In a recent exchange, Mr. Yosi Yahoudai spoke to Haute Lawyer editor Esly Davis for the latest edition of the Haute Lawyer Webinar series. This engaging conversation delves into Yosi Yahodai’s remarkable journey as a legal professional, from his initial interest in real estate litigation to becoming the founder and managing partner of J&Y Law in Los Angeles, California. 
Graduating from law school amidst the tumultuous recession of 2008, Yosi found himself at a crossroads, seeking new opportunities in a challenging market. Unforeseen circumstances guided him into personal injury law, fueled by a mentor’s encouragement and his own innate desire to make a difference in the lives of those in need. Today, as a pioneer in the field, Yosi brings a unique blend of inspiration, aggression, and remarkable success to his practice, setting him apart from the average personal injury attorney.
Esly Davis: What motivated you to specialize in personal injury law, especially considering your initial interest in real estate litigation?
Yosi Yahodai: That’s one of my favorite questions to answer, just because it was such an interesting start to my career in law school. I thought I wanted to be, and I was going to be a real estate litigator. It was just what was interesting to me back then. After graduating law school and passing the bar, I started working for a boutique real estate law firm. Two brothers and a very small firm. Back in 2007 it was good, interesting, and I learned a lot. Then, we had the recession of 08’ and things really took a deep dive. Things were not looking good for the market. I’d make a decision then of what I wanted to do to further my career. I decided that it was time to go on my own and that I probably needed to change the area of law that I went into. I tried to get interviews and set up meetings, but I couldn’t get one interview. That’s how dry the market was. I had a meeting with an old family friend of mine, and he suggested that I sublease an office from him and start on my own. I told them, “hey, I don’t know anything about personal injury law, and I’m doing transactional work right now”. He responds, “this entails litigation”. I said, “I don’t know. Sounds crazy.” That’s how I started. He said, “I’ll teach you everything. I’ll be your mentor.” A week later I was out of my job and in his office next to his room, starting on my own and it started from there. I love the idea of helping those that are in need of help. Going against these major insurance companies helplessly, it really intrigued me and this sparked my interest. From there, it started very small, and then grew a little bit every month. About a year and a half later, when I teamed up with my old high school friend Jason, in July of 2010 after a year and a half of on my own we formed J&Y Law.
Esly Davis: How does J&Y Law distinguish itself from the rest, especially considering your personal experiences with injuries?
Yosi Yahoudai: There are many dozens of fantastic law firms in California that practice personal injury along the plaintive side. Clients could do no wrong, going to most of those firms, if not all. What distinguishes Jason and I? We both have been in vehicle accidents, car accidents that were injury producing, and were not our fault. We both know exactly what our clients, for the most part, are going through, except, of course, for the more unfortunate, catastrophic, very serious injuries, we still have the same experience, being an injured client, injured plaintiff going through pain, having to go to medical treatment, losing time from work to attend the treatment. Having our daily activities affected brings us joy, not having our car for several months, and having to figure out transportation and then convenience something in an accident. We know exactly what they are going through, and what they’ve been through. We can have a lot more compassion that way.I think that really sets us apart from most of the firms.
