14th Annual
Networking and Informational Event
Succeeding in Law: Guidance
from Mentors Who Have Walked in Your Shoes
March 15, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.
Co-Sponsored by: Armenian Bar Association
10:00 a.m. Welcome Remarks
10:10 a.m. Speaker Panel
11:05 a.m. Speed Networking
12:00 p.m. Conclusion with Q&A
Welcome Remarks
Anahid Gharakhanian Vice Dean
Co-Director of the Externship Program Professor, Legal Analysis, Writing, and Skills Southwestern Law School
Speaker Panel
Our panel of attorneys will speak in the following order. You’ll learn about the many opportunities a J.D. degree presents and receive tips on how to realize your goals. Review the brief professional biographies included on the following pages and keep notes on any questions that arise so you can ask them of the panelists during the Speed Networking session.
1. Lucy Varpetian, ‘96
2. Razmig Sarkissian, ‘22
3. Arpa Abrahamian
4. Natasha Aminpour, ‘19
5. Sam Abrahamian, ‘96
6. John Tehranian
7. Sally Avitsian, ‘03
8. Vaheh Ambarsoomzadeh, ‘14
9. Chris Ghazarian, ‘14
10. Arpine Esmailian, ‘14
11. Melody Saadian, ‘17
12. Alex Grigorians, ‘04
Speed Networking
Speaker Panel participants and additional guests will be available for you to speak with during a 55-minute speed networking session. You are free to move around the breakout rooms and introduce yourself to the guests and Southwestern staff. Ask them questions about their paths to law school, how they got to their current positions, or where they see their careers headed in the future. No question is too small! We encourage you to take this opportunity to learn how you can find success and satisfaction in law.
For your reference, speakers will be divided into the following numbered breakout rooms:
Room 1: Saro Kerkonian
Room 2: Sami Jarbawi, J.D.
Room 3: Lucy Varpetian
Room 4: Razmig Sarkissian, Arpa Abrahamian
Room 5: Alex Grigorians
Room 6: Natasha Aminpour
Room 7: Sam Abrahamian
Room 8: John Tehranian, Chris Ghazarian
Room 9: Vaheh Ambarsoomzadeh, Sally Avitsian
Room 10: Arpine Esmailian, Melody Saadian
Main Room: Southwestern Law School Admissions, Externship Office, and General Information
Guest Biographies
Arranged alphabetically by last name
Arpa Abrahamian
Administrative Law Judge, Department of Social Services, State of California arpa.abrahamian@dss.ca.gov
Arpa Abrahamian is a graduate of California State University, Los Angeles with a major in Sociology and received her J.D. in 2009 from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law. During law school, she volunteered for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the California Attorney General’s Office. Her first legal position was with Richard Ciummo and Associates in Madera County, a firm dedicated to providing indigent legal defense services. She was initially assigned to represent foster children in dependency and juveniles in juvenile delinquency proceedings and then moved to the trial team, where she handled a complex and serious felony caseload. She eventually joined the Kern County Public Defender’s Office and then moved to the Alternate Public Defender’s Office of L.A. County.
After dedicating 15 years of her career to public defense, Ms. Abrahamian now serves as an Administrative Law Judge for the In-Home Supportive Services Division of the California Department of Social Services. Within her community, she is a tutor for School on Wheels, a nonprofit organization catering to the needs of homeless children, and she actively participates in the Parent-Teacher Association at her children’s schools.
Sam Abrahamian, ‘96
Chief Deputy, Alternate Public Defender, Los Angeles County SAbrahamian@apd.lacounty.gov
As a Chief Deputy in the Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender’s Office, Sam Abrahamian handles criminal defense cases for indigent clients. In this role, he has also had the opportunity to serve on the Los Angeles County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council and engage in risk management practices as a Departmental Safety Officer for the Alternate Public Defender’s Office.
He is a 1996 graduate of Southwestern Law School and attended the Traditional Day program (now called Full-Time Day). He encourages prospective law students to enjoy the application period and notes that in law school, he was most surprised by the meaningful friendships he created.
Vaheh Ambarsoomzadeh, ‘14
Principal Counsel, Intellectual Property, Netflix vambarso@gmail.com
Vaheh Ambarsoomzadeh has spent his career handling IP work for entertainment companies, joining Netflix after working in various groups at NBCUniversal for nearly 7 years. While at NBCUniversal, Mr. Ambarsoomzadeh advised on IP, copyright, and guildrelated issues for Saturday Night Live, Law & Order, Jurassic World, and other iconic properties. He also partnered with the company's business divisions to explore new ways of monetizing library content (e.g., NFTs, streaming, etc.). Mr. Ambarsoomzadeh currently works as Principal Counsel on the IP team at Netflix, focusing on copyright and chain of title issues relating to Netflix's acquisition of intellectual property.
Natasha Aminpour, ‘19
Associate Attorney, Meyer, Olson, Lowy & Meyers, LLP
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Natasha Aminpour completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California and received her Juris Doctorate from Southwestern Law School’s Part-Time Evening program in December, 2019. While at Southwestern, Ms. Aminpour felt incredibly supported by her professors, who truly desired to help her succeed in meeting her educational and career goals. She was a member of the Street Law program and completed several externships at local District Attorney’s Offices.
In her current practice, Ms. Aminpour is an Associate at a Century City family law firm, Meyer, Olson, Lowy & Meyers, LLP. She focuses on high-net-worth family law matters, including handling issues related to marriage dissolution, parental rights and parentage, child and spousal support, and property division. In 2025, she was named as a “Southern California Rising Star” by Super Lawyers.
Sally Avitsian, ‘03
Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs, Global Distribution & International, NBCUniversal, Inc. sally.avitsian@nbcuni.com
In her role at NBCUniversal, Sally Avitsian is responsible for all legal aspects of the international distribution of the NBCUniversal brands through various legal arrangements, including providing ongoing advice to management and business clients on international distribution matters and the strategic planning and development of international businesses while managing junior lawyers. She is also responsible for negotiating and drafting international distribution agreements, joint venture/output
agreements, and various other legal agreements to address the business needs of the NBCUniversal brands. Finally, she oversees regulatory and compliance matters affecting international businesses.
Arpine Esmailian, ‘14
Senior Associate, Yoka | Smith, LLP aesmailian@yokasmith.com
Arpine Esmailian is a civil litigator whose practice focuses on the defense of catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims; commercial litigation; premises liability; commercial disputes; and product liability cases. Prior to joining Yoka | Smith, Ms. Esmailian worked as in-house trial counsel and as a supervising attorney for an insurance company practicing civil defense litigation. She has tried numerous cases to verdict and has represented her clients in California state and federal district courts. She currently also handles cases on appeal in the California Court of Appeal, Fourth District.
As a student at Southwestern Law School, Ms. Esmailian attended the Part-Time Day/PLEAS program, graduating in 2014.
Chris Ghazarian, ‘14
Chief Operating Officer, DreamHost chris@dreamhost.com
Chris Ghazarian is the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of DreamHost, a leading provider of website design, domains, and cloud services. In his dual role, Mr. Ghazarian spearheads strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and global expansion initiatives, actively shaping the company's long-term vision and growth trajectory. His experience spans managing complex corporate structures and partnerships across North America, Europe, and Asia, as well as successfully navigating high-profile regulatory investigations and disputes.
Mr. Ghazarian is dedicated to driving DreamHost’s continued success as a nearly 30-yearold tech company while still advocating for user privacy and data protection. Under his leadership, DreamHost maintains unwavering standards in the face of pressure from tech industry giants, federal agencies, and international governments. For example, he led DreamHost’s widely publicized defense against a highly politicized U.S. Department of Justice demand for the information of 1.3 million visitors to a political protest website. With backing from the ACLU, members of Congress, and widespread public support, DreamHost successfully defended critical First Amendment protections in D.C. Superior Court.
Outside DreamHost, Mr. Ghazarian advises select clientele on corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property strategy. Among his notable cases is a high-profile copyright infringement lawsuit involving the internationally acclaimed artist The Weeknd and the hit song "Call Out My Name."
Mr. Ghazarian has been honored as a Top 25 General Counsel, a Digital Age Fighter by the Daily Journal, featured in Legal 500’s GC Powerlist, and distinguished as a Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Trailblazer by the National Law Journal.
Alex Grigorians, ‘04
Attorney, Hanson Bridgett LLP agrigorians@hansonbridgett.com
Alex Grigorians is an accomplished commercial real estate attorney who focuses his practice on real estate finance, as well as traditional real estate matters, including acquisitions, dispositions, equity investments, syndications, development, leasing, note purchases, workouts, receiverships and foreclosures across all asset classes. His clients include international, national and local real estate lenders, funds, syndicators, private equity firms, owners and developers who value his counsel on a full range of commercial real estate matters. His practical, conservative, and authentic approach to addressing the business concerns of his clients makes Mr. Grigorians a reliable and trusted advisor.
Mr. Grigorians most recently lectured at UCLA's Anderson School of Business and was a panelist at the USC Gould School of Law, Real Estate and Business Law Forum. In addition, he has handled pro bono adoption matters for Alliance for Children’s Rights. Mr. Grigorians graduated from Southwestern Law Schools Full-Time Day program in 2004.
Saro K. Kerkonian
In-House Counsel, Farmers Insurance Company
Saro K. Kerkonian is a Workers’ Compensation Law Specialist certified by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Kerkonian has been in practice for 37 years and is a member Law Offices of Scott C. Stratman of Los Angeles, California, where he represents Farmers Insurance Company in defense of workers’ compensation claims. He has extensive experience representing both applicants and defendants in all aspects of workers’ compensation proceedings
Mr. Kerkonian serves as an advisor to the executive committee of the workers’ compensation section of the California Lawyers Association. He actively participates in the CLA workers’ compensation section’s Publications, Community Outreach, Education
and Legislation subcommittees as well. Mr. Kerkonian received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of La Verne in 1987, where he was awarded the American Jurisprudence Award in Constitutional Law. He is a founding member and past Chairman of the Armenian Bar Association.
Melody Saadian, ‘17
Attorney, Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP msaadian@panish.law
Melody Saadian is an attorney with Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP and focuses her practice on catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases. She has represented thousands of wildfire victims throughout Southern California, including those affected by the Bobcat Fire in Los Angeles County, the Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties and subsequent debris flows in Montecito, California, as well as the victims of the Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Prior to joining the team, Ms. Saadian was a civil litigation defense attorney representing and advising government and corporate entities, and some of the nation’s largest insurance companies on various matters involving risk for exposure, liability, and settlement valuations. She now uses her experience to protect the interests and rights of those who have been harmed and seriously injured.
Ms. Saadian serves on the Board of the Consumer Attorneys of California’s New Lawyers Division as well as on the Alumni Association Board of Directors at Southwestern Law School. She is a 2017 graduate of Southwestern’s Full-Time Day program.
Razmig Sarkissian, ‘22
Research Attorney, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles rsarkissian@lacourt.org
Razmig Sarkissian is a Research Attorney at the Los Angeles Superior Court's Complex Civil Litigation Division. He has a passion for class actions, data privacy, cybersecurity, and antitrust. He graduated from Southwestern Law School in 2022, with a concentration in Technology Law & Entrepreneurship. As a law student, he served as a legal extern in the Cyber Crimes Division of the LA County District Attorney’s Office. Before law school, Mr. Sarkissian was a middle and high school teacher at his alma mater, Armenian Mesrobian School, and was a producer of video projects for UCLA Media Relations. He graduated from UCLA in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and minored in Armenian Studies and Digital Humanities.
John Tehranian
Paul. W. Wildman Chair and Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School
John Tehranian is an academic, attorney, and author. He currently serves as the Paul W. Wildman Chair and Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, California, teaching courses in Constitutional Law, Copyright Law, Cyberlaw, Entertainment Law, Trademark Law, Intellectual Property, and Law and Literature. He has previously served as a tenured Professor of Law and Director of the Entertainment Law Center at Chapman University School of Law, a tenured Professor of Law at the University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law, and a Visiting Professor of Law at Loyola Law School.
Professor Tehranian is also a founding partner of One LLP, a 30-attorney intellectual property and entertainment firm with offices in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach. In his practice, he has litigated numerous high-profile lawsuits, including copyright, trademark and right of publicity disputes involving Madonna, Don Henley, B.B. King, Bettie Page, Jimi Hendrix, Winston Churchill and Perez Hilton, among others. Variety’s Legal Impact Report has recognized Professor Tehranian as one of the world’s top 50 entertainment lawyers, Billboard Magazine has identified him as one of the top music lawyers in the business, and he has been repeatedly honored as a Southern California Super Lawyer. Also active in a variety of pro bono matters, Professor Tehranian has regularly represented immigrants, civil rights plaintiffs and indigent criminal defendants.
A graduate of Harvard University and Yale Law School, Professor Tehranian has authored dozens of articles and two books: Whitewashed: America’s Invisible Middle-Eastern Minority and Infringement Nation: Copyright 2.0 and You. His scholarship focuses on the interface between law and culture, with an emphasis on issues of technology, entertainment, and race. In particular, his work explores the impact of the emerging intellectual property and cyber law regimes on technological innovation and artistic creation; the growing tension between ownership of knowledge and expressive rights; the link between cultural formation and intellectual property law; and the relationship between legal systems and racial identity.
Ani Tolmoyan, ‘14
Partner, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith
Ani.Tolmoyan@lewisbrisbois.com
Ani Tolmoyan is a Partner in the Los Angeles office of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith. She is a member of the Consumer Warranty and Products Liability Practices and the Class Action Practice. Ms. Tolmoyan works with high profile clients and has represented Global 500 clients around the country in products liability and general liability defense. She has defended several major public entities, including the Los Angeles Sheriff’s
Department, and has worked on behalf of automotive manufacturers and distributors in warranty and fraud litigation. Ms. Tolmoyan’s experience extends to all aspects of litigation, including motion practice, discovery, and responses. This experience helps her counsel her clients on litigation avoidance and pre-filing strategies.
A 2014 graduate of Southwestern Law School, Ms. Tolmoyan attended the Part-Time Evening program and was a member of the Women’s Law Society. She also competed on the Negotiation Honors Program team. She held an externship with the Federal Public Defender's Office and a Federal Judicial Externship. Prior to attending Southwestern, she graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a B.A., cum laude.
Lucy Varpetian, ‘96
Principal Assistant City Attorney, Glendale City Attorney’s Office
Lucy Varpetian is a Principal Assistant City Attorney in the Glendale City Attorney’s Office – Transactional Section. She provides transactional advice to the City’s Fire Department, Department of Information Services, City Clerk, and the Human Resources and Finance Departments. Ms. Varpetian has extensive experience in all aspects of city government including legal support to the Civil Service Commission, the Commission on the Status of Women, and the Interagency Communications Interoperability Systems Joint Powers Authority (ICI System JPA). She also oversees the City’s legal externship program. Prior to joining the City Attorney’s Office, Ms. Varpetian practiced law at Meserve, Mumper and Hughes, LLP.
Among her various community leadership positions, Ms. Varpetian is a past Chairperson of the Armenian Bar Association, and organization with several hundred members worldwide. She also has served on the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Judicial Election Evaluation Committee. Ms. Varpetian is a graduate of Southwestern University School of Law, and before that, of the University of Southern California.
Thank you for attending Succeeding in Law 2025!
For questions about Southwestern Law School and our application process, please contact the Admissions Office.
Admissions Office admissions@swlaw.edu (213) 738-6834
