Lawyers Who Care

Hosted by Samalin Wealth

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Episodes

262

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Lawyers Who Care features compelling stories from attorneys who go above and beyond for their clients. Your host, Andrew Samalin, principal of Samalin Wealth, talks with these inspirational lawyers about the times they exceeded expectations in their role as legal counsel to ensure the support and well-being of their clients.

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August 26, 20268 min

Carla Barone | Matrimonial & Family Law

In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samalin speaks with Carla Barone, partner and head of the matrimonial and family law practice at Cohen Forman Barone, with offices in New York City and Long Island. With over twenty-five years of experience negotiating and litigating complex divorce and custody cases, Carla leads a firm that collectively brings more than seventy-five years of litigation experience to clients navigating some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Carla shares how early personal experiences with the legal system first drew her toward advocacy, and how years of litigation training as a public defender at the Legal Aid Society in New York City shaped the courtroom skills she and her partners brought with them when they founded the firm. She explains how Cohen Forman Barone serves clients across matrimonial and family law, criminal defense, and immigration, three areas where people most need someone steady at the helm. She also recounts a ten-day trial on behalf of a ninety-three-year-old client whose spouse sought one hundred percent of their shared estate, arguing he would not need the assets for long. Carla describes what it meant to be the only voice for a client who could not appear in the courtroom himself, and how the judge ultimately awarded him seventy percent of the estate. Topics covered: - From public defender at the Legal Aid Society to founding partner - Over twenty-five years in matrimonial and family law in New York - How Cohen Forman Barone serves clients across family law, criminal defense, and immigration - A ten-day divorce trial fought on behalf of a ninety-three-year-old client - Why the absence of a prenuptial agreement can turn a late-in-life divorce into a full trial - What it means to be a client's only voice in the courtroom - Why peace of mind is the firm's defining promise to every client Connect with Carla Barone: Email: carla@cfblaw.com Phone: (212) 766-9111 Website: cfblaw.com

July 30, 20268 min

Nicole Zuvich | Elder Law

In this episode of Lawyers Who Care , host Andrew Samalin speaks with Nicole Zuvich, owner and lead partner at the Law Offices of Nicole Zuvich, serving clients across Nassau, Suffolk, and New York City. With over thirty years of experience in elder law and estate planning, Nicole has built a full-service practice helping clients with everything from wills, trusts, and powers of attorney to Medicaid planning for both home care and nursing home placement. Nicole shares how her path to elder law began not in law school but in tenth grade, when a career center placement led her to an elder law firm directly across the street from her high school. She went on to work for that firm through high school, college, and law school — learning every aspect of the practice from the ground up before eventually founding her own firm. She also recounts one of the more remarkable dynamics that has arisen in client consultations more than once: a spouse revealing the existence of a child the other partner did not know about — and how careful, sensitive estate planning helped families navigate that revelation and build a workable plan going forward. Topics covered: A thirty-year career in elder law that began in high school Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and medical proxies Community Medicaid and chronic care Medicaid planning Why elder law and estate planning are not just for older adults Navigating blended family dynamics and complex estate planning disclosures Estate planning considerations for first responders and police department workers Why it is never too early — and never too late — to start planning Connect with Nicole Zuvich: Phone: (631) 840-0100 Website: zuvichlaw.com

July 22, 202616 min

Jackie Harounian | Family Law

In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samalin speaks with Jackie Harounian, managing partner of Wisselman Harounian Family Law in Carle Place, New York. Since 1976, Jackie's firm has been recognized as a leader in matrimonial and family law, representing clients throughout Long Island, Westchester County, and New York City. Jackie also holds a graduate degree in psychology, a credential she draws on daily in one of the most emotionally charged areas of legal practice. Jackie shares how more than thirty years of experience has shaped her approach to divorce, from setting realistic expectations with clients early on to understanding what motivates opposing counsel to recognizing when emotion, rather than strategy, is driving a case in the wrong direction. She reflects on how her practice has evolved toward mediation, negotiation, and prenuptial agreements, and why she now views litigation as a last resort rather than a default. She also walks through the realities of high-conflict divorce, the cost of multi-day depositions, the three-year wait for a trial date in Nassau County, and why clients who go all the way to trial rarely end up satisfied, and explains what lawyers and clients alike can do from the very beginning to avoid that outcome. Topics covered: - Thirty-plus years of matrimonial and family law on Long Island and New York City - How psychology informs Jackie's approach to divorce strategy - Setting client expectations and managing the cost of litigation - Mediation, collaborative law, and litigation, and when each is appropriate - Why fifty percent of cases in New York are good candidates for mediation - The hidden costs of high-conflict divorce and the three-year trial wait in Nassau County - Why litigation should be a last resort, and how to choose the right lawyer Connect with Jackie Harounian: Phone: (516) 773-8300 Email: info@lawjaw.com Website: lawjaw.com

July 13, 20266 min

Irene Lax | Corporate Law

In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samlin speaks with Irene Lax, senior counsel at Block & Leviton in Wilmington, Delaware. Irene focuses on complex commercial litigation and corporate shareholder litigation and shares how a people-first approach can strengthen legal advocacy across practice areas. Irene discusses the importance of trauma-informed advocacy and explains how communication, preparation, and empathy can improve client experiences during difficult legal matters. She also shares a meaningful client story from her civil rights work that continues to influence her approach to litigation today. Topics covered: - Corporate shareholder litigation - Trauma-informed legal advocacy - Supporting clients through difficult situations - Human-centered litigation strategies - Building trust through communication Connect with Irene Lax: Website: blockleviton.com Email: irene@blockleviton.com Phone: (302) 520-5050

July 13, 20266 min

Lisa Valente | Elder Law

In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samlin speaks with Lisa Valente, managing partner at Makofsky Valente Law Group in Garden City, New York. Lisa focuses on elder law, estate planning, special needs planning, Medicaid planning, and probate and estate administration, helping families prepare for life’s most important transitions. Lisa shares her journey from starting at her firm as a high school file clerk to becoming the managing partner more than three decades later. She also discusses a powerful client story involving a family navigating a severe medical crisis during COVID and explains how planning, advocacy, and guidance can help families protect both their loved ones and financial future. Topics covered: - Elder law and estate planning - Medicaid planning and asset protection - Supporting families through medical crises - Probate and estate administration - Why planning today protects tomorrow Connect with Lisa Valente: Website: makofskylaw.com Email: lisa@makofskylaw.com Phone: (516) 228-6522

June 10, 202610 min

Jasmine Weg | Business Litigation and Entrepreneurial Law

In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samalin speaks with Jasmine Weg, founder of Weg Law PLLC, a New York-based law firm focused on litigation, business disputes, construction law, and strategic counsel for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Jasmine is also the host of Exhibit A-List, a podcast where she breaks down legal issues, celebrity disputes, internet culture, and modern business controversies in an accessible and entertaining way. Jasmine shares how a childhood argument with a school principal first planted the seed of a legal career, and how an unconventional path — pausing college, raising a young son, and returning to law school on a full scholarship — ultimately led her to found her own firm during the uncertainty of COVID-19. What began as insurance defense litigation grew into a full-service practice serving business owners and entrepreneurs on everything from contract drafting to commercial disputes. She also discusses how viral TikTok videos about trending lawsuits gave rise to Exhibit A-List, why she believes contracts are at the root of nearly every high-profile legal dispute — from Taylor Swift to Blake Lively — and why she never turns down an opportunity to give someone fifteen minutes of her time, even when there's no case in it for her. Topics covered: - Founding Weg Law PLLC after being laid off during COVID-19 - Business litigation, contract drafting, and counsel for entrepreneurs - How Exhibit A-List grew from viral TikTok videos to a full podcast - Celebrity disputes, contracts, and what they teach everyday business owners - Name, image, and likeness rights in entertainment and sports - Counseling entrepreneurs on how to grow from solo operators to a company - Why generosity with your time and knowledge builds a lasting legal practice Connect with Jasmine Weg: Instagram: @jasmineeegesq Website: wegesq.com Podcast: Exhibit A-List

June 3, 20268 min

John Florsch | Elder Law

In this episode of Lawyers Who Care , host Andrew Samalin speaks with John Florsch, senior counsel at RLGC Law Group in Albany, New York. John focuses his practice on elder law, Medicaid planning, and residential real estate and title insurance, helping families navigate one of the most complex and emotionally charged areas of the legal system. John shares how an estate planning course in law school unexpectedly redirected his ambitions away from criminal defense and corporate law, and how an internship with an elder law firm revealed the depth of connection possible with clients facing placement and care decisions. Nearly two decades later, he is still doing the same work — and still finding it as meaningful as ever. He also walks through a sobering case in which both parents were placed in nursing homes simultaneously, generating invoices of up to forty-six thousand dollars a month, while a free non-legal service submitted an incomplete and potentially damaging Medicaid application that sat pending for nine months. John explains how he was able to step in, identify key exemptions, and ultimately preserve a significant portion of the family's assets. Topics covered: From criminal defense ambitions to elder law specialist Crisis Medicaid planning and nursing home placement The dangers of free non-legal Medicaid filing services Navigating simultaneous nursing home placement for both parents Referral fee arrangements and their impact on facility placement decisions The five-year look-back rule and why it's not the end of the road Why consulting an elder law attorney before placement can preserve fifty to sixty percent of assets Connect with John Florsch: Phone: (518) 250-4264 Email: jflorsch@rlgclaw.com

May 27, 20267 min

Shauna Anderson | Trusts, Estates, and Tax Law

In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samalin speaks with Shauna Anderson, partner and owner at Law Stein Anderson in Irvine, California. Shauna practices trusts, estates, and tax law, advocating for clients during family inheritance disputes and probate proceedings while helping families protect their assets through thoughtful estate planning. Shauna shares how a family member in the legal profession inspired her ambition to become an attorney from elementary school age, and how working with children with learning disabilities during law school shaped her belief that legal practice should always make a meaningful impact on people's lives. That same calling led her to the senior community, where clients navigating the loss of a spouse or the onset of diminished capacity need both legal guidance and genuine human support. She also recounts a deeply moving client story: a woman who had spent her career as a hairstylist, raised her children, and never managed the family finances — only to discover after losing her husband of more than fifty years that she was now responsible for thirty million dollars in real estate assets she never knew existed. Topics covered: - A lifelong calling to law and its roots in community impact - From disability rights advocacy to trusts and estates law - Serving the senior community through life's most difficult transitions - Helping a client discover and navigate a thirty-million-dollar estate - The emotional and legal dimensions of trust administration - Why preparation and family education prevent inheritance disputes - Transparency is the most important trait of an effective trustee Connect with Shauna Anderson: Email: sra@lsalawyers.com Phone: (949) 501-4800 Website: lsalawyers.com

May 27, 20268 min

Michael Fried | Matrimonial and Family Law

In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samalin speaks with Michael Fried, partner at Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein in New York City. Michael is an experienced litigator and trial attorney who has practiced exclusively in matrimonial and family law since 1997, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers — one of the most selective designations in the field. Michael shares how a desire to specialize rather than generalize led him into family law straight out of law school, and how an early internship helping battered women obtain orders of protection confirmed that the courtroom — and this area of the law — was where he belonged. He explains how his firm approaches divorce through three distinct paths: mediation, collaborative law, and litigation, and why having attorneys who are deeply expert in each makes all the difference for clients. He also recounts a month-and-a-half custody trial in Brooklyn that ultimately kept a child rooted in her home, her school, and her community — and the Christmas cards he still receives from that client more than a decade later. Topics covered: - Why Michael chose to specialize in matrimonial law from day one - The rise of specialization in the legal profession - Mediation, collaborative law, and litigation as three paths to resolution - A high-stakes custody trial and a client whose life was changed - Why organization and document preparation are critical in divorce cases - Serving high-net-worth clients in matrimonial and family law - What it means to be a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Connect with Michael Fried: Email: mfried@berkbot.com Phone: (212) 867-9123 Website: berkbot.com

May 27, 20269 min

Alfonso Vilaboa | Corporate and International Business Law

In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samalin speaks with Alfonso Vilaboa, partner at Miller Shah in New York City. Alfonso focuses his practice on international corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity, serving as outside general counsel for European and South American companies establishing operations in the United States. Alfonso shares how his father's advice about the versatility of a legal career steered him away from his dream of becoming a diplomat — and how that decision ultimately led him from Uruguay to New York, where he now leads the corporate department at a full-service firm. He explains how his practice spans strategic M&A, private equity, and venture capital transactions, as well as ongoing outside-counsel work for international businesses navigating the US market. He also walks through a complex cross-border transaction in which he served as quarterback for the sale of a telecom robotics company with offices across the US, UK, Netherlands, India, and Australia — coordinating multiple international firms, navigating foreign exchange regulations, cultural differences, and time zones, all while helping a founder honor his commitment to his employees through a complex executive compensation structure. Topics covered: - From Uruguay to New York — building an international corporate law career - Leading the corporate department at Miller Shah - M&A, private equity, and outside general counsel for international businesses - Serving as a transaction quarterback across multiple countries and time zones - Navigating founder dynamics in a family-owned business sale - Cross-border executive compensation and foreign exchange challenges - Why great M&A counsel goes far beyond redlining documents Connect with Alfonso Vilaboa: Phone: (866) 540-5505 Email: amvilaboa@millershah.com Website: millershah.com