Attorney Payton focuses her law practice on tax controversy, tax planning and estate planning. She is a popular speaker and has appeared multiple times on the Emmy Award-winning talk show The List.

Q: Can you share with our audience, the types of law you specialize in?
LRP: I practice in estate planning and tax controversy matters. 

Q: What aspects of the daily job of being a lawyer interest you the most?
LRP: I enjoy helping people with their estate planning matters and giving them piece of mind that they are putting together a plan for their loved ones when they pass to make things less stressful during an already difficult time. It can be difficult for people to focus on this but once they do it usually makes them feel much better. 

Q: What is your approach or philosophy to winning or representing a case?
LRP: When I am advocating for a client on an IRS matter, I find that the way you present yourself and the facts is key to a successful resolution. You must be persistent and think about your client as a human and put yourselves in their shoes to be a good advocate. 

Q: Can you share with our audience the type of pro-bono work you do?
LRP: If someone comes to us with a tax or estate planning matter and they cannot afford our services, but we can tell they really need help we are willing to help them at discounted rate or pro bono. 

Q: If we interviewed all your past clients … what is “one” common word that comes up when they describe working with your law firm?  
LRP: Compassion 

Q: What advice would you give to young women who want to pursue a career as an Attorney?
LRP: The sky is the limit. If you work hard, you can do anything. You need to have confidence and believe in yourself and put in the hours and the time. 

Q: Were there moments in your career that were pivotal to getting where you are today?
LRP: Joining the firm I am at today was a changing point in my career. I would not be where I am today without the partners I have and the things I have learned from working with them. 

Q: What are the best practices you have employed to build a successful career? 
LRP: You need to work hard and communicate with all clients in a timely matter. The matters they have entrusted you with usually are something that causes them stress in their lives, and they need to know what is going on to help ease that stress. 

Q: What's the greatest fear you've had to overcome to get where you are today?  
LRP: Failure 

Q: What’s one lesson you’ve learned in your career that you can share with our audience?
LRP: I have learned to not react too quickly and always think twice before sending an email on a heated matter. 

Q: Which woman inspires you and why? 
LRP: Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of the women that inspired me the most. She was a trailblazer and led the way for women like me to be where we are today. 

Q: What are some of the challenges you feel women face today?
LRP: Sometimes people think we cannot handle matters as well as a man could so we often feel the need to prove ourselves to show that we can. 

Q: After high school, where did you feel your career path would take you?  
LRP: I wanted to be a publisher of a magazine and work in New York City after college. I did fulfill my dream and worked at Seventeen Magazine and People Magazine in New York. I eventually decided that Arizona was home for me and completely switched career paths when I decided to go to law school. I have no regrets on my choice, but I am glad I had experience in both industries as different as they are! 

Q: Can you tell us how you manage your work life balance?
LRP: I try to be efficient as possible. I just look at each day rather than the week and change and adjust things daily as needed so it is not overwhelming. 

Q: What would be the title of your autobiography?
LRP: The life of Reilly 

15 Things About Attorney Lisa Reilly Payton 

1. If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be?
Larry David, Dolly Parton, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and my dad who passed away when I was 20. 

2. What's your favorite family tradition? 
Going to our cabin for summer holidays as a family 

3. What celebrity would you like to meet at Starbucks for a cup of coffee? 
Tom hanks 

4. What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time? 
Yoga 

5. What’s the most amazing adventures have you’ve ever been on? 
Living in Spain for 2 months in College

6. Among your friends, what are you best known for? 
Doing what I say I am going to do and standing by it 

7. What’s your favorite international food? 
Mexican Food 

8. What’s your favorite app on your phone? 
Waze- it keeps me on time!

9. What’s your favorite quote or saying? 
It’s a marathon not a sprint 

10. Are you a morning person or a night owl? 
Definitely morning person

11. What would your perfect vacation look like?
In Hawaii or a beach with my family 

12. Favorite City? 
New York 

13. Do you read reviews, or just go with your gut? 
Always with my gut

14. What would you sing at Karaoke night? 
Islands in the stream (the dolly Parton part) as a duo!

15. Have you ever met anyone famous? Who? 
Several People living in New York and working at the magazines! Brittany Spears, Jeremy Piven, Nick LaChey, Adam Levine, and the list goes on…