Interview with Gina Occhipinti Borasi; Borasi Law

I am super excited to introduce you to Gina Occhipinti Borasi; personal injury attorney here in Santa Cruz County! Gina has been advocating for residents of Santa Cruz County since 1999. Gina has been on the Board for the Women Lawyers of Santa Cruz County since 2009 and their mission is advocate for women in the legal profession and for the concerns of women in our society. And they do a lot of continuing legal education events that support that mission.

Gina specializes in personal injury cases, mostly auto accidents, and is there to listen to her clients’ concerns, explain the claims and litigation process in simple terms, and handle all legal matters so her clients can focus solely on their health and recovery. Gina is hard-working, passionate, and an amazing listener.

She understands that calling an attorney can be a daunting task, but wants people to know that when you call her office, you will have a good experience and if she can’t help you, she will definitely refer you to three other attorneys who might be able to.

INTERVIEW WITH GINA OCCHINPINTI BORASI:

Shemeika: Hello and welcome. I’m super excited to introduce to you Gina, who I’m not gonna butcher her last name. She’s gonna do that part herself.

Gina: Gina Occhipinti Borasi.

Shemeika: And she is a local Santa Cruz attorney who specializes in-

Gina: Personal injury, mostly auto accidents.

Shemeika: And how did you get involved in that specialized, specific law practice?

Gina: So it kind of started out with me during college and graduate school and law school working in various non-profits, legal non-profits. So I was helping victims of domestic violence. Also in victim witness at the DA’s office. And then also helping at California Rural Legal Assistance working with a lot of victims. And then I started actually working in this same office when I was 22. So that’s 22 years ago, this same office as a personal injury paralegal. I was a personal injury paralegal for seven years, and then when I graduated law school, it just-

Shemeika: You loved it?

Gina: I loved it and it just seemed like a really good fit still. So I was still feeling like I was able to help people that have been hurt. People that have been in, you know, traumatic situations, in crisis, and I knew it well, because being a paralegal, I felt like I was also kind of like the law practice manager. So I knew a lot of the ins and outs but I had also handled a lot of the claims for the attorneys, so it was a good fit for me.

Shemeika: Yeah, so once you graduated did you open up your own practice right away then that specialized in personal injury?

Gina: I did. When I graduated in 2008, there was a major recession. So everywhere across California was hiring freezes. So what I ended up doing was opening my own practice here in this office and then I also started waiting tables at Crow’s Nest at night. So I’d come in here during the day, work my booty off, and then go there at night.

Shemeika: Dang. We do what we have to.

Gina: Yeah, I was like, “Okay, I get my free meal.” I get food today.

Shemeika: Yeah. Right! Like a true hustler. And why do you feel super passionate about personal injury?

Gina: I just really feel like I have the skills and knowledge. I understand the law and how personal injury claims work. So when people call me, I can give them the information that helps them feel more calm about their situation and I can guide them and get them the help that they need. So I really do like that. I like having that information and giving it to people and just making them feel better. I can explain to ’em how the process works and also just let them know that this might come up or this or that and this is how I handle it. And it gives ’em that peace of mind to know that, “Okay, maybe this won’t be that bad.” And then they can focus on healing, going to the doctor, you know, doing their home exercise program or whatever. And then they know that I would take care of everything else.

Shemeika: Do you in general go, like end up in court, or do you try to settle outside or it just depends on, each case is different?

Gina: So in general, the cases are, we settle the cases and I feel like that’s with most personal injury cases. You can settle ’em, you can resolve them. So most of my cases do get resolved either at the claims level, like with the insurance company, or once we file a lawsuit and we go through the discovery process and then we mediate. And usually at that point too we’re able to resolve the case. I have been working in this community since I was 22, like I was mentioning, at different legal non-profits in the law office. And I’m on like different boards, the Santa Cruz County Bar Association Women Lawyers, so I’ve gotten to meet a lot of attorneys in the community and also become really familiar with a lot of legal non-profits. So I feel like when you’re looking for an attorney, it’s a scary process. And then also you go on Google or whatever and all these different names come up. So I feel like it’s important for me to have people know that when you call me, it’s gonna be a good experience. I’m gonna listen to you and I’m gonna be able to refer you to several different attorneys or maybe some legal resources in the community that can help you. Even if it’s a personal injury case and it’s not something I do, or I feel like maybe there might be another attorney that might be a better fit, then I’ll refer you out and give you a list of names. Because it is, it’s hard looking online and finding someone that suits your needs and that you can work with.

Shemeika: Super overwhelming.

Gina: Yeah. It really is.

Shemeika: I agree. That’s really, that’s a very nice service that you provide.

Gina: Yeah. And I’m happy to do that.

Shemeika: That’s great. What is your favorite thing about your job?

Gina: I think my favorite thing is I almost learn something new every day. I never get bored, I never get bored. There’s always something new to learn. And lately I’ve really been liking meeting with people who are going through that process of thinking about law school or in law school or getting ready to take the bar and talking to them about the process. I’ve been really enjoying that lately. The practice is so small. I wouldn’t likely have an intern or a paralegal but I would definitely take the time to sit down and have a coffee and talk about what’s law school like, what’s studying for the bar like, here are some tips and these are things that I wish I did but didn’t.

Shemeika: Yeah. Yeah. What’s your least favorite thing about the job?

Gina: I would say my least favorite part is confrontation.

Shemeika: You’re literally like, isn’t that like every day?

Gina: It doesn’t have to be. So that’s my style. I don’t like a lot of confrontation, so I’m able, I feel like, to be a good listener and to politely, professionally advocate for my clients without anyone yelling or getting really upset. I mean, that’s just my style. So I don’t like that when I’m dealing with someone that’s really confrontational. But I do make a lot of efforts to kind of focus on the goal which is let’s get this resolved. Let’s kind of make everyone as happy as we can.

Shemeika: Yeah. That makes sense. That’s cool. I like that style. Professional and classy.

Gina: Yep. While advocating. You know and that can be hard to do.

Shemeika: Yeah, I mean, and I think by different styles of communication, if you feel like you’re not being heard or met by the person that you’re communicating with, that’s like inevitably or usually people like escalate, escalate, escalate to that point where it’s just very contentious.

Shemeika: Good for you. What is one thing that’s super interesting about you? It does not have to be about your career or law or anything else, but why somebody would resonate with you and be like, “Oh, that’s interesting, Gina.”

Gina: Let’s see. I really like exercising. I don’t know, I feel like I love swimming. I love like hiking with my pets. I love Pilates. We were talking about that earlier. So I really like being active. I think in a way that can really help me relate to my clients, ’cause I do have a lot of clients that are active and they get involved in an accident and they become stagnant and their injuries prevent them from doing the things that they like. So I think that can help me relate to clients a lot when they’re hurt and they describe, you know, how depressed they feel ’cause they can’t go out and walk or run or ride their bike. I do, I love to read, I love reading. Yes. No, I just, I love reading. I also really love baking. So I eat cookies and read and pet my cat.

Shemeika: I’m coming over to your house. How did you get into law? Did you know when you were a kid that you wanted to be an attorney when you grew up?

Gina: So it was kind of interesting. When I was in middle school we had this assignment where we had to write a persuasive essay and I did that. And then my teacher returned it to me and said, “Have you ever thought of law?” Which, I was a young girl, never. Never crossed my mind. So, yeah, that kind of planted the seed.

Shemeika: What was the persuasive essay about?

Gina: I don’t even remember.

Shemeika: You just remember- The teacher saying you should- And then after that you were like intrigued.

Gina: Yeah, I was really intrigued. And then when I was in high school applying for college, you know, I was looking at some of the course catalogs and really all of the classes that made me excited were either legal studies or women’s studies.

Shemeika: Oh, that’s cool. And that’s why you’re on the board of Women’s Lawyers of Santa Cruz.

Gina: Yeah. Women Lawyers of Santa Cruz County. I really like being on that board. Basically our mission is to advocate for women in the legal profession and for the concerns of women in our society. And we do a lot of continuing legal education events that support that mission.

Shemeika: I love that.

Gina: It’s just the best group of women. And there’s been times during my career where I thought that the only reason why I like being an attorney was ’cause the Women Lawyers of Santa Cruz County. You know, you have those moments where you feel burnt out. And, you know, that board has always given me just a good feeling.

Shemeika: That’s awesome to hear. I love hearing that kind of stuff.

Gina: Yeah, I think that there have been times when I’ve gone to court, especially when I was younger, where I’ve been questioned by the judge if I, you know, who’s the attorney here?

Shemeika: You’re like, “Me!”

Gina: Yeah, so those were the moments where I’ve definitely felt insecure. And then also there’s sometimes I’ll be in court, and this happened a lot more in Monterey, but I was the only female in the room unless, you know maybe the court reporter or clerk. But yeah, there was a lot of older males. And that’s just the way it was. So there definitely have been times where that’s made me feel a little self-conscious. But in general I feel like in Santa Cruz I’ve had mostly positive experiences.

Shemeika: That’s good. Is there anything that you want people to know about you, your practice, your business, or otherwise that we didn’t cover?

Gina: Yeah, I mean I would just wanna emphasize that when you call my office, I wanna make sure you have a positive experience. And I know it can be nerve-racking calling a law office ’cause even I’ve felt a little nervous when we were doing our estate planning. Even though I’m an attorney, I knew the attorney, but it’s still, it’s like you get nervous. So I just want people to know that when you call my office, I hope you have a good experience and if I can’t help you, I’m definitely gonna refer you to like three other attorneys who might be able to.

Shemeika: I love that. Thank you, Gina.

Gina: Thanks so much. I appreciate your time.

“Gina was supportive and informative throughout the process. She explained my rights and the details of how insurance companies work. Gina worked tirelessly to get me a fair settlement. She was competent and professional, while also being sensitive and compassionate in my time of need. I can now move forward and leave the accident behind me. I am incredibly grateful that I found Gina and I highly recommend her services.”

— Clare, Former Client

“Gina allowed me to move forward toward litigation at a comfortable pace, with support, never pressuring me to do anything that felt uncomfortable to me. In the end her patience and continuous work on my behalf resulted in a satisfactory settlement. I respect her and am happy to recommend her.”

— Ann, Former Client

To learn more about Gina Occhipinti Borasi and her practice, Borasi Law, or to schedule a consultation, visit: https://www.borasilaw.com/ or call (831) 458-0502 Extension 111