What I Do: Represent California’s largest insurers in administrative matters and long cause complex litigation, including Class Actions in State & Federal Court trial and appellate courts throughout the State.
Hobbies: Travel, outdoors projects, golf.
Biography: Twenty years in private practice before joining State Fund six years ago. Represent California's largest Insurers in complex Civil Litigation with emphasis on Insurance Bad-Faith. Lead Trial counsel for State Fund handling the most complex and highest exposure matters including Class Actions and litigation throughout the State pending in Appellate, Federal and State Courts. Attended Business School at Loyola Marymount University earning a Bachelor of Business Administration (member of golf team). Second Career Attorney attended evening law school at Southwestern in Los Angeles, while working as a corporate software development project manager for engineering & business systems. Completed four-year law school program in three years while working full-time.
What I Do: EAM handles FEHA/EEOC related litigation against state agencies, primarily, in addition to DMV writs, California Horse Racing Board matters and Pitches matters to name a few. We handle cases from their inception through appellate and California Supreme Court review.
Hobbies: Baking, Running, Philanthropy.
Biography: I hold a Business Economics degree with an Accounting minor from UCLA and a JD from the USC - Gould School of Law. I am a litigator with 17+ years of experience, including defense for a major insurance carrier and California employers as well as prosecution of actions for plaintiffs, resulting in a particularly strong and diverse background as well as experience in appellate, federal and state court matters and regular opportunities to participate in every stage of the litigation process, including appellate and California Supreme Court review. I joined the Department of Justice in 2018 and enjoy the work I do with my talented colleagues in the Employment & Administrative Mandate section of the Office of the Attorney General. After immediately joining the CASE Union in 2018, I was elected to the CASE Board in 2020 and elevated to the position I now hold of Vice President in 2022.
Biography: I graduated with a degree in Bachelor's of Science in Accounting from CSULB. I attended Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles part-time in the evening while I worked full time as a Tax Auditor for the former Board of Equalization.
What I Do: Presides over hearings regarding renewal, suspension, or revocation of licenses and other matters referred to OAH.
Hobbies: Sports, riding my motorcycle, reading, knitting.
Biography: Born in Southern California. Grew up in Houston, TX. Obtained a B.A. in Psychology from Rice University, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. I was a district attorney for 9 years and then opened a solo practice as a criminal defense attorney.
Classification: Deputy Labor Commissioner I Department: Department of Industrial Relations
Section: Division of Labor Standards Enforcement
Work City: Los Angeles
Time in Unit: 15
What I Do: I work in the Retaliation Case Investigation Unit as an investigator determining the validity of employee whistleblower complaints against employers.
Hobbies: I like reaching genius status when playing the New York Times Spelling Bee.
Biography: I largely grew up in Azusa, California attending from elementary school thru high school. Azusa is a Los Angeles suburb. I have B.A. In psychology from Cal State at Los Angeles. I am a rare traveler who has seen the Eiffel Tower and Taj Mahal in a 24 hour period.
Classification: Attorney III Department: Department of Health Care Services Section: Administrative Litigation Work City: Sacramento
Time in Unit: 4.5
What I Do: Represent the State in broad-spectrum litigation including hospital and nursing facility audits, provider appeals, and an array of personnel appeals.
Hobbies: Soccer, dancing, hiking, acquiring more and more plants, making change happen. Biography: My name is Talene Ghazarian and I'm an early career attorney with an MPH and a passion for women's health. I'm known in all of my circles as a relentless problem-solver and change-maker. Though a SoCal girl by birth, Sacramento has been a wonderful place to live and become a first time dog and home-owner. The Sierras ain't too bad either.
What I Do: I am a Workers' Compensation Judge that presides over conferences and trials on a variety of issues with attorney and non-attorney litigants.
Hobbies: Below amateur level softball player, movie enthusiast, Lego builder, video game connoisseur, and theme park aficionado.
Biography: I am a Californian through and through who loves this great state. Despite my inability to make it out of Contestants Row on a 1999 episode of the Price is Right, I graduated the University of Californa Los Angeles in only three years and was one of the youngest to pass the State Bar in 2003. Although I wanted to go into Criminal Law, I ultimately found my way to Workers' Compensation through my job at the State Compensation Insurance Fund. In 2010, life removed its training wheels as I got married in 2010, had my first child in 2011, became a Workers' Compensation Judge in 2012, had a second child in 2013 and my third child in 2016.
What I Do: Representing State Compensation Insurance Fund in litigating complex matters in State and Federal Courts, as well as before administrative bodies.
Hobbies: Event planning, arts, crafts, and reading.
Biography: My name is Katrina B. Manookian, and I am an Attorney IV at State Compensation Insurance Fund. As counsel in the Corporate Legal Department, I deal with complex and challenging litigation. In addition, I provide advice and counsel for the State Fund Medical Provider Network. Prior to my time in Corporate Legal, I worked in State Fund’s Claims Legal Department. I have a passion for getting involved, which is why I ran for the CASE Board in 2019. As a CASE Board of Director my goal is to improve and positively impact the lives of my fellow Unit 2 legal professionals. When I am not working, you will find me spending time with my family.
Classification: Deputy Attorney General IV Department: Department of Justice Section: Criminal Division: Appeals, Writs & Trials Work City: Los Angeles Time in Unit: 14 What Do I Do: Prosecute felony criminal cases in the state appellate courts and handle federal and state habeas corpus proceedings, trial matters in superior courts, and investigations. Hobbies: Travel, sports, gardening. Biography: After graduating law school, I started my legal career at the California Department of Justice where I have worked for over a decade primarily prosecuting criminal cases at the appellate level. As a local representative for CASE for over seven years, I have interacted with members and listened to their needs with regard to workplace and collective bargaining issues. I look forward to vigorously advocate on behalf of CASE members.
What I Do: California is the largest insurance market in the country. As an insurance regulator, I review corporate transactions of insurance companies in the Corporate Affairs Bureau.
Hobbies: Reading, meditating, running, and hiking.
Biography: I grew up in Sacramento, and currently live in San Francisco. I have been an attorney for ten years, and have been with the Dept. of Insurance (CDI) for five years. I'm currently an Attorney III in the Corporate Affairs Bureau, and I have been a Local Rep at CDI for the last three years. I have always enjoyed volunteering my time towards community issues I care about, and after my election to the CASE board I have focused my volunteering efforts entirely on our union. I enjoy volunteering my time toward making our union the best it can be, as well as working as a Local Rep on behalf of my CDI colleagues.
What I Do: The Civil Rights Enforcement Section is committed to the strong and vigorous enforcement of federal and state civil rights laws. The Section addresses a broad array of civil rights issues.
Hobbies: Sports, tennis.
Biography: Anthony Seferian is a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice. Currently, he is a member of the Civil Rights Enforcement Section, which he joined in 2007. Previously, he worked in the Attorney General’s Health, Education & Welfare Section. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, he was a litigator in private practice.
What I Do: I represent California’s largest insurer in administrative matters and long cause complex litigation, including Class Actions, in State & Federal trial and appellate courts throughout the State.
Hobbies: Reading, Chess, and chasing my 5 kids from activity to activity.
Biography: I hold a Political Science Degree from USC and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. I am a litigator with over 13 years of experience. I've worked for a multinational law firm, as a solo practitioner representing small businesses, and for the State of California.
What I Do: I act in a hybrid in-house counsel/Attorney General role for State Fund, a quasi-state agency. On the litigation side, I litigate high exposure complex insurance disputes (e.g. civil RICO, insurance bad faith, contribution actions, premium disputes) and related civil appeals and writs. As an in-house counsel, I monitor outside counsel, perform coverage analysis, and provide general advice and counsel to State Fund's stakeholders, business units, and executive board.
Hobbies: Volunteering, serving on the APABA Board, exercise, traveling, and exploring new restaurants.
Biography: Seaton Tsai is an Attorney IV in the Corporate Legal Department for California's State Compensation Insurance Fund. His practice entails advice and counsel to internal partners and executives, litigating State Fund's complex civil RICO, class action, and insurance bad faith disputes in state and federal court, civil appeals, and administrative writs. Previously, he worked in private practice representing a Fortune 100 insurance carrier in Cumis counsel disputes, Buss and Crawford recovery cases, insurance bad faith, and other additional insured issues. Having represented both institutional and individual clients, he has also extensively litigated consumer-side TCPA/FDCPA, fraud, personal injury, and breach of warranty actions. He is the incoming President-Elect for the Asian Pacific American Bar Association in Los Angeles, where he co-chairs APABA's Community Service and Outreach Committee. He graduated from University of California, Davis with a dual B.A. in English and Communications, and earned his J.D. at University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, where he graduated as a member of The Order of Barristers.
What I Do: The Correctional Writs & Appeals section represents the Governor, Board of Parole Hearings, and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in state and federal habeas corpus and mandate proceedings, third-party discovery, and related appeals. Most cases raise constitutional issues related to parole denials, conditions of confinement and parole conditions, prison discipline, conduct credits, religion, and access to the courts.
Hobbies: Traveling domestically and internationally.
Biography: I hold a Legal Studies degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a JD from the USC - Gould School of Law. I am a litigator with over 18 years of experience. I began my career as a Staff Attorney for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Florida, where I handled criminal postconviction challenges. In 2007, I joined the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice. I work with a team of dedicated attorneys in the Correctional Writs and Appeals section representing officers of the executive branch as well high-ranking officials in state agencies.
