Meet Elidia Dostal | Business Attorney

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elidia Dostal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elidia, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I am from the central valley of California (Modesto), where my parents moved in the early 1960s because of the agricultural work available for my dad, who was a farm laborer. My father emigrated from Mexico in the 1950s, and my mom was of Navajo descent, and grew up in Arizona. Growing up, my parents would take us to work in the fields when we were on summer break, and there was a constant refrain of “do well in school so you can make a better life for yourself than this.” It was an effective lesson – all six of their children went on to get college degrees, and three of them went on to get graduate degrees. Growing up in the central valley, where many immigrant laborers worked, impacted my view of hard work and the value of education to make the American dream a reality.

What should our readers know about your business?
At Vanst Law, we provide a broad range of services to help businesses succeed at all stages of their inception and growth. Whether it’s the initial stages of formation, setting up contracts or compliance with regulations, or guiding clients through the stressful events of litigation or tax audits, our focus is on protecting our clients and their bottom line. I am most proud of the partnership I have formed with my two good friends, Allison Soares and Jacqueline Vinaccia, who are more than just outstanding, experienced attorneys, but also people of integrity who really care about our partnership, our clients, and our community. Allison is a volunteer board member and CFO of Friends of Balboa Park, which works to preserve the legacy of one San Diego’s gems for future generations. Jacqueline is a member (and San Diego Host Committee member) of Equality California, the Country’s largest statewide LGBTQ advocacy and education group dedicated to establishing and preserving the rights of all LGBTQ Americans. I have spent the past year serving on two redistricting commissions, which have been doing the essential work to our democracy of drawing district lines that respect communities of interest and comply with the Voting Rights Act.

I started my career at the international law firm, Latham & Watkins LLP, before I began my solo practice in 2010. It was a big transition going from big law to being a sole proprietor, but I enjoyed being the decision-maker on my cases and working with small businesses. I was a solo practitioner for almost nine years when I joined Vanst. It was another big transition to give up the independence of a solo practice, but I am so happy I did it. There is nothing better than having law partners you trust and respect. And combining our areas of expertise was a two-fold benefit for my transactional clients; not only can we expertly and compassionately help clients through the incredibly stressful ordeal of litigation or tax audits, it also means that I have partners who can brainstorm with me to ensure we best structure transactions to minimize the potential for such stressors down the road.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Growing up, I had an uncle who lived in San Diego, so it was always a stop on our family summer road trips. Ever since then, I knew I wanted to live in San Diego because I loved its gorgeous weather and beaches. So my itinerary would include visits to San Diego’s beautiful beaches – a hike at Torrey Pines, a burrito and maybe a carnival game at Mission Beach, a visit to the Hotel Del at Coronado Beach, seeing the seals at La Jolla and the beautiful view at Del Mar, and eating fish tacos at Ocean Beach. These are so many more beaches – but we only have a week! There is only a small window in August and September to do so, but there is nothing like a brisk ocean swim without a wet suit and I would definitely include that in my itinerary. I would also plan a visit to Balboa Park and visit at least one of the many museums there; maybe the Museum of Us to write a secret on a postcard for the PostSecret exhibit. And, if it’s summertime, of course we’d have to attend a San Diego Padres game!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate this to my parents and siblings. As the youngest and scrawniest of six children, my only defense against my older siblings was my smart mouth and fast talking. I had to jabber for all I was worth to get a word in edgewise. As far back as I can remember, I heard “you talk so much, you should be a lawyer” and “you talk so fast, you should be an attorney.” So even though I didn’t know a single attorney until I became one myself, I always knew I would be an attorney. And when I was a little girl thirsty for knowledge and as many books as I could get my hands on, even before I could read, my parents and siblings would take turns reading to me. I would not be where I am today if not for every single one of them.

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