Jihad M Smaili

He Learned How Government Builds Cases—Now Jihad Smaili Stands With Employees Who Challenge Powerful Institutions

When an employee challenges a corporation or public agency, the imbalance appears immediately. The employer may control the records, the witnesses, and the story of what happened. Jihad M. Smaili began his career inside institutional litigation, serving as an Assistant Attorney General in Ohio’s Corrections Litigation Section and later as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Cuyahoga County’s General Felony Unit. Today, he brings that understanding to the employee’s side of the dispute.

That change in direction has defined a legal career spanning more than 25 years. From Santa Ana, Smaili leads an employee-rights practice handling wrongful termination, workplace harassment, discrimination, retaliation, whistleblower claims, and disputes over unpaid compensation. The firm has grown to more than 15 team members and served thousands of clients, with a record that includes tens of millions of dollars in judgments, verdicts, and settlements and numerous six-figure resolutions.

One publicly documented result captures the kind of power imbalance the practice is built to confront. In Julian Juliano v. City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles City Council approved $189,900 to settle an employment-related lawsuit handled by Smaili & Associates. The amount matters, but so does the defendant: pursuing a public employer means navigating institutional procedures and a government-backed legal defense. Smaili’s early public-service experience gives him a practical understanding of how large organizations respond when their decisions are challenged.

Employment disputes increasingly happen outside the traditional courtroom. Arbitration clauses may require workers to use a private process, where preparation and negotiation remain critical even without a jury. From 2022 through 2026, Smaili & Associates was recorded in 127 employment-related arbitration matters, 120 of which were resolved through settlement. In Gonzalez v. Barrett Business Services Inc., all claims against all parties settled during an early neutral-evaluation conference. Together, those results show a practice prepared to pursue resolution wherever workplace disputes are heard.

Public feedback adds the perspective that court records cannot provide. The Santa Ana office maintains a 4.9-star Google rating based on 282 reviews. Client accounts repeatedly describe clear explanations, responsive communication, and meaningful recoveries. One former employee reported that the firm increased an employer’s original offer by four and a half times; others describe successful resolutions involving wrongful termination, harassment, and discrimination.

For an employee wondering whether one person can realistically challenge a company or public institution, Smaili’s career offers a direct answer. He understands institutional litigation because he once practiced from inside government, and he has since built the team, case volume, and record needed to confront it from the employee’s side. That combination makes him especially relevant to workers who need more than reassurance—they need a lawyer prepared for the organization across the table.

That combination of experience, reputation, verified professional standing, and public credibility is why Jihad M. Smaili was included on FreddieFender.com.