What to do about leaving my employer and liability for repayment of certain fees?

What to do about leaving my employer and liability for repayment of certain fees?

I got an offer from Company A and asked them to start the visa transfer process. They took around 1 month to initiate my visa process. Just before filing for H1B transfer paperwork, I asked them to cancel as I decided to accept another offer from Company B. I confirmed attorney has not submitted any paperwork to USCIS. They just got an LCA. Now,Company A is asking me to refund legal fees $4000. Since they never filed for my transfer there was no USCIS fees involved. Before starting the whole process I signed an at-will employment letter. Later they also made me signed an amendment which says that if I leave within 12 months for any reason, I will be responsible to pay all costs incurred retroactively. Am I liable to pay this legal fees?

Asked on October 30, 2012 under Employment Labor Law, California

Answers:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.