performing above and beyond the requirements of his position. This all changed, once he did the right thing and reported a potentially dangerous and even life-threatening deviation from protocols.”

“Unfortunately, what we’ve got here is a classic whistleblower case where an honest, hard-working test technician has been spurned for doing his job diligently and making ethical recommendations that were not popular with management and followed by the unceremonious, retaliatory, wrongful termination of our client from his duties,” added Cortney Shegerian. “Retaliation – and the wrongful termination – of employees who are considered whistleblowers remains a huge ethical problem that simply must stop. It’s our job to help Mr. Blasdell seek justice and hopefully make a public statement that this kind of wrongful termination – in any workplace – cannot be tolerated.”

Source: http://www.shegerianlaw.com/news/shegerian-associates-to-help-spacex-whistleblower-seek-justice

Understanding The Work Of An Employment Attorney

Anyone who is working needs to know the laws that govern his business or work environment. This is the same with those people who are employed. Many of them may not understand some of the laws that govern their positions, and therefore end up being exploited by their employees.

A legal professional will give you some insight as to the boundaries that are in place as concerns your role as an employee. The employment attorney can handle legal cases that involve harassment in the workplace, racism, discriminatory acts and sex in the work place best. Not only so, but the attorney can be able to shed some light on some of the financial cases that may arise. Many workers are not aware when they are being exploited financially. However, the employment lawyer can be able to assist you fight for your rights in this area.

Injustices in the work place take different forms. In a multi-racial culture, it may occur that one employee is discriminated against due to his skin color. The attorney's work is to advise on such matters, and if possible, move on your behalf to the courts to claim compensation for any kind of psychological harm. He presents all forms of evidence that you or any other source relays in the court, just like any other court case, and seeks to receive compensation on behalf of the client.

Another thing that the employment lawyer will help you with is the paperwork involved. In many cases, the employee does not have any idea how to go about any kind of legal proceedings in a case. The attorney fills out the forms for the employee and advices on what procedures are right for the employee to take, in the event that there is an employer-employee situation in court.

Cortney Shegerian is an attorney at Los Angeles based Shegerian & Associates. She fights for the rights of those who are wronged by their employer.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Understanding-The-Work-Of-An-Employment-Attorney&id=7042182

Associate Attorney Employment

Cortney Shegerian is an associate attorney representing Shegerian & Associates, a law firm in Los Angeles, California. She attended and graduated from California State University in Fresno, California for her undergraduate degree in 2010, then graduated with her Juris Doctor degree from Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, California in 2013. Working alongside her uncle, Carney, Shegerian & Associates is a law firm that works with employment discrimination. Cortney has quickly made a name for herself, being featured in online publications such as Bloomberg.

She was admitted to the State Bar of California, as well as the United States District Court for Central District of California. In addition, she is a member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the American Bar Association, and the Los Angeles Bar Association. We got in touch to ask Cortney Shegerian a few questions.

Q&A

• When did you join Shegerian & Associates?

Before finishing law school, I joined team in the marketing department, The primary goal was client outreach and acquisition. I always knew that I wanted to work with my Uncle, so it was a natural first step to do commit myself even before I had my law degree. I was ready and willing to do what it took to be a team player.

• What is it like working alongside a relative?

It’s a demanding, but rewarding experience. Those on the outside may think that due to my name, it is an easy ride. Far from it. If anything, my uncle goes out of his way to ensure that I work at least as hard as anyone else to avoid the misconception. It’s not nepotism, in fact, we are all family here. While we do get along with an air of family atmosphere, everyone here understands and likes to prove that when there is work to do, we work harder than any other firm.

• What makes you different than other lawyers?

My work gives me a sense of purpose, and that purpose is to ensure the full and complete satisfaction of each of my clients. First, I listen to their needs wholeheartedly. I then try to navigate them through the process to ensure that not only they are getting the best assistance possible, but that they understand and can contribute to the process. The better they and I understand each other, the better the results will be. It’s not just a job for me, it’s meaningful work. I come to the firm each and every day and ask, “What can I do today to best serve my clients and the surrounding community?”

• Do you have any advice for people seeking counsel?

Absolutely. There are two very important factors when considering hiring a law firm for representation. First, you need to stand up for yourself, your rights, and what is moral. In the workplace, often times clients allow themselves to not only be pushed over, but have their rights trampled on. That is unacceptable. Second, and just as important, is to ensure that the law firm's vision matches up to yours. Call and set an appointment for a consultation and feel it out. Make sure it is a good fit before moving further.

Source:http://community.martindale.com/legal-blogs/Legal_Marketing_33/b/legal_opinion/archive/2016/05/24/cortney-shegerian-associate-attorney-employment-disability-discrimination-and-sexual-harassment.aspx

State Bar of California

Cortney Simone Shegerian - #296457

Current Status:  Active 

Profile Information :The following information is from the official records of The State Bar of California.

Bar Number:  296457                  

Address:   Shegerian & Associates 225 Santa Monica Blvd

Ste 700,Santa Monica, CA 90401

Phone Number:     (310) 860-0770

Fax Number:      (310) 860-0771

e-mail: Not Available

County:  Los Angeles

Undergraduate School:  California St Univ Fresno; Fresno CA

District:                 District 2                                

Sections:              Labor & Employment

Law School:        Whittier Coll SOL; CA

Status History:

Effective Date   Status Change

Present                Active

5/23/2014            Admitted to The State Bar of California

Explanation of member status

Actions Affecting Eligibility to Practice Law in California

Source: http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/296457

Fighting Multi-Billion Dollar Corporations For Employee Rights

Shegerian & Associates is an employee rights firm not afraid to hold multi-billion dollar corporations accountable to the law. The firm has made a name for itself with over 72 jury trial wins, including over 30 wins with seven or eight figure verdicts. Cortney Shegerian, an attorney at the firm, took some time recently to share her thoughts on successfully fighting multi-billion dollar corporations for employee rights.

“It takes more than a law degree and a bar certificate to win big money verdicts when your client is wronged,” says Shegerian, a graduate of Whittier Law School. “Jury trials are major undertakings, with each side investing plenty of time and money into a successful verdict. This often means countless hours spent researching, planning and strategizing.

“The most involved aspect of any case is placing the client’s needs center stage and building a sound legal strategy around the best possible arguments for each issue.”

Shegerian, niece of the firm’s lead attorney Carney Shegerian, handles all aspects of case management including trial preparation, mediation, and tries cases when settlements can’t be reached. Under Carney Shegerian’s leadership, the firm has seen a considerable amount of action against heavy hitter corporations.

This includes a nearly $8 million dollar verdict against Rite Aid where a client was harassed and ultimately fired after sustaining a neck injury during a store robbery. It also includes a whopping $26 million dollar verdict against office supply giant Staples.

“To win against big corporations, it’s important to know how to thrive in your professional element and how to perform well under pressure,” says Cortney Shegerian. “The intensity can sometimes be nerve-wracking, but the successful outcomes always make things worth it in the end.”

Fighting MultiBillion Dollar Corporations

True, going against a multi-billionaire corporation can be an intimidating endeavor for any attorney. These companies do not take employee lawsuits lightly. They’ll hire the best of the best to represent clients’ interests and take every precaution to ensure that those interests are litigated to their advantage.

So what’s an employee rights attorney to do when their client is the underdog battling a Goliath corporation? The answer may not be what you think. As in many instances in life, to win a fight against a huge corporation, it’s not what you know, but who you know.

This is not to imply that winning against large corporations is an inside job, requiring nefarious pursuits to reach desired objectives. Rather, successful attorneys’ quote time and time again the value of reaching out to colleagues and senior partners for advice and encouragement when the stakes are high.

“I’m fortunate to be working with an expert group of trial lawyers, each with his or her own unique level of experience and expertise,” says Shegerian. “When I hit a roadblock in case analysis in the wee hours of the morning or when I need a sounding board for a risk-taking litigation strategy, my colleagues are an invaluable resource.”

Another element involved in high profile cases is, as always, successful attorney-client relations. When attorney-client relations are out of sync, the entire operation could go awry with costly consequences.

Even though an attorney should always get the last word when it comes to legal strategy, Shegerian stresses being consistently forthcoming and willing to communicate both the strengths and weaknesses of a case to a client, keeping a high level of trust carefully intact.

Employee Rights Boons for Attorneys with the Right Stuff

“One of the best and most successful ways to approach a case against a well-backed employer is to stay on top of the trends of the law,” says Cortney Shegerian. “For instance, right now, courts are really making the effort to broadly construe the dictates of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This means these types of cases can provide tons of room for clients’ claims to land a successful verdict if an attorney knows her stuff.”

Indeed, several areas in employee rights law are soaring right now. Wage and hour disputes are on the rise, and the Obama Administration’s recent changes to national overtime laws will surely advance overtime-related lawsuits in the very near future.

Also, on the rise are disputes regarding sex discrimination. “Sex discrimination is an area that is constantly growing and reshaping itself. The rising issues of sexual orientation and gender identity disputes characterized as sex discrimination should open the door to a very new and real side of sex discrimination involving the LGBT community,” says Shegerian.

Upholding Client Rights When the Stakes are High

What’s the best advice for attorneys going toe-to- toe with multi-billion dollar corporations? “Stay the course,” says Cortney Shegerian. “Always remember to put your clients’ interests first, and understand the law enough to know that, no matter how high the stakes, you’re fighting for the rights of someone who deserves justice according to the law.”

Source: http://abovethelaw.com/?sponsored_content=fighting-multi-billion-dollar-corporations-for-employee-rights

Attorney Cortney Shegerian Issues Statement on $150,000 Dunkin' Donuts Settlement

Cortney Shegerian, a lawyer at the Los-Angeles based business employment litigation firm Shegerian and Associates, as of late remarked on the $150,000 inappropriate behavior settlement granted to previous employees of Dunkin' Donuts. The argument was brought against Hillcrest Marshall, Inc., the proprietor of numerous Dunkin' Donuts establishments in Westchester County, New York.

"The previous workers of this Dunkin' Donuts area were subjected to unwelcome lewd gestures from their superiors," Shegerian states. "One of the casualties was even physically and verbally abused subsequent to dismissing his advances, and after that terminated for reporting his conduct to the police."

 

"This case demonstrates that inappropriate behavior can transpire inside any organization—whether it is a corporate office or a donut establishment," Cortney Shegerian went ahead to state. "The case represents how essential it is for each business to have an anti-discrimination strategy set up and to make a culture where employees are urged to report wrong conduct."

"The young women who forward to report this terrible conduct should be praised for their fortitude," Shegerian says. "Such a large number of ladies dread striking back for standing in opposition to lewd behavior, yet these women have demonstrated the law will secure you when your employer neglects to do as such."

Situated in Santa Monica, Shegerian and Associates is a law office which holds considerable authority in protecting employees who have been wronged by their places of employment. Strongly experienced in labor and business law and having an unparalleled achievement record as litigators, Shegerian and Associates is energetically devoted to serving the necessities of its clients. For more data about the firm, visit www.ShegerianLaw.com.

Review Los Angeles Attorney

I hired Shegerian & Associates in June of 2014 regarding employment rights violations that occurred with my employer (Fortune 100 Company) that caused me severe emotional distress.I hired this firm specifically due to their outstanding case history (95% success rate) and the fact that 2 of their previous clients have been awarded two of Los Angeles County’s largest employment verdicts in the history of LA employment law.

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This is who I wanted by my side to fight back against a very well known corporation for their illegal actions which included discrimination based on my medical condition and ADA violations. As of today, I can say that my case has been resolved. I worked with Cortney Shegerian specifically on my case and she was always very kind and always professional. I believe that she fought for me to the best of her abilities and I received the best possible outcome for my case. 

Considering that my case was resolved in less than a year, I am very happy that I chose to hire Shegerian & Associates. I would absolutely refer ANYONE with employment rights issues to their office!

Source: https://www.pissedconsumer.com/company/cortney-shegerian/attorney-cortney-shegerian-los-angeles-20160531857424.html