Lewis Brisbois Expands Leadership of Autonomous Vehicles (AV) Team, Establishes Official AV Practice

(August 9, 2022) - Lewis Brisbois has recently expanded the leadership of its Autonomous Vehicles (AV) specialty team with the appointment of Los Angeles Partner Eric Y. Kizirian as co-chair alongside Phoenix Partner and National Co-Chair of the firm’s Transportation Practice Julie E. Maurer, who established the team earlier this year. Los Angeles Partner Zourik Zarifian has also been appointed as vice chair of the team.

This expansion of leadership on the AV team - previously part of Lewis Brisbois’ Transportation Practice - marks the official formation of the firm’s Autonomous Vehicles Practice. In addition to co-chairing the AV practice with Ms. Maurer, Mr. Kizirian will continue to serve in his roles as co-chair of Lewis Brisbois’ Class Action & Mass Tort and Consumer Warranty Practices, and vice-chair of its Lithium-Ion Battery Practice.

In discussing the new leadership of this specialized team, Ms. Maurer said, “I'm very happy that Eric has joined me as co-chair of the practice and that Zourik has come on board as vice chair. I look forward to working with these talented lawyers as we advise clients on this developing area of the law. Their specific expertise in working with automotive companies defending complex matters provides added depth and experience to our national practice.”

Similarly, Mr. Kizirian noted, “The official formation of the AV Practice is exciting and is a natural outgrowth of our firm’s long-standing defense of automotive companies in products liability and class action matters. I look forward to working with Julie and Zourik as we help clients analyze and address their potential for liability in this developing space. I believe our clients will benefit greatly from our deep automotive and transportation experience and bench as the growth of autonomous driving laws and products become a greater part of our daily lives.”

The attorneys who comprise Lewis Brisbois’ Autonomous Vehicles Practice assist clients in navigating the array of legal issues that have been arising as AVs increasingly become available to consumers. With extensive experience in the transportation arena and a unique understanding of the emerging legal landscape within the AV space, these lawyers regularly counsel businesses on a range of topics, including:

Conflicts between state and federal transportation laws;
Government relations and public policy;
Regulatory enforcement, oversight, and compliance;
Accident investigations;
Product liability counseling and defense work;
Privacy and data protection;
False advertising;
Insurance and risk management;
Employment matters, including misclassification and class actions;
Intellectual property, trade secrets, and commercialization; and
Logistics.

Our AV Practice attorneys also work closely with their colleagues in the firm's national Transportation Practice and other related practices to offer clients the full benefits of Lewis Brisbois’ nationwide network and wide range of practice areas.

Learn more about Lewis Brisbois’ Autonomous Vehicle Practice here.