Vorzimer/Masserman - Fertility & Family Law Center

Andrew W. Vorzimer

Andrew W. Vorzimer heads the firm’s Third Party Reproductive Practice at Vorzimer/Masserman (VM). Mr. Vorzimer is a frequent author on subjects including third party reproduction, surrogacy and egg donation. Mr. Vorzimer was the recipient of the “Illumination Award” from the American Fertility Association (AFA) and the 2017 Whittier Law School Alumni Attorney of the Year Award. Mr. Vorzimer is recognized worldwide as the foremost expert in the field of Surrogacy, Egg Donation and Reproductive Law. Mr. Vorzimer has also handled numerous high profile litigation cases including: David Copperfield vs. Butterfield & Butterfield; Elizabeth Taylor vs. The National Enquirer; Estate of Howard Hughes vs. Summa Corporation; the professional liability portion of the Twilight Zone case; and has represented the State of California in the People vs. Coastal Insurance lawsuit. Reported Case of note: North River Insurance Company vs. American Home Assurance Company, 210 Cal. App. 3d 108 (1989).

Mr. Vorzimer has been quoted as an expert or appeared in numerous magazines and news shows including 60 Minutes, CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, Medical News Today, USA Today and MSNBC . Mr. Vorzimer was a Contributing Author to: Consents and Contracts, “Principles of Oocyte and Embryo Donation”; Insurance Handbook for Business Litigators; and CEB Civil Procedure Before Trial,1990. Mr. Vorzimer has authored numerous articles including: What to Look for in an Egg Donation Program; Workplace Environment: Sexual Harassment; Business & Professions Code Section 17200: California’s Unfair Competition Law; Sexual Harassment: Increase in Claims Strikes Fear in Employers; and Hostile Work Environment Claims Have Employers on the Defensive. Mr. Vorzimer and Mr. Masserman were also part of a small group of attorneys who assisted Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes in drafting AB1217 which codified the current best legal practices regarding surrogacy agreements in California, and was added to the California Family Code as Section 7962.

Attorney Dean Masserman

Dean E. Masserman is a highly experienced and respected trial lawyer, who has handled in excess of 40 jury trials and 3,300 court trials and substantive hearings in both federal and state court, and serves as chairperson of the firm’s Family Law Practice, Civil Defense Practice and Complex Litigation Practice. Mr. Masserman began his legal career as a Los Angeles County Deputy Public Defender. Since founding VM in 1994, Mr. Masserman has expanded his practice to include all facets of Family Law litigation. Mr. Masserman’s, specialties include third party reproduction litigation, property disputes involving frozen embryos and genetic materials, marital and non-marital transactions, divorce, spousal and child support disputes, restraining orders, and complex criminal and family litigation.

In addition, Mr. Masserman has successfully defended clients in matters pertaining to Employment Law, Criminal Defense, Immigration, Construction Defect Law, Unfair Competition, Products Liability Defense, Sexual Harassment, Wrongful Termination Defense, and Entertainment Law. Mr. Masserman also assists and defends hospitals, IVF clinics and surrogacy agencies with their informed consent documents and negligence claims. Mr. Masserman frequently works with Mr. Vorzimer in the Third Party Reproduction practice. Mr. Masserman was instrumental in securing the first pre-birth judgment of maternity/paternity in the United States following the landmark decision in Buzzanca v. Buzzanca. He also authored an article regarding recent advances in Pre-implantation Genetic Determination (PGD), and the legal ramifications associated with this procedure, for the Journal of Assisted Reproductive Law. Mr. Masserman and Mr. Vorzimer were also part of a small group of attorneys who assisted Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes in drafting AB1217 which codified the current best legal practices regarding surrogacy agreements in California, and was added to the California Family Code as Section 7962.

Attorney Amani T. Hanson - Of Counsel

Amani T. Hanson graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry. As an undergraduate, she performed research at the Texas Tech University Health Science Center in the department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience. After college, she was awarded with a Post-Baccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award from the National Institutes of Health. Such award consisted of a 2-year NIH grant to perform research full time at the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Lab of Integrative Neuroscience. During this time, Mrs. Hanson studied fetal alcohol syndrome, particularly the effects of alcohol on neuronal migration within the cerebellum. She has first authored a publication in the Journal of Neuroscience and presented her research as several scientific meetings.

Mrs. Hanson then attended the Rutgers School of Law – Camden and the School of Business – Camden, where she completed a J.D./M.B.A. dual degree program. Mrs. Hanson was formerly an associate at VM from 2014 -2021. Currently Mrs. Hanson resides in Texas and is Of Counsel to the firm, collaborating with VM’s Assisted Reproduction team. Mrs. Hanson is fluent in Arabic and enjoys traveling, cooking, reading and exercising.

Attorney Krystel Zambrano

Krystel Zambrano is a Senior Associate with the firm’s Assisted Third Party Reproduction, Family Law, and Civil Defense/Complex Litigation groups.  She received her law degree from UCLA School of Law, where she graduated Order of the Coif.  Ms. Zambrano was an active member of her law school community.  She served as the external co-chair for the Latino Law Student Association, a staff editor for the Chicanx Latinx Law Review, and a volunteer for several immigration rights and homelessness clinics.  Prior to joining VM as an associate, Ms. Zambrano externed for the Hon. Kim McLane Wardlaw in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and worked at a large law firm where she worked on breach of contract, mass torts, personal injury, and consumer class action cases in state and federal court.  Ms. Zambrano obtained her bachelor’s degree from UCLA, summa cum laude, and is fluent in Spanish.

Ms. Zambrano also has extensive experience in the Assisted Third Party Reproduction field. Before attending law school, she spent several years working with agencies, clinics, and intended parents seeking to complete their families through assisted reproduction technologies. 

Attorney Larissa Donikian

arissa Donikian is a California licensed attorney working with the firm’s Assisted Third Party Reproduction group. She received her law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. She served as the Secretary of the Armenian Law Students’ Association after two years of active membership. Prior to joining VM as an associate, Larissa was employed at a large law firm where she worked on general liability cases including breach of contract and personal injury matters. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Irvine earning two Bachelor of the Arts degrees in History and Political Science.

Larissa has a lifelong commitment to philanthropy and since 2010 has dedicated her efforts to the nonprofit organization, Focus on Children Now. Focus on Children Now runs multiple school programs in third-world Armenia aimed at benefitting pre-school and kindergarten students. In her free time, Larissa enjoys Muay Thai kickboxing, hiking various trails throughout Los Angeles, and traveling to new places (most recently to Peru).