Yasmine Tabatabai was born to shine. Her family loves to recount stories of the little 7-year-old who would boldly jump on any available stage immediately beguiling her impromptu audience.

“It didn’t matter who was in front of me I just had to get on that stage,” Tabatabai admits with a laugh. “Apparently, I wasn’t at all shy and I loved being able to hold the attention of complete strangers, so I’d just start talking.”

That audacious bravado was tempered with maturity but enhanced her desire to engage and influence others. “Even before I decided to become an attorney, I knew that I wanted to use that voice to advocate for those who don’t have a voice,” she says. “I wanted to apply that passion as well as my empathy and compassion to make a difference. I want to do what I can to effectuate change and help others, whether that’s one person or many.”

Ultimately, a strong moral compass imbued with righteous indignation at how our legal system can be misused or manipulated led the young attorney to a career in civil litigation.

“Recognizing how some people take advantage of the legal system, it became my goal to advocate for those who were the victims of such maneuvers,” she says. “When you’re up against shrewd people who know how to exploit the rules to suit their own interests and have the deep pockets to power through, it can feel hopeless and very stressful. It’s always been my objective to reduce as much of that stress as I can. In fact, as tense and nerve-racking as a long, drawn-out litigation process can be, we’ve actually found ways to make it fun for our clients.”

As unlikely a claim as this might be, one has only to spend a few minutes in the offices of The Taba Law Firm to grasp how clients might be transformed. While entirely professional, there’s an almost palpable upbeat, lighthearted vibe that permeates every aspect of her firm.

But it’s more than just a positive attitude that Tabatabai uses to calm and reassure her clients. “Early on I detected a problem that seems prevalent in our profession,” she says. “It seemed that many law offices took such a long time to respond or do what they’d promised their clients. I heard this complaint over and over. So, when I opened my firm, I promised myself, and made it my goal, to always do anything I could to get things done quickly on behalf of my clients.

“Of course, there will always be things that are out of my control, but I make sure that I do my part to keep things moving as quickly and efficiently as I can and to make sure there is always someone available to them 24/7,” Tabatabai adds. “When your life is hanging in the balance and you’re waiting for a resolution every minute seems like an hour.”