Arash Beral

Arash Beral
Partner
Business Litigation

Biography

Vastly diverse clients ranging from businesses and executives engaged in all industries to professionals, celebrities, and influencers regularly turn to Arash Beral for complex, multidisciplinary litigation, including trials, arbitrations, and appeals across the country. Arash’s practice routinely includes management, partnership, and corporate governance disputes; real estate litigation; business disputes and business torts; disputes over rights of first refusal; trade secret claims; executive compensation claims; fiduciary litigation; borrower-lender litigation; commercial claims; franchise claims; defamation and SLAPP litigation; receivership actions; and regulatory enforcement matters.

Arash does not shy away from the courtroom when that is the best strategy for his client. He credits his multifaceted, street-smart approach to litigation to the small and mid-sized firms where he trained and obtained hands-on, lead trial lawyer experience. As a result, he has amassed significant emergency relief, trial, and appellate victories on behalf of his clients and is well respected by the judiciary.

Arash developed a strong work ethic at an early age. He graduated from law school at 22, earning his B.A. in three years and his J.D. in two years while graduating in the top five percent and 10 percent of his undergraduate and law school classes, respectively.

Related Services

Related Industries

Experience

  • Lead trial counsel for client, Mike Stumpe, in DTSA and RICO jury trial in the United States District Court of the Central District of California. Obtained favorable partial summary judgment ruling and unanimous defense verdict after six-day jury trial. (Blank Rome Secures Defense Victory in Trade Secrets and RICO Jury Trial in California | Blank Rome LLP)
  • Led, argued, and obtained a unanimous reversal before the New York Supreme Court’s Appellate Division in a lending dispute involving claims that the lender improperly declared a default, accelerated the subject loan, and foreclosed on a hotel securing the loan based on an alleged prohibited transfer (the transfer of membership interests within the organizational structure of the borrower’s minority ownership group, layers removed from the borrower). (Blank Rome Secures Unanimous Reversal in NY Supreme Court Appellate Division for 1250 North SD Mezz LLC)
  • Assisted with the drafting and submission of an amicus curiae brief to the Supreme Court of the United States involving the scope of the attorney-client privilege. (Supreme Court Grapples with Scope of Attorney-Client Privilege)
  • Argued before and obtained a unanimous reversal from the Texas Court of Appeals in a case concerning unique issues under Texas law surrounding the right of the State of Texas to confer jurisdiction over out-of-state party defendants in a commercial dispute. (Blank Rome Secures Unanimous Reversal in TX Court of Appeals Fraud Lawsuit for TBS Business Solutions USA, Inc. and CEO Tewodros “Teddy” Sahilu)
  • Represented and successfully resolved claims in the Central District of California on behalf of defendants in a receivership action who were alleged to be “net winners” in an alleged “Ponzi-like” scheme in an action originally filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
  • Represented parties involved in a regulatory enforcement action brought jointly (for the first time) by the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Financial Protection and Innovation involving mortgage relief assistance claims.
  • Acting as lead counsel to majority investors in major hotel properties across the United States lost to foreclosure due to fault of others. This set of disputes has led to multiple cases filed in many states, including California, New York, Illinois, and Delaware. The cases involve the interplay of complex loan agreements and operating agreements, the lender’s obligations, and the duties and responsibilities among members involved in the intricate capital structures arranged to own and operate the hotels.
  • Acting as lead counsel in a real estate partnership dispute involving luxury residential developments and properties in Los Angeles, California. 
  • Acting as lead defense counsel in a complex executive compensation case in the Northern District of California involving various contract, tort, and labor-based claims in which plaintiff seeks over $100 million in damages. 
  • Acting as lead counsel to managing executive of the U.S.-based arm of an international fast food franchise chain. Successfully obtained preliminary injunctive relief restoring client’s position and exclusive right to operate the business. The litigation involves approximately 30 parties and seven law firms. Five days of live, in-person testimony, led by Arash, commenced in early 2021.
  • Represented a Massachusetts company accused of misappropriating trade secrets and other tortious conduct under California law at trial and on appeal. Served as local defense counsel for a 2014 jury trial before the Central District of California and was instrumental in prevailing on a Rule 50(a) motion for judgment as a matter of law and on a Rule 50(b) renewed motion for judgment as a matter of law following the jury’s verdict. Those rulings were appealed and upheld by the Ninth Circuit in 2016. 
  • Was lead trial counsel in a case involving luxury real estate in an upscale California community. Following a bench trial in 2015, the trial court entered judgment in favor of Arash’s client, later granting his client’s motion for attorneys’ fees, costs, and prejudgment interest. Defendants appealed the attorney fee ruling, arguing that the California Association of Realtors agreement required Arash’s client to have contacted a mediator before filing suit to qualify for the recovery of attorneys’ fees. Arash opposed the appeal and, at his request, the California Association of Realtors filed an amicus curiae brief siding with Arash that no pre-suit contact with a mediator was required, only an attempt to mediate (with which Arash’s client complied before filing suit). Following Arash’s argument in the Court of Appeal, the court sided with Arash’s client, affirmed the judgment, and ruled that his client was entitled to costs on appeal.
  • Defended client in a federal RICO action in the Western District of Texas. Arash filed a motion to dismiss under Rules 12(b)(2) and 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. After evaluating Arash’s arguments, the court granted his motion, finding that plaintiff had failed to plead a plausible RICO enterprise involving Arash’s client.
  • Prevailed in an appeal following his oral argument before the California Court of Appeal involving 2011 rulings imposing substantial monetary sanctions against his opposing counsel. The Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court orders in favor of Arash and his California municipal client.

News & Views

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Recognitions

  • 2023, "Lawyer on the Fast Track," listed in The Recorder
  • 2012–2023, Los Angeles “Rising Star” in Business Litigation, listed in Super Lawyers
  • 2019–2021, “Leader in Law,” listed in Los Angeles Business Journal

Affiliations

Professional Activities

Arash serves the alumni association board of his alma mater, Southwestern Law School.
Within Blank Rome, Arash is co-lead of the BR MENA affinity group, a community for Middle Eastern and North African (“MENA”) ethnocultural colleagues to gather, share, and address issues and concerns that impact the group, and to educate and spread awareness about the different cultures and ethnicities within MENA. He is also an active member of BR United, the firm’s multicultural affinity group, focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion within the firm and the legal industry.

In addition to the firm’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, Arash is heavily involved in the firm’s pro bono and community and civic engagement programs. Arash is also a volunteer coach with youth and high school basketball programs in the community.
 

Credentials

Admissions

  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • California
  • U.S. District Court - Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court - Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court - Southern District of California

Education

  • Southwestern Law School, JD, cum laude
  • University of California, Los Angeles, BA, summa cum laude, with honors

A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolades are based can be found here.