Case Manager: Eve Thorstens
With over 25 years of experience as a skilled litigator, Steven M. Sepassi, Esq. is a highly accomplished professional in handling a wide range of legal matters, including personal injury, school liability, real estate, landlord-tenant, commercial, and insurance cases. Known for his unwavering tenacity and civility, he consistently demonstrates a fair and respectful approach to mediating and resolving disputes, reflecting his successful tenure in private practice.
Mr. Sepassi began his legal career as a sole practitioner. Immediately upon taking the oath, he singlehandedly took charge of a high-stakes trial involving a contract dispute in the federal court. Over the next seventeen years, he tirelessly advocated for individuals and companies across a diverse range of legal matters, such as personal injury, real estate, landlord-tenant, commercial, and insurance cases. Simultaneously, he generously dedicated his time to volunteering as a mediator and temporary judge for the Los Angeles Superior Court. In 2012, Mr. Sepassi co-founded the law firm of Sepassi & Tarighati, LLP. Alongside their existing caseload, the firm began representing insured defendants, primarily charter schools, in general liability school claims. Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Sepassi has skillfully handled an array of cases ranging from small, personally impactful cases to large multimillion-dollar disputes, including vehicle accidents, product liability, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death.
Born in Iran, Mr. Sepassi relocated to the United States at the age of seventeen with the goal of pursuing higher education. Settling in Missouri, he quickly embraced the core values of the Midwest, including hard work, kindness, and honesty. These principles undoubtedly contributed to his assertive yet fair approach in mediating disputes, as he embraces the “show me” mentality.
After obtaining his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Missouri, School of Engineering, Mr. Sepassi relocated to Los Angeles in 1981. His higher education journey continued as he pursued a doctorate-level degree in engineering at the University of Southern California. Soon after completing his studies at USC in 1985, he joined Rockwell International Space Division as a software engineer.
Later on, while running a successful mortgage company and raising a family with his wife, he decided to pursue a law degree. In 1995, he successfully obtained his law degree and embarked on his legal career.
In addition to his extensive legal experience, Mr. Sepassi brings a deep understanding of business and partnership issues and diverse life experiences that allow him to connect with the disputing parties and find common ground in his mediation practice. He positions himself as the village elder between the disputants, a position that both sides of the bar have come to appreciate and respect.
Personal Injury
• Catastrophic Injury
• Wrongful Death
• Premises Liability
• Product Liability
• Public Entities
• School Liability
• UM/UIM
Real Estate
• Purchase Transactions
• Broker/Agent Liability
• Fraud & Non-Disclosure
• HOA Disputes
• Landlord/Tenant
• Habitability
Business/Commercial
• Contract Disputes
• Partnership Disputes
• Buyer/ Seller Disputes
• Lease Disputes
“I thought you were excellent. You had the perfect temperament, and I was particularly impressed with your ability to focus on and highlight the practical issues, as opposed to getting caught up in force majeure or contract theories. I also thought you did a nice job explaining the risks to my client in a professional, respectful manner. I will absolutely refer you to other colleagues, and look forward to working together again.”
“Thank you, Steve for excellent work on a hard case. I will look for a way to work with you again and recommend you to others.”
“It was a pleasure to work with you Steve. Appreciate all of your hard work …”
“Thank you for your help in resolving this matter. It was a pleasure working with … you …”
“It was a wonderful experience. You are so intelligent, intuitive and collaborative. Would not hesitate to use your services again. Thank you.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Thanks for all your help.”
“Thank you very much for you hard work and helping us reach a settlement. I will definitely refer your services to others and try to use you in the future.”
“I was very happy with your services and will keep your name on file for future cases.”
“Thank you again for your work yesterday!”
“Thank you again for your hard work in getting the case resolved.”
“We sincerely appreciate your efforts [as] well. Though this wasn’t the highest value case, it was a difficult set of personalities, so we’re grateful for your thoroughness in working to resolve it. We look forward to working with you on future cases as well.”
“Steve, thank you so much for your time and efforts today. This was not an easy case where so many lawyers were involved, particularly given some of the personalities …”
“Thank you, Steve … for your efforts in resolving this case. I look forward to working with you in the future as a mediator Steve.”
“I appreciate all of your assistance in helping us reach a settlement!”
“We really appreciate your help with the settlement. We will definitely add you to our internal list of potential mediators and keep you in mind for the next one.”
“You went above and beyond; if in the future I have an opportunity to have input on the services of a mediator, you will be on the top of my list.”
“I appreciate your time and ability to help find [a] resolution. I also want to thank you for your demeanor. J…. and N…. were very nervous this morning, but at the end they were at ease and had nothing but praise for how you helped them through the process.”
“Thank you, Steve, for your hard work today. Very much appreciated.”
“Thank you, Steve for helping us to resolve this matter. Thank you for your professionalism. I enjoyed working with all of you.”