Welcome to FindLaw's Cases & Codes, a free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. Government Code 12965(b) GC [attorney's fees for FEHA wrongful termination suit]. For any complaint alleging a violation of Section 51.7 of the Civil Code, a civil action shall be brought, if at all, within two years after the filing of the complaint. action expires, or one year from the date of the right-to-sue notice by the department, whichever is later. 1093, https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/government-code/gov-sect-12965/, Read this complete California Code, Government Code - GOV 12965 on Westlaw, Law Firm Tests Whether It Can Sue Associate for 'Quiet Quitting', SCOTUS to Decide Constitutionality of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. California Government Code 12965 GC. costs, including expert witness fees, except that, notwithstanding Section 998 of the Code of Civil Procedure, a prevailing defendant shall not be awarded fees and costs unless the court finds In addition, in order to vindicate the purposes and policies of this part, a court may assess against the defendant, if the civil complaint or amended civil complaint so prays, a civil penalty of up to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) to be awarded to a person denied any right provided for by Section 51.7 of the Civil Code, as an unlawful practice prohibited under this part. This resulted in denying most of the defendants requested attorneys fees of over $1.2 million and awarding only a smaller portion for the defense of the wage claims. Join thousands of people who receive monthly site updates. (A) The department files a civil action for the alleged violation under this part. or that the plaintiff continued to litigate after it clearly became so. (Ibid. (B) The investigation of the charge is deferred by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Supreme Court's holding that Gov. Following the passage of California Assembly Bill 9, which amends Government Code sections 12960 and 12965, employees now have three years to file these claims with the DFEH. (2) If section 12965, subdivision (b) governs, what is the discretionary standard for recovery of costs, and is the standard the same or different for prevailing plaintiffs versus prevailing defendants? ), Hence, the Williams court concluded that a prevailing plaintiff in FEHA actions should recover costs and attorneys fees, while a prevailing defendant should not be awarded costs or attorneys fees unless the trial court finds that the plaintiffs action was frivolous.