Stacy D. Phillips, Managing Principal
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
— Vivian Green
Certified Family Law Specialist Stacy D. Phillips
is one of the most well-known and respected family law practitioners, having achieved virtually every honor available to a lawyer for her work. She is also an author (including Divorce: It’s All About Control – How to Win the Emotional, Psychological and Legal Wars, ExecuProv Press) sought-after commentator, speaker and writer, philanthropist and a tireless advocate for children and families. Throughout her career, she has ‘given back’ through active involvement as a leader and volunteer in community and non-profit organizations as well as multiple profes-sional associations.As the founder and managing principal of Los Angeles-based family law firm Phillips Lerner, she represents a wide variety of high-profile clients including celebrities as they undergo the significant and often difficult changes involved in divorce and custody issues. During her more than 30 years of practice, she continues to believe in a philoso-phy she often shares with her clients that “how we treat others, how we conduct ourselves, and how we communicate during difficult times, can alter the course of one’s life.”
columbiaLSFollowing graduation from Columbia Law School, she began her career as a lawyer and soon pursued what-she-came-to-know was her calling as a family law attorney. She uses her many skills including persuasion, negotiation, aggressive advocacy and compassion to help clients make critical transitions in their lives and foster the best interests of children and families.
In a career filled with extraordinary accolades and accomplishments for both her clients and herself, Sta-cy is most proud of the firm’s work through their Adopt-A-Center Program. Founded by Phillips Lerner in 1999 as a way to both give back and support good works, each year the Center supports a deserving local non-profit organization that helps children and families in the community. Stacy and her Phillips Lerner colleagues not only donate and raise money for these worthy organizations but they often partic-ipate as active volunteers.
She also assisted in the drafting of California’s Senate Bill 924, which extended the limitations period for victims of domestic violence to sue their abusers in civil court and testified in support of the legislation before the Assembly Judiciary Committee as a family law expert. The bill was enacted into law and is codified as California Code of Civil Procedure Section 340.15.
Stacy D. Phillips, Managing Principal
EDUCATION
J.D., 1983, Columbia University School of Law, New York, NY
B.A., History and Religion, cum laude, 1980, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH Fall 1978, University of London, King’s College, London, England
ADMISSIONS
United States Supreme Court
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
United States District Court, Central District of California All California State Courts
CERTIFICATIONS AND SPECIALTIES
Certified Family Law Specialist, State Bar of California’s Board of Legal Specialization
ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
Super Lawyers Advisory Board (A Thomson Reuters Business) Member, Family Law Section American Bar Association
Member, Family Law Section Los Angeles Bar Association Member, Family Law Section Beverly Hills Bar Association Member, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals Member, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
Member, International Network of Boutique Law Firms Member, International Women’s Forum
Member, The Trusteeship
Member, Chancery Club of Los Angeles
MEDIA
ABC Good Morning America ABC News
Access Hollywood BBC News
CBS News CNBC
E! Entertainment Television Fox Network News
Geraldo At Large Inside Edition
MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show NBC Dateline
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams True Crimes with Aphrodite Jones
PUBLISHED WORKS
Author, Divorce: It’s All About Control – How to Win the Emotional, Psychological and Legal Wars (ExecuProv Press – 2005), now in its sixth printing
Contributing writer, Reaching the Bar: Stories of Women at All Stages of Their Law Careers (Kaplan Voices – 2009)
Contributing writer and member of the Board of Editorial Consultants, California Family Law Monthly Contributing writer, Divorce Magazine
Contributing writer, The Huffington Post: Divorce Contributing writer, Los Angeles Daily Journal
Contributor of legal content for the book, How to Survive Your In-Laws
HONORS AND AWARDS
Best Law firms – U.S. News/Best Lawyers, 2014
Top 10 Southern California Super Lawyers – Super Lawyers, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 Top Divorce Law Firm by Laws.com, 2013
Southern California’s Best Lawyers – Los Angeles Times Magazine, 2007 – Present Top 100 Southern California Lawyers – Super Lawyers, 2006 – Present
Top 50 Women Southern California Lawyers – Super Lawyers, 2005 – Present Southern California Super Lawyers – Super Lawyers, 2004 – Present
Top Women Lawyers (formerly Top Women Litigators) – Los Angeles Daily Journal, 2003 – Present The Best Lawyers in America – The Best Lawyers in America, 2003 – Present
Los Angeles’ Women Leaders in the Law – Los Angeles Times Magazine, 2010 – 2012 Women Leaders in the Law – The Recorder, 2012
Power Philanthropist Award – STARCARE, 2010 Jurisprudence Award – Anti-Defamation League, 2009
Family Law Attorney of the Year Award – Century City Bar Association, 2009
Griffin Bell Community Service Award – LACBA Center for Civic Mediation (on behalf of the law firm), 2009
Top 50 Female Super Lawyers in Southern California, 2005 – 2008 Spirit of Hope Award – Tower Cancer Research Foundation, 2008
Elite Group of Attorneys – LA Magazine and Super Lawyers Magazine, 2004 – 2008 Top 75 Female Litigators in California, 2005 – 2008
Best of the Bar – Los Angeles Times Magazine, 2007-Present 500 Leading Lawyers in America -Lawdragon, 2006 – Present
PRO BONO
Los Angeles Superior Court, Volunteer Mediator selected by Family Law Supervising Judge Scott Gor-don to team mediate complex cases for the Family Law Court, V.A.S.T. Program (Voluntary Attorney Settlement Team), 2012 – Present
Beverly Hills Bar Association, Chair of the Beverly Hills Bar Association 80th Anniversary/Birthday Party Committee and Mistress of Ceremonies, 2012
Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services - Board of Ambassadors, 2005 – Present
- Executive Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and Chair of the Corporate Development Committee, 2000 – 2004
- Board of Directors, 1999 – 2004
Adopt-A-Center, Founder of Adopt-A-Center Non-Profit Program at Phillips Lerner, A Law Corpora-tion, 1999 – Present
Affordable Living for the Aging (formerly known as Alternative Living for the Aging) Board of Trustees, 1997 – present
President, Board of Directors, 1996 – 1997
Legal Momentum (formerly known as the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund), Board of Direc-tors, 2002 – Present
Women of Los Angeles, Advisory Board, 1999 – 2007
Columbia University School of Law, Board of Visitors, 2005 – 2008 B’nai Zion, Board of Directors, 2003 – 2004
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
2013 – Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | Webinar Panelist | “Marketing Me: Building Your Book of Business by Developing YOUR Personal Brand”
2012 – Warner Center Estate and Tax Planning Council | Panelist | ”Family Law and Estate Planning Is-sues: The Five Most Common Mistakes Made by Estate Planning/Probate Attorneys Related to Family Law Issues [With a Primer on McCourt]“
2011 – San Fernando Valley Bar Association, Probate Section | Encino, CA | Speaker | ”Don’t Get Thrown Out of the Game: Life After McCourt”
2010 – Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles | Beverly Hills & Woodland Hills, CA | Speaker | ”Tips Re: How Not to Fall into the Family Law Abyss: The Top Five Mistakes Estate Planning/Probate Attorneys Make Related to Family Law Issues”
2010 – STARCARE’s Fifth Annual Women of Power Luncheon | Huntington Beach, CA | Keynote Speaker | ”Money Matters: The Importance of Protecting Your Resources Before, During and After a Relationship”
2010 – Pearls of Wisdom | Beverly Hills, CA | Presenter | ”Surviving a Split: The Top 10 Issues to Con-sider When Facing a Divorce”
2010 – Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center | Los Angeles, CA | Speaker | ”The Impact of the State’s Fi-nancial Crisis on Our Court System”
2010 – Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) California Chapter Annual Conference | Santa Monica, CA | Speaker | ”California Courts in Crisis: The Impact of the Lack of Court Funding on Our Judicial System and State Economy”
2009 – Southern California Mediation Association (SCMA) Annual Conference | Pepperdine Universi-ty | Panelist | ”Negotiating in the Female Voice: What Can We Learn from Our Women Colleagues (not for Women ONLY)”
CLERKSHIPS
Participant, Criminal Clerkship Program, New York Criminal Courts, Judge Harold Rothwax (1983)
Phillips Lerner, A Law Corporation
2029 Century Park East, Suite 1200, Los Angeles, CA 90067 310.277.7117 www.phillipslerner.com
