MEET SEEPAN V. PARSEGHIAN
Seepan V. Parseghian is of counsel at Beck Redden LLP, where he focuses his practice in commercial litigation and intellectual property disputes.
Seepan is a 2023-2024 director on the HBA Board of Directors. He’s also a co-chair of the HBA Continuing Legal Education Committee, as well as a member of the International Law Section and Litigation Section. Seepan is also a Houston Bar Foundation Fellow.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and your professional background?
I have been a trial attorney at Beck Redden LLP for almost eight years, with a focus on commercial litigation and intellectual property disputes. I am originally from Los Angeles, where I practiced for almost five years at a large international firm, but Houston is home now.
(R): Seepan has served as a moderator for several programs. Here, Seepan moderated the International Law Section’s panel discussion, “Trade Wars & the Supreme Court: A Primer for Doing Business in China,” in 2019.)
How long have you been a member of the Houston Bar Association, and what motivated you to join?
I joined the HBA in 2016 as soon as I moved from Los Angeles, joined Beck Redden, and passed the Texas Bar. Knowing virtually no one in Houston, joining the HBA afforded me the opportunity to participate in the Houston legal community in a meaningful way through community service, education, and social programming. It also helped to have several role models at Beck Redden, which has a demonstrated and deep history of dedication and service to the Houston Bar.
What specific benefits or opportunities have you gained through your HBA membership?
Through the HBA, I have most importantly found a community of professionals with a shared understanding that our success in the courtroom as advocates is short-lived unless it is paired with initiatives that make your community better than when you found it. Through these shared values, I have gained immeasurable opportunities to work alongside other HBA members in leadership roles to contribute to the Houston legal community and public at large in areas of personal and professional interest to me.
As a result, I have served as chair of the HBA International Law Section, the Professionalism Committee, the CLE Committee, and was most recently honored to be elected to the HBA Board of Directors and board of directors of the Harris County Dispute Resolution Center.
The diversity of opportunity that these initiatives have given me to give back–community service, education, and social networking–is a unique benefit that only the HBA can provide.
(L): Seepan hosted a virtual fireside chat for the International Law Section program in 2020, speaking with TotalEnergies U.S. General Counsel Elizabeth Matthews and Senior Counsel – Litigation Tan Pham.)
Could you share a notable experience or success story that you attribute to your involvement with the HBA?
One of the strengths of the HBA is the environment that it creates in which members can take initiative to volunteer, plan events, and curate programs. It is this entrepreneurial culture that has allowed me to organize and lead CLE events with preeminent voices on varied hot topics–from a fireside chat with former Chief Legal Adviser to the State Department and Dean of Yale Law School Harold Koh regarding the impact of U.S. election results on international law, to a half-day event attended by over 200 people examining ethical issues arising from the January 6 Committee investigations with congressional counsel who led the investigation, CNN media personalities, and scholars.
How do you actively engage with other HBA members or contribute to the HBA community?
The HBA has opportunities for engagement for a wide array of practices, community initiatives, and interests. Since joining the HBA in 2016, I have matched my interests with corresponding HBA sections and committees and raised my hand to volunteer where I could add value. As a result, I have chaired the HBA International Law Section, co-chaired the Professionalism Committee, chaired the CLE Committee for the past two years, and joined the boards of the HBA and Harris County Dispute Resolution Center this past year.
(R): Seepan poses with the 2023-2024 HBA Board of Directors at their board retreat earlier this year.)
What advice would you give to fellow attorneys considering joining the Houston Bar Association?
Do it yesterday! The HBA is welcoming and has so much to offer its members from CLE programming to networking and socializing to community service and everything in between. And if you still cannot find something for you, the HBA makes it easy for you to contribute your ideas, energy, and efforts.
How does being a part of the HBA contribute to your sense of professional identity and belonging?
When I first moved to Houston in 2016 from Los Angeles, I did not know anyone here, let alone in the legal community. With Houston being the fourth-largest city in America, the task of finding a community seemed daunting. But the HBA made it a seamless transition, led me to make lasting friendships, and gave me direction in channeling my desire to contribute to the legal community. In short, the HBA has become a central piece in my professional development as an attorney in Houston.
In your opinion, what sets the Houston Bar Association apart from other legal organizations or professional associations?
The HBA is unique in its ability to simultaneously function as a reflection of the fourth-largest and most diverse city in America, on the one hand, and a close-knit family of attorneys with shared values, on the other hand. This balance allows the HBA to offer its members a vast array of resources and limitless opportunities for participation and leadership.
(L to R) Felicia Harris Hoss, Anne Heaviside, Amy Sladczyk Hancock, HBA Past President Jennifer Hasley, and Michael Reeder at the HBA’s Mentorship Kick-Off Breakfast on February 24, 2022.)
Ready to follow in Seepan's footsteps and join the HBA?
Questions about HBA membership? Email membership@hba.org or call 713-759-1133.