Carney Shegerian

Los Angeles • Employment Law

Carney Shegerian has successfully tried more than a hundred cases to verdict, with over 50 of them resulting in seven, eight, or ten-figure awards. In the past three years, the verdicts and settlements achieved by his law firm totaled more than $400 million.

In March 2023, a case centering around a 30-year UPS employee who raised numerous safety complaints concerning issues that put UPS drivers at risk concluded with a $5.4 million verdict. Galvan v. UPS, 19STCV07689 (L.A. Sup. Ct., filed March 5, 2019).

Despite Galvan's efforts, these concerns were ignored, leading to his wrongful termination. A Los Angeles Superior Court jury swiftly ruled in favor of the plaintiff, awarding him for his wrongful termination, disability discrimination and whistleblower retaliation lawsuit.

"Since 2022, I have been fortunate to try four employment cases to seven-figure verdicts," Shegerian said. "Galvan v. UPS was of particular importance to myself and our firm due to the nature of the claims involved. Our client was a devoted UPS employee for thirty years. ... Representing this individual who bravely stood up for the safety of so many gave myself and the firm immense pride."

Overcoming the challenges presented by the Galvan case required addressing the defense's assertion that the case was preempted under the National Labor Relations Board. This preemption defense is commonly used in whistleblower cases involving union activity and can be a complex area of law.

Another notable victory was Rudnicki v. Farmers, which concluded in December 2021 with a verdict of $155.4 million. Andrew Rudnicki, with 37 years of service at Farmers Insurance, was unexpectedly fired a few months before he was set to testify in a Fair Employment and Housing Act case.

Farmers retaliated against him, using him as a scapegoat to conceal their own failure to address the concerns Rudnicki had raised on behalf of the FEHA case plaintiff. The jury awarded $5.4 million in compensatory damages and a groundbreaking $150 million in punitive damages against Farmers Insurance, marking the largest single-plaintiff jury verdict of its kind in Los Angeles history at that time.

One notable trend in the field that Shegerian said he believes needs to be addressed is the prevalence of mandatory pre-dispute arbitration agreements, which curtail employee rights.

"Mandatory pre-dispute arbitration agreements continue to bane employee rights in our country," he said. "Said agreements unconstitutionally revoke the right to a jury trial while also allowing large corporations to escape public accountability and condemnation for their wrongdoings. Luckily, the legislature has slowly picked up on their inherent unfairness, with legislation such as the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act barring mandatory pre-dispute arbitration agreements for certain claims. Congress has raised similar legislation for other protected categories, such as age, which have unfortunately stalled. To continue adequately protecting employee rights, we hope to see this trend disfavoring mandatory arbitration continue."