San Gabriel Employment Lawyers

Cyndie M. Chang is the Managing Partner of the firm's Los Angeles office and a member of the firm's governing Partners Board. Ms. Chang manages risks and resolves business challenges. She advises and partners with clients to defend them in commercial disputes, enforce their rights, mitigate exposure, and litigate their commercial disputes. She has often handled corporate litigation involving mergers & acquisitions, asset or stock sales, fraud, securities, purchase and sale agreements, business or partner break-ups. She also has handle many other complex or class action disputes involving contracts, trademarks, licensing, products liability, product safety and recall, construction defect, trade...

Gavril "Gav" Gabriel was born and raised in Downey, California, attending the public school system in Downey from Kindergarten through High School. Soon after graduating high school, he played football at the University of Redlands, eventually becoming a Preseason All-American. He also played football in Berlin, Germany for the Berlin Adler (Eagles) while studying abroad. After graduating from the University of Redlands, Gav attended Whittier Law School, where he made the Dean's list and excelled in Legal Writing, Sports Law and International Law. While at Whittier Law School, Gav was a judicial clerk in the Orange County Superior Court and certified...

Mr. Choe began his legal career in workers’ compensation representing insurance companies and employers. As a defense attorney, he became well versed in the nuances of worker’s compensation laws allowing him to aggressively represent his clients. The Law Offices of Anthony Choe was founded to provide the same aggressive representation to injured workers. Mr. Choe is able to use his experience in dealing with insurance companies and employers for the benefit of injured workers to effectively obtain medical treatment and maximize recovery. What sets the Law Offices of Anthony Choe apart from other firms...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Ms. Gold is an experienced litigation attorney who specializes in class action labor and employment matters. She spent the first decade of her career at a major law firm working on a wide range of business matters, including defending clients in high-stakes class action litigation. This experience provided Ms. Gold with valuable insight on how to best position cases for settlement and/or trial by allowing her to better understand defendants’ strategies, incentives, and motivations throughout the various phases of litigation. Ms. Gold then transitioned to a well-known boutique plaintiff-side class action law firm, where she was instrumental in obtaining nearly $100,000,000...

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...

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...

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.

Conal Doyle is known as a passionate advocate for those members of society that need representation the most. He represents plaintiffs in trial and appellate courts in a broad range of civil litigation. Mr. Doyle has tried cases to jury verdict in state and federal trial courts and argued before the United States Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. His verdict in Castaneda v. State of California was named as one of 2010's Top 10 Verdicts by Impact in California by the Daily Journal, California's daily legal newspaper. Mr. Doyle has forged a national reputation for successfully litigating...

Stephen M. Rinka’s experience draws on a litigation background that is both diverse and complex, which allows him to provide his clients with sound legal advice on a wide range of legal matters. In particular, Stephen has successfully represented companies and individuals in employment disputes in both state and federal courts. These employment disputes have involved claims relating to discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and wage and hour claims. Stephen has also represented clients in high stakes business disputes involving breach of contract, fraud and deceptive business practices. In addition to Stephen’s employment and business litigation background, he...

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...

I am an Attorney licensed in California, New York, Nigeria and Cameroon. I have vast experience in civil litigation and a wonderful understanding of the law. I also handle transactional matters for a slew of clients. The law is not complicated and with any set of facts, if the law is on our side, I will do all it legally takes to ensure my client gets what they deserve.

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...

Prior to founding Grigoryan Law Firm, attorney Hayk Grigoryan gained extensive experience at two reputable Los Angeles law firms, specializing in commercial litigation, foreclosure defense and real estate litigation.

Mr. Grigoryan earned his LL.M. Degree (Master’s Degree) in Tax Law from University of Washington School of Law.

Hayk is an active member of the California Bar Association and admitted to practice law before all Courts in California. He is also fluent in Armenian and Russian.
Our paralegals speak Spanish, Mandarin, and Farsi.

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...

Michael M. Baranov's law practice focuses on the areas of business, employment, entertainment and intellectual property law. For over 30 years, Mr. Baranov has prosecuted and defended large scale commercial disputes, unfair competition matters, trade secret and employment cases. He has represented numerous celebrity plaintiffs in defamation suits against various publications. He has guided the development and growth of diverse national and international companies, and careers of notable producers, writers and directors.

Samani Law Firm is a full-service law practice specializing in employment, business, and personal injury matters. The firm represents clients in various capacities, from counseling clients on their legal rights, to handling cases through all phases of litigation, to meeting clients' transactional needs. Samani Law Firm is dedicated to providing competent and effective legal services to its clients, with the personalized attention of a small law practice.