Fiercely dedicated to her trade, Phyllis Cancienne has always dreamed of being a lawyer. As Business Report details in its latest Executive Spotlight feature, she worked her way through law school and eventually moved to New Orleans, joining Baker Donelson’s office when it opened in 2004.
She landed in Baton Rouge with her family following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and shortly thereafter Baker Donelson opened a Baton Rouge office. Ten years later Cancienne is now at the helm, recently being named the first office managing shareholder in Baton Rouge. She is responsible for overseeing the firm’s local operations, which has grown to 20 lawyers in the past decade.
As office managing shareholder, Cancienne is responsible for coordinating day-to-day office operations while still maintaining an active law practice. Her hard work and dedication to clients has landed her on the list of Louisiana Super Lawyers since 2010. The publication also recognized her among the top 25 female attorneys in the state in 2011 and 2015.
Cancienne says her favorite part of her job is getting to know clients and working with them to find creative solutions to legal and business challenges.
“I love problem solving,” she says.
Practicing in the area of labor and employment law, Cancienne puts her passion to work by helping clients navigate the myriad laws that govern today’s workplace.
While Cancienne says being named the first managing shareholder for Baker Donelson’s Baton Rouge office is her most satisfying professional accomplishment to date, she has more goals ahead for the firm. As the office continues to grow, Cancienne is focused on expanding the operations, hiring additional lawyers in key practice areas and effectively managing the office to ensure that employees serve as good citizens in the community.
Read the complete Executive Spotlight Q&A with Cancienne. Here’s a sample of what you’ll find:
If you could have any job other than your own, what would it be?
“That is a very hard question because I wanted to be lawyer ever since I was a young girl. However, if I had to choose another profession, it would be a veterinarian because I love dogs.”
