Chong

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

I. Facts

A. The accident At around 4:20 a.m. on May 6, 2016, Christopher Chong (plaintiff) stopped his Porsche 911 in the fast lane of the 134 Freeway in Burbank, California. He put the car in park, locked the doors, took off his shoes, reclined his seat, pulled the key out of the ignition, took off his seat belt, and fell asleep. He was under the influence of amphetamines and benzodiazepines. Less than 10 minutes later, a truck in the freeway’s fast lane plowed into the back of plaintiff’s parked car. Plaintiff suffered catastrophic injuries, including a severe brain injury and paralysis necessitating lifelong care. B. Plaintiff retains the Mardirossian firm In May 2018, plaintiff—acting through his mother and stepfather, who had obtained powers of attorney over his affairs—retained the law firm of Mardirossian Akaragian LLP (the firm).

The firm name at the time of their engagement by plaintiff was Mardirossian & Associates, Inc.

3 After running the proposed retainer agreement by attorney Patricia Glaser, a family friend, plaintiff and the firm signed the retainer. As pertinent here, the retainer: -- Defined the scope of…