Belvedere Employment Lawyers

P.J. Van Ert is a seasoned trial lawyer and civil litigator specializing in class actions and individual employment matters. As a Blackstone law associate she dedicates her practice to California employees. After more than 75 criminal jury trials during thirteen years as a deputy district attorney, she transitioned to civil litigation and found her way to Blackstone. From wage and hour theft to sexual harassment and hostile work environment, she is able to utilize her years of zealously advocating for victims of crime to get superior results in employment cases. Ms. Van Ert has earned guilty verdicts in lengthy homicide...

Alex is a Senior Associate Attorney at Blackstone Law. Alex is an active member of the legal community as it relates to employees’ rights. Alex is a member of the California Employment Lawyers’ Association (CELA), and is on the committee for the Mentor Committee, the Women’s Committee, the Legislative Committee, the Wage and Hour Committee, and the New Member Committee, as well as a recent admit to the 2024 – 2025 CELA Leadership Conservatory. Alex has significant experience providing the best counsel for his clients, whether through trial, or through multimillion dollar settlements, or through whatever need the client may describe....

Ms. Schimmel’s practice is dedicated to employment litigation matters on behalf of California employees. More than half of Ms. Schimmel’s experience has been focused on representing employees in wage and hour class and representative actions for labor code violations (including, but not limited to, claims unpaid overtime, minimum wages, expense reimbursement, meal and rest period), as well as consumer and privacy right matters. Ms. Schimmel’s experience also includes representing employees in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and retaliation matters against employers who violate California law. She has successfully prosecuted and resolved hundreds of cases. Prior to joining Blackstone, Ms. Schimmel...

Ryan Block is a seasoned trial attorney who spends most of his time as a lawyer in the courtroom doing trials. He has done many thousands of trials as the lead attorney and has been in front of over 50 different judges in Los Angeles County and surrounding areas. Mr. Block's familiarity with court personnel along with his innate ability in the jury selection process selecting appropriate jurors has been paramount in maximizing the recovery of his clients. As a member of many plaintiff's attorney associations of Los Angeles including the Jewish Bar association of Los Angeles and the...

Leo Livshits is an accomplished employment attorney with extensive trial and litigation experience. Mr. Livshits handles a wide variety of employment matters involving workplace discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other civil rights violations. Aside from securing numerous seven-figure settlements in single-plaintiff cases, Mr. Livshits has co-chaired jury trials and arbitrations that resulted in verdicts or judgments of $155.4 million, $2.7 million, $1.7 million, and $1 million. Additionally, Mr. Livshits has successfully litigated appeals in state and federal court. This includes a published decision in Hernandez v. Meridian Management Services, LLC (2023) 87 Cal.App.5th 1214, where the California Court of Appeal found that...

Lara is an associate attorney at Blackstone Law. She graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a concentration in Criminal Justice and a minor in Communications. Lara then earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles where she specialized in Critical Race Studies. While in law school, Lara worked as a law clerk at the District of Columbia Public Defender Service and as a judicial clerk in the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Hearings Unit in Los Angeles. She was involved with the El Centro Teen Court Clinic, Disability Law Journal,...

Danielle L. GruppChang is a passionate advocate for workers’ rights and a seasoned attorney specializing in wage and hour class actions. Raised in a family where both parents worked in the restaurant industry, Ms. GruppChang developed an early respect for the hard work and resilience of the Californian workers. This background exposed Ms. GruppChang the struggles of working-class individuals sparked her dedication to fighting for justice on behalf of workers. Ms. GruppChang’s professional journey began when she started working at a local coffee shop and continued throughout college where she worked tables, often serving her classmates. These experiences further resolved her...

Betty is an associate attorney at Blackstone Law. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Armenian Studies. While in undergrad, Betty, along with fellow classmates, started the Armenian Pre-Law Students Association, to connect Armenian students aspiring to become attorneys to successful alumni within their community. A proud double Bruin, Betty later attended UCLA School of Law, where she obtained her Juris Doctorate. As a law student, Betty’s professor recognized her articulate writing abilities and selected her as a Legal Research and Writing Advisor for first...

Alex Favela serves as the firm’s Pre-Litigation Attorney and specializes in disputes involving wage and hour violations, misclassification, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, failure to accommodate violations, and class actions. Alex received his J.D. from Stanford Law School. As a child of immigrant working-class parents, upholding the dignity of workers is central to Alex’s identity as a lawyer. A person’s job is their livelihood, and Alex strongly believes that workers deserve to be treated with respect and fairness. Before joining the firm, Alex represented workers at a respected employment plaintiff-side law firm. He has also clerked for the U.S. Office of Special...

Imad Elias is a founding partner of The Law Offices of Mann & Elias, a Los Angeles based law firm handling employment law and personal injury cases. Contact Mann & Elias at (323) 857-9500 for a free consultation.

Barbara is dedicated to fighting for the rights of California’s employees in both individual and class/PAGA cases. As a working mom, Barbara has a particular passion for vindicating the rights of women who have suffered discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Barbara was also co-counsel on Young v. Department of Public Social Services, et al, a retaliation/whistleblower case, and obtained the 7th highest employment law verdict in California in 2022. Presently, Barbara and her team focus on litigating class and PAGA actions on behalf of thousands of California employees who have been denied meal and rest periods, denied fair compensation, and...

Mr. Dietz has aggressively litigated civil cases in California for over a decade. He has represented government agencies in high-profile employment law, general liability and civil rights matters, including representing some of the largest school districts in California. His prior experience includes working at one of the largest firms in the U.S., as well as a highly respected litigation boutique, where he represented the full gamut of businesses from Fortune 500 companies to mom-and-pop shops in employment and business litigation matters in state and federal court and administrative bodies. Over the course of his career, Mr. Dietz...

Noriya Bragg is an Associate Attorney at Blackstone Law. Prior to joining Blackstone Law, she worked as a Law Clerk for a highly respected civil rights firm in Los Angeles where she gained experience working on matters ranging from employment discrimination to police misconduct. Ms. Bragg holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science with a minor in Philosophy of Law from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Ms. Bragg earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Davis School of Law (Martin Luther King Jr. Hall), where she worked as a Research Assistant to Professor Irene O. Joe and...

Annabel Blanchard is an associate attorney who represents individuals in wage and hour class actions and representative actions under the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). Prior to joining Blackstone, PC, Ms. Blanchard worked at a respected plaintiff’s-side employment law firm, where she focused on obtaining court approval of large-scale class and PAGA settlements. Before practicing wage-and-hour employment law, Ms. Blanchard worked at boutique law firms providing estate planning services to families, with a focus on special needs planning and conservatorship. As a part of her estate planning practice, Ms. Blanchard served on the Los Angeles Superior Court “Court Appointed...

Michael Akopyan received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California in 2001 and his law degree from Southwestern Law School in 2005. Before establishing his own firm in 2009, Michael worked as an associate attorney with Keith Fink & Associates and Solomon, Saltsman & Jamieson, where he represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad spectrum of cases including employment cases, personal injury cases, civil rights cases, business disputes, and administrative proceedings. Michael has successfully represented clients in civil and administrative trials and appeals.

Michael has recovered millions of dollars for his clients. He was named to the CaliforniaRising...

Joana Fang is a Senior Associate Attorney with expertise in class action, employment litigation, personal injury, insurance litigation, and consumer protection laws. Ms. Fang has extensive experience in case management and all aspects of litigation, from drafting complaints to engaging in the discovery process, settlement negotiations, and preparing for trial. During her legal career, she has recovered millions of dollars for her clients. Ms. Fang is also a prolific writer who has written and published numerous articles on Law360, The Recorder, and Daily Journal. She has also led seminars on using depositions at trial and on litigating sexual abuse cases against schools...

Ani M. Akopyan received her bachelor’s degree, with honors, from UCLA in 2001 and her law degree from Southwestern Law School in 2004. Since law school, Ani has worked exclusively in the field of labor and employment litigation. Prior to joining the Akopyan Law Firm, Ani was a member of a well-known, reputable defense firm where she represented employers and their insurance companies in all stages of labor and employment litigation including wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and whistle-blower litigation, as well as high stakes wage & hour class action cases. Ani’s 10+ years of experience in defending employers both...

At the Weinberg Law Offices, we work tirelessly to ensure that you are compensated for the compensation that you are legally entitled to. This includes, but is not limited to medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of earnings, and property damage. We communicate with you throughout the entire process to ensure that you know the status of your case. We also make sure that the party that is at fault for your injury is aware that we have no qualms about proceeding to litigation if they do not give you a fair settlement offer. Whether it's an auto accident, a...

www.faylaw.com

A decorated U.S. Navy Veteran, Karo Karapetyan’s career has subsequently been validated by awards for achievement and performance. In his professional experience as an attorney, business owner, financial adviser, and real estate broker, he provides clients with the tried and tested insights required to serve as counsel for real estate litigation and transactions, employment law cases, and personal injury law matters. Mr. Karapetyan received his J.D. from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law where graduated a Summa Cum Laude class Valedictorian, and the recipient of several Witkin Awards for Academic Excellence. He received his undergraduate degree in Professional...

Ms. McGuinness has extensive experience in all phases of litigation, including pleading, pre-trial discovery, depositions, motion practice, mediation, and trial practice, in both state and federal court. Ms. McGuinness also has experience litigating in other state jurisdictions. Ms. McGuinness’s primary areas of practice include labor & employment law (including wage and hour, retaliation and discrimination), civil and business litigation, construction, breach of contract, tort law and entertainment related litigation. Ms. McGuinness has represented Fortune 500 companies both prosecuting and defending against major construction defect claims and cross-claims. Prior to working at McGuinness & Associates, Ms. McGuinness practiced at a plaintiffs’ class...

Daniel L. Warshaw is a civil litigator and trial lawyer focusing on Complex Litigation, Class Actions, Employment law, Business Litigation, Product Liability, Unfair Competition Law and Consumer Protection. Mr. Warshaw is a member of the State Bar of California; U.S. District Court, Central District of California; U.S. District Court, Northern District of California; U.S. District Court, Southern District of California; and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. He attended the University of Southern California (B.S., 1992); Whittier College School of Law (J.D., 1996). Daniel L. Warshaw has attained Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating (AV) for legal ability and ethical standards. Member: Los Angeles...

Having previously practiced at an American Law 100 firm as well as in-house counsel for a multi-national corporation, Mr. Hakala brings both legal expertise and business sense to the business transactions that clients seek to accomplish and the complex legal problems that they seek to litigate and resolve. Mr. Hakala has not only litigated various complex business and employment matters on behalf of Fortune 100 clients, he also provides general business, technology, and media law representation to various companies, including start-up businesses and those in the renewable energies sector.  Mr. Hakala is an experienced business litigator who has also...

Mehrdad Bokhour is the founder of Bokhour Law Group, P.C. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and Loyola Law School, Mr. Bokhour is admitted to practice law in the State of California, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the United States District Courts for the Central, Eastern, and Southern Districts of California. Mr. Bokhour has dedicated his entire career to exclusively representing employees in individual and class action employment matters. Mr. Bokhour litigates wage and hour class actions and representative actions under the Private Attorneys General Act. Likewise, Mr. Bokhour vigorously prosecutes cases...

Andi Mazingo leads Lumen Law Center, a boutique firm delivering innovative legal solutions in employment law and corporate litigation. With over a decade of experience at top firms like Jones Day and Orrick, Andi offers a rigorous, client-focused approach to complex legal challenges. Her employment practice empowers employees facing wrongful termination, workplace harassment, retaliation, and discrimination on the basis of disability, gender, LGBTQ+ status, race, or other protected characteristic, while her corporate work includes civil litigation, including securities litigation and internal investigations. A graduate of UC Berkeley and Northwestern Law, Andi is recognized by Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers for her...

Sydney is an associate attorney at Blackstone Law. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts in both English and Feminist Studies. Sydney then earned her Juris Doctorate from UC Law San Francisco, where she had a concentrated study in Work Law. While in law school, Sydney worked with the non-profit Legal Aid at Work in their Worker’s Rights Clinic, providing free, confidential legal advice to low-income and unemployed people. She also worked with the United States Department of Labor’s Employee Benefit Security Administration, evaluating companies’ compliance with federal law on employee retirement plans. In addition to her...

Hallie is an associate attorney at Blackstone Law. Prior to joining Blackstone, she worked primarily as a plaintiff’s side employment attorney providing legal representation to clients for claims involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination and wage & hour violations. Hallie has experience representing clients from the point of consultation through trial and has successfully mediated cases on behalf of her clients. Hallie attended Chico State University where she majored in Political Science and minored in Criminal Justice before interning at a well-respected law firm in the Labor & Employment sector. She then attended Golden Gate University School of Law graduating...

Frustrated by the impersonal nature of traditional law firms, Jonathan Genish founded Blackstone Law with a vision of a different kind of legal practice. Built on a foundation of care, compassion, and results, Blackstone is a firm that genuinely cares about its clients. A seasoned trial attorney, Jonathan has represented a diverse clientele, from A-list celebrities and Fortune 500 companies to small businesses and individuals. His impressive track record includes numerous multimillion-dollar cases and courtroom victories in state and federal courts across the country. Recognized as a Southern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers since 2012, Jonathan consistently ranks among the...

Gerald Sauer has over 35 years of extensive jury trial experience and has handled numerous matters in alternative dispute resolution forums including arbitration and mediation. He has briefed and argued in both federal and state courts, as well as participated in oral argument before the California Supreme Court. He utilizes a pragmatic approach in helping employees assess their claims and finding the most desirable path to a resolution.