Leading With Heart: Brian Litzinger’s Seattle Vision

Brian: I started with Modern Family Law in August of 2020, right during the middle of the pandemic.  I was intrigued by their compassionate approach to family law, their 100% remote work policy, and the reputation they had in the field.  As a funny aside, I interviewed first in early 2020 and was turned down, and then applied for another open attorney position in July 2020, and was hired.  After starting in August 2020, I took over a desk for a departing attorney and developed a caseload.  I was promoted to senior attorney a few months after starting. I was able to mentor other junior associates as they developed their practices and client bases, which is something I take great pride in.

Brian: I am a child of a divorced family.  My parents divorced when I was eight years old, and while at the time I didn’t understand a lot of what was going on in the background, I just knew what the outcome was.  The divorce in my family ultimately led me to lose contact with my father for thirteen years, and as I have learned more of what happened the more frustrated I become with how my parent’s divorce was handled.  Family law is an opportunity for attorneys to help guide individuals toward resolutions that ensure they can start fresh after the process is over.  My goal in every case is to do everything within my abilities to ensure that my clients come out the other side of the divorce process ready to begin their new life, and to ensure that the children of the divorce or not utilized as pawns to reach those goals.

Brian: My main priority is to develop a world-class team of professionals who share our vision of compassionate representation for individuals going through what is in all likelihood one of the most difficult periods of their lives.

Brian: I have been taking multiple continuing legal education classes and networking with other practitioners in the area, to get to the differences in the legal landscape between Colorado and Washington.  While statutes are different in every state, that isn’t the core of what differentiates the practice of family law – it comes down to the individual and unique judges, which is why I believe it is so important to develop relationships with practitioners in Washington – to learn those variances in the perception of statute and case law that exist from Courtroom to Courtroom and Judge to Judge.

Brian: The biggest challenge that I foresee personally is learning all there is to know about Seattle – I have only been once, and my wife has been twice, so we have a lot to learn about the area.  Regarding the office itself, I think the biggest challenge at this point is just developing the office space and staying on schedule to ensure we are ready to greet clients in October in our completely new office space which defies traditional expectations of law firms.

Brian: Compassion is a driving force in everything we do here – and a lot of that comes down to ensuring that each and every employee, from paralegals to attorneys to myself, doesn’t lose sight of why we do what we do every day.  We are here to provide legal representation to those that are going through the most difficult time in their lives, and to help them come out on the other side whole.

Brian: One of the biggest innovations we are bringing to market in Seattle is our office space – gone is the dark and dreary office space, dark wood shelves filled with law books that no one has opened in fifteen years, and offices along the windows with paralegals relegated to the middle of office floors. We are pioneering an open-concept workspace, where attorneys and paralegals can work in communal spaces, where there are office spaces if needed for privacy and to meet with clients and the obligatory conference room. We are bringing our tech-focused practice of law to our workspace, with digital keyless entry.

Brian: I envision Seattle as growing to one of the larger of our firms in terms of client and case volume, as well as headcount.   I also would like to explore opportunities for the firm to give back to the community, much as the Denver firm does, by providing volunteer services monthly with the Metro Volunteer Lawyers Association in Colorado.

Brian: To all those who would wish to join the Seattle office – Welcome.  We are looking for those who share our vision of compassionate service helping individuals navigate the divorce process and ensuring that our clients receive world-class legal services from our team. If this is you, and you are excited to join one of the fastest-growing family law firms in the Country, reach out to me and I would love to chat with you about what sets us apart from other firms.

MFL: Is there anything else you’d like to share about your new role or your vision for the Seattle office?

Brian: Just how grateful I am for the opportunity to spearhead our expansion into the Pacific Northwest and the support I have received both internally and externally as the firm expands.  I am truly excited to develop a world-class team and continue Modern Family Law’s phenomenal growth in Seattle.