Paul F. Rafferty

Paul F. Rafferty is an attorney with Thomas Whitelaw law firm in Irvine, California. A nationally ranked trial lawyer with more than 34 years of legal experience, Mr. Rafferty provides unmatched counsel and support to a diverse range of clients across his region who have legal needs involving any of the following:

· Complex civil litigation

· Intellectual property law and litigation

· Securities law and litigation

· Trade secrets, breaches of contact and fiduciary duty, and other complicated civil matters

As an attorney, Mr. Rafferty has represented a broad clientele of commercial and professional clients in a variety of industries, including oil and gas, technology, retail, manufacturing, real estate and others. He has become a recognized leader in class action defense, and he has defended the rights and interests of his clients against baseless tortious claims involving tens of millions of dollars. 

Among his most notable successes, Mr. Rafferty defended a client facing potentially $56 million in damages, and he holds the distinction of having no class actions that he defended against certified. He also has extensive experience with mediation and arbitration, and he has lectured across the country on these topics and more.

Honored for his outstanding professionalism and legal abilities, Mr. Rafferty is AV Preeminent peer-review rated,* the highest rating, through Martindale-Hubbell, and the Daily Journal included him in its Top 20 AI Lawyers in California list in 2019.

A 1981 graduate of LaSalle University with a degree in accounting, Mr. Rafferty obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey School of Law in 1987. He also obtained his degree in sociology from LaSalle University in 2010. He is admitted to practice before all U.S. District Courts in California and New York as well as the Central and Southern Districts of Illinois, the District of South Carolina and the District of Nebraska.

An accomplished appellate attorney, he also holds his admission to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd, 3rd and 9th Circuits; the California Courts of Appeal; and the Supreme Court of the United States.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.