Biography | Aria A. Aghalarpour

Aria Aghalarpour represents established businesses and individuals in all aspects of civil litigation. His practice focuses on the defense of claims related to general liability, premises liability, and commercial litigation. Aria handles matters throughout all stages of litigation, identifying opportunities for early resolution and striving to secure settlements well below initial demands. He provides clients with efficient and cost-conscious solutions, positioning them to achieve favorable outcomes in keeping with their financial expectations.

Before joining Wilson Elser, Aria was a law clerk at a national insurance defense firm, where he co-authored a publication on strategies for managing high-exposure verdicts in trucking and transportation litigation. Previously, he worked at a global ride-share and delivery company, focusing on data privacy and compliance. In addition, Aria gained substantial experience at a private placement firm handling complex domestic and international business matters.

During law school, Aria excelled in legal advocacy competitions. He won the Moriarity Moot Court Competition as a first-year student and the London Middle Temple Moot Court Competition in his second year. He further demonstrated his trial advocacy skills by winning the Pepperdine Cross-Examination Competition and capped off his winning record by clinching the prestigious New York City Bar Regional Moot Court Competition. Aria also served as a Legal Research and Writing teaching assistant and was published in The Review of Litigation at the University of Texas School of Law, analyzing whether emojis qualify as an exception to hearsay.

Areas of Focus

General Liability
Aria defends individuals and businesses against a wide range of negligence claims. He conducts thorough investigations, formulates effective defense strategies, and strives for favorable resolutions while mitigating clients’ risk and legal exposure.

Premises Liability
Aria has successfully defended property owners and managers against premises liability claims involving accidents, personal injury, and allegations of unsafe conditions. He works closely with clients from the investigative stage of incidents and develops effective defense strategies tailored to each case.

Education

Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law (J.D., 2024)
- Business Editor, Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship
- Chair, Moot Court Board
- NYC Bar Regional Moot Court Competition Winner, 2024
- CALI Award for Excellence in Employment Dispute Resolution
University of California, Davis (B.A. Political Science, magna cum laude, 2019)

Bar Admissions

California

Awards & Honors

Order of Barristers. 2024

Languages

Farsi

Aria A. Aghalarpour

Defense Verdict Secured for The Peninsula Beverly Hills After Month-Long Jury Trial

Gary Pancer (Partner-Los Angeles, CA), Kelley Harman (Of Counsel-Los Angeles, CA), and Aria Aghalarpour (Associate-Los Angeles, CA) of Wilson Elser secured a complete defense verdict in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Santa Monica, on behalf of their client, The Peninsula Beverly Hills (the "Hotel"). The verdict followed a three-week-long jury trial, preceded by two weeks of extensive pre-trial motion practice and jury selection. General Counsel for the Hotel's owner, Michael Tenner, was present throughout the entirety of the proceedings.

Plaintiff, a 68-year-old woman, claimed that she ordered a decaffeinated iced tea at the Hotel's Roof Garden restaurant at lunch on January 30, 2021, but was allegedly served caffeinated tea. At trial, the plaintiff attempted to establish liability through testimony from family members who were present at the lunch, as well as a friend who had worked at the Hotel for 17 years. Wilson Elser presented testimony from Hotel leadership, including the former Assistant Director of Food and Beverage, the Hotel Manager, and the Managing Director, establishing clear, reliable beverage service protocols that were followed, including the use of separate containers and visual markers to distinguish decaffeinated beverages.

Plaintiff relied on expert testimony from a physician who opined that caffeine consumption caused plaintiff's cardiac symptoms. We countered with expert analysis by a research cardiologist and electrophysiology expert, who explained that it is medically implausible for a single instance of alleged caffeine consumption to reverse an ablation or cause long-term arrhythmias, and that no physiological basis supports the plaintiff's theory.

After approximately two hours of deliberation, the jury returned a defense verdict, finding The Peninsula Beverly Hills was not negligent. Notably, the jury resolved the case at the first question on the verdict form and never reached the issue of causation. Post-verdict discussions confirmed the jury would have unanimously found for the defense on causation as well. The hotel is pursuing recovery of substantial expert fees and litigation costs in excess of $200,000.

Gary S. Pancer, Kelley E. Harman and Aria A. Aghalarpour