Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Lanier.
Hi Lisa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in rural Guilford County, North Carolina. I was the oldest grandchild of a successful agribusiness entrepreneur which is a fancy way of saying a successful farmer. I was constantly by my grandfather’s side with my hands in the dirt, often covered in manure or tobacco gum. I often joke that I went to law school to get out of the field. The experiences I enjoyed on the farm shaped who I am. I learned about hard work, resilience, gratitude, and empathy. My grandfather took great care of the hands who helped on the farm. He made sure everyone was fed at least one good meal and snacks every day. He took care of their families if they fell on hard times or got sick. We worked hard and enjoyed a comfortable life. I saw how others lived and I had a great deal of gratitude for my life. This was a great foundation for success in life.
I attended UNC for both undergraduate and law school. I had a summer internship with a big New York law firm and they offered a job upon graduation. As much as I love New York and had fun there in the summers, I knew it was not right for me. So, I took a job with a North Carolina firm. At the time they were the third largest firm in the state and had offices in Raleigh, Durham, and Wilmington. I flew all over the United States taking depositions and defending physicians and trucking companies in civil litigation involving medical malpractice and catastrophic trucking accidents. I worked there for several years and absorbed all the knowledge I could, not just about the practice of law. I also soaked up knowledge about the running of a law practice. I knew I wanted to start my own firm and so I was a sponge collecting knowledge about what to do and what not to do.
I also knew that I wanted to help folks on the other side of these cases, the victims of medical malpractice and catastrophic accidents. I wanted to help people, not insurance companies. An opportunity fell into my lap to join a small plaintiff injury firm and build my own practice. A friend had a small practice in Durham and her husband, a Duke oncologist, got an offer to start a program at Columbia in New York. So, she was moving to New York and wanted someone to take over her practice and care for her clients. I jumped at the chance and set up shop in Durham to build a practice.
The practice took off and soon I opened a Raleigh location. I have always loved Raleigh and started out downtown renting an office in one of the bank towers that has since changed names. The practice flourished and I ended up buying an office in North Raleigh and have absolutely loved the North Raleigh lifestyle. It was 1995 when I founded Lanier Law Group, P.A., as a personal injury focused law firm. Although we started out in Raleigh/Durham, and we’re now headquartered in Greensboro and have nine offices statewide, including Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Fayetteville, and Wilmington.
My practice is predominantly catastrophic personal injury and child sex abuse litigation. I love helping people at a time of dire need. Our clients are going through the worst experience of their life. I love being able to fight the big insurance companies with all the grit I learned from farm life and at the same time meet clients where they are are with compassion and empathy.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Life is full of challenges. Mine is no different. I was widowed when my kids were two and four. I found myself in my early forties as a single parent, playing the role of mom and dad to my two young children while also running a successful law practice. Thankfully, I had a very supportive extended family and my parents and sister helped out tremendously. I also hired a nanny who helped with the kids and things around the house and she quickly became a part of the family. I could not have done it without so many wonderful people in my life. I was used to being the person who helped others and had to learn to ask for help. We all thrived in a loving environment that included my extended family. My practice continued to grow and was statewide and my kids were in middle school when I faced another challenge. I was diagnosed with stage 4 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. I underwent extensive chemotherapy for about a year. And I came out on the other side, victorious. I beat a cancer that my oncologist told me I would never fully be rid of. I never missed a day of work. The only commitment I ever missed was one of our company holiday parties that fell on the first day of chemo. At first I had a bad reaction to the chemo and had to stay in the hospital overnight. This happened over ten years ago. I still see my oncologist annually but she has declared me cancer free! In spite of extensive treatment.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Lanier Law Group PA?
I got into this a little in the first question. I built a boutique style personal injury practice that serves all of North Carolina. We handle all types of injury related cases including automobile accidents, workers’ compensation, disability, medical malpractice, premises liability, nursing home abuse, and child sex abuse. My personal role in the firm I founded and that bears my name is managerial about forty percent of my time. But sixty percent of the time I am practicing law and working on catastrophic injury cases and sex abuse cases. We led the fight to defend the SAFE Child Act from a constitutional challenge with winning arguments in the North Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. We are dedicated to helping victims of abuse and injury. We love what we do. What sets us apart is personal service and the resources we utilize to help each client. We are tough but compassionate. That has been my model from day one.
Another thing that I do that is related to the law but not a direct part of my practice, is that I am a radio personality on a local radio show, a nationally syndicated radio show, and a podcast that results from these. I an featured weekly on these two shows in a segment called Lawyer Up in which I talk about funny and odd legal stories trending in the news. I have so much fun doing this!
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The older I get the more I live by the notion that I don’t know it all, not even close. This is a nugget of wisdom that folks do not have when they are young, when think they know it all. I love to learn and I am always doing research to make sure I am right about what I think. I also learned to ask for help when I was widowed and again when I had cancer. It is not always easy to admit you need help. But it is important to learn to ask for it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lanierlawgroup.com
