By Beth Lubereck
Kevin Albaum’s aunt was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and he saw the challenges that came with that. So it’s easy to understand why he was drawn to the elder law program while attending Stetson University College of Law.
Today he leads the elder law department at Clark, Campbell, Lancaster, Workman & Airth in Lakeland. He became a shareholder at the firm at just 29 years old and achieved board certification in his field at age 31. He’s currently chair of the Elder Law Certification Committee for The Florida Bar and vice chairman of VISTE, a nonprofit serving at-risk seniors in the greater Lakeland area.
His mentor, firm founder Ronald Clark, is a big reason why he’s achieved all of that. “I told him what I wanted to do in my elevator speech, which I had given many times, and he was the first person to say, ‘Whatever you need to succeed, I’ll invest in you,’” says Albaum. “He gave me a chip and a chair, as I like to say, and gave me the opportunity to go ahead and build what I wanted to build.
“He truly just gave me a platform,” Albaum continues. “Anything I ever said I needed, the answer was always yes.”
Albaum has learned a lot about managing a team over his years at the firm. “Every single employee, you need to meet them where they are, because they all have different needs,” he says. “I try to put people in situations to succeed.”
He enjoys the fact that no day is the same in elder law. “I get to meet a lot of people and identify and solve their problems,” he says. “It’s pretty cool that every day is different and you don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Dealing with crises, illness, and death is the tough part of the job. Albaum recently took two days off, and two longtime clients passed away, and another had a severe stroke while he was out of the office. “The hard part is, what do you do with that mentally and emotionally when people keep dying and getting sick?” he asks.
Albaum deals with it by playing ice hockey twice a week, doing yoga, spending time with his family and friends, and walking his two goldendoodles. (He can lean on his wife Lauren, too, vice president of student affairs at Florida Southern College in Lakeland and a 40 Under 40 winner last year.) “It’s doing things where I’m not thinking about my profession and my responsibilities,” he says. “You’ve got to turn the brain off.”
City of Residence: Lakeland
Employer: Clark, Campbell, Lancaster, Workman & Airth P.A.
Title: Shareholder
Birthplace: Dunedin
Years in the area: 37
Marital Status/Children: Married- Wife Lauren (prior 40 under 40 winner) and two children (Nina-8 and Chason -1)
Alma Mater/Degree: Florida State University (B.A.) and Stetson University (J.D.)
One group or organization you are most involved with? Volunteers in Service to the Elderly (VISTE)
How many unread texts do you have right now? 11
What is your walk-up song or your hype song before a big presentation or meeting? Good Day- Forrest Frank
What’s the laziest thing you’ve asked AI to do for you this week? Tell me recipe ideas based on what was in the fridge and pantry
If you had a TED Talk title that had nothing to do with your job, what would it be? The benefits of taking small children on international vacations
If someone made a movie about your life, who would play you? Cillian Murphy
Worst job you ever had and one lesson you took from it? Legal assistant at a larger law firm. I learned exactly how not to treat your legal support staff and also how the lawyer may be the face, but the support staff is just as integral to clients and cases.
Binge-worthy show you are into right now? I do not watch TV much but catching up on Peaky Blinders when I find the time.
Beach or mountain vacation? Mountain
Who is your mentor? Ronald L. Clark
What are the top lessons you have learned from your mentor?
I have learned so much from Ron. He and the firm gave me the opportunity to come to Lakeland and practice elder law, which was the only area of law I wanted to pursue when I graduated from law school.
Ron taught me not only how to carry myself as a lawyer, but also how to build and grow a law practice. Many of the things he told me in my twenties did not fully resonate with me at the time. Now, in my 30s, I find myself understanding and appreciating his advice in ways I could not have anticipated.
Perhaps most importantly, Ron gave me a “chip and a chair…the opportunity, support, and confidence to build something of my own. He encouraged my growth not only as a lawyer, but also as a nonprofit volunteer and professional leader. He never simply told me how to become a successful lawyer. Instead, he provided a support system, challenged me to grow, and often pointed me in the right direction while allowing me to find my own way. That combination of guidance, trust, and independence has been one of the most valuable lessons of my career.