These Laws are Our Laws.
Our Civil Rights. Our Right to Fair Treatment at Work.
“Hilary helped change the course of my life.”
“Finding Hilary was one of the biggest blessings I’ve had in my life. A couple years ago, I found myself in one of the most difficult experiences I’d ever encountered. I was being fired for taking family leave to care for an ill family member. It was devastated and disorienting. I reached out to Hilary and within hours we were on the phone discussing my case. I immediately felt cared for, validated and understood. During that initial conversation, I remember being surprised by two things: 1) the amount of time she took to truly listen to my story and ask questions. She stayed on the phone with me longer than I expected she would., 2) how I not only felt secure in the expertise and knowledge of the law, but more importantly, she attended to the very raw emotions I was feeling with compassion and care. I’ll never forget that feeling. I immediately felt like I was in good hands and everything was going to be alright. Over the next few months as Hilary worked on my case, my confidence in her only grew. She stayed in close contact with me throughout the process. I always felt like I could call her with a question or worry and she’d always answer with thoughtfulness and patience. She saw my case through to the end and fought for me the entire way. Ultimately, the resolution was better than I ever expected, and I attribute that to Hilary’s tenacity and skill. I honestly don’t know what would have happened if Hilary had not come into my life at that exact moment. I am immensely grateful for her and will always be. She helped change the course of my life in ways that she, nor I, could have ever imagined.”
- Former Client
“Hilary was an exceptional attorney who believed in my case and enabled me to better understand my legal situation. She was strategic and supportive throughout the entire process. She has exceptional negotiating skills and helped me to get the best possible outcome and represented me and my interests with integrity and legal competence. It was truly a pleasure to work with her.”
- Former Client
“I had a great experience with Hilary. I needed support after unexpectedly losing my job, but I was anxious about what I was getting into. Hilary helped me understand my options and handled the execution. At the same time, her style and approach made me feel like I was always in control of the process. I was very happy with the results she achieved. I would work with her again in a heartbeat.”
- Former Client
Contact Us
212 Ninth St. Suite 314
Oakland, CA 94607
info@hammell.law
(510) 250-3175
Se habla español
Located in the Bay Area, but handling cases throughout California.
Areas of Practice
Pregnancy Accommodation & Leave Law
California has some of the strongest protections for pregnant workers in the United States that go far beyond the protections offered by the federal FMLA. For instance, workers in California are entitled to pregnancy disability leave for miscarriage, and per pregnancy, not per year. Unfortunately, not all employers are aware of these strong protections. Hilary is well-versed in California pregnancy law and is passionate about helping pregnant workers, and those dealing with pregnancy loss or conditions related to pregnancy (including lactation) ensure that their rights are respected in the workplace. You can learn more about California’s strong pregnancy protections from Legal Aid at Work here.
Disability Rights & Family Leave Law
Workers are not robots; we are humans. And because we are human, many of us have mental or physical conditions that require accommodation at work. Unfortunately, all too often employers make it needlessly difficult, if not impossible, for disabilities to be properly accommodated. Hilary is a fierce advocate for disabled Californians’ rights to be accommodated in the workplace and brings deep knowledge of state and federal disability law to her practice. You can learn more about disability rights at work through Disability RIghts California here.
Hilary is also passionate about representing people who have not been allowed to take leave from work to care for sick family members, or who have been retaliated against for doing so.
Sexual Harassment & Racial Harassment
Work is hard enough without having to run a gauntlet of racial or sexual harassment. Workplace harassment based on sex, race, gender identity, age, religion, or disability is not just wrong, it is illegal. Hilary is a staunch ally for women and others who have been exposed to offensive harassment in the workplace. Here is more information about sexual harassment in the workplace, from Legal Aid at Work.
Discrimination & Retaliation
Discrimination at work includes being subjected to lower pay or worse working conditions due to gender, age, religion, race, or disability. And retaliation includes wrongful termination, but also smaller, yet cumulative adverse actions that materially affect the terms and conditions of your employment, if you have opposed the employer’s illegal conduct. (You can read the leading California Supreme Court case on retaliation here, if you feel so inclined.) Discrimination and retaliation are both illegal in California in the workplace.
Wage Theft
Unpaid overtime. Failure to pay all wages owed. Failure to pay for time spent putting on uniforms or protective gear. Wrongly classifying workers as independent contractors or as “exempt” from overtime. Work is hard enough without employers attempting to cut corners in ways that take money out of your pocket.
“Without community, there is no liberation.”
– Audre Lorde
Serving every county in California and cities including: Alameda, Oakland, San Francisco, San Leandro, Hayward, Berkeley, Kensington, Albany, Richmond, Richmond Annex, Castro Valley, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Antioch, Vallejo, Benicia, Vacaville, Fairfield, Concord, Martinez, Bay Point, Pittsburg, Brentwood, Napa, Sonoma, Ukiah, Fremont, Daly City, South San Francisco, San Rafael, Stockton, Tracy, Lodi, San Jose, Modesto, Turlock, Manteca, Sacramento, Roseville, Grass Valley, Nevada City, Placerville, Santa Rosa, Merced, Gilroy, Santa Cruz, Salinas, Watsonville, Hollister, Fresno, Yuba City, Redding, Mendocino, Arcata, Eureka, Klamath, Yreka, Weed, Crescent City, Bakersfield, Tulare, Delano, Lancaster, Santa Barbara, Lompoc, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Irvine, Riverside, Orange County, San Diego, Chula Vista, Truckee, South Lake Tahoe, El Centro, Calexico.
Get in Touch
Initial consultations are completely free. No attorney-client relationship is formed, however, unless and until we sign a written Legal Services Agreement. Click on “Contact Us” to fill out our initial intake form.