What happens when a 14-year-old girl watches the justice system almost fail someone she loves? For Debra Whitson, it lit a fire that never went out.Denisa Tova sits down with Debra Whitson, founder of Whitson Law PLLC and visionary behind Mediated Online Solutions. From prosecuting special-victims cases to building a no-drama divorce practice that actually helps families heal, Debra has spent her life turning pain into purpose and systems into solutions.You’ll hear how:- A brutal crime in her small town pushed her toward law and advocacy- Eleven years as a special-victims prosecutor shaped the way she fights for survivors- She shifted from courtroom battles to creating healthier divorce paths through mediation and collaboration- She uses storytelling in the courtroom to make sure judges truly see the humans behind the case- Her team becomes a “no drama zone” for clients in the middle of the most chaotic season of their lives- Dinner tables, tennis, mountains, and her dog keep her grounded while she leads a multi-office firmIf you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to build a legacy that protects survivors, families, and kids, this conversation will stay with you.🔔 Subscribe to Beyond the Bar Podcast for more real conversations with the humans behind the titles.🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform and share this episode with a colleague or friend who needs to hear it.Learn more about Debra Whitson:Bio: https://whitsonlawfirm.com/meet-the-team/debra-whitson/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-whitson-ba119019/Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://tovaretirement.com/podcast/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/denisatovaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatovaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova/Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: https://hypecats.com.

She argues high-conflict cases for a living… and still refuses to lose her humanity. 💥In this episode of Beyond the Bar Podcast, Denisa sits down with Lauren Crane – founding partner at Bender & Crane LLP, seasoned family-law litigator, appointed mediator, sports superfan, mom… and breast cancer survivor.Lauren opens up about:🏈 Growing up in a sports-obsessed family and why she believes sports are the ultimate teacher in resilience, teamwork, and perspective📱 How email culture and “keyboard courage” changed the way we practice – and why she’s begging younger professionals to pick up the phone again🧠 The mental health crisis she’s seeing in families and lawyers post-COVID, and what it’s really doing to cases🎗 Being diagnosed with breast cancer at 42 during COVID, undergoing a double mastectomy, and why she went back to work just weeks later💗 How surviving cancer completely shifted her priorities toward giving back, mentoring young attorneys, and supporting other women through diagnosis and treatment📚 Her advice to new lawyers on actually learning the law, backing themselves, and not outsourcing their judgment to AIIf you’ve ever wondered how to stay grounded when your work is intense, emotionally heavy, and nonstop – Lauren’s story will hit home. This one is about sports, fear, family, grief, recovery, and what it really means to show up for people.✨ Listen now, subscribe, and share this with someone who needs a reminder that it’s never “too late” to rewrite how you live and work.Learn more about Lauren Crane:Bio: https://www.bendercrane.com/lauren-crane/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-crane-472545239/Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://tovaretirement.com/podcast/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/denisatovaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatovaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova/Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: https://hypecats.com.

You think you know Sonja Morgan, but you really don’t.This is the version of the RHONY icon that never made it to Bravo.People know the memes, the townhouse, the fashion, the chaos, and the one-liners, but this conversation is the first time Sonja opens up about the real story behind the persona. The fashion designer, the entrepreneur, the philanthropist, the mother, and the woman who married into old money, survived a life-altering accident in her family, and rebuilt everything from the ground up.In this interview, Sonja talks about her life before the fame, modeling in Europe, learning to survive on her own, stepping into one of America’s most powerful families, and what actually happened when everything changed overnight. She shares her truth about independence, motherhood, dating, fame, vulnerability, and why she refuses to be seen as anything less than a full partner in her own life.She also breaks down BravoCon energy, the highs and lows of fame, what people got wrong about her on RHONY, the importance of rest and privacy, and how she keeps reinventing herself while staying grounded and hilarious.There is a reason people call her “the realest Housewife,” and today you finally hear why.If you love real conversations, if you love reinvention, and if you want Sonja Morgan unfiltered, emotional, funny, and fully herself, you’re in the right place.Subscribe and tap in for more conversations that go deeper than the headlines. 💋🔥

Learn more about Sonja Morgan:

Website: https://sonjamorganofficial.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonjatmorgan/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonjatmorgan

Sonja Sangria: http://sonjasangria.com/

Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://tovaretirement.com/podcast/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/denisatova

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatova

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova/

Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: https://hypecats.com.

What if the thing everyone told you to “toughen up” about is exactly what makes you brilliant at your work?In this episode of Beyond the Bar Podcast, Denisa sits down with Carmen Rodriguez, a Cuban-American mediator and collaborative attorney who was once told she was “too sensitive” for the legal profession. Carmen didn’t change who she was. She changed where she used her gifts.Carmen shares how growing up as the only Hispanic family in a small Massachusetts town, watching her mother counsel a neighbor through antisemitism, and being the daughter of a Cuban lawyer who had to start over in the U.S. shaped everything about the way she shows up for families in crisis.You’ll hear:✨ The nightly gratitude ritual she taught her kids (“name three great things about today”)🌎 How traveling to 80+ countries helped her feel less “other” and more connected📘 The life philosophy she learned from friends in India: one third learning, one third working, one third giving back👨‍👧 The story of her father, who believed his daughter must be educated so she’d never be financially dependent on anyone💛 Why her sensitivity is her superpower in mediation and in helping parents lower the temperature for their kidsThis isn’t just a conversation about divorce. It’s about perspective, gratitude, identity, parenting, and what it really means to leave the world better for the next generation.

Learn more about Carmen Rodriguez:

Website: https://www.rodriguezlawandmediation.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-m-rodriguez-229b93209

Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://tovaretirement.com/podcast/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/denisatova

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatova

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova/

Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: https://hypecats.com.

When emotions run high and the stakes could not be higher, calm is not weakness. It is mastery.In this episode, NYC powerhouse Danielle R. Petitti, founding attorney of Petitti PLLC, sits down with Denisa Tova for a raw and honest conversation about what it really takes to navigate divorce litigation without losing control or yourself.Danielle has built her reputation on grit, emotional intelligence, and fierce advocacy for families in crisis. She shares how to stay steady when clients unravel, why being aggressive only works when it is intentional, and what true strength looks like in and out of the courtroom.Together, they talk about burnout, boundaries, and the real cost of doing this work well. Danielle opens up about running her firm through Covid while raising her daughter, the moments that test even the toughest lawyers, and how she finds her reset when the noise will not stop.This conversation is a must-watch for every divorce attorney who understands that success in family law takes more than skill. It takes humanity, composure, and a clear sense of purpose.🎧 Watch now and see why calm beats chaos in high-stakes divorce.

Learn more about Danielle Pettiti:

Bio: https://petittilaw.com/team-member/danielle-r-petitti/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-petitti-1a1a1442/

Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://tovaretirement.com/podcast/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/denisatova

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatova

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova/

Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: https://hypecats.com.

When litigator Deepti Shenoy faced her own divorce with a five-month-old baby, everything changed. What began as heartbreak became her purpose — reshaping her legal career and inspiring her to create Split Second, a New York City community helping single moms navigate separation and custody.In this episode of Beyond the Bar Podcast, host Denisa Tova dives into Deepti’s story — how she went from corporate law at JPMorgan to hands-on family law, and how lived experience gave her a deeper sense of empathy and connection. They talk about the emotional toll of divorce, the importance of community, and the creative outlets that keep Deepti grounded — from sewing and writing to hydroponic gardening.💛 You’ll hear how she transformed adversity into advocacy, why she believes community is essential for mental health, and what it really takes to find purpose beyond your title.Listen now to discover how one woman turned her personal journey into a mission to support others — and why her advice to anyone rebuilding is simple: find your people.

Learn more about Deepti Shenoy:

Bio: https://www.mcpherson-pc.com/deepti-shenoy-bio

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/deeptishenoy

Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://tovaretirement.com/podcast/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/denisatova

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova/

Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: https://hypecats.com.

Divorce doesn’t have to be a five-year war. Family law partner Alan “Al” Feigenbaum (Blank Rome) explains why protecting emotional capital—your time, headspace, and peace—often beats “winning” one more term on paper. We talk about leaving commercial litigation to work with people, the post-pandemic return of courtroom theatrics, how to set boundaries so your phone doesn’t run your life, and why stepping away for thirty minutes can save a case. Al also shares pro bono work with veterans, parenting teens, travel, books he’s reading, and a human twist you won’t expect.If you’re navigating divorce, advising clients, or just rethinking conflict, this conversation offers a practical path to exit sooner and heal smarter. Watch, subscribe, and share with someone who needs a perspective shift.Learn more about Alan Feigenbaum Bio: https://www.blankrome.com/people/alan-r-feigenbaumLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-feigenbaum/Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://tovaretirement.com/podcast/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/denisatovaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatovaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova/Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: https://hypecats.com.

Dina Kaplan is a force — in life and in the courtroom. In this raw and unfiltered conversation, she shares how a trauma at 14 set her on a path to change the system from the inside, why she chooses survivorship over victimhood, and how movement, mantras, and mindset fuel her both personally and professionally.🛑 Content note: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault and trauma (starting ~11:06).You’ll hear how Dina’s origin story shaped her calling to the law, why she believes in rising from the ashes like a phoenix, and how her “fast brain” energy helps her thrive in high-stakes cases. 💪 She opens up about turning movement into meditation, embracing a lifestyle transformation that changed her health, and raising her kids with both toughness and heart. 🌱 At the core of it all is her mantra: “happy, joyous & free.”👤 About our guestDina Kaplan is a partner at a leading New York family-law firm with 25+ years advocating in high-emotion, high-stakes matters. She’s known for her candor, creativity, and compassion.🎧 Subscribe on YouTube + follow Beyond the Bar Podcast for more raw conversations.If you or someone you know needs support: RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline 800-656-HOPE | rainn.orgLearn more about Dina Kaplan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dina-kaplan-11863010/Bio: https://www.berkbot.com/attorneys/dina-s-kaplan/Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://tovaretirement.com/podcast/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/denisatovaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatovaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova/Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: https://hypecats.com.

Most career paths are linear. Byron Chou’s is anything but.He started out valuing businesses in high-stakes divorces, grinding through full-time work while going to law school at night. Today he’s a rising force in family law, but what makes him stand out isn’t just the cases he handles, it’s the way he blends intellect with creativity, and discipline with community.We dive into how AI is reshaping the practice of law, why protecting boundaries makes you a better advocate, what picking up the violin after twenty years taught him about balance, and how leading Lunar New Year and Diwali celebrations keeps him connected to something bigger than himself.This isn’t a story about titles. It’s about curiosity, resilience, and saying “yes” to experiences that make a life worth living.Subscribe to Beyond the Bar Podcast for conversations that reveal the human side of the profession.Learn more about Byron Chou: Firm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nydivlaw Firm LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gassmanbaiamontegruner/ Firm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gassmanbaiamontegruner/ Byron LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/byronchou/ Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://tovaretirement.com/podcast/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/denisatovaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatovaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova/Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: https://hypecats.com.

What does it take to turn adversity into leadership?On this episode of Beyond the Bar Podcast, Denisa Tova sits down with The Hon. Leela Sharon Aheer—a woman who went from Alberta farm fields to shaping Canadian policy, proclaiming the country’s first Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, and fighting for laws that protect women and girls.Leela’s story isn’t just about politics—it’s about resilience, community, motherhood, reinvention, and the power of music (she even sings in 18 languages!).In this conversation, you’ll hear:✨ How growing up in Alberta’s tight-knit farming community shaped her worldview✨ The shocking moment at 15 that lit her fire for activism✨ Lessons on leadership, allyship, and building bridges across political divides✨ Why music remains her secret weapon for connection and healing✨ Her vision for women in entrepreneurship, politics, and beyondThis is a conversation full of goosebump moments, hard truths, and unstoppable energy.🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe for more powerful stories that go beyond the accolades and into what really matters.Learn more about Hon. Leela Aheer: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hon-leela-aheer-eca-454098167/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leelasharonaheer X: https://x.com/LeelaAheer Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://tovaretirement.com/podcast/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/denisatovaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatovaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova/Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: https://hypecats.com.