Simon P. Etehad

Practice

Simon’s practice centers on plaintiff representation in matters that turn on the specific facts of each case — what happened, what the medical record shows, which insurance coverage applies, and what the controlling law allows. He has tried cases to verdict and resolved others through mediation, arbitration, or pre-trial settlement. The work usually moves slowly when it is done well. Demand letters require the underlying documentation. Depositions require the underlying chronologies. Negotiations require credible authority on liability, damages, and the insurance policy structure. Simon’s role at the firm is to make sure each of those layers is built carefully before a case is positioned for resolution.

His record over more than two and a half decades of practice includes verdicts and settlements in cases ranging from auto collisions and premises liability to professional malpractice, breach of contract, and wrongful death. Notable outcomes are listed in the verdicts and settlements section below. Each outcome was specific to the facts of that case. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict future cases; results depend on the specific facts and law of each case.

Appellate and arbitration work — Ahdout v. Hekmatjah

Simon argued and obtained the appellate decision now cited as Ahdout v. Hekmatjah (2013) 213 Cal.App.4th 21, a published California Court of Appeal opinion. The matter began with an unfavorable arbitration. When the arbitrators declined to award the relief sought for his client — a remedy tied to Business and Professions Code section 7031, which governs claims involving unlicensed contractors — Simon pursued judicial review of the arbitration award. California has a strong public-policy presumption against judicial review of arbitration outcomes, and overturning that presumption is rare.

Simon argued in the Court of Appeal that the arbitrators had misapplied the controlling law. The resulting appellate decision refined California law on the reviewability of arbitration awards involving statutory rights. Ahdout is now a frequently-cited authority on the limits of arbitration finality and on the scope of vacatur where statutory rights are implicated. For practitioners, it is one of the cases that defines when an arbitration award can be revisited rather than left in place.

Community involvement and nonprofit work

Outside the firm, Simon has been active in Los Angeles community organizations for nearly two decades. He has served on the Board of Directors of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), Western Region, including a term as President of the Western Region Board. He has served on the Board of the Nessah Education and Cultural Center in Beverly Hills, including two terms as President (2011 to 2012 and 2014 to 2016) and Board Member (2006 to 2020). He also sits on the Honorary Board of Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities (LATLC). These roles reflect ongoing involvement, not ceremonial appointments.

Bar admissions and jurisdictions

Simon was admitted to the State Bar of California on December 10, 1996. He is admitted to practice before all California state courts and the United States District Court for the Central District of California. His California State Bar license (No. 186449) is active. The official Cal Bar profile is at apps.calbar.ca.gov/attorney/Licensee/Detail/186449.

Education

Simon earned his undergraduate degree at California State University, Northridge — a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political Science (1991). He received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Seattle University School of Law in 1995. While at Seattle University, he founded the Jewish Legal Society on campus.

Languages

English, Hebrew, and Farsi.