Ajamie partner Dona Szak discusses her work in commercial litigation and how her practice has changed since the beginning of her career.

Photo provided by Ajamie.
Photo provided by Ajamie.

Name: Dona Szak

Firm: Ajamie LLP

Position: Partner

Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation

Location: Houston

Law School: J.D., Washington & Lee University, 1984; cum laude

L.L.M., University of Houston, 2005 (Taxation)

Undergraduate: B.A., University of Illinois, 1980, Economics

University of Edinburgh, Scotland, 1980

Lawdragon: Let’s start out with a general overview of your practice. How do you describe to recruits or family what it is you do?

Dona Szak: I resolve legal issues and controversies so that my clients can get on with their business.

LD: What do you like about your practice? What is professionally satisfying?

DS: I am most professionally satisfied when achieving a good result for a client.  The most interesting thing about my practice is learning about clients’ industries and business practices.

LD: What are some of the challenges you face in your current practice?

DS: One of the challenges involves presenting a plaintiff’s case in the era of tort reform.

LD: How has your practice changed since the early part of your career?

DS: Computers have changed the way law is practiced over the past 20 or so years. Computerized legal research makes it much easier to find applicable law. In litigation, e-discovery has made the discovery process more complicated and expensive.

LD: There are many high-quality firms out there. How is yours unique?

DS: Our firm’s nimble size is one of its strengths.  We are able to staff cases with strong, productive lawyers.  We collaborate to find the best way to approach a case or project so that the needs of the client come first.