April 1, 2026

Thirty years ago, in the spring of 1996, I was three years in as a litigation associate at what was then one of Arizona’s largest firms.  Then, I was fired.

I’d checked every box and had all the credentials: the top law school, moot court, law review, clinic, honors, clerkship and work ethic.  The path I was supposed to follow, right?  None of it mattered.

The reality is I had disagreements with partners about how certain cases should be handled. My initiative and instinct may be serving me well now.  At the time, my tenacity and difference in perspective cost me my job.

I had a wife, a two-year-old daughter, and we had another baby on the way.  We had just recently bought our first home.

This was one of the most challenging times in my life.  I thought my career was obliterated before I even got started.  Just three years in as a practicing lawyer and I felt like a failure.  Only briefly.

Thirty years later, today, Berk Law Group marks three decades of serving clients across Arizona. While the date might invite a little humor (and probably invited a lot of humor at the time), this milestone is serious to me.

It started with a door closing. Another huge one opening.  And ended…, well, who knows where.  I have a lot yet to do and good clients to help!

Clarity

That feeling of failure didn’t last long.  What replaced it was clarity. Losing that job forced me to rethink everything.  What I wanted my career to look like, what kind of life I wanted to build and what actually mattered.

I had opportunities to join other firms.  With the encouragement of my amazing wife (we’ve been together now 41 years; thank you, Angie, for your support, encouragement and everything!) and family, I decided to start my own law firm.

After being in a 140 person firm in a high-rise office, now, it was just me.  In an executive office suite the size of a closet.  Doing everything – licking stamps, copying, faxing and filing, all by myself.

I had a very specific vision of what early solo practice would look like.  Not really that busy.  Come in around ten, write a few letters, return a phone call, take a long lunch with a colleague to try to network. Draft a motion, some pleadings or discovery in the afternoon and be home by four. That was the vision.

It lasted about a week.  I was immediately blessed and blasted with referrals.  More than I could have hoped for.  The closet got crowded fast.  Within about a year, I  moved to a real office and hired my first associate.  Now, we have an amazing team of attorneys and paralegals.

What Could have Happened?

I sometimes think about what my life might have looked like if things had gone differently in 1996.  I do not remember the exact billable  hour requirement at the time, but I remember the reality.  It was a big firm.  You know how it goes.  We worked really hard.  In by 6:00 a.m., rarely home by 6:00 p.m. and regularly worked weekends.

Today, in many places, it’s even more demanding.  Associates talk about 1,800 to 2,000 a year minimum billable hour requirements.  You don’t get there by having a life outside of work.  Never leaving the office and sleeping under desks worn as a badge of honor.  At what cost?

What would I have missed if I stayed on that path?  The kids’ events, games and recitals? The everyday moments that matter most?  There is nothing wrong with hard work. This profession requires it. But there is a difference between commitment and sacrifice that costs everything else.

Looking back, I am grateful I was pushed onto a different path, even if it didn’t feel that way at the time.

What Got Built

With help, grit, determination, resilience, growth, and a lot of support, I built a family, a team, a practice, and a life that I am deeply grateful for and proud of.

My life has been about being present. I never missed the events and special moments, and I even coached my son’s high school baseball team in his senior year.  There is no question that as a small business owner, especially through two recessions, there were times of long hours, real stress, and moments of distraction. But it has been worth it.

Because it has also been about doing meaningful work. Helping good people through some of the most difficult situations they will ever face.

My experience has shaped not only my life, but the lawyer I have become. More focused, more grounded, and better able to serve the people who trust our team during challenging times.  That balance between purpose at work and presence at home has made all the difference. It has been the greatest reward I could have imagined.

Focus and Purpose

In many ways, I am still following the lesson I learned in 1996: trust my judgment about what matters.  Losing something means gaining opportunities for something else.  Oftentimes, that “something” will likely turn out better.

Now, by narrowing my practice to probate, trust, estate, and fiduciary disputes, I say “no” to a lot of matters. But that focus has allowed me to build something more meaningful and more aligned with who I am and what I and my team find meaningful.

It allows us to stay true to who we are, why we are here, who we want to help, and the work we choose to do.   As a result, we practice with intention aligned with our values and the clients we are best suited to serve.  It grounds our practice in purpose and direction.

Gratitude and What Comes Next

None of this exists without trust. Clients come to us during some of the most difficult moments of their lives: family conflicts, questions of capacity, disputes over legacy, fiduciary issues and many other serious and life-changing matters.  This is high stakes.  They trust us to guide them through.  Attorneys and other professionals routinely put their reputations on the line by referring their clients, friends, and family to us.  I take this trust and confidence seriously.

I am sincerely grateful for all of your confidence and support.  So, this 30th anniversary is about the people who made it possible.

  • To my wife and family: thank you for your patience, understanding, support and encouragement.  I could not have even begun to do this without you.
  • To my team, past and present: thank you for your commitment to doing our important work the right way.  With integrity, dedication, and excellence.  Our clients are well-served by you.  You make me look good and help me do better every day.
  • To our clients: thank you for trusting us during some of life’s hardest moments.
  • To our colleagues and community: thank you for the relationships and your trust and support over the last 30 years.

Thirty years is a meaningful milestone.  It is not a finish line. I still have many goals and am adding to the list all the time.  I am still learning.   Still improving.  Still focused on serving my amazing family, my incredible team and our clients better every day.

I am grateful for that setback in 1996 and for the path it set me on.

Kent S. Berk Founder, Berk Law Group, P.C.

The post A Milestone That’s No Joke! 30 Years of Advocacy, Trust, and Gratitude appeared first on Arizona Estate & Trust Dispute Lawyers.