Establishing a relationship of trust is a high priority for us at SKV Legal. In order to do that, allow us to introduce ourselves...
We met working together at Lear and Lear, a natural resources law firm that specializes in oil and gas, public lands, and mining law, and other land related issues. We work as title attorneys, concentrating on finding problems or gaps within the chain of surface and mineral ownership of tracts of land. We examine documents, sometimes a hundred- and fifty-years’ worth of them, tracing the transfer of mineral deposits in that property from one owner to the next. In doing so, we all learned to be fastidious and aware of every detail. We understand thoroughly the ramifications of mistakes made if land is conveyed improperly. We bring that understanding and expertise with us as well as our ability to apply it.
Katie was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. She spent her summers at Jacob Lake Inn, her family business at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon where she got her first taste of what it means to work hard. She attended Brigham Young University, graduating with a BA in English, and then continuing on in a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) graduate program. Her students often came to her with immigration questions that she could not answer. That was when she decided to go to law school, having seen firsthand how much could be done with a law license. She attended the S.J. Quiney College of Law at the University of Utah. In the summer between her 1L and 2L years, she interned at the immigration court. She then clerked at the Disability Law Center, a nonprofit organization representing disabled people in legal difficulties. She worked as an associate there for a year after graduating from law school, and then started working at Lear and Lear. Throughout her legal experience, Katie has learned that the law touches every life in some way, and that attorneys are charged with the responsibility of helping other navigate those situations. She does her best to live up to that charge every day.
Randa was born in Rio de Janeiro and raised in Petrópolis, Brazil. Shortly after turning 18, she got her first job as an English teacher and learned many valuable skills that she still makes use of to this day. She graduated from law school and passed the Bar in her native country at the age of 23, and shortly after started her legal career at one of the Big Four accounting firms. Randa arrived in the U.S. in 2006 to attend an L.L.M. (Master of Laws) program at the University of Utah. Little did she know at the time that she would make Utah her home. After working as an articled clerk for nearly five years in a wide range of legal areas such as immigration, personal injury, contracts and copyrights infringement, and medical malpractice, Randa decided that it was time to go back to law school so she could be fully licensed to practice law in the U.S. In 2014, she graduated from BYU law school, passed the Bar, and joined one of the best natural resources law firms in Salt Lake City as a title attorney. Randa’s legal experience, together with her passion for teaching, have taught her to be a good listener and problem-solver. She is committed to providing her clients with compassionate critical thinking and affordable legal advice tailored to meet their individual needs.
Debie was also born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, Debie’s legal career began in Houston, Texas as a Legal Assistant to Thomas P. Carnes; then as a legal assistant to Wayne B. Heicklen in New York City. As a legal assistant, Debie was the first contact for clients, and always developed a relationship of trust and understanding. She knew the ins and out of each client and what their needs were. While she loved being a legal assistant, she realized she was limited in what she could do. In a moment of clarity in the boisterous city of New York, Debie realized she wanted to further assist people and follow her lifelong dream of becoming an attorney. In that moment on 33rd Street, she knew she was going back to school to earn her Juris Doctorate. Debie worked full time and attended New York Law School where she learned to use her time wisely and effectively. Because Debie started as a legal assistant, she understands clients’ needs, the necessity of communication, and how to keep things simple, clear and clean.
With our varied backgrounds, we bring a lot of life and legal experience to the table. Let us use that experience to help you.