Advocatespedia:Today's featured article/August 25, 2024

I was born in Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union. Chernobyl was still smoldering, the country was collapsing, and inflation was so out of control that people were getting their salaries in duffel bags. My parents could not see a future for my brother and me there, so they took a huge risk, packed all our belongings into two checked bags per person, and arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport in 1992. Even before the plane landed, my parents were already telling me how they had left everything behind just so I could have a good career and a stable life. The pressure and expectations never stopped. Growing up, there were constant reminders that my family had left everything behind to bring me to this promised land so I could live the American dream. Very early on, I developed the mindset that I always had to seize the day, even if the day was rainy, cold, I didn’t have a warm jacket, and I felt sick…I still had to seize the day. Now, I never wait for opportunity to knock on the door — I create the door. And create the door I did, when I graduated from Penn Law. I fulfilled my parent’s dream of having an American Lawyer as a daughter. The inspiration to establish a women’s led law firm came from my personal experiences navigating the legal field, where I often felt that women’s voices were underrepresented. Women bring a unique perspective and approach to problem-solving, and I wanted to create a space where these qualities could thrive. My vision has shaped our firm’s culture to be one of inclusivity, empathy, and collaboration. This has led to our success by fostering a supportive environment where every team member feels valued and empowered to contribute their best work. One of the most important things I’m doing now is providing best-in-class legal services to medical professionals — mostly women — who are starting their very first business. No one gets taught business in medical school or nursing school, so although they have amazing skills and experience, these nurses and doctors feel completely trapped in the traditional medical system.

Sara Shikhman