Stacy D. Phillips

After 30 years practicing family law, Phillips has seen her clientele evolve but her strategies for success haven't changed.

Her celebrity divorces grabbed headlines in the late 2000s, but Phillips is representing more partners in the private equity space, and parents who are successful business owners.

All are used to taking the lead in negotiations. Most step back once they see her in action.

One client for whom Phillips crafted a prenup "written to be flexible and stand the test of time" tasked her with turning clauses into dollars in divorce talks 14 months after the wedding.

"I walked in with the other side's offer, and when the client didn't say anything, I told them that I thought the figure was unacceptable and suggested we" keep negotiating, she recounted.

Phillips closed for $5 million more, and later learned from the estate planner that the client alone would not have dared to ask for more.

James J. Yukevich, partner at Yukevich Cavanaugh in Los Angeles and a successful commercial litigator, was impressed with Phillips' gracious manner while representing him in dissolution and custody talks.

"She's tenacious, thick-skinned, and doesn't get baited by the other side, but the reason I chose to retain her is that her preferred method of proceeding is to sit down, think reasonably about the issues and try to reconcile in good faith," Yukevich said. "Whether that overture is accepted or not is another story, but I've seen her try and bridge the gap, and she cares about preserving the family and causing the least amount of pain."

Experience has taught Phillips not to hesitate in letting clients go if she feels they don't have the child's best interest in mind, if they do not want an attorney who is a partner in decision-making, or if they aren't willing to be reasonable in what they ask.

"My philosophy is that pigs get fat, but hogs get slaughtered," Phillips said.

- America Hernandez