Stacy D. Phillips

Celebrities and high-net-worth individuals come to Phillips for counsel with their difficult family law problems.

Her advocacy for clients includes more than top-notch legal skills.

“I need to be empathetic and supportive but probing, challenging as well as protective,” Phillips said. “But if I am too close to it and not objective, I’m not doing my client any good.”

Complex divorce actions, custody matters and domestic violence cases are some of the legal issues she handles for her clients.

“In the past few years, I’ve been doing a lot of domestic violence matters,” Phillips said. “In this day and age, alternative dispute resolution has become very important and I’m a big believer in that but dealing with domestic violence means you need to be in court.”

Phillips doesn’t shy away from high-stakes litigation, but she also assists clients in collaborative divorce and mediation which takes the cases out of the courtroom.

“I love the challenge of figuring out a story or situation and coming up with a solution,” she said. “Sometimes that entails going to court, sometimes it doesn’t.”

Same-sex divorce, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements along with divisions of assets are some of the other issues she tackles for clients.

The certified family law specialist has a legal career which spans about 35 years. Phillips built a law firm and had it for 26 years before it merged into Blank Rome in 2016.

“That’s one of the coolest things about doing this for so long,” she said. “I’ve watched a lot of case law develop in certain areas.”

When she’s not advocating for clients, Phillips gives her time to charitable organizations and mentors other lawyers. She is one of the speakers at the Daily Journal’s Women’s conference on May 2.

“I’m really excited about the women’s panel that’s coming up,” she said. “I love how lawyers in this community all work together to share their experiences.”

— Melanie Brisbon