Daniel Rodriguez founded and grew Rodriguez & Associates on the basis of hard work, determination, and a commitment to others, developing a culture that commands these character traits from each team member. Brandy Welsh, a paralegal at the firm, has experienced the firsthand growth and development of the firm over the past ten years as she progressed through her career.
It was ten years ago that Brandy sought career guidance from a friend who worked at the firm. She had been searching for a career that cultivated human connection, would allow her to help others, provide an exciting dynamic, and offer her an opportunity to continue to learn and grow. Her friend suggested a pursuit in the legal field and coordinated a meeting between Brandy and the firm’s office manager. She started as a clerk shortly after, quickly progressing to legal secretary and eventually, a paralegal.
“Rodriguez & Associates opened up a whole new world for me. It was challenging at first, but I had always had a passion for helping people, so learning the skills wasn’t a task.”
Brandy immediately recognized the importance of her role in the firm and the small ways she provided empathy, support, and guidance to each client who came to the firm seeking help. It was always her primary objective to listen to clients and help them find a solution to their problems. She explains, that when people are involved in a tragic accident there are many steps that simply are not common knowledge. Whether clients need to find medical specialists or locate documents, Brandy helps them take it step-by-step to understand the process, explaining options and available courses of action.
“Our firm sees the people behind the paper and our entire team is willing to go above and beyond to attain the justice that our clients deserve.”
Where Brandy truly shines is in her work ethic. She continually puts forth the effort to learn and develop professionally. She asks questions when necessary and dives into the exploration of new topics. In the last several years, Brandy has developed a specialty for traumatic brain injury cases and now handles her own caseload with a focus on trial work and the responsibilities of trial preparation, maintaining documentation and records, and answering discourse, among other duties.
Brandy’s journey to becoming a paralegal was an opportunity to continually learn and improve her skills. She appreciates the support she has received from the Rodriguez & Associates team over the years and those who have always been willing to answer questions and listen with understanding and patience.
“Part of the culture that makes Rodriguez & Associates so special is that we are one big team. Everyone has struggled at some point and so we are all willing to help because, at the end of the day, we do whatever it takes for the client.”
There are two cases in particular that stand out to Brandy, not only because of their notoriety but because of the relationships she built with the clients. She explains, that when other firms turn away cases because they will require too many resources, Rodriguez & Associates steps up. While the firm knows a case may take several years to reach a conclusion, that time is devoted to understanding the client’s needs and perspective and making sure the defense is held accountable, no matter how large a corporation is.
Brandy worked alongside the persistent trial team throughout the development and trial of the 7-year case, Ruckman et al. v. Big N Deep Ag Development Co. et al, which awarded a $73.6 million record verdict, the highest personal injury verdict in Kern County, to a family that suffered burns and other significant injuries as well as the loss of their home in a natural gas pipeline explosion that occurred in November 2015.
She also remembers her work on a case in which a family suffered from a tragic crash when a big rig ran a red light and slammed into their car, inflicting serious injuries on the mother and son while the other child has since suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after witnessing the accident. The firm obtained a $70,578,289 million verdict on behalf of the family, the 2nd highest personal injury verdict in Kern County history.
“Our most notable trial verdicts, which continue to hold state verdict records, took years of hard work. In these devastating cases, we were able to truly walk alongside our clients and get to know them. It is an amazing feeling to be a part of the process.”
Brandy’s traits as a hardworking and devoted paralegal are equally apparent in her personal life as Brandy makes sure she hits the gym for early morning workouts before heading to the office. At home, Brandy is a full-time mom who loves spending time with her family and her 2-year-old Cane Corso—Titan.
Rodriguez & Associates is proud to celebrate Brandy’s 10th anniversary and the exceptional value she brings to the firm.
Congratulations, Brandy!