As one of only three winners of the 2020 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA), the Tulsa neighborhood of Kendall Whittier is a pretty lively place by nature.
That was indeed the case during a recent Thursday night when The Lawyers of Kendall Whittier and Rivas & Associates took main stage in the iconic neighborhood.
The two law firms held their long awaited and highly anticipated open house for many members of the Kendall Whittier, legal and Tulsa Latin American communities.
It did not disappoint.
The open house featured Latin American singers and songwriters, an open bar and Doña Gloria’s food truck parked out front with its full menu available.
“Lorena (Rivas) doesn’t do anything halfway,” attorney Mary McMillen said. “She always goes all out.”
McMillen should know. She and Sara Schmook attended law school at the University of Tulsa with Rivas.
The trio then worked together at Fry & Elder before deciding to launch The Lawyers of Kendall Whittier – a collaboration of the three – along with Rivas & Associates which also features attorneys Elissa Stiles and Elijah Johnson in 2020.
Aside from the opportunity to continue to work together, much of the appeal with opening both firms were its location in Kendall Whittier – considered by many to be the epicenter of Tulsa Hispanic culture.
“It has been a great fit,” Lorena Rivas said. “I am so proud and honored to be a part of this community. You can’t help but feel the positive energy that floats around here. It really is contagious and tremendous.”
Rivas and her businesses have fit right in from the get-go within the Kendall Whittier confines. The decorated Tulsa immigration law attorney was named to Kendall Whitter Main Street Board of Directors less than one month into her tenancy at 2417 E. Admiral Blvd.
Rivas also recently was a guest panelist for a PBS series which partnered with local Kendall Whittier theatre Circle Cinema.
Earlier this month, Rivas also brought on by Telemundo Oklahoma to participate in a weekly immigration series for the international media conglomerate.
Despite her hectic schedule, Rivas, her staff and the rest of the attorneys at Rivas & Associates and The Lawyers of Kendall Whittier still have a little time for some fun.
Last Thursday’s open house provided the perfect opportunity to not only celebrate the firms’ success, but to also celebrate a return to normalcy after the Coronavirus pandemic has previously wiped-out opportunities for social gatherings such as the one Rivas and her staff orchestrated without a hitch.
“This was long overdue,” Lorena Rivas said. “The turnout was great. It was wonderful seeing everyone together, people who I have not seen before the pandemic. It was a very special night.”