Cody Payne is a practicing lawyer in the state of California specializing in Employment and Personal Injury.

Representing employees against employers in claims for wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, assault & battery; whistleblower retaliation. Handle claims of retaliation for taking disability or medical leave, workers' compensation leave or family-medical leave, or denial of such leave. Harassment and discrimination claims are often based on sex, race, national origin, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, religion, medical condition and other protected classifications. Adverse job actions based on discrimination may include excessive and unfair criticism, removal of responsibilities, fewer hours, transfers or assignments with less opportunity or income, assignment to menial or dirty tasks, demotion, denial of promotion, or simply termination. The firm also handles claims for unpaid overtime, denial of lunch and rest breaks. We handle all aspects of litigation including trial, arbitration, mediation and settlement in all state and federal courts in California and before the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) and the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Also represent independent contractors and managers with discrimination claims against their employers. Attorney Geoffrey Lyon has over 25 years' courtroom experience. He has litigated hundreds of cases in state and federal court collectively resulting in well over $15 million in verdicts and settlements. Attorney Lyon has handled dozens of trials, including jury trials, as well as arbitrations, hundreds of court appearances and mediations, and thousands of depositions. He has argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth and Ninth Circuits and the California Court of Appeal. He was a candidate for State Assembly in 2004. Lyon is married with three children. Collectively, the firm's employee-clients have sued dozens of Fortune 500 companies in numerous industries including aerospace, entertainment, defense, broadcasting, real estate, construction, advertising, automotive, sales, service, banking, mortgage, and many other industries. Representative public entities sued by clients of the firm include the City and County of Los Angeles, school districts and numerous city, county and government agencies. Nothing herein is intended to be a prediction, guaranty or estimate regarding the outcome of your case or any particular matter.

As a partner in the firm, Brent specializes in representing employees in wrongful termination cases. He has worked exclusively in the area of employment litigation since he began practicing law in 1998. Through the years, Brent has successfully represented hundreds of plaintiffs in employment-related litigation, obtaining significant settlements and jury verdicts against Fortune 500 companies, large government entities, as well as small and medium-sized employers. Since he joined forces with Gary Carlin to launch the firm in July of 2004, he has been lead trial counsel in employment cases that generated more than $7 million dollars for his clients. He has handled virtually every type of labor and employment dispute, including claims of sexual harassment, unpaid overtime, whistle-blowing, racial discrimination, age discrimination, disability discrimination, and gender discrimination. In addition, he has also successfully prosecuted cases based on breach of contract, fraud, defamation, and other civil claims that often arise in the context of employment. Brent recently recovered $1.17 million in a well-publicized wrongful termination suit against the City of Pasadena (read more). Brent was also nominated as Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles for 2008.Brent was raised in Laguna Beach, and attended Laguna Beach High School, where he played tennis and basketball. In 1994, he went on to earn a bachelor's degree at the University of California at Santa Barbara, where he graduated with honors. After college, Brent followed through with his ambition of becoming a lawyer, enrolling at the University of San Diego School of Law, where he earned his law degree in 1997. It was in law school that Brent decided that representing individuals, particularly those who have been wronged, was much more rewarding than defending corporations.