The Story
Noël Tarquinii has spent three decades building and running HR infrastructure at companies ranging from early-stage startups to mid-market enterprises navigating rapid growth. Every engagement is completed by her directly. No associates. No templates. No junior staff doing work billed at senior rates.
The practice exists in the gap between employment attorneys (who enter after something breaks) and fractional HR platforms (which handle operations but cannot build architecture that survives legal pressure). Neither of those options is this.
She works directly with founders, CEOs, and operational leaders to identify exposure, build defensive systems, and establish HR programs that hold under adversarial review.
Verified Data: Both PDFs Applied
Defense costs: $75,000 to $125,000 through summary judgment. $175,000 to $250,000 through verdict if summary judgment is lost. $300,000+ to trial. Average settlement: $200,000. Back pay and front pay are NOT capped under any track. Federal Title VII cap: $50,000 to $300,000 depending on employer size. State no-cap jurisdictions: jury decides. IRS: $1,329,000 penalty ceiling per year. Voluntary Classification Settlement Program reduces exposure to 10% of one year taxes: only before inquiry opens. EEOC FY2024: 97% favorable result rate. 111 merit lawsuits filed. 88,531 private sector charges (one channel of 300,000+ total). 42,301 retaliation charges: 47.8% of all charges, 17th consecutive year. 2024–2026 verdicts: $900M (CA), $238M (WA, later reduced), $103M (CA), $52M (CA), $32.3M (CA), $20.5M (PA), $11.2M (CA), $3.8M (AL).
Sources: EEOC FY2024 Annual Performance Report · IRS Penalty Schedule · Nakase Law Firm 2024 · Proskauer California Employment Law Update 2024–2026 · Katz Banks Kumin LLP Dec 2024 · DOL Final Rule March 2024 · 42 U.S.C. §1981a
This is not a law firm. Nothing constitutes legal advice. All engagements in strict confidence.