Meet Katayoon Iravani

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katayoon Iravani. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katayoon below.

Katayoon, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today. We’re excited to dive into your story and your work, but first let’s start with a broader topic that might be stopping many of our readers from pursuing their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. How have you managed to persist despite haters and nay-sayers that inevitably follow folks who are doing something unique, special or off the beaten path?

There’s nothing quite like being underestimated to light a fire under you.
Some people collect compliments, I collect skepticism.

It started early. As a kid, for example, I was told I couldn’t play basketball because I was “too small.” I became the lead forward in middle school. In college, I was told I couldn’t graduate in four years, and definitely not while working 40+ hours a week at a law firm and carrying 18 to 20 units a semester. I graduated in four. And I didn’t just do it, I did it while working 60- to 70-hour weeks, just to prove I could.

In fact, that pattern never really stopped. You can’t be an attorney. Watch me. You can’t run your own firm. Watch me. You can’t do it your way. Watch me.

So, i’ve never been short on critics, especially the kind who smile at you while warning you to “be realistic.” Maybe it’s because I refused to shrink myself to fit anyone else’s version of what an attorney, first-gen woman, or leader should look like. Whatever the reason, I stopped waiting for permission a long time ago.

Persistence, for me, isn’t loud or dramatic. It’s showing up, again and again, even when no one claps. It’s rewriting the narrative after the world tries to hand you its own. It’s knowing that the same traits people criticize you for at first–ambition, conviction, boldness–are the ones they’ll later call visionary, the trailblazer.

So how do I persist? I don’t fight the haters; I actually thank them. They remind me that I’m still moving. Still building. Still too bold for someone’s comfort zone. And, as Elton John famously sang, still standing.

And honestly? That’s exactly the point.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I co-founded Cooper & Iravani LLP last year, because I got tired of watching people feel powerless in rooms where they were supposed to be protected. Whether it’s a founder, a creative, or a real estate investor, people deserve lawyers who speak with them, not at them.

I practice business, entertainment, and real estate, but honestly, what I really do is help people build things that last. Contracts, companies, creative rights, they’re all just extensions of someone’s story, and I take that seriously. My favorite part of the job is seeing clients evolve: the startup that becomes a national brand, the artist who finally owns and licenses their IP, the landlord who learns to protect themselves without losing their humanity.

And that is what sets our firm apart, it is that we built it to feel human. In a world where so much feels filtered, automated, and overly curated, genuine connection can feel rare, but that’s where we thrive. We may live in the ChatGPT era, but authenticity still wins every time. At Cooper & Iravani, we’re intentional about being real with our clients. No ivory towers, no condescension, no jargon for the sake of sounding smart and keeping you on retainer. No, we’re thoughtful, strategic, and honest, even when the truth is the harder conversation. Because at the end of the day, our job isn’t just to advise and be the “it depends” folks; it’s to make the law make sense, and, importantly, work, for real people.

At the end of the day, Cooper & Iravani is about one thing: helping people protect what they’ve built, so they can keep building!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

For me, it comes down to resilience, emotional intelligence, and clarity.

Resilience started early, you know, if I am being 100%, being told “you can’t” became my favorite motivation. It’s not just about pushing through hard times; it’s about rewriting the timeline everyone else sets for you.

Emotional intelligence has been just as important. Law, whether you’re in the courtroom or drafting a deal, is a people business. You can memorize every statute or perfect every clause in an APA, but if you can’t read the room, you’ll miss what actually drives the outcome.

And clarity, knowing who you are, what you stand for, and what kind of work you want to be known for. Once you have that, the noise fades.

My advice? Build stamina, not just a résumé. Learn to listen as much as you speak. And stay rooted in your “why” because it’ll carry you farther than any shortcut ever could.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

I’d spend it exactly how I am now, building, creating, and loving the people around me; however, just with fewer pauses to second-guess myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ci-lawgroup.com
• Instagram: ci_lawgroup
• Linkedin: katayooniravani