When asked what makes Daniel Stark Law special, Jonathan Stark, the firm’s co-founder, always puts the shine on his team and clients. “Having a soft heart and an appreciation for the magnitude of what our clients are dealing with sets us apart as a law firm.” He takes the role that we play in our clients’ lives seriously, and that attitude trickles down through the entire firm.
Jonathan received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Texas A&M University. From there, he went to Texas Tech University School of Law where he met his future business partner, Danny Daniel. Since starting the firm, Jonathan has worn many hats. He’s acted as the firm’s head litigator, helped design and develop computer programs for client services, and spoken at conferences around the globe on client recovery, all while creating a law firm focused on providing outstanding service to clients. Even with his success, Jonathan never passes an opportunity to give the credit to his team and others around him.
When asked about experiences and cases that have shaped his career as an attorney, Jonathan doesn’t focus on himself, but on the clients that he’s advocated for. “There’s a handful of cases that change the way you look at things as a lawyer,” he says. One in particular – a catastrophic wreck where an 18-wheeler crashed into a family of five – left an impact on everyone in the firm. The entire family was in the vehicle, and only the father survived.
When you work a case like this, leaving your work at the doorstep is practically impossible. Spending all day fighting for a man who lost his entire family only to return home to your own makes it impossible not to put into perspective just how much some of our clients have lost. This incredible challenge of guiding people through the worst chapters of their lives is what makes our job so rewarding.
With that privilege comes a heavy burden. Jonathan acknowledges the emotional burden that his team faces after being exposed to so many tragedies. When you spend your day looking at graphic injury photos or hearing your clients talk about what it’s like to lose a loved one, there can be serious mental effects. That’s one of the reasons why Jonathan has a full-time counselor on staff for his team.
“I think sometimes it’s good that we allow our hearts to be broken alongside our clients’ hearts.” That deep level of empathy not only allows us to be better lawyers for our clients, it makes us better people as well.
Our goal as a firm is to help our clients recover physically, financially, and emotionally. The entire team at Daniel Stark, led by Jonathan, is dedicated to doing just that.
