Meet Christina Malyan of Malyan Berberyan Moizesch (“MBM Attorneys”) in Glendale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Malyan.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have always had a penchant for uncovering the unknown. As the first born child of immigrant parents, I had an investigative nature, piecing together clues in search of the truth, understanding our family’s journey, and helping pave the way for achieving our American dream. Growing up, I was surrounded by family who had made careers of their medical professions. Though there was an expectation that I would also pursue a career in medicine, it simply didn’t appeal to me. I needed to pursue a career where I could exercise my thirst for the truth and help those who did not understand the “system”. My argumentative nature eventually drew me to an interest in the law and I quickly knew that becoming a lawyer was the only way I could apply myself in a broad way.

My family spared no sacrifice to make sure I got a good education so that I could pursue my dream. It was important that I had a connection to our Armenian cultural roots as well as my American ones. At great expense, they put me through private school and taught me what it meant to work hard to afford an education. I worked as soon as I was in high school, and continued to through law school, balancing academia while maintaining a job.

I was fortunate enough to have experience working for established attorneys throughout my educational journey. I learned so much, then, about what it meant to work for the “man” versus being a business woman, even if it didn’t register with me at the time what that would truly entail. It seemed very exciting and hopeful to be a budding esquire, fresh out of law school, until the market crashed in 2008 and the message from professors, fellow lawyers, and the media was: “The American Dream is gone.” No longer could I count on earning a flourishing salary right out of law school, but I knew I would have to re-frame my own American dream. Why go out and wait for someone to hire me, when I could be an entrepreneur and build it for myself? The road to success might be longer, but the fruits would taste so much sweeter.

My early experiences as a lawyer helped me realize that I wanted to have a stronger say in the cases I worked on. I wanted a chance to choose whose voice to represent, so that I could help the disenfranchised. To that end, I looked for any and every opportunity to volunteer my time. Eventually that led me to the Mesereau Free Legal Clinic, where every other Saturday, I was able to help members of the Inglewood, California community who couldn’t afford legal services.

Finally, I was fortunate to find two other attorneys who shared that same passion, and together we co-founded Malyan Berberyan Moizesch LLP (“MBM Attorneys”), our own law firm in 2014. MBM Attorneys’ goal is to create strong and long-lasting relationships with our clients that are founded on trust, respect, and confidence.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I would be lying if I said it was a smooth road. The list of struggles is long, starting with culture shock and taking a turn for surviving in a male-dominated industry. One of my first struggles was overcoming the expectations of how I would fit into the legal community. I expected opportunities for corporate jobs, but they were few and far apart, especially having graduated in 2010 when the market had recently crashed a few years prior.

Even one of the first jobs I held at a boutique litigation firm exposed me to the realities of what I would be earning versus what I had hoped to earn. In this space, I first learned what it meant to attempt to thrive as a woman in a heavily male-dominated profession. Walking down the courthouse halls, I can still hear the clicking of my own heels above all the white noise, but I cannot pick up on the scent of my own perfume among the male colognes. Knowing this struggle has fueled my motivation to forge ahead with my career, make a difference, and pave the path for the next generations. I’m also proud to say that many of our clients specifically select our firm because it has three female attorneys at its helm.

When we started our firm, we didn’t have a single client or case to our names. But four years later, we have grown our practice and continue to expand our footprint. The most recent struggle I am overcoming is learning how to balance work and life, when as an entrepreneur I have to wear many hats, not just that of an attorney. I am a business woman and an accountant, a marketer and a lawyer and I’m still an active member of my family and social circle.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am one of the co-founders of MBM Attorneys, which established its roots in Glendale, California in 2014. The firm is comprised of three female partners who focus on the following areas of practice: personal injury, civil litigation, and estate planning. My partners at the firm focus on estate planning, which involves the drafting of a living trust, a living will, power of attorney documents, medical directives, etc.

I have been in the legal profession almost 15 years. In my firm, currently I focus exclusively on civil litigation, including both catastrophic personal injury cases and business law. I have represented individuals with personal injury cases including those who have been in automobile accidents, individuals who have had motorcycle and bicycle accidents, and pedestrians who were hit by cars or trucks. For business litigation, I represent contractual disputes between individuals and their company or between two individuals.

I’m proud to have successfully settled catastrophic personal injury cases against large worldwide known automobile manufacturers and theme parks and resolved contractual dispute cases involving high profile defendants and corporate entities.

As a company, we are proud of the opportunity to really invest ourselves in the best interest of our clients. No two cases are alike, and no single case is just another file on our desks. We emphasize building relationships with our clients, not just processing legal documents. What sets us apart is that our clients deal directly with an attorney from inception to conclusion and they can rely on a full support system at any moment. When life happens, I can rely on my partners to support our respective clients with the same level of care that I would have provided.

What were you like growing up?
I was a feisty girl, growing up. My long-time friends still joke about never having been able to win an argument with me. Somehow, my childhood experiences prepared me for a career as an attorney. I often remember having to defend myself when falsely accused of trivial things at school. I was the first to begin a debate and usually the one who had the last word. But above all, I have always been a devoted friend and daughter.

Growing up, I was always involved in extracurricular activities and athletic. I love to ice skate, and at one point I imagined I’d be an Olympic figure skater. I still skate, but now it’s a hobby. I also love horses and continue to horseback ride in my spare time.

I love to learn! I have always had a curious thirst. But my drive and passion is to help people. I like to see people happy and thriving. I enjoy entertaining friends and family, gathering them together. Above all, I love to travel and learn about different cultures, which helps me understand the psychology of people and that helps me apply it to my work with the law.

Pricing:

• Free Consultation

Contact Info:

• Address: 225 E. Broadway
  Suite 210 Glendale, CA 91205
• Website: www.mbmattorneys.com
• Phone: 818-536-7436
• Email: christina@mbmattorneys.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbm_attorneys
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mbmattorneys/

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