Attorney Referral Discovery in the Wake of Quaadir

Jonathan Bakhsheshian is a partner at Ellis & Bakh, LLP, focusing in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. Prior to starting Ellis & Bakh, LLP, Mr. Bakhsheshian worked at one of the top personal injury litigation firms in Los Angeles. In 2019 and in 2020, Mr. Bakhsheshian was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star by Thompson Reuters, who recognize accomplishments to those who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement in the legal community.  Within the same years, Mr. Bakhsheshian was awarded the Top 40 Under 40 Lawyers Award by The National Trial Lawyers organization. 

Mr. Bakhsheshian attended the University of California, Los Angeles where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, graduating with honors and was a recipient of the Regent Scholarship Award. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law. While studying at Pepperdine, he was the Lead Articles Editor of the Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal and a lead member of Pepperdine’s Negotiations and Mediations law school teams. He competed in several nationwide and international negotiation and mediation competitions. Following his juris doctorate, he continued his educational studies at the number one, nationally ranked Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University and obtained a Masters in Dispute Resolution.

In addition to his classroom training, Mr. Bakhsheshian externed for the United States District Court, Central District of California, the United States Attorney’s Office, Department of Justice, the Los Angeles Superior Court, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, and for the Honorable Judge Robert Kwan, Bankruptcy Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California.

Following law school, Mr. Bakhsheshian has focused his legal career in the field of personal injury and has handled thousands of personal injury cases from beginning to resolution. He is dedicated to the principal and philosophy that every injured victim is entitled to the best representation, regardless of their personal financial status or complexity of their case. He prides himself on being a tough, creative, and fair legal advocate for all his clients and has successfully recovered over millions of dollars on behalf of his clients.

Mr. Bakhsheshian is also a legal author who has published several articles in the legal community, topics ranging from complex legal issues in personal injury to guidelines on handling a variety of litigation matters. Most importantly, Mr. Bakhsheshian has published his articles with the importance of spreading civility among the legal community. His publications have been published by many of the leading educational materials in the personal injury legal field, including the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, The Advocate, Consumer Attorneys of California, The Forum, and The San Fernando Valley Bar Association, The Valley Lawyer. In addition to his publications, he volunteers for different charities who serve the community and is a member of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charity. He also continues to serve as a board member for the New Lawyer’s Division of Consumer Attorneys of California.

Sarin Goncuian is a senior associate at Ellis & Bakh, LLP, in Calabasas, and focuses on wrongful death and catastrophic injury litigation. Ms. Goncuian graduated from Pepperdine Law School, where she gained extensive legal experience through various clerkships. At the LA District Attorney’s Office, she worked in the Sex Crimes Unit’s Human Trafficking Division, assisting with trial preparation, legal research, and witness interviews. She also served as a law clerk with the Pepperdine Restoration & Justice Clinic, where she conducted client intakes, drafted declarations for domestic violence survivors, and collaborated with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office on vacatur petitions for trafficking victims. Additionally, at the Pepperdine Community Justice Clinic, she advised nonprofit clients on governance and compliance, rewrote organizational bylaws, and performed policy research. This diverse background reflects her commitment to advocacy and justice, particularly for vulnerable and underserved populations.