About the Law Office of Zachary A. Westenhoefer
Clarity, Professionalism, and a Personal Commitment to Client Attention
I have been practicing law for more than a decade, but my path here was not linear. I began my career as a solo practitioner handling immigration matters, then transitioned into commercial litigation, corporate work, and eventually employment law and judgment enforcement in New York. Over the years, I worked at firms of different sizes, from small practices with only a few attorneys to larger, more structured environments.
Across these settings, I noticed a pattern that bothered me: even well-intentioned firms, once they grew beyond a certain point, struggled to stay responsive to their clients. Calls weren’t returned promptly. Updates were sparse. Important details slipped. Clients were often unsure what was happening in their own cases. These were not failures of competence; they were failures of structure. I came to realize that the traditional model, whether large or modest in size, almost inevitably placed efficiency over attention. That experience shaped the way I practice now.
Why I Practice as a Solo Attorney
I returned to being a solo practitioner because I wanted a practice defined by direct communication and careful work, not volume. I take on a limited number of matters so that I can remain fully involved in every aspect of each case. If you call my office, I answer the phone. If you send an email, I respond personally. If your case needs attention, I know exactly where it stands and what must happen next.
This approach is deliberate. It reflects my belief that the quality of legal representation is inseparable from the amount of attention a lawyer can devote to the case. I prefer depth over breadth and clarity over speed for its own sake.
What I Focus On
My practice centers on two areas where clarity and structure matter enormously: employment law and judgment enforcement.
Employment disputes often arise when the law has been misunderstood, ignored, or inconsistently applied. Judgment enforcement, by contrast, becomes necessary when a legal victory has already been obtained but remains unfulfilled. Both areas require patience, careful analysis, and disciplined follow-through, which are skills that developed naturally over years of handling commercial disputes, drafting contracts, negotiating settlements, and litigating in state and federal courts.
My background across several practice areas gives me a broader perspective than someone who entered employment law or judgment enforcement directly. I understand how businesses work, how disputes arise, and how financial structures can be used legitimately or misused to avoid obligations. That experience informs every case I take.
How I Work With Clients
Clients often come to me at difficult moments: when they’ve been mistreated at work, when wages have gone unpaid, or when a judgment they won remains nothing more than a piece of paper. My job is to bring order to those situations. I explain what the law allows, what the facts suggest, and what realistic paths forward exist. I tell clients what I think, not what I think they want to hear.
The emphasis is always on clarity. I work hard to communicate legal concepts in plain terms so that clients understand not only what is happening in their case but why.
A Practice Built on Purpose, Not Volume
My time in larger and mid-sized firms was valuable, but it confirmed that the model did not suit the kind of attorney I wanted to be. I prefer a practice where:
- clients interact directly with their lawyer,
- responses are prompt and straightforward,
- filings and communications receive careful attention,
- each case remains actively managed rather than periodically revisited.
Bar Admissions
New York State
Eastern District of New York
Southern District of New York