Attorney Cortney Shegerian of Santa Monica based employee rights firm Shegerian & Associates, will stand before the California Supreme Court next week to argue in favor of a recent Appellate Court decision to allow a trial for a unique whistleblower case.

Shegerian’s client, Deborah Shaw, a former employee at Kindred Healthcare (also known as Kindred Hospitals West and THC Orange County), was employed by the defendant’s health care facility. In her complaint, Shaw described having complained to the defendant about conditions that affected the quality of care and services at the health care facility. In particular, she complained that defendants were employing health care professionals who were not licensed or certified. She also complained to management that health care professionals who had not properly completed their competencies were also working at her location.

Shaw claimed that in retaliation for her complaints, Kindred discriminated against her by issuing her a warning, taking adverse employment actions against her, and subsequently terminating her employment. Shaw alleged that, as a result of Kindred’s conduct, she has suffered and continues to suffer past and future monetary losses, losses of benefits, emotional damages and physical injury.

In 2012, Shaw filed her wrongful termination complaint against Kindred, demanding a jury trial. In 2014, the court denied a jury trial, but that decision was reversed in the Court of Appeal, meaning that Shaw would get her jury trial after all. Now, Kindred and its attorneys are attempting to convince the California Supreme Court to reverse the Court of Appeals court decision in order to block a jury trial. Cortney Shegerian will appear on behalf of Shaw before the Supreme Court of California on Tuesday, February 7th, to argue in favor of the Appellate Court’s decision that Shaw has a right to a jury trial.

At age 30, Shegerian is among the youngest attorneys to argue a case before the Supreme Court of California in the Court’s history.

“We are honored to be able to represent our courageous client, Ms. Shaw, in this case before the Supreme Court,” said Shegerian. “Hopefully we will be able to convince the court that the Appellate decision in favor of our client’s right to a jury trial was in fact correct and we will be able to move one step closer to justice for Ms. Shaw, a tirelessly hard-working professional who blew the whistle on wrongdoing and was wrongfully terminated by the defendants as a result.”

Case # B254958

Located in Santa Monica, Shegerian & Associates is a law firm specializing in litigating on behalf of employees who have been wronged by their employers or citizens who have suffered personal injury or wrongful death due to the negligence of others. Possessing an unparalleled success record as litigators (founder Carney Shegerian, Trial Lawyer of the Year Award winner for 2013, has won 73 jury trials in his career, including 31 seven figure verdicts), Shegerian & Associates is passionately dedicated to serving the needs of its clients. For more information about the firm, visit www.ShegerianLaw.com

Media Contact: To arrange interviews, please contact Paul Williams, 310/569-0023, paulwilliams@shegerianlaw.com.