Career Change: Excitement and Anxiety

As long time readers know, I launched my own law firm after having been forced from a large local law firm which did not want an openly gay law partner who might "offend the sensibilities" of the firm's conservative clients.  The upside has been that I report to no one but myself and my husband and I can be activists in the community.  The downside is that I do not have the financial resources of a larger firm nor do I have backup staff when I am out of town - I typically end up working some everyday even when on vacation - or tied up on a big project.  

Remarkably, all of this is about to change.  Completely out of the blue I have been recruited by Liberty Title & Escrow, a Rhode Island based title insurance agency and its affiliated law firm that is expanding into Virginia.  When the transaction is done later in June, 2014, I will be part of a multiple office law firm (in Virginia, the law firm will trade as Dillon Law Group, PLC) with offices on the "Southside" of Hampton Roads and on the Virginia Peninsula and in Northern Virginia.  In addition, I will be affiliated with a title insurance agency licensed in 31 states - something that will allow me to better serve clients with out of state operations. 

Equally exciting is a regular salary and a benefits package that allows me to secure coverage for my husband now that we are legally married.  After the treatment I received from the local law firm, it is a stunning change to be affiliated with a firm that not only accepts LGBT employees but provides spousal benefits as well.  Adding to the positive "win - win" situation is the fact that my daughter who has been my office manager/paralegal was hired as well.

More details will follow as the transition comes to completion.  I look forward to the opportunity to provide improved services to clients, realtor with who I work and mortgage lender.  This move will also greatly expand the area in which I can provide real estate services to clients. Don't live in Virginia?  Liberty Title & Escrow can likely help you in your state of residence. For the time being, I can still be contacted via e-mail (mike@hamarlaw.com) or telephone (757-622-2008) at my existing firm.  Once the change over is complete, the e-mail address will forward to my new e-mail address and the telephone number is being transfer to the new firm name.