Nicole Toft, Business and Real Estate Lawyer, DAVIS Law
Nicole Toft is Co-Chair of the Laguna Beach Community Foundation Professional Council.
How do you define success within your line of business?
I’m a business and real estate lawyer. My clients usually ask me to get involved when there is either an existing problem, or potential for a problem. In litigation, that means clients are contemplating filing a lawsuit or they are parties to a lawsuit filed by someone else. In transactional work, that means clients are contemplating a deal and are looking for my guidance in structuring a transaction that minimizes their risks while achieving their objectives.
Success is reaching a fair result for my clients, being responsive to their needs, and being an efficient lawyer. In litigation, that involves assessing risk and taking a case all the way through trial if necessary, or settling a case if the time is right. In the transactional context, this means minimizing risk to my client, negotiating deal points when necessary, problem solving, and turning documents around quickly so that I don’t slow down the deal.
As a Civil Litigation Attorney, what do you enjoy most about having a nonprofit as a client?
I enjoy helping nonprofits take care of “the legal stuff” so they can focus on what they do best. By that I mean helping nonprofits with their formation documents, achieving (and maintaining) their 501(c)(3) status, and problem solving with boards as issues arise in the life of a nonprofit. It is always an honor to work with, and for, people who dedicate their lives to service. Seeing, learning about, and feeling the impact of nonprofit clients in Laguna Beach and Orange County is also extremely rewarding.
You are involved in community work. What type of personal rewards do you get from your community service?
My goal in community work is simple: to enrich the lives of others. For some charities, that means contributing financially. For others, it means being active in the community through volunteerism. It is always great to take off my legal hat and get involved. Anything I do to help or teach members of the community has always been a tremendously rewarding and enriching experience. It helps me be a better person and reminds me to allocate my time to areas where I can have the most impact during my life.
Our favorite authors tend to influence the way we live our lives and our philosophies. Who is your favorite author and how has this person influenced you?
I am not a reader. There, I said it. As a lawyer, I spend most of my day reading legal documents. That said, authors haven’t had as much impact on me as you might imagine. Who has impacted me is my family, and specifically, my husband, my parents, and my identical twin sister. They all mean the world to me. They have taught me to treasure family, to stay grounded, and to appreciate what life has to offer.
Where are you from and what is your favorite thing to do there? What is your favorite past time in Laguna. What do you love most about Laguna?
I was born in San Francisco, but I consider myself to be from Newport Beach because I grew up in Newport starting at age six. As a kid, Laguna was a great place to spend the day. As an adult working on my eighth year at Davis Law in Laguna, I get to spend every workday here, and even some weekends (hopefully not work related!). What I love most about being in Laguna now is the energy and uniqueness of the city. The city is always evolving, but also holds on to a piece of history. I love Laguna’s restaurants and festivals. Oh, and the fact that it has the best nonprofits in the world!
If you are interested in joining the Professional Council, please contact Rachel Lindsay at 949-715-8223 or via email at [email protected].
I’m a business and real estate lawyer. My clients usually ask me to get involved when there is either an existing problem, or potential for a problem. In litigation, that means clients are contemplating filing a lawsuit or they are parties to a lawsuit filed by someone else. In transactional work, that means clients are contemplating a deal and are looking for my guidance in structuring a transaction that minimizes their risks while achieving their objectives.
Success is reaching a fair result for my clients, being responsive to their needs, and being an efficient lawyer. In litigation, that involves assessing risk and taking a case all the way through trial if necessary, or settling a case if the time is right. In the transactional context, this means minimizing risk to my client, negotiating deal points when necessary, problem solving, and turning documents around quickly so that I don’t slow down the deal.
As a Civil Litigation Attorney, what do you enjoy most about having a nonprofit as a client?
I enjoy helping nonprofits take care of “the legal stuff” so they can focus on what they do best. By that I mean helping nonprofits with their formation documents, achieving (and maintaining) their 501(c)(3) status, and problem solving with boards as issues arise in the life of a nonprofit. It is always an honor to work with, and for, people who dedicate their lives to service. Seeing, learning about, and feeling the impact of nonprofit clients in Laguna Beach and Orange County is also extremely rewarding.
You are involved in community work. What type of personal rewards do you get from your community service?
My goal in community work is simple: to enrich the lives of others. For some charities, that means contributing financially. For others, it means being active in the community through volunteerism. It is always great to take off my legal hat and get involved. Anything I do to help or teach members of the community has always been a tremendously rewarding and enriching experience. It helps me be a better person and reminds me to allocate my time to areas where I can have the most impact during my life.
Our favorite authors tend to influence the way we live our lives and our philosophies. Who is your favorite author and how has this person influenced you?
I am not a reader. There, I said it. As a lawyer, I spend most of my day reading legal documents. That said, authors haven’t had as much impact on me as you might imagine. Who has impacted me is my family, and specifically, my husband, my parents, and my identical twin sister. They all mean the world to me. They have taught me to treasure family, to stay grounded, and to appreciate what life has to offer.
Where are you from and what is your favorite thing to do there? What is your favorite past time in Laguna. What do you love most about Laguna?
I was born in San Francisco, but I consider myself to be from Newport Beach because I grew up in Newport starting at age six. As a kid, Laguna was a great place to spend the day. As an adult working on my eighth year at Davis Law in Laguna, I get to spend every workday here, and even some weekends (hopefully not work related!). What I love most about being in Laguna now is the energy and uniqueness of the city. The city is always evolving, but also holds on to a piece of history. I love Laguna’s restaurants and festivals. Oh, and the fact that it has the best nonprofits in the world!
If you are interested in joining the Professional Council, please contact Rachel Lindsay at 949-715-8223 or via email at [email protected].
