Veasna Hoy (left) and Robin Zaragoza (right). Photo by Jeanie Lewis Photography courtesy of HZ Law.
HZ LAW Breaking Barriers and Making Legal Services Accessible to All In theory, the law is impartial, with equal access to justice regardless of background or income level. But in practice, as attorney Veasna Hoy knows all too well, many cannot afford legal representation or are unaware of the resources available to them. That’s one reason Hoy and her partner Robin Zaragoza decided to focus on inclusivity, breaking down barriers and underrepresented voices at their Olympia firm HZ Law.
employment law concerning wrongful termination, employment discrimination and EEOC, business law with support for business formation and trademarks and construction law. The business cases tend to involve creativity, Hoy notes. “We think of ourselves as a business startup legal firm, where people come to us with an idea, and we help protect it and bring it to life,” she says. “If they want to register trademarks, we can walk them through the process. We like to have long-term relationships with our clients, so they come back as their business continues to grow.”
“If you’re not from a family of attorneys or didn’t grow up wealthy, it can be daunting to face a legal issue,” says Hoy. “Robin and I are both first-generation attorneys, and The firm also handles cases in which it was important for us to take the value of understanding and overcoming adversity and disputes arise between business partners use that strength in working with our clients.” or commercial landlords and tenants over lease agreements. “People come to us with questions of how to resolve the situation HZ Law offers multiple services, including
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through mediation or arbitration or simply working it out with the other party’s attorney,” says Hoy. “We are very effective in negotiation, so they don’t have to go through the costly phase of litigation which everyone wants to avoid.” Then there are the special cases they take on a contingency basis, often involving racial discrimination, unfair employment practices or workplace retaliation. HZ Law is particularly focused on providing access for underserved clients, beginning with letting them know that services exist. “Law school teaches us about how to use the law to your benefit, but if you don’t have access, knowledge or resources, there is a real disconnect to having that benefit,” says Hoy. “We’ve seen the ripple effect of discrimination in the criminal justice
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