Influential Woman · Law
Valerie Barbon Gernhauser
JD
Owner, Barbon Gernhauser Law
New Orleans, LA 70130
Her Story
About Valerie
Valerie Gernhauser is the founding partner and owner of Barbon Gernhauser Law, a firm she established a year ago after 15 years working across various legal fields and providing advice and guidance particularly to small business owners throughout her career. With 16 years of experience in the legal field, she focuses primarily on estate planning for what she calls the "inheritance generation," primarily women in middle age who are caring for their families and aging parents. Her practice also encompasses real estate law and business succession planning, with a particular emphasis on supporting female entrepreneurs in the creative space. Gernhauser earned her bachelor's degree in history with a minor in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Yale University and her Juris Doctor from Tulane Law, receiving her Louisiana law license in 2010. She is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association and attributes her success to hard work, dedication, and resilience through adversity. She values personal connections with clients, treating them as more than numbers by learning their stories and motivations, and she extends this approach to her role as a mother of five children. Gernhauser supports the Son of a Saint nonprofit in New Orleans, assisting with fundraising and supporting mothers and young men applying to college. She advises young professionals, especially women entering law, to remain open to possibilities and flexible in their plans, and she emphasizes the importance of never burning bridges in business.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Valerie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say hard work and dedication. There are many moments of adversity I've encountered, and challenges throughout life that have been unprecedented plans that I've picked myself up and kept moving and kept reinventing myself to get to where I am today.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Never burn a bridge. It's so important to stay connected to people. And it's business, it's not personal, and you never know when you can help someone or when someone can come around and help you when you need it most.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I recommend being open to lots of possibilities. I went in with a very specific plan of what I thought I wanted on the track that I thought made sense, and had my whole life planned out for years in advance. And of course, life had its own plans for me. And so, having that agility and flexibility, knowing what your goals are, but flexible and open to opportunities to get there is probably the best course of action, just to stay open to that, because you never know what opportunity might be in front of you.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the challenges I face is to be a solo female practitioner in a male-dominated field. And to connect in a meaningful way across my colleagues across this profession. And to position myself in a way where I'm taken seriously, where the value of the work that I do for people is understood, and to build those connections, and honestly, to help other female attorneys and female business owners that are similarly situated. There's a lot of opportunity for solo practice in particular. COVID turned everything on its head as far as what our expectations especially the legal field are for private practice. Where there is an opportunity is for practitioners to step aside from the big firms, to hang their shingle, to rewrite and sort of disrupt the industry with what they think is more meeting the needs of clients. Technology has been a real game changer and it's opened a lot of doors.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value personal touches. My mission is to personally connect with my clients. They're more than just a number to me. I want to hear the story, I want to know their why, and I do that in my own life too. I'm very proud to be a mom, and to show leadership 3 daughters and 2 sons. I want to set them up for success, and so meeting them where they are, being available, and connecting directly with them is important, just as I do with my clients.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.