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Let Your Voice Be Heard

Dan Baldwin • Mar 01, 2024

a woman is on the cover of the orange county attorney journal

Contact

Razavi Law Group, APC

2090 North Tustin Avenue, Suite 250

Santa Ana, CA 92705

(949) 500-1926

www.whohurtyou.com

Razavi Law Group, APC, founded in 2016, is a personal injury and accident law firm based in Santa Ana. Razavi’s firm has 30 employees, including seven attorneys, in five locations serving all of California and Nevada.

Clients needing that strong voice are enthusiastic about the firm, its attorneys and the results they obtain.

“This law firm went above and beyond our expectations for my husband’s case. We didn’t expect such a great outcome. Ali Razavi was so patient, kept his word and was very understanding! A true honest attorney who works for you to get whatever you need done.”—Dorsa

Razavi’s drive to speak for people who are essentially speechless follows a family tradition. His great grandfather, grandfather and his grandfather’s brothers were famous attorneys in Iran where there is even a Razavi Street. His father planned on becoming an attorney, but when the Revolution occurred, he stayed in America, earned an MBA, and became a highly successful businessman. The torch was, therefore, passed on to his son.

He knew he would become an attorney by the time he was six years old, a knowledge that directed the entire course of his life. He was committed to that goal. “Becoming an attorney and having my own firm was something of a ‘perfect storm’ in that in addition to my J.D. I had enormous practical business experience learned from my father,” Razavi says.

Ali Razavi, Founder and Managing Principal of Razavi Law Group, APC

Finding His Voice

It sounds odd that a successful attorney whose practice areas require significant communication skills would be afraid of public speaking, but that is just the obstacle Razavi had to overcome. As far back as high school he dreaded the required end-of-the-year presentation. That fear stayed with him through college and law school, where the Socratic method was a basic teaching tool—and a big fear. “My heart rate would be so high I couldn’t hear myself think. Fortunately, I’m a firm believer in getting out of your comfort zone and that’s what I did to overcome my fear of speaking in public. As nervous as I was, I kept on putting myself out there at every opportunity,” Razavi says.

His skills improved steadily. He became active in the negotiation classes and was selected as a member of the competition team that eventually represented the school in international competition. During that process Razavi learned that he truly had the necessary skills to speak for others.

Speaking Out on His Own

When the time arrived to chart a career course, he decided to open his own firm. Initially, he was in general practice until a mentor reminded him of the adage that a jack of all trades is a master of none. At that time, a significant number of automobile cases were landing on his desk. He had a knack for that type of work and discovered that he enjoyed that practice area. He says, “I love the direct correlation between how well I do for my client and how I do for my firm. I was also drawn in by the idea that each case is like a mini partnership between our law firm and client.”

Razavi had one real edge when he started his own firm, and that was the sound business experience and learning he received from his father. He notes that law schools are great at teaching the law, but are often seriously lacking in instructing students on the business of being an attorney. He was up and running and doing good business in a timeframe in which many beginning firms are struggling with the basics of just getting started.

“For example, I was able to get my law firm from zero to up on the internet within two weeks, and I did it all myself. And that’s just because I saw my dad and my family be in the business of starting and running successful businesses. So that aspect of it was second nature to me. I’m still mastering the business side, but I had a great start thanks to my family.”

Razavi says he and his team have empathy for each client, but they realize that the clients in personal injury cases need someone strong and in control—something more than just a shoulder to cry on. “It’s very, very important in our line of work to be empathetic. The first thing that I ask every client is how are you doing? Because I really want to know.” The human factor is essential to sound representation, but an attorney needs to show strength. “If I bring out a box of tissues and start crying right there with them, it doesn’t make the consultation fruitful. They may appreciate the empathy, but I don’t think they’re going have the confidence in my representation they need. We listen, but we lead and that’s how we can speak so effectively for them.”

Clients agree with his philosophy.

“Ali Razavi is a true gem in the field. He helped my family with an auto injury and was knowledgeable, quick, responsive, professional, and supportive every step of the way. Even better, we were able to receive much more compensation than we anticipated for my sister’s injury.”—Sage

As an example of his approach, Razavi cites a client for whom the firm earned a seven-figure result. A 23-year-old Air Force veteran was in a rear-end traffic accident which caused a number of serious health issues. One of the issues was POTS disease, which causes the heart to beat at abnormally high rates. His medical tests failed to show a correlation between the accident and the illness, yet the man had serious digestive issues, could no longer eat solid food, and had lost about 50 pounds—all common symptoms resulting from an automobile accident. The veteran’s first attorney was unsuccessful in his representation.

It’s very difficult for an attorney who is not a doctor to discover a complex medical issue, but they found the client to be very credible. Razavi’s team reviewed thousands of pages of medical records, while their client continued to visit various doctors, clinics, different neurologists, and different neuro-psychologists. At last, the source of his pain and suffering was discovered. The cause was a nerve condition that affects less than one percent of the population. Razavi says, “Most attorneys would have just resolved the case early because it was so difficult to find the underlying cause of the man’s problems. We solved the case for him by making sure that he got the right treatment while we were simultaneously building our case.”

In another challenging scenario, the firm was referred a case that a prior attorney dropped.

A woman in a wheelchair was hit by a vehicle in a crosswalk. She didn’t remember anything about the event and none of the police stations had a report that coincided with her name. The original attorney was not able to find insurance on this catastrophic case. Razavi’s firm requested her hospital records, found the ambulance company that transported her, located the streets where she was picked up, and found the police jurisdiction that correlated with that area. They used the pseudonym Jane Doe and found the report that showed their client was hit by a ride-share vehicle while the driver was on the clock.

Razavi credits much of his firm’s success to finding good people for his firm. He believes a leader should inspire, motivate, and also give the individual members of the team a lot of autonomy. He does not micromanage. “They know my expectations; they know what our law firm’s core values are. And I let everyone practically run their own little business. When you have talented people, they do their best when you give them free reign and aren’t constantly breathing down their necks. When you’re free to work, you’re free to do your best work,” he says.

His advice to young people considering becoming an attorney or who are young attorneys looking for the right niche is based on belief in self. There is no perfect time to find the right job. There is no perfect time to create your own firm. There is no perfect time to grow a firm. An attorney needs real confidence and that only comes from failure and the ability to learn from and bounce back from that failure and move on. “What do you want from the world and how bad do you want it? You have to believe in yourself. You have to bet on yourself and the sooner you realize that the easier it becomes,” he says.

Lauren Johnson-Norris, Founder and Head Attorney.

Personally Speaking

“After traveling the 50-mile strip in Southern California, I think Orange County is the best real estate in the entire world. There’s nothing like it. Nothing beats it. I grew up here. My family and friends are here. And on the business side, it really helps propel my company, being in a place where people already know and trust me,” Razavi says.

Razavi, a bachelor, balances work with an active life outside the office. He works out every day with a trainer focusing primarily on circuit training with weights. He also enjoys southern California’s outdoor beauty through hiking and going to the beach. He grew up playing soccer and continues the sport through indoor soccer. “As a personal injury lawyer, I feel better at my job when I’m healthy, in good shape, and clear-minded. I also value spending time with my friends and family, either at my parents’ house or traveling to new places to get a different perspective.”

He enjoys reading and attends a lot of concerts and he especially enjoys electronic music and rap. His reading habits focus on autobiographies and self-help books. “I like to gain an insight into the brands of other businessmen and businesswomen. I am a big follower of learning from other peoples’ mistakes.”

One of his passions is working with and supporting organizations for blind children. He says he realizes that not everyone was given the opportunities he’s experienced. “Some people were just dealt a bad, bad hand, to be honest. I want to inspire kids to do more with themselves regardless of their current situation. These kids are our future and we need to do all we can to assure that they inherit a good future.”

Razavi says he is driven to succeed for his business, but also for the individual people and families he represents. “I feel like I have a duty to accomplish big things. I want to be the best. That’s really something that gets me going every day—the opportunity to be in the fight and to give it my all. What’s interesting about me is that I’m actually very average. I just want more out of life and I am more than willing to put in the hard work to get to where I want to be. I still have a long way to go, but I’m moving on the right track.”

» Education

University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor of Arts, History and Minor in Iranian Studies, cum laude, June 2011
Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity National Scholarship for Academic Excellence (2009—2011)
Chapman University, Dale E. Fowler School of Law, Orange, CA
Juris Doctor, May 2015
International Negotiations and Mediation in Cambridge, England (Summer 2013)
Dispute Resolutions Program Act Certified (2016)