PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Alejandro Aharonian is a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office. He is a member of the Labor & Employment Department and practices in the areas of commercial litigation, insurance coverage and bad faith disputes and appellate advocacy.

Mr. Aharonian takes great pride in understanding the client’s goals and thinking creatively to meet those goals in a timely, cost-effective way. Mr. Aharonian emphasizes assessing the strengths and risks of the client’s case early and using common sense in delivering the best result for the client.

NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENETS

• As co-trial counsel, obtained defense verdict for his client after bench trial in $200 million-plus action in which the Orange County Water District sought recovery of past and future clean-up costs associated with alleged groundwater contamination.  The trial court’s conclusion that Mr. Aharonian’s client had not caused groundwater contamination was affirmed on appeal. 
• Co-trial counsel in a successful jury trial for a large bank in San Diego Superior Court. The case involved claims that the bank failed to return a three-story building to its landlord in the condition required by the parties’ 18-year lease.  In a case pending for six years, the landlord sought approximately $8 million in damages. After a five-day jury trial, the jury found 12-0 in favor of the bank on most of the claims and awarded the landlord only $1 in damages.
• Successfully co-arbitrated a claim against a major real estate developer in Los Angeles, obtaining a judgment of over $3.5 million. Mr. Aharonian’s client had agreed to purchase a high-end residential property in Beverly Hills, and placed a large deposit for the property.  After the client cancelled the contract, the developer refused to return the deposit.  Despite contractual language supporting the developer’s position, Mr. Aharonian’s client was awarded most of the deposit, plus attorney’s fees.