A Q&A with Los Angeles Office Co-Leads, Maryam Danishwar and Marina Manoukian

Clark Hill’s Los Angeles office includes two co-leads steering the operational ship: Member Maryam Danishwar and Member Marina Manoukian.

Both recently discussed how this partnership came to be and how they try to foster a positive work environment.

What’s it like to co-lead the Los Angeles office?

Maryam Danishwar: Honestly, it’s very rewarding. Los Angeles is a very dynamic legal market, and all our attorneys are very talented lawyers and professionals. Co-leading the office gives Marina and I an opportunity not just to manage the business of the office, but to really help shape its culture, which means creating an environment where people want to collaborate, where the younger attorneys are given opportunities to develop and learn more, and where we’re intentional about bringing people together. We really want people to feel like they’re part of something, not just simply individuals on little islands at Clark Hill.

Marina Manoukian: First of all, I love being a co-lead with Maryam because our connection is a true partnership. Although we divide the tasks, we communicate with each other often and have a similar approach to where we want the LA office to go.

In terms of what we want to accomplish for the LA office, the top priority is to increase engagement. If the workplace is a happy place, people stay. And from the firm’s point of view, or from my point of view, we invest in the training of associates, paralegals, LAAs, and senior associates, helping them build their book of business. We invest in the people that are at the office, and we love to do that, and we want them to stay. So, engagement is key, and we work hard towards creating methods to bring everybody together.

How does your collaboration as co-leads spread to your own practices? Where do your litigation practices overlap (if any)?

Marina Manoukian: It’s been great to have a close relationship with Maryam because I’ve learned a lot from her in terms of the firm. Maryam, you have born leadership skills—she’s a born leader! Interestingly enough, our practices did overlap on a case that involved construction and personal injury. It was great working together, and I think after that case is when we considered working together as leads of the LA office. We thought, ‘Let’s combine our forces for the good of the office.’

Maryam Danishwar:  I think when we’re collaborating as members in charge, it definitely spills over into our own practices because I get to learn more about what Marina does, and we get to talk about what other people do, so that really creates a cross-practice collaboration and helps us regardless of where our clients’ needs are. Whether it be here in LA, in a different area of practice, or in a different state, I think our co-leading definitely helps us collaborate easily with others outside of LA and California.

What kind of trends are you seeing in the LA legal space right now?

Maryam Danishwar: The trend I see right now is carriers or clients looking to resolve early on and get evaluations on exposure earlier rather than later, whereas in the past they wanted more discovery, depositions, medical examinations, inspections, and things of that nature, depending on what type of case it is. But now everyone’s trying to resolve earlier. We try to tell the clients, ‘Here’s what you could walk away with in this case, here’s what you would need to pay, or your litigation is going to be X amount,’ and typically early resolution is always the answer, regardless of whether there’s liability or not.

Marina Manoukian: Generally speaking, commercial litigation is never going to go away. LA is a business town. So we’re never going to lose commercial litigation. From what I’ve read and experienced, Labor & Employment is also going to be strong because California in general has very strict rules and requirements for employers. I think L&E is not going to go away. And I think that data privacy, security, AI—the technology side is also a trend.

Maryam Danishwar: AI is changing the way that lawyers are practicing. The way lawyers used to research, analyze information, and manage large documents or voluminous document productions is definitely becoming more efficient, and I think the successful firms will be the ones that can use technology to enhance their lawyers’ judgments rather than to substitute for it. And I think with more use of AI, there’s definitely going to be a survival of the fittest that’ll be coming up.

What makes Clark Hill different from other law firms in Los Angeles? Is Clark Hill ahead of some firms in terms of AI? Are other firms behind?

Marina Manoukian: Clark Hill is really ahead or at least keeping up with peer firms. We have a lot of resources at our disposal and training. So, we feel comfortable in that arena.

Maryam Danishwar: I think we’re either on track or ahead. Clark Hill is definitely one of the top firms within the Los Angeles market. There are plenty of firms that I notice to be pretty behind on AI or even having subscriptions to AI.

And another thing that really makes Clark Hill different from other firms is we’re a Midwest firm, and that Midwest niceness seeps through regardless of what office you’re in. Everyone’s just genuinely nice, and everyone genuinely wants to help each other. I think that really makes us different from other firms.

Marina Manoukian: I think Maryam basically said what was already in my mind. I’ve always described Clark Hill as a Midwest firm with a Midwest personality. And to take it one step further, the idea of collaboration versus competition is key. Teamwork is key. I don’t know if other firms still have their associates compete with other associates. Ours is very collaborative. I don’t think there’s competition. And that reflects my own personal philosophy, that success is achieved by lifting others up, not by stepping on others. Clark Hill fits that to a T. It’s all about lifting each other up.

What is it like growing both your practices in the LA market and how does Clark Hill support it?

Maryam Danishwar: The LA market is very, very competitive, but it’s also an incredibly exciting place to grow or practice because the business community and the areas of practice are so diverse. There’s no single LA market. We have clients across industries that operate either locally, nationally, or even internationally, which provides a lot of opportunities for growth.

For me, growth has come from my current relationships; I’ve become someone that my clients trust when they have serious issues. Growth has been happening exponentially, and Clark Hill has been amazing in supporting that growth. Whether I’ve needed associates, dedicated paralegals, or more people added to my team for other purposes, Clark Hill listens, goes out, and tries its best to get me what I need.

Marina Manoukian: The infrastructure of the firm is what helps. Having business development partners is really helpful because they push us and support us. They push us to write articles and be thought leaders, and then when we need it, they’re very responsive. And it’s also the structure of having the business unit—the business unit meetings, the business unit directors, and having that ability to bounce things off of colleagues.

Last point, which I always share with everybody who asks me about Clark Hill, is the beehive brain of the firm. Any question you might have—and I have some weird questions—9 times out of ten, you get a response from somebody who knows something. And it’s that the firm has so many talented attorneys in so many diverse jurisdictions and practice areas, that when I’m talking about the firm in the LA market, what I’m saying is, yes, this is what I do. I’m a construction lawyer. I’m also a certified family law specialist. But I have a team behind me. Whatever your legal needs are, come to me. I’m pretty sure I can find somebody who knows what they’re doing. And sure enough, every time somebody has come to me, I’ve been able to connect them with somebody in the firm.