Vlad Portnoy is the founder of the Law Office of Vlad Portnoy, an estate planning and elder law firm based in New York City. He has been practicing for more than 16 years, serving clients in wills, trusts, Medicaid planning, and guardianship matters.
I asked Vlad what led him to start his own firm.
"I needed to survive," he told me. "I didn't want to disappoint my loved ones, and the firm was born."
In 2009, the international marketing company where Vlad served as general counsel collapsed, leaving him suddenly unemployed and newly engaged. The corporate job market was brutal. Rather than wait for an opening that wasn't coming, he made a decision: pivot entirely, and build something of his own.
He knew nothing about estate planning and made no pretense of it. He spent his unemployment checks on law books, networked relentlessly, and found a seasoned estate planning attorney willing to work alongside him. For five years, Vlad handled client intake and logistics while his mentor handled the drafting — watching, learning, and building confidence one case at a time. When he was ready, he went fully on his own.
"At the time, it was excruciating," he said. "Looking back, it's the best thing that happened to me because I switched to a different area of law and I love it a lot more."
Growing the firm took a different kind of courage: giving up control. For years, Vlad operated as a solo, reluctant to delegate anything. By 2021, working 80-hour weeks and on the verge of closing, he joined a legal business coaching program and began building a team. The transformation was significant — and it forced him to get clear on what he was actually building.
Today, his firm runs on two rules.
"Rule number one: you absolutely must love helping people. Rule number two: you must have fun doing it. If you're missing at least one of those two, it's time to move on."
His team keeps him honest. When he starts to slip from the standard he holds himself to, they tell him - and he's grateful for it. "I take it with gratitude," he said. "If that's how I am towards you, then that's how I am towards clients and other people."
That accountability runs in both directions. For Vlad, the firm is not separate from who he is.
"My name is on the door. I am the brand."
Are you dealing with estate planning, elder law, or Medicaid planning in New York? Connect with Vlad Portnoy, Esq. and check out Law Offices of Vlad Portnoy, P.C.