Nikka maleki

I'm a co-founder of a plaintiff's employment law firm based in Beverly Hills, California, where I've been practicing for close to 8 years. What really inspired me to go into employment law is that it gives me the opportunity to really get to know my clients and tell their stories in a holistic way. Although we represent workers and employees who have been wronged by their employer, there's so much that goes into their story - what's going on at home, the unique circumstances each employee faces. Some of my clients have to take the bus 2 hours to get to work, while others have been working at their company for 20 years or more. I really like the idea of bridging that gap and being a resource and advocate for people whose livelihoods have been upended when they think they're doing the right thing. As a child of immigrants, I've seen firsthand how that can affect navigating through life, so from a very young age, my parents instilled a very strong sense of purpose within me. I always knew it was important to choose a career where I could see the direct impact of the changes I'm making in others' lives. My clients are the underdogs - it's like a David and Goliath story - but it's really important to me that they always feel like they have somebody in their corner. We handle cases all throughout California involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, with many of our cases focusing on sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination, as well as whistleblower retaliation. Most recently, I'm incredibly proud that we represented a single mom making minimum wage who was fired when she requested pregnancy-related accommodations. She had been turned away by two other firms, and we were able to settle her case efficiently, proactively, and creatively for a life-changing amount. The fact that she's still part of the firm family and still comes to visit us, and that relationship lasts beyond the settlement - that's something I'm incredibly proud of.