Linh Thiet Nguyen

A couple years passed since I retained Linh Nguyen’s service. To this day, it still makes me absolutely sick in my stomach when I think about retaining his service. Here is what happened to me and will likely happen to you. • He persuaded I had a strong case. • He gave me examples of “strong de...fenses”, giving me confidence to retain him for the pre-hearing settlement. • I retained his service for the pre-hearing settlement. He did not say much in my defense during the hearing. I had to defend myself during the pre-hearing settlement. He claimed he was saving the strong defenses for the hearing. He persuaded me to settle (meaning resignation). If I settled, he will take $3000 for his time at the settlement hearing (keep in mind, there was neither preparation work on his part nor much of a defense statement from him). • During/After pre-settlement hearing, he convinced me the opposing counsel was incompetent and sounded inexperienced. Again, he gave me a false sense of hope. • He charged around $15,000 to do absolutely nothing (my honest observation). I had to write and organize all documents myself. The only visible work he did was submit the documents to the opposing counsel. Although I requested to be included in this process, he excluded me each time, leaving me to believe there was collusion. He did not edit or format the documents. He submitted the drafted documents exactly how I submitted the documents to him. • He did not work with me to solidify my defense, such as my responses when questioned by the opposing counsel. • Months passed and he did not spend a minute on my case. I have called multiple times and have often received return calls weeks later. Often times, he showed no signs of working on my case. I have even received an “explanation” that he was busy babysitting his kids. • If you should email him a question where his answer might jeopardize his career with the BAR, then he will (most likely) not email you back. Instead he will call you to protect himself, leaving nothing in writing. • The week (approximately 7 calendar days) before the hearing, he will start to schedule meetings with you. He was extremely disorganized and unprepared for the hearing (my honest observation). • At this point, he told me that I did not have a case and should settle. He started to recite everything the opposing counsel accused me of at the pre-settlement hearing. • I asked about the “strong defenses”, and he responded he never made such comments. • He will most likely become irate and belittle your character. At least, that is what happened to me. He said I was acting illogical and stubborn and was wasting his time. • He spent more of his time and effort trying to get me to settle, rather than prepare for the case. Like everyone else I settled, because I felt like I did not have a chance. I retained an unethical and incompetent attorney that took at least $18,000 of my time and money. I did not get much from the settlement, because he convinced me that I did not have a case. My biggest loss was not able to find another state job. He did not inform me that Government Code section 18720.45 requires job applicants to disclose settlement agreements regarding resignation (Question 7 on State of California job application). If you mark “Yes” on your application, you will have a very tough time finding another state job. If you resign, you will lose your job, you will lose nearly $20,000 in legal fees, you will be left struggling to find another job. I am baffled at how many reviewers think resigning was a victory.

Linh was so great to work with. He really stepped up on my behalf during a very difficult part of my life. I was working in a hostile work environment & went without lunches, breaks or being paid for overtime I worked for almost a year before I was wrongfully terminated. He built the case and follo...wed it through to the end. I was finally compensated for what I was owed for so long. Rest assured you're in great hands with Linh. Thanks for everything!!

I regret paying Linh Nguyen even a dime to represent me in a pre-hearing settlement and a full hearing before the State Personnel Board. Although I prepared the entire case for him and provided several summaries, he gave no indication that he ever read the material I provided. He merely took the info...rmation I provided and pasted it into the official forms - something I have never known lawyers not to complete for their clients. I stayed up countless nights, putting together e-mails, content for the case, rebuttals, and graphs to prove how my employer was harassing me over a three-year period. He literally didn't have any work to do in my case – just defend my case the day of the hearing. At the pre‑hearing, he introduced me, and simply sat down. He expected me to defend my own case even though I paid him in full for fighting my case. He later told me that my employer’s attorney stated they would not adjust their offer, so there was no point in presenting my case. So he didn’t even try to present a case, or defend the difficult position I was placed in. After the pre-hearing settlement, I had no intention of hiring him for the full hearing unless he made his role more clear. I had little time to make up my mind or to shop for another attorney. I had to consider my full-time job and family, and the short timeframe before the hearing. I met with him to ensure my case and my career was protected. I communicated my expectations to him, and he agreed. He told me that some of my information could be quite persuasive in front of the judge. He said I would have to present some of it in front of the judge, but he gave me hope for my case. I reluctantly hired him a second time. In preparation for the case, I was the one up at night after work, putting together the case, rebuttals, facts, arguments etc. I had three meetings with him lasting 1 to 1.5 hours each. This is all the time he spent on my case. His time and effort in the whole process was minimal at best. On the day of the trial, I had a lot of hope – I brought a lot of evidence with me to the courtroom, and I was ready for a judge to finally hear my case after three years of harassment. Linh told me before the trial even started that my employer is going to terminate me if I choose to proceed with the trial. He further said that there is no way we can win this case. He was reluctant to go in front of the Judge. There I was, alone. I felt as though I had ultimately no choice other than to withdraw from the hearing and accept my employer’s slightly better offer in settlement. I had to sign papers that I would not sue my employer. In this entire effort, Linh did not fight for me. Never once did I hear him represent my point of view. It almost felt as if he colluded with my employers before the trial. A lawyer is supposed to express his or her client's best interests to the opposing party, and I feel he failed on that mark completely. I had paid him in full before the pre-hearing and before the full hearing to provide services that he never provided. I feel deceived and misguided. Accepting Linh’s advice to settle my case—under extreme time pressure—was the worst decision I have ever made in my life. It has changed my life forever. Linh’s attitude changed radically before and after he took my money. Linh does not have integrity. He will take your money and ask you to put together your entire case, and then decide at the last moment that he does not want to present your case. Do not let yourself be deceived by this man. He is not a trial lawyer. Choose him if you want him to make easy deals, requiring minimal effort. My case was complicated, yes, but not impossible if fought with the integrity and dedication it required. What I needed most was a lawyer who believed in my case enough to defend it and communicate my side to the judge, not one who cowered as soon as the opposing party tried to use a surprise scare tactic to force a settlement.

Hi hired Mr. Nguyen to handle my employment pre-hearing issues on a demotion. It was a wrongful demotion. Mr. Nguyen initially showed some interest in my case however, after he got paid I could not reach him on the phone for several days. When he returned he decide to call me. Even thought, I wante...d to cancel my services with him I new I will lose the money I paid him ($1,500.00 for a hearing that was less than an hour). I was hopping to talk to him before the pre-hearing. However, a few minutes before the hearing he asked me what I will be willing to settle with if they make an offer. I was shocked he waited to the last minute to address the issues when he knew the date of my pre-hearing. But to compound the issues I had to do all the talking during the pre-hearing and he didn't say a single word. He wanted me to hire him for the hearing but I could not. I don't think he's a bad person or attorney however, he shouldn't take a case he does not have any interest in. My evaluation is not base on his professional abilities since it was not demonstrated during my case therefore, I don't know if he's a capable attorney.