Metropolitan News-Enterprise

 

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

 

Page 3

 

Environmental Lawyer Takes Out Papers to Run for Superior Court

 

By a MetNews Staff Writer

 

An environmental litigator has taken the first step toward a run for the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Berj Parseghian, counsel in Bingham McCutcheon’s Los Angeles office, Friday received the necessary paperwork to seek signatures in lieu of paying a filing fee. He specified two possible seats, those now held by Judges Anita Dymant and Judith Vander Lans.

Both incumbents have told the MetNews they will not be running for re-election, but declined to specify whether they intend to step down before the end of their terms next January. An election will be held for each of their seats, unless the judge retires prior to Feb. 13, the first day for submitting nomination documents.

Parseghian did not return phone calls seeking comment. His firm’s website describes him as practicing in the fields of environmental litigation, natural resources, and clean technology and renewable  energy.

He joined Bingham in 2008, after having been in-house counsel at a major utility company. He was previously a litigation associate at a large firm.

Parseghian graduated from the University of Michigan in 1994 and from UCLA School of Law in 1998. The website also indicates that he attended Caltech, but there is no indication of when or whether he obtained a degree.

He served as a Superior Court arbitrator between 2003 and 2007.

Deputy District Attorney Sean Coen has also taken out signature-in-lieu petitions for the Dymant and Vander Lans seats. Encino attorney Robert Ross has taken out the same paperwork for the same seats, and said he intends to run for whichever of the two seats Coen doesn’t.

Deputy District Attorneys Andrea Thompson and Eric Harmon,  private practitioners Lawrence Kaldor and Benjimin Brees, and Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney Matthew Schonbrun have previously indicated they intend to run for open seats. Woodland Hills practitioner Mark Bernsley has opened up a campaign account and said he is considering running, and did not rule out running against an incumbent.

 

Copyright 2012, Metropolitan News Company