Raúl Pérez

Appointed Commissioner

Raúl Pérez is a farmworker's son who rose from small agriculture towns in the San Joaquin Valley to earn his bachelor and law degree from Harvard University and become an equity partner at a mid-size law firm based in Los Angeles -- Liner Grode Stein Yankelevitz Sunshine Regenstreiff & Taylor LLP.

Raúl's practice currently focuses on products liability, entertainment, employment, and business litigation.  Raúl has developed significant expertise defending toxic tort claims alleging asbestos exposure.  He also has represented a variety of clients in the entertainment, media and communications industries, with a concentration in video games, music and television businesses.  Raúl has also given legal advice, counseling and training to employers on various employment matters, including but not limited to, discrimination, sexual/race harassment, disability, employment discipline, and drafting personnel policies and procedures.  Raúl is especially proud of having served a six-month assignment as the Assistant to the Special Interim Legal Counsel to the City of South Gate, where he was part of a legal team assigned to restore integrity and good government to the scandal-plagued City.

Education

Raúl received his JD from Harvard Law School in 1994 and his BA from Harvard University, with a major in government, in 1990.  While at Harvard Law School, he was the Vice-President of the student counsel, and served as President of La Alianza, the Latino student association.  As an undergraduate, Raul was president of various student organizations, and was selected to represent his senior class at Leadership America.

Charitable Involvement/Hobbies

Raúl previously was the President of the Latino Lawyers Association, and also served as a board member for Padres Contra El Cancer, Girls Inc., the Chicano Youth Leadership Project, and Latino Theater Company.  His focus has been supporting organizations that seek to help underprivileged children and to provide opportunities to young lawyers of all backgrounds and students in the legal field. 

For fun, Raúl manages and participates in an amateur baseball team in the Los Angeles Baseball League, recently leading his team to the championship.  He also is a lector for the Good Sheppard Catholic Church.