Tracy Jong

As an attorney, I am in the business of problem solving and crisis management. I do my best work when I can collaborate with an actively participating client to move a project forward. By educating clients on options available to them, I can provide the tools necessary to make good decisions.

I like to say that I chose my specialties because I enjoy the clients I encounter in these businesses. Inventors have such posiive energy. It is contagious. Restaurant owners celebrate the experience of a meal, turning the everyday into something a little special. Winemakers and brewers have found a way to turn a true passion into a business. They have priorities in the right place in so many ways.

However, truth be told, these specialties found me. My clients needed an attorney who could do some rather unusual things - things that are important to them in their industry, but things that not many attorneys knew about. The unusual experiences in my career had a purpose. I collected a skillset that could be put to work to solve problems for these business owners in a way that was practical and cost-effective. Running a planning and zoning board, and being a certified building code inspector became useful in ways I never could have imagined. Running a wastewater treatment plant and a municipal electric company taught me about environmental and construction issues that come up in building wineries and breweries. Managing a union shop and a government staff gave human resources skills. Working in an agricultural town relying on seasonal workers gave me an understanding an appreciation of immigration issues faced in agribusiness. Living abroad in France and marrying an immigrant helped me understand the everyday issues of immigration - preclusion from certain jobs, complexities when travelling and separation of family when visa are declined for international travel. Working in the restuarant and bar business while in school gave me an inside look at how these business operate and unique dynamics they face. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

When you find your path, you love what you do. And I love my job. I meet the most interesting people and experience things I would not otherwise encounter. How could life be better?