Van Thiet Lam 

 Regal Nails, Salon, & Spa, LLC

Areas of Practice:

My main area of practice is franchise law. But as a franchiser, I also have to deal with contracts, leasing, intellectual property rights, vicarious liability, etc. And being in house for Regal, I have to also have some familiarity with employment, advertising, and corporate governance.

 What most people don’t know about me:

I’m a comic book geek. I’m also into sci-fi, sci-fantasy, and horror. I used to study at home for finals with a paranormal show playing in the background.

Family:

Married with two kids: an 8-year old and 6-year old. My kids are at that good age when their personalities and interests are forming.

Best thing about being a lawyer:

I think it’s viewing issues from a more objective standpoint… most of the time.

Cat or Dog?

Dog. 

Favorite place in Baton Rouge:

Home. Nothing beats coming home, especially after a long trip. But even for short trips, there is nothing that is more relaxing than walking through my door or more comfortable to me than sitting down on my own couch.

Favorite restaurant:

It’s hard to pick just one. But if push comes to shove, I’d say Sushi Masa. It’s one restaurant that my wife and both kids enjoy eating at. Also it’s all you can eat sushi that gets brought to your table. The fish katsu there is pretty good too. 

If I had more time, I would:

Write more fiction, specifically short stories. I’d like to tackle a novel one day, but that would definitely take more commitment.

Board/Committees I serve on:

Currently, I’m serving as a member of the Steering Committee of the Diversity Caucus for the ABA Forum on Franchising. It’s our goal to assist diverse members of our Forum to be more active and start on the pathway to leadership positions.  I’m also on the Board of Directors with the AC Lewis YMCA off of Foster. I’m proud to be part of an organization that has a direct positive impact on our community, especially the children and less fortunate.

Best advise you have received:

It’s not one of the best advice I’ve received, but it’s one of the most practical. Our former GC told me the best way to figure out which bread plate and drink is yours is to form an ok sign with your hands. Your left makes a “b” for bread; your right makes a “d” for drink. 

What I miss about law school:

Daily lunches with my circle of friends from law school.

What was your first job: 

I worked for my parents at a dock. I’ve done everything there but weigh the shrimp and grade the tuna. And by everything, I mean from shoveling the shrimp from down the deck of the ship into a conveyer belt to dumping the shrimp into vats and icing them down. Afterwards, we’d also help clean the area to get ready for the next boat if there was time. Worst part of the job was dumping the shrimp into vats. Nothing worse than having shrimp juice splash onto your clothes and into your boots when you tilt the basket the wrong way.  

For more information or to comment on this Member Spotlight feature, contact Susan Kelley at susan@brba.org or 225-214-5559.