Attorney Spotlight – Surge Moghaddassi
Harman Claytor Corrigan & Wellman’s Attorney Spotlight for April is Surge N. Moghaddassi. Surge has been practicing law for nine years, five of which have been at Harman Claytor. His practice focuses on consumer litigation, auto liability defense, and premises liability.
1. Where are you from originally? — Greensboro, NC.
2. Did you have any other professions before becoming an attorney? — I used to sling ice cream in 2005.
3. What is at the top of your bucket list? — Skydiving.
4. What advice would you give your younger self? — Stretch more.
5. What is the most important thing you have learned in the last five years? — You should remove the basement drain plug when it’s raining.
6. You’re happiest when… — I’m sitting on the porch at Pawley’s Island, SC, during our yearly family vacation.
7. Do you have a motto or personal mantra? — “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
8. What is your favorite joke? — “I’m sick of following my dreams. I’m just going to ask them where they’re going and hook up with them later.”
9. What is your biggest pet peeve? — Shorts/open-toed shoes on an airplane.
10. If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be? — Iran.
11. What’s the best trip you’ve ever been on and why? — Mexico City in 2022 was pretty great. We did have a knife pulled on us at one point, but it was probably our fault.
12. Do you have a favorite quote or favorite line from a movie? — “All this happened, more or less.”
13. If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would play you? — Jake Gyllenhaal (obviously).
14. What TV show/movie are you ashamed to admit you love? — Who Framed Roger Rabbit (essentially the same plot as Chinatown).
15. What do you enjoy doing outside of work? — Playing Gaelic Hurling (go Richmond Battery!), biking, cooking, making cocktails, stargazing, urban exploring, weightlifting, and woodworking.
16. Describe an interesting hobby or pastime that you have. — I started cooking soon after meeting my partner, Maisie…out of necessity (sorry, Maisie). I started with Persian recipes, but soon I was cooking practically everything. I was surprised by how much you can make just by learning a little bit of technique and theory. The same is mostly true of cocktails: but while technique and theory are important, you really can’t hide the quality of your ingredients. When a cocktail contains 3-4 components, it’s critical that you use prime ingredients. (Note: I know an embarrassing amount about cocktail ice.) I know what you’re all thinking: do I bake? No, not really. My sister’s the baker in the family (shoutout to Mogi’s Macarons) so I’ve been staying in my lane. Also, cooking is pretty forgiving, so I definitely enjoy it over baking. If I seem like I’m in a particularly good mood these days, it’s because we just bought a new range/hood! I’m pretty excited to start wok-cooking—wish me luck!
17. Do you have any creative outlets or interests? — Around six years ago I started woodworking—making mostly furniture, but also vases, bowls, cutting boards, etc. It’s amazing how much you can pick up in such a short time.
18. What’s something that you’ve always wanted to try or learn? — I’d love to learn Spanish or master Persian (Farsi). While Spanish is practical and popular, I’m especially interested in Farsi for cultural reasons. Sadly, Richmond does not have a lot of resources for learning it or a lot of opportunities to use it.
19. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? — If I won the lottery, I’d pay off my student loans (and use the remaining money on a burrito—ha ha). But in all seriousness, I’d probably use the money to travel.
20. Is there anything else interesting/fun/ surprising you would like to share not covered in any of the questions above? — I’m really interested in cave-diving—despite being terrified of open bodies of water. It is by far one of the most dangerous hobbies (right behind BASE-jumping). I also used to row on the crew team in college, despite my aversion to water.
