SCOTT MANN

Scott Mann was a superior student at Pepperdine University School of Law, achieving membership on the School’s Law Review (top 10%), and winning the school’s prestigious Vincent Dalsimer Moot Court tournament. This made it all the more surprising that, following graduation, he was unable to land a job with any of the biggest defense law firms who interviewed him. “In law school, you don’t learn the difference between defense and plaintiff litigation practice” explains Mr. Mann. “So during my interviews for these high paying corporate litigation jobs, I emphasized that I would not only work hard, but that I would work smart and efficiently. These firms wanted workhorses, and here I was talking about how efficient I would be for their clients. I thought efficiency was a good quality, but not for them. They simply wanted their associates to work long hours they could bill to their clients. So in a way, they helped me find my calling, to be a Plaintiff’s attorney”.

And so it was that Scott found himself learning the ropes on his own, taking depositions and making court appearances for other attorneys. Through the course of that experience, he was retained by the Legal Office of David Grey to prosecute one of their small PI cases to trial. When the jury returned a verdict well above all expectations, he was offered the job of in-house trial lawyer for the David Grey in 1994. He inherited nearly 200 litigation cases, mostly small car accidents and premises liability claims. This led to Scott honing his advocacy skill by taking a very high number of cases to jury trial. “Having to work under such conditions helped me gain invaluable experience in prosecuting cases in trial.” With more and more practice, came bigger cases and larger verdicts.

In April of 1998, Scott formed The Law Offices of Mann & Elias with Law School mate, Imad Elias. The firm has thrived ever since, thanks in large part to Scott’s expertise in trying cases but also because of his uncanny ability to provide excellent legal representation yet remain extremely efficient in doing so.

EMPLOYMENT

  • Partner, Law Office of Mann & Elias (1998 to present)
  • In-house Trial Lawyer, Legal Office of David Grey (1994 to 1998)

AREAS OF PRACTICE

  • Personal Injury -- Plaintiff
  • Catastrophic Injuries
  • Severe Burn Injuries
  • Motor Vehicle Accidents
  • Trip & Falls
  • Premises Liability
  • Assault & Battery

LITIGATION PERCENTAGE

  • 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

BAR ADMISSIONS

  • All California Superior Courts
  • All California Courts of Appeal
  • All California U.S. District Court
  • California Supreme Court

EDUCATION

  • Pepperdine University School of Law (J.D., 1992)
    • Member: Law Review
    • Recipient: American Jurisprudence
    • Recipient: Vincent Dalsimer Moot Court Award
  • University of Colorado, Boulder (M.A., 1987)
  • California State University (1996-1998)
  • University of Nevada (B.S. Hotel and Casino Management, 1998)

ASSOCIATIONS

  • California State Bar
  • Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
  • Sierra Club
  • Nature Conservancy
  • Natural Resources Council

Imad Elias

The least anyone can say about Imad Y. Elias’ background is that it is unusually diverse. Imad was born in the ancient city of Damascus. A year later, his father, a legendary local trial attorney, moved the family to the surging Princedom of Kuwait. There, Imad was educated under the rigorous French schooling system from Kindergarten through the Baccalaureate level. He then attended college and law school in Southern California

Growing up in Kuwait, Imad derived a real life education well beyond the confines of school. During a time of rapid economic development, Kuwait’s population was a virtual melting pot of nationalities. Imad’s friends and classmates hailed literally from every corner of the world.

Imad counts this background as one of his major assets as a trial lawyer. “It was a priceless experience to be immersed, at a young age, in a place where such diverse cultures converged. I grew up having multi-national friends, exposed first hand to their customs and values. I learned that life can be perceived, valued and experienced in many different, but equally valid, ways, by different people. I also learned that in the end, no matter our background, we all cherish our common humanity. I learned how to understand others, and how to empathize. This is an invaluable lesson for me today, especially when I’m about to argue a client’s case to twelve different people sitting as our jury in court ”

Some say Imad empathizes too much! Upon graduation from law school, he rejected two generous job offers by insurance defense law firms. Instead, he volunteered his time at the San Fernando Valley Neighborhood Legal Services, representing indigent clients on a pro-bono basis. “I had some money saved, so I thought, why not help those who desperately need but can’t afford attorneys?” Mr. Elias argued for his clients in court nearly every day, gaining valuable court experience. “I learned how to be completely comfortable and at ease in front of judge and jury”.

After a year of pro-bono work, Imad finally joined the private sector in 1994 where he developed an expertise in employment law litigation. Over the years, he has represented hundreds of plaintiff employment claims covering all claims of discrimination and harassment. In 1998, Imad left a prestigious business litigation law firm to form the Law Office of Mann & Elias with Scott Mann. He manages the firm’s Employment Law practice.

In successfully prosecuting over 25 jury trials, and having represented clients in hundreds of arbitrations and mediation, Mr. Elias has demonstrated a superior ability to understand, anticipate and address all the different perspectives of any given dispute. He has often been complimented by opposing lawyers for his ‘insight’ ‘creativity’ or ‘originality’, usually in connection with jury selection, closing argument or settlement discussions. This surprises Mr. Elias. “I certainly appreciate the compliments. But I am not intentionally trying to be original. The angle with which I argue for my client in a dispute happens to be how I perceive the issue. Most attorneys think in linear fashion, because they weren’t exposed to different points of view or cultures in their past. So they perceive my approach to be fresh or novel. Of course this adds an element of surprise in my client’s favor during litigation.” Usually, this means success for Imad’s client, a good result in any culture.

EDUCATION

  • JD, Pepperdine Law School, 1992
    • 1/4 finalist, Moot Court - trial advocacy
    • 1/4 finalist, Moot Court - Mediation Tournament
  • BA (Economics/Government), Claremont McKenna College
    • Dean’s List

EMPLOYMENT

  • Present - LAW OFFICE OF MANN ELIAS, Partner
  • 1996-1998 - HUANG & MITCHELL, Associate
  • 1994-1996 - Law Office of Stephen S. Duplantis, Associate

ADMISSIONS

  • Admitted to California Bar in 1992
  • Licensed to practice in all California Superior Courts
  • Licensed to practice in all California Appellate Courts
  • Licensed to practice in California Supreme
  • Licensed to practice in all Federal District Courts in California

ASSOCIATIONS

LANGUAGES

  • Fluent in French and Arabic

PERSONAL

  • Date of Birth: 11/13/1966
  • Married, 2 children.
Scott Mann Imad Elias

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