By Gary Eynatian
Special to the Mirror-Spectator
WATERTOWN — Prominent California-based attorney Mark Geragos spoke to a large crowd at an event hosted by the St. James Armenian Church Men’s Club on Monday, May 4. Fr. Arakel Aljalian, the pastor of St. James since 1999 remarked: “It was a great honor to have the well-known attorney Mark Geragos with us once again here at St. James and to listen to him speak. He is a great inspiration to us in the community, especially to the younger generation pursuing higher education in legal studies.”
Speaking without notes, Geragos captivated the crowd with a talk touching upon his Armenian family history, some of the high-profile cases in which he was involved, and successful litigation against insurance giants AXA and New York Life which had written life insurance policies for Armenians who died in the former Ottoman Empire. Death benefits had been withheld previously for a variety of complex factors. Many members of the audience that night were descended from Armenian Genocide survivors, making this a particularly moving topic for them.
St. James Armenian Church Parishioner and local attorney Vasken Babigian, who invited Geragos, declared: “It was an absolute honor to host Mark Geragos at St. James, for a second time. He is a true gentleman and a proud Armenian.”
Geragos also touched on more contemporary issues confronting Armenian Americans and Armenians in the homeland. He mentioned Mehmet Cengiz Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services since 2025, and US Congressman Randy Fine, who have both made derisory comments about Armenians bordering on hate speech. He voiced support for Daniel Bilzerian, who has launched a congressional campaign in Florida’s 6th District running against fellow Republican and incumbent Fine.
