Lawyers Who Care

Samalin Wealth
  • 5.0 (3)
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Lawyers Who Care features compelling stories from attorneys who go above and beyond for their clients. Your host, Andrew Samalin, principal of Samalin Wealth, talks with these inspirational lawyers about the times they exceeded expectations in their role as legal counsel to ensure the support and well-being of their clients.

  1. Sep 23

    Renata Calderaro | Immigration Law

    In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samalin sits down with Renata Calderaro, CEO of Calderaro Law Group in Doral, Florida, to discuss her journey in immigration law and the powerful ways she helps investors, professionals, athletes, artists, and families create new opportunities through immigration. With 25 years of experience practicing law, Renata views immigration law as more than navigating regulations and securing visas. For her, it is about giving people options, helping them pursue their goals, and creating opportunities for families to build a better future. Renata shares two inspiring client stories that demonstrate what it means to go beyond traditional legal counsel. One involves an Argentine client who lost nearly everything during the country's 2001 economic crisis and ultimately rebuilt his life and business in the United States. Another follows a young couple whose growing business and critically ill child's medical needs created an urgent immigration challenge, one that Renata and her team worked to overcome so the family could remain together in the United States. Throughout the conversation, Renata explains why her clients continue to inspire her and why she believes that difficult circumstances can sometimes reveal possibilities that were not previously visible. In This Episode, You'll Learn: What inspired Renata to pursue a career in law and immigration.How immigration law can create new options for individuals, families, and business owners.How Renata helped a client rebuild after Argentina's 2001 economic crisis.How her team went above and beyond to help a family facing an urgent medical and immigration situation.Why Renata believes freedom means having options.The importance of recognizing opportunities even when circumstances seem limiting.Renata's advice for anyone who wants to change their situation and pursue a bigger goal. Connect with Calderaro Law Group: Email: info@visamiami.com WhatsApp: +1 305-582-1948 Website: visamiami.com

  2. Aug 26

    Carla Barone | Matrimonial & Family Law

    In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samalin speaks with Carla Barone, partner and head of the matrimonial and family law practice at Cohen Forman Barone, with offices in New York City and Long Island. With over twenty-five years of experience negotiating and litigating complex divorce and custody cases, Carla leads a firm that collectively brings more than seventy-five years of litigation experience to clients navigating some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Carla shares how early personal experiences with the legal system first drew her toward advocacy, and how years of litigation training as a public defender at the Legal Aid Society in New York City shaped the courtroom skills she and her partners brought with them when they founded the firm. She explains how Cohen Forman Barone serves clients across matrimonial and family law, criminal defense, and immigration, three areas where people most need someone steady at the helm. She also recounts a ten-day trial on behalf of a ninety-three-year-old client whose spouse sought one hundred percent of their shared estate, arguing he would not need the assets for long. Carla describes what it meant to be the only voice for a client who could not appear in the courtroom himself, and how the judge ultimately awarded him seventy percent of the estate. Topics covered: - From public defender at the Legal Aid Society to founding partner - Over twenty-five years in matrimonial and family law in New York - How Cohen Forman Barone serves clients across family law, criminal defense, and immigration - A ten-day divorce trial fought on behalf of a ninety-three-year-old client - Why the absence of a prenuptial agreement can turn a late-in-life divorce into a full trial - What it means to be a client's only voice in the courtroom - Why peace of mind is the firm's defining promise to every client Connect with Carla Barone: Email: carla@cfblaw.com Phone: (212) 766-9111 Website: cfblaw.com

  3. Jul 30

    Nicole Zuvich | Elder Law

    In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samalin speaks with Nicole Zuvich, owner and lead partner at the Law Offices of Nicole Zuvich, serving clients across Nassau, Suffolk, and New York City. With over thirty years of experience in elder law and estate planning, Nicole has built a full-service practice helping clients with everything from wills, trusts, and powers of attorney to Medicaid planning for both home care and nursing home placement. Nicole shares how her path to elder law began not in law school but in tenth grade, when a career center placement led her to an elder law firm directly across the street from her high school. She went on to work for that firm through high school, college, and law school — learning every aspect of the practice from the ground up before eventually founding her own firm. She also recounts one of the more remarkable dynamics that has arisen in client consultations more than once: a spouse revealing the existence of a child the other partner did not know about — and how careful, sensitive estate planning helped families navigate that revelation and build a workable plan going forward. Topics covered: A thirty-year career in elder law that began in high schoolWills, trusts, powers of attorney, and medical proxiesCommunity Medicaid and chronic care Medicaid planningWhy elder law and estate planning are not just for older adultsNavigating blended family dynamics and complex estate planning disclosuresEstate planning considerations for first responders and police department workersWhy it is never too early — and never too late — to start planning Connect with Nicole Zuvich: Phone: (631) 840-0100 Website: zuvichlaw.com

  4. Jul 22

    Jackie Harounian | Family Law

    In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samalin speaks with Jackie Harounian, managing partner of Wisselman Harounian Family Law in Carle Place, New York. Since 1976, Jackie's firm has been recognized as a leader in matrimonial and family law, representing clients throughout Long Island, Westchester County, and New York City. Jackie also holds a graduate degree in psychology, a credential she draws on daily in one of the most emotionally charged areas of legal practice. Jackie shares how more than thirty years of experience has shaped her approach to divorce, from setting realistic expectations with clients early on to understanding what motivates opposing counsel to recognizing when emotion, rather than strategy, is driving a case in the wrong direction. She reflects on how her practice has evolved toward mediation, negotiation, and prenuptial agreements, and why she now views litigation as a last resort rather than a default. She also walks through the realities of high-conflict divorce, the cost of multi-day depositions, the three-year wait for a trial date in Nassau County, and why clients who go all the way to trial rarely end up satisfied, and explains what lawyers and clients alike can do from the very beginning to avoid that outcome. Topics covered: - Thirty-plus years of matrimonial and family law on Long Island and New York City - How psychology informs Jackie's approach to divorce strategy - Setting client expectations and managing the cost of litigation - Mediation, collaborative law, and litigation, and when each is appropriate - Why fifty percent of cases in New York are good candidates for mediation - The hidden costs of high-conflict divorce and the three-year trial wait in Nassau County - Why litigation should be a last resort, and how to choose the right lawyer Connect with Jackie Harounian: Phone: (516) 773-8300 Email: info@lawjaw.com Website: lawjaw.com

  5. Jul 13

    Irene Lax | Corporate Law

    In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samlin speaks with Irene Lax, senior counsel at Block & Leviton in Wilmington, Delaware. Irene focuses on complex commercial litigation and corporate shareholder litigation and shares how a people-first approach can strengthen legal advocacy across practice areas. Irene discusses the importance of trauma-informed advocacy and explains how communication, preparation, and empathy can improve client experiences during difficult legal matters. She also shares a meaningful client story from her civil rights work that continues to influence her approach to litigation today. Topics covered: - Corporate shareholder litigation - Trauma-informed legal advocacy - Supporting clients through difficult situations - Human-centered litigation strategies - Building trust through communication Connect with Irene Lax: Website: blockleviton.com Email: irene@blockleviton.com Phone: (302) 520-5050

  6. Jul 13

    Lisa Valente | Elder Law

    In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samlin speaks with Lisa Valente, managing partner at Makofsky Valente Law Group in Garden City, New York. Lisa focuses on elder law, estate planning, special needs planning, Medicaid planning, and probate and estate administration, helping families prepare for life’s most important transitions. Lisa shares her journey from starting at her firm as a high school file clerk to becoming the managing partner more than three decades later. She also discusses a powerful client story involving a family navigating a severe medical crisis during COVID and explains how planning, advocacy, and guidance can help families protect both their loved ones and financial future. Topics covered: - Elder law and estate planning - Medicaid planning and asset protection - Supporting families through medical crises - Probate and estate administration - Why planning today protects tomorrow Connect with Lisa Valente: Website: makofskylaw.com Email: lisa@makofskylaw.com Phone: (516) 228-6522

  7. Jun 10

    Jasmine Weg | Business Litigation and Entrepreneurial Law

    In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samalin speaks with Jasmine Weg, founder of Weg Law PLLC, a New York-based law firm focused on litigation, business disputes, construction law, and strategic counsel for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Jasmine is also the host of Exhibit A-List, a podcast where she breaks down legal issues, celebrity disputes, internet culture, and modern business controversies in an accessible and entertaining way. Jasmine shares how a childhood argument with a school principal first planted the seed of a legal career, and how an unconventional path — pausing college, raising a young son, and returning to law school on a full scholarship — ultimately led her to found her own firm during the uncertainty of COVID-19. What began as insurance defense litigation grew into a full-service practice serving business owners and entrepreneurs on everything from contract drafting to commercial disputes. She also discusses how viral TikTok videos about trending lawsuits gave rise to Exhibit A-List, why she believes contracts are at the root of nearly every high-profile legal dispute — from Taylor Swift to Blake Lively — and why she never turns down an opportunity to give someone fifteen minutes of her time, even when there's no case in it for her. Topics covered: - Founding Weg Law PLLC after being laid off during COVID-19 - Business litigation, contract drafting, and counsel for entrepreneurs - How Exhibit A-List grew from viral TikTok videos to a full podcast - Celebrity disputes, contracts, and what they teach everyday business owners - Name, image, and likeness rights in entertainment and sports - Counseling entrepreneurs on how to grow from solo operators to a company - Why generosity with your time and knowledge builds a lasting legal practice Connect with Jasmine Weg: Instagram: @jasmineeegesq Website: wegesq.com Podcast: Exhibit A-List

  8. Jun 3

    John Florsch | Elder Law

    In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samalin speaks with John Florsch, senior counsel at RLGC Law Group in Albany, New York. John focuses his practice on elder law, Medicaid planning, and residential real estate and title insurance, helping families navigate one of the most complex and emotionally charged areas of the legal system. John shares how an estate planning course in law school unexpectedly redirected his ambitions away from criminal defense and corporate law, and how an internship with an elder law firm revealed the depth of connection possible with clients facing placement and care decisions. Nearly two decades later, he is still doing the same work — and still finding it as meaningful as ever. He also walks through a sobering case in which both parents were placed in nursing homes simultaneously, generating invoices of up to forty-six thousand dollars a month, while a free non-legal service submitted an incomplete and potentially damaging Medicaid application that sat pending for nine months. John explains how he was able to step in, identify key exemptions, and ultimately preserve a significant portion of the family's assets. Topics covered: From criminal defense ambitions to elder law specialistCrisis Medicaid planning and nursing home placementThe dangers of free non-legal Medicaid filing servicesNavigating simultaneous nursing home placement for both parentsReferral fee arrangements and their impact on facility placement decisionsThe five-year look-back rule and why it's not the end of the roadWhy consulting an elder law attorney before placement can preserve fifty to sixty percent of assets Connect with John Florsch:  Phone: (518) 250-4264   Email: jflorsch@rlgclaw.com

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About

Lawyers Who Care features compelling stories from attorneys who go above and beyond for their clients. Your host, Andrew Samalin, principal of Samalin Wealth, talks with these inspirational lawyers about the times they exceeded expectations in their role as legal counsel to ensure the support and well-being of their clients.

Information

  • Creator
    Samalin Wealth
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    263
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Samalin Wealth
  • Show Website
    Lawyers Who Care