Agoura Hills, CA

Mark D. Apelian

Mark D. Apelian is an advocate for personal injury victims and a bane to defense attorneys throughout the state of California. For the past 33 years, Mark's relentless dedication to achieving the maximum possible award for a client either at the negotiation table or in a courtroom has gained the attention of other lawyers and the gratitude of many clients and their families. Mark recently obtained a gross jury verdict from a 12 member jury in Victorville, CA for one of his clients in excess of $3.8 million dollars after the doctor who had been treating his client at a local hospital caused him considerable harm by ignoring him and the complaints he was voicing to hospital staff while still under his care. The doctor in question further made it known that he would 'never offer a penny' to our client. Mr. Apelian was clearly able to persuade a small hometown jury to the contrary. He was also able to obtain nearly another $400,000 from the hospital as well. Mark's drive to practice Personal Injury law stems from a simple belief: that good people who have been injured through someone else's negligence deserve a good result. Mark feels that it is a privilege to protect his clients' interests and has had the pleasure of helping many individuals receive the compensation that is rightfully theirs. In recognition of his seven-figure verdicts, Mark was admitted into the Million Dollar Advocates Circle which is a prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States where Membership is limited to attorneys who have won million dollar verdicts for their clients. Fewer than 1% of U.S. lawyers are members. Mark has also achieved a AVVO 'Superb' rating. Based on his tenacity and success in the courtroom, Mark has drawn the pointed attention of the Press. Los Angeles Magazine and the Southern California Super Lawyers publication have recognized Mark's superior legal abilities for the past 12 years by deeming him as one of few Southern California's Super Lawyers®. Mark was also nominated as one of the '10 Best' Attorneys for the state of California by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys for Client Satisfaction, was nominated as a candidate for Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2011 and 2013, was designated to be one of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers and received a 2014 - 2022 's '10 Best' Client Satisfaction Award. In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Apelian has received formal Mediation Training through the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and has fulfilled all of the training requirements imposed under the California Dispute Resolution Programs Act. Mark has been involved in hundreds of Mediations over the years and provides Mediation related services as both a Professional Mediator and as a Volunteer Mediator (for those who cannot afford Mediation), in an effort to attempt an informal resolution of various conflicts. Mark has also been called upon by the Los Angeles County Bar Association to be a guest lecturer on various issues related to Mediation.

Steven Effres

Personal injury attorney, Steven B. Effres, has received extensive recognition for his trial and litigation work. Since 2011, he has been selected to the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 in the State of California. Mr. Effres was one of the first attorneys profiled by the Los Angeles Daily Journal in their “Litigation Profile” Series. He has also been recognized for his trial skills in personal injury, product liability, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Mr. Effres, one of the leading lawyers in the country for lawsuits involving lingual nerve damage from dental negligence, has obtained the highest reported jury verdict or results in California, New York, New Jersey, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Virginia for lingual nerve injury. He is especially proud of his firm’s role in obtaining justice for children who have been injured or victimized. He has obtained numerous multi-million dollar results for his clients. Mr. Effres handles cases in other states on a pro hac vice basis (special permission from the court), and he has been consulted by attorneys nationally, including Alaska, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida. He has also been a Settlement Conference Officer for the Los Angeles County Superior Court and has received numerous Certificates of Appreciation for his years of services. He is proud to be on the Honorary Board of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charities, a nonprofit organization founded, funded, and maintained by lawyers within the Los Angeles Community. Its members are committed to helping those who need it most. He serves residents throughout Southern California, including Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura, and all surrounding counties.

Andrew C. Bryman

Andrew C. Bryman is a knowledgeable, aggressive California attorney with a passion for helping clients receive the maximum compensation possible following a personal injury. A partner at The Law Office of Bryman & Apelian, Andrew is AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® for his high ethical standards and legal ability. He possesses more than 42 years of experience advocating for clients' rights against the opposition. Andrew's expertise focuses on the handling of very difficult liability cases with substantial injuries. Andrew's commitment to the law is a family trait - his late father, Bernard C. Bryman, was also a skilled personal injury litigator. Andrew was raised in an environment where hard work and ethical values were extremely important, and the beliefs instilled in him as a youth can be seen in the way he handles cases and forces the opposition to act in accordance to the law and keep consumers safe. As to Andrew's approach to practicing law, Verdicts and Settlements wrote: 'Andrew C. Bryman's hard-charging manner can rub opposing counsel the wrong way, but it also wins cases.' With a hard-working, professional manner along with a command of the courtroom, both the press and his peers have taken notice of his winning style. Andrew is a frequent lecturer on personal injury topics for attorney groups and a contributing author to literature involving the area of personal injury. He also enjoys mentoring young lawyers who are just starting out. When not practicing law, Andrew donates his time to numerous charitable organizations, including Fight Against Autism.

Evan Effres

Personal injury attorney, Evan M. Effres, earned his J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles in 2015 and his B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2012. He has an unequivocal passion for advocacy and serving his clients throughout Southern California. In law school, Evan gained invaluable hands-on experience by volunteering at Van Nuys Courthouse self-help center, externing for the Honorable Richard L. Fruin, Jr. at Los Angeles Superior Court, and externing at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. Prior to joining Effres & Effres LLP, Evan served as a litigation associate at a boutique business litigation firm in Los Angeles, focusing on complex business disputes and bankruptcy. Evan’s experience spans all stages of litigation, from case inception, pre-trial, trial, post-judgment, and appeal. Evan prides himself on his analytical approach to complex legal matters and his ability to identify and implement effective case strategies.

Justin Effres

Personal injury attorney, Justin J. Effres, earned his J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in 2012 and his B.A. in Rhetoric from the University of California, Berkeley in 2009. He has an unequivocal passion for advocacy and serving his clients throughout Southern California. As a first year lawyer he was a proud member of the Bet Tzedek New Leadership Council, which allowed him to provide pro bono legal services to indigent clients. Justin is a rising star trial lawyer, having tried his first 5 jury trials in just 21 months, with significant verdicts. He also played an integral role in recent multimillion dollar settlements. As a fifth year lawyer, Justin graduated from the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College at the Thunderhead Ranch in Dubois, Wyoming. He is recognized by The National Trial Lawyers as one of the Top 40 under 40 Civil Plaintiff Lawyers in California. Justin also serves as a volunteer Settlement Officer for the Los Angeles County Superior Court’s Resolve Law LA Virtual MSC Program.

Catherine T. Berriz

Catherine T. Berriz graduated from UCLA in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Italian, and obtained her Juris Doctorate from Southwestern Law School in 1989. She immediately passed the California Bar Exam. She focused her practice on Law and Motion and Appellate work in personal injury and fatality cases. She joined Alfonso and Berriz in 2017 and manages the Client’s Trust Account.

Armando J. Berriz

Armando J. Berriz graduated from UCLA in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and obtained his Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine Law School in 1994. He was immediately admitted to practice law throughout California and Federal Court in the United States District Court, Central District of California. He has focused his practice on representing the injured, recovering tens of millions of dollars for clients in a wide variety of personal injury and fatality cases. He is a seasoned trial attorney and a member of The American Board of Trial Advocates, California Coast Chapter, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, and Consumer Attorneys of California. He is bilingual in Spanish.