Eckland & Blando was founded in 2004 and has been a national success story for representing clients large and small in high-stakes contractual disputes, especially against government entities. The firm has grown in size, practice areas, and locations over the years to include a diverse group of attorneys who work across the country in high stakes commercial litigation, maritime and factoring transactions and disputes, employment law, administrative law, transactional law, and transactional law. Eckland & Blando’s women lawyers are helping to create opportunities for growth by expanding their practices in new areas.
Lara R. Sandberg joined Eckland & Blando as a 2015 employee. She has more than 10 years experience in complex settlements, commercial litigation and she focuses her practice to litigating and negotiating settlement recovery for property owners who have been damaged by the U.S. government’s actions. Sandberg was recently made a partner and opened the Washington, D.C./Virginia branch.
Kristin K.Robbins joined Eckland & Blando in June as a lateral associate. Her 15-years of experience are a valuable asset to an office that focuses on commercial and maritime litigation as well as arbitration. Robbins is licensed in Louisiana, New York and New Jersey, as well as Nebraska. Robbins lives in New Orleans, and she opened the new office this year.
Robbins and Sandberg both have backgrounds in big-firms, and both said they enjoy working for a firm that allows them to create their own practices and works with other aspects of life.
Sandberg has found that this has allowed her to receive the support she needs to grow her practice, while still being able to adjust to changing family circumstances. After moving to Minnesota with her husband, Sandberg joined the firm. Sandberg, her family, and two children moved back to Virginia four years ago. She began working four days per week to care for them. She returned to full-time work in August as a partner and established the new D.C. office.
Sandberg claims that her experience at Eckland & Blando is very different from her previous job at a large company. Eckland & Blando has a wonderful team. They bring in talented, intelligent people and give them the support and framework they need to grow their practice. But they also allow them plenty of space to pursue their own interests and clients. Their flexibility is a sign of their understanding that people work better when they have the space to grow.
Sandberg played a major role in securing damages of more than half a billion dollars against the federal government during her eight-year tenure with the firm. This was for property owners who were subject to the Tucker Act and Section 515 of Housing Act of 1949. She says that “that work continues today” and “as this large settlement winds down in the next few years I’m looking forward expanding our government contracting practice in new directions.”
Robbins is a mother to a two-year-old and has another baby in the pipeline. This has not hindered her chances at the firm. Samuel P. Blatchley (a law school classmate and maritime lawyer) recruited her to Eckland & Blando.
“Maritime law is a niche practice with few centers in the United States. New York, Boston and Virginia are the most popular. New Orleans is where I have spent the majority of my career representing Gulf ship owners, platform owners, and operators. I have always worked in large firms, but now I am the sole attorney in our New Orleans office. I enjoy having more control over client development and the ability to handle my own cases. This also allows me more flexibility than the corporate structure. Sam, Dan (Cragg), Dan (Blando) and I came up with the idea for a large admiralty practice in New Orleans. This is a fantastic opportunity for the firm’s to be more nationally recognized.
Robbins and her colleagues at Eckland & Blando share the same values of prioritizing mentorship. “It was one of the biggest obstacles in my career, but then I met an incredible woman attorney who changed my outlook and made it much easier and more fun. This is where I see our common philosophy on mentorship. Mentoring young lawyers is something I am passionate about. I enjoy the interaction and discussion with junior attorneys about our work and why it’s important.
Robbins’ story is a great example of the importance to have women lawyers in traditionally male-dominated fields. “I’ve seen an increase in the number of women who hold leadership positions within insurance companies over the past five years on my side. They expect that the counsel representing them will share this view. It’s important to connect with clients on a more personal level and be more approachable to them.
Robbins says, “I believe it’s an exciting time to be a lawyer.” We are witnessing rapid and dynamic changes in the power structure at larger corporations, which trickles down to smaller businesses like ours. Firms are beginning to realize that women in the legal sector have been under-represented and have been wasting a lot talent. It is gratifying to see my female colleagues at the firm and in the maritime industry who are doing work that they love with real advancement opportunities.
Sandberg is just as optimistic about the future. Our expansion is exciting with our new offices in D.C., Boston, and New Orleans. Our clients are represented in federal and state courts in twelve states by attorneys who are licensed in each of our 12 states. We are proud of our national reputation, and we continue to work hard to provide the personalized client service that we are known for.
The post Lara Sandberg and Kristin Robbins: Forging new paths — Women Partners Take the Lead In Firm Expansion appeared originally on Attorney at Law Magazine.