Perry Smith
Founding Partner, Managing Attorney
25-Years Righting Wrongful Terminations
He Represents Employees Who Were Fired When They Needed Protection
Perry Smith has spent more than 25 years litigating wrongful termination cases in California. His practice is focused on employees who were fired after becoming sick, disabled, pregnant, or in need of medical leave or accommodation.
The Problem: Employer's Who Hide Behind False Reasons
Wrongful termination cases are usually not about one bad decision. They are about exploiting systems—attendance rules, leave paperwork, HR notes, and explanations, etc.–to cover an unlawful motive and make a firing look legal.
Those systems can sometimes look convincing. When examined closely, they often fall apart.
Perry has handled employment cases from both sides. He started his career representing employers. That experience allows him to see defenses coming, spot weaknesses early, and take apart arguments that may sound strong until details are revealed through investigation and witness testimony.
What Clients Need and What Employers Notice
Perry has tried cases to verdict, obtained compensatory and punitive damages, and recovered millions of dollars for employees across California. He has also recovered millions in unpaid overtime and wages in complex wage-and-hour cases.
But his reputation is built as much on what happens after trial court proceedings as what happens before them.
Appellate Experience that Changes the Equation
Perry has argued and prevailed in the California Court of Appeal on multiple occasions.
In one case, he reversed the same trial judge three separate times under an abuse-of-discretion standard—a standard that gives trial courts significant leeway and is notoriously difficult to overcome.
Trial lawyers on both sides understand what that means:
Perry litigates with an appellate record in mind from the beginning.
Recognition That Matters
Perry’s work has been recognized not just by marketing organizations, but by judges and opposing lawyers who have faced him in real litigation.
“I admired your skill, your writing. It was a pleasure to read what you write.”
— Judge Ronald L. Bauer, Orange County Superior Court
The motion demonstrated an understanding of both substantive and procedural issues, diligence in prosecution, and willingness to devote the resources necessary to pursue the case.
— California Court of Appeal
“Since you kicked my ass in an employment case, I thought of you.”
— Defense Counsel, Los Angeles County
Perry has a “Superb” rating with Avvo and was named a Super Lawyers “Rising Star” for five consecutive years earlier in his career.
How He Practices
Perry approaches each case with two priorities:
- Obtain full relief for the client, including damages and accountability.
- Expose and challenge employer practices that violate California law but persist because they are rarely tested.
He prepares cases to be tried—and to be appealed if necessary. He does not rely on volume, shortcuts, or pressure tactics. His cases are thoroughly developed, procedurally disciplined, and litigated with an eye toward leverage at every stage.
Building a Firm Around a Narrow Mission
Perry is a founding partner and the managing attorney of sickandfired.com lawyers, a firm dedicated exclusively to representing California employees fired for health-related reasons, including disability, pregnancy, and leave-related terminations.
The firm’s focus is intentional. These cases sit at the intersection of employment law, medical privacy, and retaliation—and they are frequently mishandled by employers who underestimate both the law and the consequences of violating it.
Background and Training
- J.D., University of Georgia School of Law
- Top 10% of first-year class
- Academic scholarship recipient
- General Editor and Articles Editor, the school’s leading law journal
- Former mediator, Los Angeles County Superior Court ADR Program
His experience as a mediator sharpened his ability to evaluate cases objectively and to resolve matters efficiently when resolution serves the client’s interests—without sacrificing leverage.
Beyond the Courtroom
Perry is also a songwriter, a discipline that has shaped his approach to storytelling, persuasion, and precision with language. Perry’s songwriting was recognized when American Idol’s producers chose his song out of tens of thousands of entries i its one and only songwriting competition. Superlawyers wrote about his songwriting here.
LET US REVIEW WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU
We are ready to help. Contact us today.
Sickandfired.com lawyers
Enforcing the Rights of Employees Wrongfully Terminated for Health-related Reasons with a No-Recovery-No-Fee Approach
We have been called “true believers” countless times by lawyers for corporate employers because they can see that we truly believe in the need to enforce the law and in our client’s cases. They can see how much it bothers us when employees needing accommodation for health conditions are treated as defective and not worthy of their jobs.
Here’s what so many California employers fail to acknowledge: California allows them to earn their corporate profits in California and on the backs of California employees. But by cashing in on California and its people, employers agree to comply with California’s laws protecting employees. Put simply, cashing in requires compliance. Employers who fire employees in violation of California’s protective laws are cashing in without compliance. We think the corrupt cash should go to compensate wrongfully fired employees.
Employers sued for cashing in without compliance often accuse the employees who sue them of “just trying to cash in.” The gaslighting is real.