Meet The Staff At Licata & Yeremenko
Maria Giuffre
Maria Giuffre is our law firm administrator. Maria joined the firm in 1999 and, in addition to her administrative duties, is a certified paralegal responsible for providing support to approximately one-third of the files in the office. Maria’s legal experience is in personal injury and employment law…always on the plaintiff side.
Maria is a first-generation immigrant having come to the U.S. at the age of 4 from her native Cuba. She is a fluent Spanish speaker and also speaks conversational Italian. As an immigrant, she has a passion for helping those in need and is involved with Girl Scouts, American Red Cross, and donates time to Children’s Hunger Fund and other charities.
Maria’s husband is a native Italian who still maintains a family home in Italy and which they try to visit as often as possible. Maria is an avid traveler and partial to western Europe, the Caribbean, and the Florida Keys (her happy place). Having lived in the San Fernando Valley since arriving in California, she considers herself a true “Valley Girl.”
Maria loves to cook and entertain family and friends. Her passion is her family and in particular her granddaughter.
Good wine, good food, and good company are her motto.
Hermina Avakian
Hermina Avakian is a legal secretary/legal assistant. She has been with the firm for more than 20 years. She has over 35 years of experience with a background in civil litigation, mostly in employment and personal injury law. Hermina has a thorough knowledge of all California Court Judicial Policies and Procedures and E-Filing. She is fluent in Armenian and Farsi.
Daniela Tapia
Daniela Tapia is our Paralegal. Daniela joined the firm in 2016. She provides support to our attorneys and assists our clients.
She is of Mexican descent, fluent in both Spanish and English. She attended CSUN, LAVC, as well as the prestigious Universidad Hipocrates in Mexico.
Prior to joining our team, Daniela worked in human resources for a staffing agency that provided employees to various factories. She has seen firsthand how hard employees work without always getting treated fairly, and that made her passionate about civil rights.
Daniela enjoys being of service and fighting for good causes. She has volunteered her time with the AIDS Walk, Light the Night/Leukemia & Lymphoma Society March, La Gran Marcha, The Cesar Chavez Walk, Goodwill, St. Vincent Meals On Wheels, Our Lady of Holy Rosary Church, and Lowman Elementary School among other organizations.
Daniela’s favorite hobby is enjoying time with her loved ones, baking and literacy.
Tirza Herrera
Tirza Herrera is an experienced professional with over 10 years in customer service. She is bilingual and passionate about connecting with people, often going the extra mile to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience while assisting them. Outside of work, Tirza enjoys watching legal proceedings on television to expand her knowledge of the legal field. She also loves spending time with her family, cooking, and watching movies.
Javier Vega
Javier Vega is our client liaison. He is of Mexican descent and eager to offer assistance to clients in both English and Spanish. Javier grew up in his hometown of Santa Ana, California, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his undergraduate degree at UCLA. Javier aspires to become a full-fledged attorney someday and is currently gaining first-hand experience by assisting our current and potential clients. When he is not doing intakes for the office, he enjoys playing chess, golfing, and keeping busy with his two cats.