Q: What is your legal background?
KC: I graduated from Loyola University School of Law in Louisiana in May 1990. I first practiced as an associate in New Orleans with a mid-size firm called Abbott, Best & Meeks, and then with Raymond Burkart, a small firm of only 3 attorneys. It was at Raymond Burkart where I became immersed in a variety of family law cases. The founder of the firm, Mr. Burkart, is a great lawyer and was a wonderful mentor. He allowed me to go to trial, litigate and learn from him. After 7 years, I opened my own divorce and family law firm on Baronne Street in New Orleans. I was also a staff attorney at Frilot, a large law firm of 70+ attorneys, where I practiced general litigation. I didn't move to Destin, Florida until October 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. I passed the Florida bar exam in 2005 and started my new life in paradise.
Q: Where did you end up practicing in Destin?
KC: At the firm of Matthews & Hawkins, and I gained 2 more fantastic mentors in Dana Matthews and John Hawkins. They are very talented lawyers and it was a privilege that they helped me get established in the panhandle. I have really felt welcomed by the Judges and members of the bar here.
Q. Did you practice family law at M&H?
KC: At first I didn't. In 2005, real estate litigation was the main game in town, and that is what the firm had a need for, so I started doing a great deal of real estate law. But, I have always been known as a litigator in the divorce and family law arena, and my thought is litigation is litigation. So long as I am out and about, in court, in mediation, in depositions, I am happy in my element. Later, in 2007 when the primary divorce litigator left M&H due to a family emergency, I took over all the divorce and family law cases. I found I had really missed it. There is something special about representing a client on such a personal basis and helping them protect their children, property, and future.
Q: So you have practiced in small, medium and large firms. What made you decide to go back into solo practice?
KC: Once I decided to primarily focus on family law, I wanted to be able to offer personal and individual attention to each client. I wanted to exclusively manage every component of their case. It just made sense. Most people get divorced only once in their lifetime, so it's a big deal. It usually involves painful and private revelations, and I think clients appreciate the one-on-one aspect of a sole practitioner as opposed to a big law firm representing them.
KC LAW, PL; 4393 Commons Drive, Suite 100, Destin, Florida 32541; (850) 269-8488; http://www.kendracondonlaw.com/
