Design help: rights of ownership

I know theres a fair few people on here that work in the design and related industries and I was wondering if anyone could give me some help/advice.
I have been working as an interactive designer/developer for the past year, up until yesterday when I was unfortunately "let go".
My question is, what rights of ownership do I have over any of the work I have done for the agency I worked for? I was only a junior and was mostly just working on projects, but there were a few pieces of work I did that I could call my own. Im going back in on monday to pick up the rest of my stuff and I was planning on just loading up a DVD with as much of my own work as I could so I could use it in my portfolio.
If my former boss tells me I haven't got the right use any of it, is there anything I can do?
Cheers

check your contract - nearly all of them will state that as an employer that they own the Intellectual Property of work that you were paid to do - There's nowt to stop you using it in your portfolio to obtain another job or freelance work

If you set up your own company and put it on your portfolio as work completed by your company then you're on very dodgy ground

I would have thought that your boss will be cool with it if you're upfront

[lesson learned, always keep copies of finished work as your going along]

sorry about your lay off

Thanks guys

Don't suppose it helps your situation mate, but I fucking love your 'handle'.

Time for bed.....

As big daddy wayne said.

Be honest with your (ex) boss. Tell him/her you'll be clear about your role on projects when presenting it as portfolio work. Any sensitive (ie. ongoing) work is a no-go area, and showing it would be unprofessional.

...and always back-up your shit as you go along... just in case of relations turn sour.

It'll be cool.

Unfortunately you're an employee and paid to create stuff. Everything you make is owned by those that pay you. That said, I've never had a problem in taking stuff away with me when I've been honest about my intentions. Like Miro_o and Big Daddy say, ongoing work was always a no-no, and I did have one place that would only allow pdf's/jpegs of work, but it was enough to stick a portfolio together. It might be a bit out of order if you took stuff that you were only a small part of, but anything that you feel is yours would be fair game IMO. Your boss would be a dick if they refused, and you'll know better than anyone if they are likely to be that way or not. If they are, just do it on the down low. They'll never find out. If they do then what they gonna do, sack you? Check your contract, but as long as you're not actively stealing clients from them or passing the work off as stuff done under your own name then it'll be more hassle than it's worth for them to pursue it.

Good luck on the job front too.

If they were paying you then you were working for them on design that they own. In fact, to take it further, if your agency were producing work for paying clients, then the clients own it. I'm sure it'll be alright to use it in order to get a new job though, otherwise no one leaving companies or being laid off would ever get another job.

But in terms of ownership, accept the fact that if you're creating work and being paid, it's not yours.

...if your agency were producing work for paying clients, then the clients own it...

That bit doesn't necessarily apply to intellectual property. Though that's probably not an issue in this case.

clients don't necessarily own the work but license it's usage.
employee's of design/advertising agencies usually forfeit any ownership of work by signing their contract.