Rafael N. Tumanyan


 About

Rafael is a seasoned employment attorney with extensive experience representing the nation's largest employers in complex class actions, PAGA litigation, and single-plaintiff actions under California and federal law.  Rafael also devotes a significant part of his practice to counseling employers on employment law compliance, workplace policies, and risk management — helping clients avoid litigation before it starts.  

Prior to founding Empirica, Rafael spent ten years honing his practice at leading international law firms. There, Rafael built a rare record of outright victories in class and PAGA litigation, repeatedly defeating actions that employers are commonly pressured to settle.  Recent victories include:

  • Back-to-back judgments in favor of Dole Packaged Foods 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 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 — from keeping employers out of disputes to defeating complex actions when necessary.
    Education

    UCLA Law (J.D. 2013)

    UCLA (B.A. 2010)
           

    Contact

    Empirica Law Firm
    9171 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 500
    Beverly Hills, CA 90210

    310.596.7739 
    rafael@empiricalaw.com
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