LAS VEGAS — The Tropicana Hotel and Casino will be the venue, as the Armenian Bar Association (ArmenBar) will present a group of legal experts on January 15. Vartkes Yeghiayan, who has gained acclaimed fame as a Genocide reparations pioneer, and Arda Yemenidjian, a community leader and philanthropist, will receive special recognition at a luncheon in their honor.
The event is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in the Tropicana Conference Center and will include a luncheon and evening reception following the lectures. The Tropicana, once the gold standard on the Las Vegas strip, has undergone a recent $180-million renovation under the direction of new owner, Alex Yemenidjian, and is on its way to re-establishing its reputation as a premiere Vegas destination. Features such as Nikki Beach, the Las Vegas Mob Experience and a state-of-the-art sports are just a few of the many attractions awaiting those who attend.
Preeminent attorney Yeghiayan will be joined by law professor Michael Bazyler, federal court international litigation expert Lee Crawford- Boyd, and Setrak Davuthan, a community attorney for Turkish Armenians. Two topics will be presented as part of the program, including “Legal Remedies, Restitution or Monetary Compensation for the Dispossession of Armenians of pre-Genocide Communal and Private Property in Their Homeland” and “Current State of Legal Affairs Involving Armenians in Turkey.” Attorneys attending the event will receive four units of continuing legal education credits.
“We are extremely proud to present such a distinguished group of legal scholars to our membership, and to honor two leaders of our community,” said Edvin Minassian, chairman of ArmenBar. “While this legal education event is geared toward the legal community, we invite members of the public to attend what promises to be a fascinating series of lectures.”
The legal remedies discussion will be moderated by Bazyler, a Chapman University School of Law professor, and will include Yeghiayan and Crawford-Boyd. Bazyler is a leading authority on the use of the American and European courts to redress genocide and other historical wrongs. Bazyler is the author of the book Holocaust Justice: The Battle for Restitution in America’s Courts and is the co-editor of Holocaust Restitution: Perspectives on the Litigation and its Legacy.
Boyd is of counsel with the law firm of Howarth & Smith in Los Angeles. She is an adjunct professor at Pepperdine Law School teaching international law, complex litigation and human rights. As a litigation consultant, she specializes in federal court complex cases and international relations.
