Minnis & Smallets, LLP

Aaron Minnis is superb! He is the most professional, educated and knowledgable lawyer with whom I have worked. He provides honest counsel, he advises with integrity and he sets realistic expectations. He helped me approach my former firm in the most appropriate manner and advised me on all possible outcomes and the best path to take to move forward. He put me in an excellent position to negotiate the best deal for myself. Aaron took the time to truly understand what was important to me so that I could move past an unfortunate experience, feeling I arrived at the best possible solution. I cannot say enough good things about Aaron and his firm. I highly recommend Minnis & Smallets!

Can not top the reviews already written about this team of lawyers. At the time I was searching for legal council i based my search from Unilocal reviews (taking a chance…). Scheduled an appointment and met with Sonya. I found her to be very patient and empathetic, and listened to me. I appreciated her responses, something I needed having gone through a very unpleasant employment situation. We spoke for over an hour and I never once felt rushed and she gave me time to explain my issues. I worked with their associate Sean McHenry throughout which was resolved with a positive outcome. Sean is extremely patient, a smart and thorough thinker, very professional, all qualities I found helpful to get me through my case. Debby is wonderful and her follow up is fantastic!
I would highly recommend this team of lawyers for employment issues. If you do have Sean represent you, make sure he wears his lucky tie for you!

Forced in to an unfortunate situation and needing legal council is never a fun place to be. Especially when you have no idea where to start.
I started my search for council on Unilocal.I read dozens of reviews on multiple firms and luckily I decided on Minnis & Smallets. I called and described my situation and ended up going in and speaking with Aaron. I was a total nervous mess! Aaron really helped to put me at ease and confident in what I was doing was the right thing and we decided to move forward.
The entire process from start to finish was a positive experience for me thanks to Aaron and his team. He explained every step of the process to me and made sure that I was comfortable prior to proceeding. He always kept me informed of every aspect of the case. Aaron really took the time to make it feel like we were a team fighting together.
We ended with a favorable outcome thanks to Aaron fighting hard for me.
Aaron is a total legal rock star! I would highly recommend Minnis & Smallets, LLP to anyone!

Sonya Smallets is an outstanding attorney. Since the first time I met her I felt comfortable talking to her because she was honest and sincere and cared about my situation –unlawful termination. During the course of my case she kept me well informed and explained legal matters in ways that were easy and concise for me to understand. She always had time to listen and to answer to any concerns I had. She gave her best to ensure I, her client, got the best possible service. Thanks to her expertise and professionalism my legal dispute was positively resolved in my favor.
Her assistance, Debby, was always professional, attentive, nice and friendly.
I highly recommend Sonya Smallest for any employment issues. She is talented and dedicated and will always work on your best interest. You’ll be represented by one of the best.

My daughter was born 2 weeks before my company, where I’d worked for 10+ years, announced layoffs. I had a 2 week paternity benefit and the termination came on the first day of unpaid Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Leave. I had a limited amount of time respond and in a state of panic, I ran some google searches and called 4 or 5 firms in California to figure out what, if any, recourse I had.
I summarized my situation to the legal assistant/​para who answered and she offered me an appointment with Sonya the next day. After speaking to several attorneys, Sonya was by far the most helpful, sympathetic and resourceful. She spent over 90 minutes on the phone with me over 2 calls discussing my case and breaking down my options which included coaching my own response to HR to double my severance package in light of the FMLA because I was clearly made aware that I had a case and Sonya would represent me.
Sonya was honest and clear about the difficulties in litigation which very much helped inform my decision to move forward. I would strongly recommend that anybody that might have a legal beef with an employer consult Sonya and her team and they will provide honest and caring guidance down whichever path is most suitable.
It was a very difficult moment for me, and I cannot thank Sonya enough for her kind and generous assist.

Sonya was terrific; as we discussed a challenging retroactive employment issue, she approached the conversation with a level of empathy, curiosity, and intelligence. She explained the applicable law relative to the issues at hand and offered valuable suggestions and next steps.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this Firm to others.

Be careful if you go to a mediation or court with Sonya especially when her husband is unemployed, she leaves loop holes in her work, doesn’t explain, and is very unfocused at times. She is very watchful on her earnings, but not in your case and how you feel. She pushes you to close your case for her benefits and not yours. Make sure to take advice from another counsel, CPA, and accountant before you go along with her opinions & choices.

Retaining the ace team of legal experts at Minnis and Smallets was one of the best and most rewarding consumer choices I have made. I spent a considerable amount of time researching legal references, state and federal laws, as well as case law to gain as thorough of an understanding of the legal grounds of my case as possible, and then began an equally exhaustive search to find the absolute best legal representation to present my case to the courts. I asked several lawyers that I personally new, went onto a great legal forum
and of course Unilocal.All of these avenues pointed me to Minnis and Smallets.
I contacted the law firm of Minnis and Smallets after undergoing considerable hardship at my former place of employment and what I felt was blatant discrimination by my former employer. When I met Aaron Minnis for the first time in his office, I felt very vunerable and hopeless, with little hope to do much of anything but struggle through a length recovery process until someday, finally landing back on my feet. Mr. Minnis was very empathetic to my pain and suffering, and provided much needed encouragement and advise about staying positive and overcoming my adversity. After explaining my story, he was immediately aware and accepting of how important it was to me that I felt this case was pursued following my personal, moral objectives and not just for fiscal reparations.
Mr. Minnis presented a brief strategy for my case, discussed the terms of his law firm’s services, and answered all my questions. He was very clear in explaining all the potential legal grounds that could be used to present my case to the courts, the pros and cons of what he felt was the best legal strategy, and the benefits and risks of all my options. I felt like he was a third party, advising me on weather his law firm was the best choice for my needs and if pursuing this case was most beneficial to my long term goals. There was absolutely no pressure to sign the retainer, and no feeling that I was wasting his time during a quite lengthy consultation. In addition, Mr. Minnis informed me that if I retained their services, I would be working a great deal with a younger member of the law firm, Mr. Sean McHenry, during the preparation of my case before court. I knew that it is common and feel that it is useful to work with different attorneys within a law firm during different stages of a case or as your case progresses into another attorney’s specialty. However, beware of less scrupulous law firms that will deceive you into believing that your case will be represented by a single well-​renowned attorney during the initial consultation, when in fact that attorney may never look at your case again. The legal experts at Minnis and Smallets, work as a team, and from my impression, represent every client with the full potential of the entire team.
During the nearly year long preparation of my case, Mr. McHenry was always extremely patient, kind and understanding of the emotional distress I felt when revisiting certain aspects of the case. While always trying to ensure my comfort, Mr. McHenry was diligent in keeping the integrity of our case flawless at all times and made sure I was aware of all legal obligations and moral issues arising or potentially arising from our case. It was extremely reassuring and paramount to always know we were following all the legal rules while proving the other party violated my rights. In light of the emotional distress attached to this case for me, I was extremely motivated to settle the case during mediation. Even though Sean, Aaron, Sonya and Debra had prepared a case that pushed the defendants in a corner on nearly every aspect of the case, I really did not want to relive the entire traumatic event all over again in the courtroom. However, thanks to the team’s bulging legal biceps, the settlement we reached with the defending party during just the first round of mediation was outstanding! I was afraid that after all their hard work and the likely huge advantage we would have had going to trial, my legal team would have been slightly disappointed that I was nearly 100% in favor of settling versus going to trail. However, I am truly convinced that they held my concerns in the strictest priority and were sincere in celebrating our victory.
I was thoroughly impressed with every aspect of the services provided by the team at Minnis and Smallets, and would emphatically insist to anyone I knew looking for legal representation on any employment issue, to first talk to Minnis and Smallets. Starting from the moment you are on the line with Debra at the front desk, your legal future will continue to get brighter and brighter. Thanks to the work of Aaron, Sean, Debra and Sonya, I no longer feel like a victim and can confidently move forward with my life.

I couldn’t imagine working with a better group of lawyers. All three of the Attorneys (Aaron, Sonya, and Sean) are just the right mix of smart, strategic, and empathetic. I would enthusiastically recommend any one of them without hesitation for unemployment and discrimination cases. You want these guys on your side.
Legal battles, especially when it comes to employment and personal situations, become extremely stressful and overwhelming. Tying the legal process into an emotional battle salts wounds on a daily basis for months and probably years to come. That said, these guys make everything as bearable as possible through the entire process. They are always accessible, supportive, and your absolute best advocate. They really are client-​focused and provide the essential support that is commonly overlooked when shopping around for lawyers but that you really need when involved in one of these cases.
I had the absolute pleasure of working with Sean, who was always really responsive, communicative, and great about breaking things down into digestible pieces. He really knows his stuff. He offers insight and advice when asked but ultimately let’s you really own the case. The entire experience was as pleasant as a legal case could have been, and I credit Sean for making it so. He over-​delivered on everything that I expected and I was extremely satisfied with the outcome of the case.
A very solid 5 Star experience at every point over nearly two-​years.

I have had the privilege of working with Sonya and Aaron on a number of cases and find them to be extremely knowledgeable, compassionate, and professional. They are smart, passionate attorneys, and I recommend them highly to any client looking for an employment discrimination or wage and hour attorney.

After reading countless reviews from other law firms in the Bay Area, I didn’t feel that «Connection» until I found Minnis & Smallets on Unilocal and started reading the reviews. Every review noted how amazing they were and how they were able to come to an agreement with opposing counsel. I sought the advice of Sonya Smallets and we met for an initial interview. Sonya was extremely professional and listened very attentively while we had our discussion. One thing that was most important to me was that I be confident in my counsel and for us to have a mutual understanding of options.
Sonya took a genuine interest in not only my case, but me personally. Dealing with anything legal for any person is stressful and time consuming. Sonya was able to alleviate a good amount of the stress by being on top of the case throughout the duration. She explained legal matters to me when I had questions and I was able to understand different outcomes on each decision. Sonya always took the time to make sure I was ok with all decisions regarding the case before moving forward on any action.
My time with Sonya and all the associates was better than I could have imagined. Everyone was always very nice and understanding while always making sure I was comfortable throughout the case. I say that a lot, but when you are going through legal matters and have stress from work, home those little things that are done by your counsel to make you feel better make a world of a difference.
Minnis & Smallets was able to successfully guide me through my case and was able to produce a positive outcome. I am extremely happy with the outcome of my case but most importantly I was overjoyed with the experience I received from the people at Minnis & Smallets. I have no reservations in recommending them whatsoever on any case you may be thinking of moving forward with

We didn’t had a chance to work with Minnis and Smallets as they only represent employees, but Aaron called back promptly regarding our inquiry and recommended another attorney to help us with our request. Thank you!

Sonya Smallets is an amazing lawyer!
She is an expert in her line of work and knows how to communicate very well. She explains the details of the process in an easy to understand way. She took the time to answer all of the (many) questions I had. This made an otherwise stressful process a little less daunting.
I trust her judgement and her as an individual. She is very easy to work. Most importantly, she gets the job done!

I just wanted to let Aaron know that because of his great representation of me and my case. It peaked my interest in law. I am now enrolled and currently taking classes. Best decision I’ve ever made! Thanks for lighting that fire!

What can you say about the best Attorney in the world.
After I interviewed multiple firms in the City I found that Minnis & Smallets, LLP stood out on many levels.
I found Sonya not only to be kind and professional, but extremely knowledgeable. She was excellent about explaining the process in detail for my case. She knows what she is doing, big or small legal issue and will help you with honesty and fairness.
Unlike larger firms Sonya has a personal touch with the attention you need and want from an attorney.
Thank you! Minnis & Smallets, LLP

For the C-​Level Executive, Minnis & Smallets is the ONLY employment law firm in the SF bay area, who has the: smarts, sophistication, 1:1 high level client service, and the trial experience to get winning results for their clients.
In my experience, I interviewed 90% of the top employment law firms in the SF bay area. Here is what happened:
–Eighty percent (80%) did not bother to return my call.
–Of those firms I met with, most did not have trial experience. How does that happen?
–And finally, most firms had the «Big Me/​Little you» attitude from the start.
If you truly want to be treated like the VIP Executive that you are, and get a highly valuable resolution to your case: Minnis & Smallets should be your top choice in the SF bay area.

I talked to many attorneys before choosing to work with Sonya Smallets for a complicated employment/​disability issue.
I chose her for the generosity of time and information she gave me in our first consultation, her in depth understand of employment and disability laws, and an approach that focused on negotiation rather than going straight to litigation.
I am so glad I chose her and have been pleased with the outcome of a situation that could have lost me my job. Sonya is smart, astute, compassionate and extremely responsive.

I must agree with Bopha U.: Aaron Minnis is the Best Lawyer Ever.
He’s accessible, understanding and not pretentious, offering a responsive and sincere consultation!
With strong (yet considerate and easy to understand) advice, he collaborates on a plan with the least amount of obstacles. This gives confidence and clear direction (and positive outcome) — which is important in a potential employment case. It’s stressful enough as it is, right?
It’s a pleasure to see the Minnis & Smallets, LLP practice growing.
With Aaron’s eloquent combination of a kind spirit with legal smarts, I know it’ll only get better and better — which means it will not only serve it’s clients well, but also it will foster a true commitment to the community for its legal services.
Thank you, Minnis & Smallets, LLP!

Aaron was great. My whole case was over start to finish in 6 months and i was VERY happy with the outcome. Aaron Minnis was always available, concise and honest.
As a young professional in an office, i didn’t know the first thing about what to say, how to act, and Aaron helped me how to act under the pressure of the changing workplace given the case. It’s also worth mentioning that I live in the South Bay, not SF and Aaron took my case, and we communicated almost exclusively by phone and email. It was great.
i have already recommended Aaron to several friends and I give him 5 stars. I also want to note that Sean in the office was also very helpful.

Aaron took on my employment law case about four years ago. I couldn’t have been happier with his work and how it all turned out.
Aaron is unbelievably professional, but you still know he cares on a personal level and it shows. He was patient, understanding, took the time to *always* address my emails/​calls promptly.
And he’s really really good at the law. In my case, it was clear he was running circles around the other counsel. A big part of it is that he is very smart. But as big a part is that he does his homework and footwork. He is very thorough, which makes the other guy’s job that much more difficult.
Without hesitation or reservation, I would recommend Aaron to my closest of family and friends (and have already).