Today we’d like to introduce you to Paula Phillips.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Paula. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Hi there! I am originally from Lawton, Oklahoma. I came to South Florida for law school, U.M. Class of 1997. I have been here ever since and now call it my home.
I began my practice with a paid internship from 1997-1998 at a small public interest firm practicing Civil Rights Law. While there, I had the experience of litigating a Federal Case with F. Lee Bailey. After that year, I was hired by an aviation law firm, Anania Bandklayder, where I worked for two years on aviation and other personal injury claims.
Shortly thereafter, I was recruited to a national firm, Hinshaw & Culbertson. There, I practiced complex catastrophic claims and other smaller tort actions. After five years of learning the practice there, I transitioned to a boutique firm handling cases ranging from personal injury to legal malpractice, petroleum litigation, admiralty, construction law, and elevator liability.
After 2 1/2 years, I moved to Cole, Scott & Kissane, where I spent the next five years in defense of tort claims and served as Chair of the Fort Lauderdale first-party property team. I left Cole Scott to Manage the Insurance Litigation Division at Zumpano Castro in Fort Lauderdale. After reaching the limit of my potential there, I left to form my own firm with my then and current partner, Alejandro Perez and the rest of my litigation team.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road to success for women in law can seem to be unremarkable, at first. However, the pay gap between women and men in the litigation industry soon begins to sting. Men are still perceived as the breadwinners, responsible for the support of a family, whereas income to women is viewed as disposable. So, the ability to save and prepare for one’s future and, in particular, one’s own business will simply take longer.
But more pervasive than that are the struggles in the boardroom – if you ever even get there. Without question, the opinions of women are treated as second class to those of the men in the room, and like it or no, there is still a clubhouse or “locker room” mentality about executive positions.
As such, it can be easy to take a seat and simply go with the flow, letting the guys in the room make all the decisions, nodding politely. Don’t do that. Lean in. Make your voice heard and if they go a different direction anyway, so be it. When you stop talking and stop contributing, you stop giving the people around you the opportunity to benefit from what you have to offer.
At some point, consider going out on your own, as I did, or transition to a firm that is minority-owned. When talent starts moving to a more fertile ground to be heard and appreciated, it will cause other, not-so-friendly businesses to take stock. This slowly but surely will change the corporate culture to welcome diversity and true inclusion.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Phillips Perez, P.A. – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
At Phillips Perez, we pride ourselves on a sensible work-life balance. All of the employees here receive full benefits with no employee contribution, including a gap plan for unexpected hospital stays, etc. The work year is 11 months, with four weeks of vacation. The billable requirement for lawyers is 166 hours per month for 11 months of the year, with bonuses for performance in excess of that.
Our relationships with our clients are extremely fulfilling. Specializing in insurance coverage and defense, appeals, and commercial transactions, we have the benefit of over 100 years of combined litigation experience. As such, we provide the highest quality legal representation to all of our clients, and the long-term nature of our relationships with them is a testament to the trust that they place in us and our appreciation of it.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well-positioned for?
Woman are particularly well-position for roles in government and business management. There is a wealth of talent that now more than ever feels empowered to seek out positions of leadership instead of feeling somehow unworthy. Women are uniquely positioned to branch out into entrepreneurship, with numerous programs in place now to assist women and minority-owned businesses financially and strategically.
While there is still a long way to go to achieving workplace equity, there has never been a better time to be a woman in business. It is only going to get better.
Contact Info:
- Address: Phillips Perez, P.A.
2655 S. Le Jeune Road, Suite 500
Miami, FL 33134 - Website: www.phillipsperez.com
- Phone: 305-609-7708
- Email: pjp@phillipsperez.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhillipsPerezPA/?ref=bookmarks
Image Credit:
Judge David Young at the Coral Gables Bar Association Installation Dinner (in the photo of me with the party). With long-term partner Leo Sutkin in NYC. With fellow activist Jackye Forster Clayton at a charity Century Ride in Cocoa Beach.
Suggest a story: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
