Victoria Blachly
We sat down with Women to Women Network member Victoria Blachly of Samuels Yoelin Kantor LLP, and here's what she had to say…
Who are your clients/customers?
I'm a fiduciary litigator and trial attorney, representing individual trustees, corporate trustees, beneficiaries, and personal representatives in often challenging cases. My cases include trust and estate litigation, will contests, trust disputes, undue influence, capacity cases, claims of fiduciary breach, financial elder abuse, and petitioning for court instructions, as well as contested guardianship and conservatorship cases.
My firm has been around for ninety-four years, so we have an extensive range. For most cases, I've got someone on my team that can help. I'm a problem solver. If you have a problem, let me know, and I'll find a way to support you.
How do you help your clients/customers?
I will fight like hell for them. I tell all of my clients from the beginning that I will talk early and often about a settlement. I want my clients to know that we have tried everything to resolve this as soon as possible. In the cases where early settlement isn't an option, I will bat for you every step of the way. While I can't change the other party's character, I work hard to make your experience as smooth as possible.
What brought you to this line of work?
Like most attorneys, I stumbled into this particular area of law. It's common for people to come out of law school with a stronger idea of what they DON'T want to do. When I was an attorney at Lane Powell downtown, I was doing fiduciary litigation. Their estate planner left the firm, and I realized I needed a robust platform of really great and nerdy people to help me with what I do. I'm the grappler, and I will fight. I am not the technician. I don't keep up to date on tax codes, and I'm not going to look through your accounting details for you, but now I have a team who will.
When I had my daughter, I looked around at Lane Powell and saw a clear message that women with children had a glass ceiling. That's when I called my three friends at Samuels to find a firm with a better support team. When I started at Samuels, we had about seven attorneys. We now have twenty. I was their first female partner, but since I've been there, we've grown to more than 50 percent women lawyers on our team.
Samuels has an annual event called “Sparkle!” We invite 200+ women (clients, referrals, etc.) to get together to fly each other's flags. It's been great to have my ideas embraced by the team. We've evolved and grown an excellent reputation of being a business with strong women. I'm proud of the work that I've done to make that change, but I'm also proud of the fact that they were open and willing to change.
What brings you joy?
I love to stand up to a bully when my clients may not have the fortitude to do so on their own. Everyone needs a personal advocate sometimes, and I have my clients' backs. For example, there are many elder abuse cases involving family members stealing from family members. It's upsetting to think that someone birthed, raised, and loved a child, and now the same child is stealing from them. There's a lot of counseling in these situations. I am very empathetic and validating. Many of my cases are roller coasters of emotions, and it's an honor for me to help my clients through to the other side.
What defines you and your business?
Compassion. These cases I handle are very high-touch because we're dealing with emotional and personal issues. I put my client's needs first and use clear communication. There's a lot of sadness and darkness in what I do, so I have acquired a good sense of humor. You have to be wired a certain way to be a litigator, deal with conflict, deal with the stress, and think on your feet. Laughing together is unexpected when you're in the middle of a lawsuit, but I've come out of cases with some terrific friends. I just love it. I love what I do.
What's the most important thing you want people to know about you and your business?
I am a fixer. I will help you fix your problem, or I will find somebody to help you fix your problem.
Samuels Yoelin Kantor LLP