Rafael N. Tumanyan
Rafael is an employment attorney with extensive experience representing the nation's largest employers in complex class, PAGA, and single-plaintiff actions under California and federal law. Rafael also devotes much of his practice to counseling clients on employment law compliance, workplace policies, and risk management — helping clients avoid litigation before it starts.
Prior to founding Empirica, Rafael spent ten years at leading international law firms. There, Rafael built a rare record of outright victories in class and PAGA litigation. Recent such victories include:
- Back-to-back judgments in favor of Dole in two statewide PAGA actions, the first of which was affirmed on appeal, and the second of which was not appealed and resulted in the court barring the plaintiffs' firm from filing future PAGA actions against the client;
- Dismissal of a massive, statewide class action against Ralphs Grocery Company alleging self-checkout customers were owed wages, and procurement of sanctions against opposing counsel;
- Dismissal of a misclassification and unpaid wages class action against L'Oreal involving photoshoots for modeling industry talent;
- Judgment in favor of logistics firm Ryder System in a statewide class and PAGA action based upon admissions obtained during Plaintiff’s deposition; and
- Dismissal of a wage statement PAGA action against Kroger and Ralphs Grocery Company following litigation spanning more than ten years.
In addition, Rafael has built a strong record in single-plaintiff litigation, consistently winning or favorably resolving cases alleging discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination across multiple industries. In all matters, Rafael is committed to excellence and pursuing creative solutions for his clients — whether that means keeping employers out of disputes altogether or defeating complex actions when necessary.
UCLA Law (J.D. 2013)
UCLA (B.A. 2010)
Empirica Law Firm, P.C.
9171 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 500
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.596.7739
rafael@empiricalaw.com
Gemma Karapetyan
Gemma is a litigation attorney with experience handling a broad range of civil and business disputes, as well as employment matters, on behalf of clients across multiple industries. Prior to joining Empirica, Gemma practiced at a prominent Los Angeles law firm where she developed strong litigation skills across all phases of a case, from pre-litigation counseling up to trial.
UCLA Law (J.D. 2016)
UCLA (B.A. 2011)
Empirica Law Firm, P.C.
9171 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 500
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.596.7739
gemma@empiricalaw.com