Ritz-Carlton Standards of Law with Danya Bundy of Bundy Law

If there were Michelin stars awarded for family law, Danya Bundy would have three. Bundy Law is a firm designed with the clients in mind. Bundy represents families and individuals in the midst of complex – and sometimes international – family law challenges. This deeply personal and highly sensitive work requires a delicate David-touch and a strong Goliath-force, and that’s what Bundy delivers.

Bundy was born and raised in Oklahoma to a Syrian father and a German mother. A first-generation college graduate, Bundy’s multicultural upbringing offers her the unique and textured understanding of the American dream as it relates to a range of diverse cultures, international and intergenerational family dynamics. The proficient negotiator and accomplished trial lawyer has the courtroom experience, strategic legal expertise and nuanced personal understanding required to dominate in her field.

Bundy often meets clients who are in the throes of worst-case scenarios. Nobody hopes to wind up in her office bringing forward issues of infidelity, divorce, abuse, child custody battles or other unthinkable crises. But of course, these things happen, and when they do – there’s no better support than Bundy. She has the sharp and savvy skills of a killer litigator, a perfect complement to her profound sensitivity. Bundy’s vast experience has afforded her a depth of understanding that her interactions with clients on these dark days have resounding implications.

In one particularly memorable case, Bundy was made aware many years later of a positive impact she had on a child during a grueling custody matter. “Many times we are not informed about the impact we make as advocates,” says Bundy. “It was great to hear that the child was thriving at least in part to what we did as lawyers. That is the value I seek to add to every case.”

This personal touch goes a long way for clients whose very real lives are at stake – something Bundy doesn’t take lightly. Her power as an advocate, however, extends far beyond her bedside manner.

Bundy’s business is to understand the case inside and out. Every witness, every piece of evidence, anything and everything that the opposition might throw at her – Bundy has thought it all through. She can finish her opponents sentences and her track record of favorable outcomes shows repeat receipts of Bundy’s razor-sharp skill set.

“We have all heard about the Ritz-Carlton standards and Michelin stars for restaurants,” says Bundy. “Our mission is to give every client the Ritz-Carlton experience in every aspect of representation from the moment they first make contact with our office.”

Lawdragon: Can you describe for our readers the mix of work you do within your practice?

Danya Bundy: I represent individuals primarily in a family law context that includes criminal defense, as many contentious family law cases involve criminal allegations. We also represent the injured in civil justice plaintiff’s cases, on a case-by-case basis. I handle a majority of the guardianships at the firm, many of which have an interstate component. From time to time, we are asked to take on a Hague Convention child abduction case seeking the return of children to their home country who have been abducted by a parent to the United States.

LD: How did you first become interested in developing a practice in family law?

DB: Everything fell into place organically. If you told me on the first day of law school that I would be practicing predominantly family law, I think I would have been shocked. Now, this is the only type of law I can visualize myself doing. I love this area of law and I know that is not something every lawyer can say about the area they practice in.

If you told me on the first day of law school that I would be practicing predominantly family law, I think I would have been shocked. Now, this is the only type of law I can visualize myself doing.

LD: That’s great. What are some aspects about this work that you find professionally satisfying?

DB: We have all heard about the Ritz-Carlton standards and Michelin stars for restaurants. Our mission is to give every client the Ritz-Carlton experience in every aspect of representation from the moment they first make contact with our office. We offer personalized service catered to the needs of each client and very memorable to the client in the sense of experience received. We meet clients in some of the worst times of their lives. So, the first meeting is the most important, as it establishes the relationship with the client. I am a huge believer in face-to-face interactions, so 99 percent of my first meetings with clients are in person as well as a majority of subsequent meetings throughout my representation. There is no real substitute for the connection made in an in-person meeting.

LD: Out of all the work you’ve done in your career, what would you say is the most interesting matter you’ve handled?

DB: One of my first child custody cases several years ago was interesting in terms of what I learned about it afterwards. When I became involved, there were hotly contested allegations of abuse and many third-party professionals testified. The custody arrangement ended up changing to be in line with our client’s wishes as well as in the interests of the child. The memorable part of this case for me was that years ago, during our representation, the very young child was in our office briefly as the client dropped off documents with us. Over six years later, that child remembered that interaction with us, the lawyers, in a positive way, and commented on it. The parent reached out to us, gave us an update, and thanked us for what we accomplished in the courtroom and for being so friendly to their child in that brief moment of interaction. Many times we are not informed about the impact we make as advocates, but that was one situation where years later we heard from the family and received confirmation that we had done some real good and even had left an impression on their child. It was great to hear that the child was thriving at least in part to what we did as lawyers. That is the value I seek to add to every case.

LD: Are there any trends you are seeing in your practice in terms of the types of matters keeping you busy these days?

DB: Yes. We have a busy “fix it” practice reviewing work that clients tried to do without lawyers or on the cheap or for individuals seeking reversal of decisions made by a judge long ago, well outside the time frame provided for correction or appeal. People walk into our office for the first meeting and expect us to work miracles – which we are able to do sometimes. Sometimes our hands are tied and options are limited, depending on the circumstances and the passage of time. Other times, our creativity and energy has produced results beyond what our clients ever imagined.

LD: Were there any experiences from your undergraduate work that pushed you towards a career in the law?

DB: I am a first-generation college graduate. My parents both immigrated to the U.S. in the ‘80s, along with many others seeking the American Dream. From a young age, education was stressed to my brother and me as critical. Our parents told us that, no matter what, we had to get educated. My undergraduate degree is in biology. Initially, I thought I would go to medical school. That was until I volunteered in an emergency room in town and saw the reality of being a doctor in that setting. That’s when I pivoted to law. At the time, my brother had just graduated from law school. I have looked up to him since childhood, so I followed in his footsteps and went to law school.

LD: What advice do you have now for current law school students?

DB: During law school, look for work at a firm or a courthouse, as the information you learn in the real world is invaluable and is really what you need to practice law. Additionally, I would tell any law student that learning and training does not end when you graduate. This is one factor that differentiates lawyers, and the difference between lawyers with post-law school training and those without is stark.

LD: Interesting. How would you describe your style as a lawyer? Or, how do you think others see you?

DB: I have been described as patient, persistent and detail oriented. I love thinking outside the box at mediations and trying to settle cases. In every case, I provide clients with a variety of different options and different paths to achieve the outcome they desire. But, if the case does not settle there is nothing more that I love than cross-examining the other side in a deposition or on the witness stand in the courtroom. Every question I ask is grounded in evidence to impeach them if they try to change their testimony. I know my cases inside and out and never go to trial without reviewing the entire file, including all the evidence myself. I prepare for any argument or position the other side will present and I anticipate surprises. I can finish the other side's sentences. There is satisfaction in knowing who the right witnesses are, what questions to ask, what information you need, and how to execute to present the case in court for your client and deliver results.