Amiri v. Gupta et al

On July 24, 2018, Ahmad Fahim Amiri, a legal assistant of Afghan descent and Muslim faith, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against attorney Raj Gupta and Does 1-10. Amiri claimed that while employed at the Gupta Law Group, he was systematically denied overtime pay in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and California labor laws. He further alleged that he endured a hostile work environment, including derogatory comments about his national origin and religion. After he raised concerns about the unpaid wages, Amiri was wrongfully terminated in retaliation. The suit sought back wages, compensatory damages, and injunctive relief. The case drew attention to labor rights abuses within small law firms and the legal profession's own compliance with employment standards.

The parties reached a confidential settlement agreement. Subsequently, the court dismissed the action with prejudice on April 16, 2019, pursuant to a joint stipulation filed by both sides.

Whether the defendant failed to pay legally mandated overtime wages, and whether the plaintiff was subjected to unlawful discrimination based on national origin and religion, as well as retaliatory termination for reporting the violations.

The case highlighted the vulnerability of immigrant employees within small professional firms and underscored that legal practitioners themselves must adhere to the wage and anti-discrimination laws they advocate for in court. It served as a cautionary example of workplace equity and labor compliance in the legal industry.