In this inaugural issue, Attorney at Law Magazine is excited to highlight a lineup of standout female practitioners from a wide spectrum of the legal industry – with different practices and different career paths.
Lawyers! Welcome to our first-ever National Women in Law Special Issue. Since I first launched Attorney at Law Magazine in 2009, our local Women in Law Issues have been some of our strongest. I’m excited to bring you this issue featuring a lineup of standout female practitioners from a wide spectrum of the legal industry – with different practices and different career paths.
Our cover story features Ivetta Avanesov, a Beverly Hills personal injury lawyer who approaches the practice with professionalism and respect for everyone playing their part in the “same game.”
Beverly Hills personal injury attorney Ivetta Avanesov has a first-hand understanding of what life is like for people who have no rights.
“My parents came from the Soviet Union, a place where they faced oppression and had limited freedoms,” said Avanesov, who was born in Moscow and moved to Los Angeles with her family at age 6. “They experienced firsthand the impact of not having a voice or the ability to stand up for their rights. Because of this, they wanted me to become a lawyer and fight for justice, defend people’s rights, and ensure that others didn’t face the same struggles they did.
“For them, my becoming a lawyer wasn’t just about having a career. It was about making a meaningful difference in the world and helping people stand up against injustice,” explained Avanesov. “My philosophy is compassion, balance, resilience, and empathy. Leading with empathy is how I serve justice in everything I do.”
Avanesov earned her Juris Doctor from Arizona Summit Law School. In 2018, she started a personal injury law firm, Viciti Law. (Viciti means searching, seeking, investigating)
The firm’s core practice is litigating motor vehicle accidents, including those involving wrongful death, catastrophic injuries and property/homeowners insurance claim denials.
In recent months, some of those insurance claims have resulted from the fires that swept through the Los Angeles region early this year. “Whenever the claims are mishandled and the insurance companies do things like deny certain coverages or lowball the value of certain claims or damages, clients start to reach out to attorneys like me. I’ve gotten many calls recently about one insurance company paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars on total cost homes that are going to cost millions of dollars to be rebuild.”
During our interview, Avanesov was very direct, concise, well-thought-out, and on-the-nose in her answers. She takes pride in the organization and the efficiency of her firm.
“Our calendaring system is our bread and butter. Every little thing is diligently calendared, and we all stick to the same color system so that we always know from the colors whether we have a trial, a hearing, a deposition, a phone call, you name it,” she explained.
“Law practice management software has allowed us to be connected with our clients and provide our clients access to what is going on with their case at all times through the client portal.
“One of my favorite parts of my job is meeting my clients, meeting their families, and getting to know them. I can’t help feeling like my clients are family while I represent them because we work so closely together on navigating a difficult time in their lives.”
Avanesov is upfront in telling clients that personal injury litigation can be a long, bumpy road. “I like to provide a realistic explanation of the kind of work that would be required from them in pursuit of a case. They may decide, ‘I don’t have that kind of time to commit to this or I don’t think that what I’ve gone through is serious enough to open up such a large task.’”
“My clients and I work very closely together through every stage of the process. And with every stage and development of the case, I am reaching out to them to let them know what is going on so that they understand the process and journey of the case. When we are in litigation, we are working closely on discovery and deposition preparation.”
Insurance companies are known for dragging their feet on cases. Avanesov explained that a key to moving a case along at a quicker pace is to hold the insurance company’s defense attorney’s feet to the fire. “Discovery motions are one of the ways, and unfortunately, sometimes it’s the only way to compel opposing counsel to move the case along,” said Avanesov.
“I like to have an amicable relationship with defense attorneys so that we can come together to work on a case. But not all defense attorneys are receptive to that. In the rare situation where I deal with a difficult defense attorney, I turn to the courts with appropriate motions.”
One of the hurdles personal injury attorneys have to clear during a case is making sure their client is getting the medical care they need. “When they are being treated, we are constantly communicating about the process and the treatment they are receiving, how they are feeling, and their condition,” said Avanesov.
“Being that the clients are injured, just on a human level, we like to stay in touch to see if there is anything they may need. I have a spectacular team that communicates with clients about their doctor’s appointments and arranges anything the client needs for treatment.
While the approach of some insurance defense attorneys is to come in with guns-a-blazin, Avanesov said her strategy is based on professionalism. “I like to extend courtesies. I like to be available to communicate. I like to meet and confer. I like working together. I like to be polite. I like to be accommodating. I like to be respectful and understanding. I have a lot of respect for what defense attorneys do, and we’re just part of the same game.”
Sometimes that game winds up being played before a judge and a jury. As part of her preparation for going to court, Avanesov stages mock trials with focus groups. “This is an absolute must for me to get a good idea of the case’s strengths and weaknesses from the perspective of a potential juror and my strengths and weaknesses in my presentation of the case,” said Avanesov.
“I tweak the way I present the case based on the feedback I receive, and in some cases, I do more than one mock trial until I feel comfortable with how we are presenting the case.”
