Meet Gianna Fioravante: Senior Paralegal for Commonwealth Law Group

Gianna Fioravante, one of seven paralegals at CLG, is responsible for keeping legal cases and claims moving forward toward resolution in an organized and timely manner. We asked her a few questions:

How long have you been with CLG? I joined CLG in December 2014 – I'm a Senior Paralegal specializing in personal injury and civil rights cases in both state and federal court. I'm also trained to work on workers' compensation and employment cases, so I work on a wide variety of cases within the firm.

Why do you like working here? I enjoy working for a plaintiffs' firm like Commonwealth Law Group because I get to assist people during what is often a tough time in their lives. I understand how it can feel to live paycheck to paycheck: An injury, a damaged car, or an unexpected hospital visit can cause a ripple effect and take good, hardworking people from a good financial position to a bad place really quickly.

What's something we might not realize about CLG? CLG is a young law firm and the majority of the partners are female. I'm very proud to work with a firm that uses cutting-edge technology and isn't "old school" or an "old boys' club." As a woman, I believe that having more female attorneys, and more woman co-owned businesses, is a good thing for our industry and the world.

What's your greatest strength? I wasn't sure, so I asked CLG's Seth Carroll what he thinks my greatest strength is. His answer: "Genuinely caring about people and committing yourself to understanding each case so that you can do the best job possible."

Are you a night owl or a morning person? Night owl! I have insomnia and spend many a night going down the rabbit hole of the internet, whether that means I'm exploring domestic policy or reality TV.

What's your typical workday like? I interact with clients, assist with complex federal litigation matters, and work on state court matters from investigation to filing to trials. No two days are ever alike and I don't spend a lot of time sitting still!

Do you have a favorite book? I have a favorite book series: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. You might know them as the "Game of Thrones books." I can't wait for the next-to-last book in the series, The Winds of Winter, to come out! I started reading the books before Game of Thrones was a TV show and have been a huge fan for the past decade. So, of course, I loved our CLG blog post about Jon Snow and all of the potential lawsuits in Game of Thrones!

What's your proudest moment at CLG? We worked on a civil rights case that involved a 28-year old incarcerated mother who passed away in jail due to medical negligence. She had a three-year-old daughter at the time, who is now 6 years old, for whom we were able to secure a settlement. We sent the daughter a birthday "princess" basket and even though the case settled two years ago, we still keep her thank-you card on the fridge at the office. Working on a case that is so sad and painful for the grandparents and the child and being able to find a silver lining was a defining moment for me. Knowing that little girl will grow up one day and have the funds to go to college or maybe even go to law school or medical school and learn to help other people is why I do what I do.

What's special about the place where you grew up? I grew up in Lincoln County, West Virginia. We only had basic cable TV and I didn't have any neighbors because we lived on a large piece of land outside of the city limits. I spent most of my time outside exploring and reading books. I wouldn't trade that for growing up in a big city, even with all the perks that may bring. I had a truly amazing childhood!

What was your best vacation ever? I traveled halfway around the world to visit a former co-worker in South Korea last summer. I had never traveled to Asia before; it was life-changing. South Korea was such a welcoming country full of history and great people. They also had amazing food and skin care products. It was a memorable trip!

What do you do to relax after the workday/workweek? I typically go home and read a book or watch a sci-fi or fantasy show or movie. And I've been known to have a glass of wine on occasion. I also have two cats, Khaleesi and Asha?yes, they're named after Game of Thrones characters; I told you I was a huge fan, right?

If you've been hurt at work or injured in an auto accident, truck accident, drunk driving accident, slip and fall, or suffered traumatic brain injury, burn injury or any other type of personal injury due to the negligence of another, call the Richmond, Virginia workers' compensation lawyers and personal injury attorneys of Commonwealth Law Group. We strongly recommend that you explore your legal options, and we provide a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your case. Call us at 804.298.2791. Justice starts at CLG.