Colman

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Arlene Colman-Schwimmer

Colman-Schwimmer & Warren

Specialty: Family law

Law School: Brooklyn Law School, 1963

While her own marriage has lasted for 35 years, Arlene Colman-Schwimmer has made a name for herself representing high-profile Hollywood clients in divorce cases.

Schwimmer was in Elizabeth Taylor’s corner during her split with Larry Fortensky. She represented Roseanne Barr in her divorce from Bill Pentland. Another client was Nancy Daly, who divorced Warner Bros. chief Bob Daly and later married Mayor Richard Riordan.

Schwimmer says handling divorce cases has made her own marriage stronger: “You see the mistakes other couples are making and you try to avoid them,” she said.

Schwimmer spent the early days of her career working as a prosecutor for the Securities and Exchange Commission in New York and Washington, D.C. but recalls the job as “all paper and no people.” She welcomed the chance to move to L.A. in 1968 when her husband, also a lawyer, got a job offer.

In those days, law firms weren’t very interested in hiring women lawyers. That bias led her to open her own practice and represent a woman photographer in her quest to become a union member. After the victory, Schwimmer became a big draw as a speaker on women’s rights issues, and she helped form the L.A. chapter of the National Organization for Women.

Schwimmer says handling divorces has become more difficult over the years because the cases are far more complex, forcing lawyers to develop expertise on subjects ranging from stock options to real estate.

Many times, when cases don’t involve physical or mental abuse, she tries to keep couples together. “From what I can see, many people get divorced for all the wrong reasons,” she says. “People don’t give each other room to grow, and they have unrealistic expectations.”

Along with her list of clients, Schwimmer’s other claim to fame is her son, actor David Schwimmer of the sitcom “Friends.” She said none of his colleagues have come knocking on her door for help in divorce matters. “They’re all too young,” she says.

— Jason Booth

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