Profile in Inclusion

Kathy Davis

The responsibilities of a legal assistant are extensive and multifaceted. But sitting Shiva is definitely not part of the typical job description. For Kathy Davis, however, paying respects after the death of a long-term client and comforting his widow during an excruciating time was an obvious extension of her commitment to doing the right thing and doing right by the firm’s clients.

“It wouldn’t have occurred to me not to go,” Kathy says. “When the widow, who we worked with extensively over the years, said, ‘I just knew you or Don [Russ, one of the attorneys Kathy works for but who was out of town at the time] would be here,’ it still makes me teary-eyed.’

That people-centric perspective not only defines how Kathy approaches her role but is also indicative of the firm’s core values generally, she says. And she should know. Kathy has been at Chuhak & Tecson since the day it opened its doors in 1987. While the firm has grown over those three-plus decades from less than a dozen attorneys to over 60 today, Kathy believes that the passing years and larger roster of lawyers and staff have not changed what makes the firm a special place.

“The culture here really is the same today as it was when we were first setting up shop,” she says. “Genuinely caring for those we work for and with, never losing sight of the human aspect of what it means to serve clients or be a supportive co-worker – every person who is here today and those who have moved on share those fundamental principles.”

With the attorneys she works for focusing on smaller, closely held or family-owned companies as well as individuals and families putting estate or succession plans together, business and personal are inextricably intertwined. That combination is also what gives her so much satisfaction in her work.

“We’re helping folks with the things that mean the most to them,” Kathy notes. “Keeping a business that someone has spent their lives building in the family or ensuring its continuity, making sure that their loved ones are cared for and have financial security, helping families sort through complicated or contentious issues – these are the kinds of issues that have lifelong impacts. It is extremely gratifying when we can play a role in those efforts.”

One of the many reasons Kathy is so proud of the firm and its culture is that leadership has always encouraged people to be their authentic selves, to know that who they are, what they believe and where they come from will be respected and celebrated. Well before ‘DEI” was a ubiquitous term, she says Chuhak & Tecson walked the walk when it came to making diversity a core value.

“The firm’s efforts to foster a diverse and welcoming workplace have always been thoughtful and intentional,” she says. “The many initiatives and programs we have, and just the way we all treat each other every day – it’s part of why I am far from the only person who has spent all or most of their career here.”