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ARMEN AKARAGIAN

Partner

Armen Akaragian has been with the firm since 1999. Admitted to practice in 2006, Armen has arbitrated, tried, and settled complex cases that resulted in multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements.

Some of the largest entities Armen has represented the firm’s clients against include Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Toyota Motor Corporation, Marriott International, Land Rover, the State of California, Kiewit Construction, Continental Tire, Chrysler Motors, Emerson Electric, and Honeywell International.

Armen is dedicated to helping injured victims fight for the justice they deserve.

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Major Victories

In 2009, Armen was nominated for the prestigious Consumer Trial Attorney of the Year Award from the Consumer Attorneys of California for his work on the Pannu v. Land Rover case. This complex product liability case was litigated for over seven years, tried for more than eight weeks, and underwent a two-year appellate process. Ultimately, the judgment was fully affirmed in excess of $25,000,000. Most notably, the published Court of Appeal opinion set a legal precedent in California by excluding crucial testing that automobile manufacturers had relied on for decades to defend themselves in complex product liability cases.

In 2013, Armen was one of the trial attorneys in Uno v. Toyota, the first bellwether case tried to verdict out of about 300 coordinated cases against Toyota arising from sudden unintended acceleration incidents. The trial lasted more than three months and resulted in a $10,000,000 jury verdict for the wrongful death of a 66-year-old wife and mother. The case was ultimately settled in 2015 at the steps of the Appellate Court. At that time, the recovery, including costs and interest, exceeded $13,000,000.

During the Uno v. Toyota trial, the California Court of Appeal published its opinion in Purton v. Marriott International, reversing an earlier grant of summary judgment. The court ultimately ruled that an employer could still be held responsible for an employee’s actions if the employee became intoxicated at a company party, arrived home safely, left their house, and was subsequently involved in a crash.

In 2018, two wrongful death cases in which Armen was involved settled for multimillion-dollar amounts. One of these cases was Mendoza v. County of Los Angeles, a police shooting case where Armen helped secure a $14,350,000 payout for the family of Frank Mendoza Sr.

In 2019, the California Court of Appeal published another case tried by Armen, Lewis v. Ukran. Armen had obtained a $1,654,000 verdict after the defendant offered only $150,000. Eventually, the defendant paid over $2,650,000 after appeal.

In 2022, Armen secured $1,437,200 for Hozelito Duric, who suffered life-altering catastrophic injuries when a car making an unsafe turn hit his electric motorcycle. Despite the defendant’s claim that Mr. Duric was responsible for his own injuries, Armen successfully demonstrated that it was, in fact, the driver of the car who bore liability for causing the accident. Top Verdict later named this one of the Top 100 California Verdicts of 2022.

In 2025, Armen played a leading role in Lorenzo v. Calex Engineering, a wrongful death case arising from the deaths of two teenage sisters struck by a dump truck traveling from an off‑site staging area for a downtown Los Angeles construction project. The California Court of Appeal reversed summary judgment for the defendants and held that the owner, construction manager, and excavation contractor could owe a duty of reasonable care to pedestrians. The published opinion is now an important precedent on tort duty and causation in cases involving construction logistics and off‑site safety.

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Southern California Native Dedicated to Law

Armen was born and raised in Southern California and has lived in the Los Angeles area his whole life. His interest in practicing law began at an early age, when he got his first job in the legal field in 1999, working for Garo Mardirossian. Since then, Armen has worked tirelessly in the legal field, even attending law school at night so he could continue to work while studying.

Armen believes that hard work, dedication, and active listening are the keys to success in his profession. He not only sees himself as his clients’ lawyer, but also as their counselor.

Outside the courtroom, Armen enjoys spending time with friends and family and staying active, whether playing soccer, lifting weights, wakeboarding, boating, racing, or flying.

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Industry Recognition

In 2011, Armen was recognized by the Armenian Bar Association as one of their “20 Rising Stars Under 40.” This was the first time this award had been given out by the Bar Association.

Armen was named a “Rising Star” by Southern California Super Lawyers from 2013 through 2016.

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Published Works

• Automotive Technical Service Bulletins: The Silent Recall, Advocate Magazine, April, 2008
• Sukhsagar Pannu v. Land Rover North America, Inc. et al., 191 Cal. App. 4th 1298 (2011)
• Purton v. Marriott Int’l, Inc., 218 Cal. App. 4th 499 (2013)
• Lewis v. Ukran, 36 Cal. App. 5th 886 (2019)
• Tansavatdi v. City of Rancho Palos Verdes, 60 Cal. App. 5th 423 (2021)
• Lorenzo v. Calex Engineering, Inc., 110 Cal. App. 5th 49 (2025)

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Education

Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles, California

• Juris Doctor – 2005
• Honors: Dean’s List

California State University of Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA

• B.S. – 2002
• Major: Business

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Awards

• Nominated Consumer Attorney of the Year, 2009
• Selected by the Armenian Bar Association as one of their “20 Rising Stars Under 40,” 2011–2012
• Named a “Rising Star” by Southern California Super Lawyers, 2013–2016
• Western Diocese of The Armenian Church Honoree, 2019

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Professional Associations

Bar Admissions

• California, 2006
• U.S. District Court Central District of California, 2006

Additional Memberships

• Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Member
• Consumer Attorneys Association of California, Member
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, Litigation Section Executive Committee
• Armenian Bar Association, Member

Directories

• Avvo
• HG
• FindLaw
• Super Lawyers

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Contact Armen About Your Case