Commercial closing attorney Lia Albizo has moved back to Texas from New York City to be closer to her family. The move created an opportunity to immerse herself in the collaborative atmosphere of Chicago Title's Dallas office.

Albizo became interested in title insurance while speaking with a fellow lawyer about the industry. After working as a corporate attorney for Choate, Hall & Stewart in Boston, what sold her on the business was the creativity lawyers and underwriters need to bring to the table.

“Title is not perfect, there is always going to be something in the title or a certain number of issues with the property, and you have to be open to finding solutions,” Albizo said. “That’s why I like it, because you can’t say no to every request from a customer. How do I protect the underwriter but also close the deal?”

After working as a claims attorney at Chicago Title, she switched to working with title agents and ran the legal department for the national division. Thirteen years later, Albizo has become an expert in title insurance and commercial transactions on a national level. When clients have any questions about title insurance or about an upcoming transaction, they know where to go.

“Because I have been an underwriting attorney on a national platform, I am familiar with the title rules and regulations for all of the states, so it has been great to be that resource for our customers in Dallas,” Albizo said.

Most recently, Albizo worked as a commercial closing attorney in Chicago Title’s New York City office. Albizo’s transition to the Dallas team has been smooth, and she has taken to the highly collaborative nature of the office. Albizo frequently collaborates with the sales staff to better improve their customer communication.

“It’s been nice to work with the sales team. They are so energetic and so open to introducing me to new clients and that is exciting for me,” Albizo said.

Whereas in New York, Albizo was working independently with an assistant, she now works with a group of four assistants and a junior attorney to solve problems and work through the closing process. She also is able to collaborate more with the various local Chicago Title offices to make decisions, rather than just deferring to regional expertise. The result is a stronger, better crafted solution for the client.

Albizo plans to keep building up the team environment by becoming a resource for the junior staff.

“I enjoy mentoring the younger lawyers because I do have a broad background in terms of title, I have seen a lot of different deals,” she said.

She brings a similar positivity to client relationships, an interaction that is often a pleasant experience.

“People want to close a deal. The seller wants to sell, the buyer wants to buy, and I want to insure it,” Albizo said. “No one is losing here, everyone is getting what they want at the end of the day.”

To learn more about this Bisnow content partner, click here.