My father was a lawyer. I would often visit him at his office and even work there from time to time. From an early age, I was certain that when I grew up I wanted to be anything but a lawyer. My father had a transactional practice and it bored me to tears. It wasn’t until I took a psychology and the law class in college, where we studied the psychology of a trial, that I got my first taste of the artistry and poetry of being a trial lawyer. I knew then that I wanted to be a trial lawyer. Of course, my father was still an inspiration to me. Even as a kid, I saw that my father would walk through fire for his clients. I believed that was what it meant to be a lawyer. I still do. It is that commitment to customer service that draws me to the hospitality industry. I also love to cook—it is my passion and, frankly, my therapy. Maybe that’s why, when I’m on property for a client, the interviews of the chefs tend to take a little longer than others!

I was raised in Connecticut and earned my undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College. Two days after graduation, I loaded my car and headed west to Los Angeles. I worked for a couple of years selling steel and aluminum (loved that job) and then went to law school at Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. I’ve been based in San Diego my entire legal career, but I love that my work takes me all over the state and across the Country. I am grateful and humbled when a client places their trust in us to take their case to trial, and I also love working with clients on a day-to-day basis, counseling them on all the little and big things that come with employing people.