With an eye on building a national practice, debt litigation firm Phoenix Law established itself in Westchester earlier this year.
Founder and Managing Attorney Ty Carss opened the firm in February and has built up a team that includes 10 attorneys. Carss previously operated a separate law practice under his own name in San Marcos.
“I never really thought of myself as working in a big firm. I always just wanted to manage my own business,” Carss said.
Phoenix Law primarily works with clients who are mired in consumer and other unsecured debt, such as with credit cards. It enrolls clients into programs to pay down the debt over time or work out agreements with creditors.
“Down the line, we assist with any harassment issues that come up. A lot of third-party creditors get pretty aggressive, and we go on the offensive with that,” Carss said.
Throughout his 21-year career, Carss has worked a variety of areas useful to “your average citizen,” like personal injury, trusts and estates. Debt resolution stuck out to him.
“I found that it was much more satisfying than other areas of law,” he said. “The stress of debt can just lead to all kinds of other things — health problems, relationship problems — and if you can help people reduce that burden, it can be rewarding.”
The firm has grown faster than anticipated, Carss said, and he may be looking to add a dozen more attorneys nationwide who can practice in multiple jurisdictions. He anticipates bankruptcies in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic will rise, and that solo practice attorneys may be interested in pivoting to a firm like his to end their careers.
“In solo practice, not only are you bringing in your own clients, but you’re the collector also,” Carss said. “Some people, they burn out on that and they’re looking for something that’s a little more steady. We feed them a steady line of clients and they work under our umbrella and don’t have to worry.”
