Today we’d like to introduce you to Keyavash (Key) Hemyari.
Hi Key, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up the product of my parents chasing the American Dream. They were immigrants who met here after the Iranian Revolution.
My first memory of family living was with my aunt, cousin, mom, dad, and sister. From starting life with two families in one home, to now each of us moving out and establishing our own homes, I saw the American Dream in action. This upbringing frames a lot of my mindset, that my mother and father could move here from Iran, build amazing lives, and afford us the opportunity to do the same. That became the standard by which I’ve held myself, and also the standard I expect for our wonderful country to provide all people, both immigrant and native alike. My parents set the bar high.
Ok, so it’s with this backdrop I’ll start my story! I had an amazing high school experience, with many friends whom I keep in touch with today, and a great education. My social and family lives were robust. College was a great time, too. All of those experiences led me to have an amazing support system as a young adult.
But, during my senior year of college, I got into a car accident that changed my life. The airbag exploded and caused shrapnel to go through my eye, rupturing it, blowing out my cheek/eye orbit, and fracturing my jaw and C1 neck vertebrae. Where most people would be upset, it really did show me my privilege in life, because my support system was incredible. I am supremely fortunate to be alive, and it’s this gift, combined with the struggles and successes my parents have experienced, that compels me to work hard and enjoy life to the fullest. I’ve worn an eyepatch for the last 15 years as a result of that accident. I’m still working on trying to get useful vision back, but it’s a coin flip at this point.
For about two years after college, I worked a variety of jobs or businesses and focused on studying for law school. At UT Law, I ended up having a decent career, but the largest impact to my career was joining the Texas Law Review and rising up to a position that maintained the relationships between law firms and the students. If you don’t know, the Law Review is like the flagship organization for each school, and law firms love to recruit from them.
Managing the finances, fundraising, and having the business position on the Texas Law Review allowed me to have real experience managing an organization where I had to report to a board. Moreover, it put me in contact with nearly every law firm in Texas (this is important for the business I start later). After law school, I started my career at Vinson & Elkins, and then later moved to Kirkland & Ellis. After about five years of practice, it became clear to me that I needed to follow the path of an entrepreneur! More on that below.
This year I was awarded Dallas Business Journal’s 40 under 40, received an award noting that Saltu is the #846 fastest privately growing company according to Inc 5000, and am on the cusp of writing a column for the Texas Law Book’s corporate deal tracker, which should launch in October 2025.
Probably missed the “brief” part of this section.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The car accident, subsequent surgeries, and wearing an eyepatch for about 15 years have at times been difficult. But candidly, it hasn’t been as bad as one would expect. My tribe and support system have been amazing, and I just think I’m well-positioned to handle challenges because of my background and mindset.
But no, certainly not smooth. What makes my story interesting isn’t the business stuff—it’s that I turned my disadvantage of being monocular with my eye patch into my strength and motivation.
The older I get, the more I realize that I’ve done best with my back against the wall. So whether it’s the eye, having a rough start to law school, or just putting myself in difficult situations, I achieve more in uncomfortable scenarios.
I also think growing up Iranian-American has its own set of challenges. The dual identities are in constant conflict, whether it is through the media or actual war. I wouldn’t change my identity though. The Persian diaspora has a strength that should be enviable by all.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I launched Saltu (formerly Key Choice Recruiting) in 2021 and both of my former firms became clients #1 and #2, a detail I love about my story. Like an agent to an athlete, I represent elite attorneys in their moves between law firms. My clients include nearly every major law firm in the USA, and over the last 4 years we’ve moved over a 100 attorneys to new firms. Attorneys love that I used to practice too.
What sets us apart is our focus on building teams with people who have actually worked in the industries we staff. Given I’m a lawyer and worked at Vinson & Elkins and Kirkland & Ellis (two amazing law firms) lawyers trust my judgment when representing them to firms. The same goes for my team. This makes us better positioned than other kitschy recruiters. We also have additional industry verticals, including IT, F&A, Healthcare, etc., and these groups are run by the dynamic duo Parsa Bastami and Daria Ruiz.
My business has put me in a position to help people every day. Whether it’s attorneys or people looking for new jobs, I solve for pretty important situations in their lives, and that is what makes it rewarding.
Check out www.saltulegal.com and www.saltustaffing.com for more.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck has played an immense role in my life in extreme positives and extreme negatives. To be born in America, you have to be extremely lucky. To have a defective airbag that causes damage to your eye is extremely unlucky. Another word for all of this is just variance. You can’t let it hold you back, and with all “luck,” you just need to consistently do the best you can. More often than not if you take the best path forward, variance, or luck, will play out positively in your favor.
Other things I am lucky for: my family, my friends, my girlfriend, my colleagues, and my community.
Also, if you meant luck in the literal sense, I once knocked out Phil Ivey (he’s like the Michael Jordan of poker): https://www.pokernews.com/tours/wsop/2025-wsop/event-32-50000-high-roller/chips.741554.htm
Anyway, thank you to the Dallas Voyage team for the opportunity. You all have an amazing publication and I love reading the stories you share. An additional thanks to Umair Meghani and Ashka Karia for the recommendation, for Umair’s friendship in high school, and for Ashka’s friendship and amazing taste in designing the interior of my home.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.saltulegal.com
- Instagram: @keyavash; @saltulegal
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/key-hemyari/
- Other: www.saltustaffing.com
Image Credits
Al Torres Photography
