How Donald Trump's Attorney Lands Ultra-High-Net-Worth Clients

Many lawyers make the mistake of competing on price. This turns their firms into stressful volume operations instead of building high-value practices based on relationships. Dealing with difficult clients, losing time to endless cold calls, and failing to define a clear niche makes it incredibly difficult to grow and maintain a premium legal firm.

Google Ads do not attract ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) individuals and you cannot chase them with those; you must instead position yourself as a trust partner and create an exclusive environment where these clients come to you. You must combine strict client due diligence, clear boundaries in tiered agreements, and your network. This means you can then stop chasing leads and start commanding value.

In this episode, host Awais Haq sits down with Evan Turk, founding attorney of Turk Law Group and personal attorney to Donald Trump. Evan shares his 15-year journey from the finance and insurance world to building a boutique estate planning, asset protection, and tax optimization firm in West Palm Beach, Florida. He also discusses his active advocacy work with the American Rights Alliance, a charity dedicated to defending First Amendment civil liberties.

Timestamps:

00:01:07 – Financial and Insurance Roots

00:03:33 – Framing the Value Statement

00:08:05 – The Sunday Polo Strategy

00:18:51 – Selling to Wealthy Clients

00:20:41 – Client Due Diligence Reports

00:22:33 – Tiered Law Firm Pricing

00:25:11 – Using Zoom and AI

00:26:39 – Hiring for Core Roles

00:30:35 – Running a Referral-Only Firm

00:36:15 – Defending First Amendment Rights

00:41:43 – Breaking Down the Divide

Full Transcription:

Awais My guest today is Evan Turk, founding attorney of Turk Law Group in West Palm Beach, Florida. Evan has spent over 15 years building a boutique practice focused on asset protection, estate planning, and tax-optimized structures for high-net-worth families. He is also a personal attorney of Donald Trump. Thanks for coming on the show, Evan.

Evan Turk Thank you for having me.

Awais In this show, our main goal is to discuss how we can help other attorneys and managing partners achieve the level of success you have reached. Starting from the basics: when you launched your law firm, was it based on market research, or did you simply want to start an estate planning and business law firm?

Evan Turk Before I became a lawyer, I was in finance. I ran a financial company while going through law school, so I had a solid understanding that I wanted to focus on estates, trusts, and asset protection. Right out of law school, I received an offer in insurance underwriting—specifically writing multi-million dollar policies for business owners as part of their tax and asset protection strategies. I did that for a short period, but realized I needed to get back to practicing law. I built my practice around my strengths and knowledge base.

Awais What made you decide to transition back to practicing law? If you were already handling high-net-worth individuals in finance, wasn't that sufficient at the time?

Evan Turk In that environment, ultimate revenue was tied to selling life insurance contracts. I didn't want to be a life insurance agent; I wanted to be an estate planning attorney and fully utilize my legal license. I wanted to be versatile and well-rounded in my core area of expertise rather than limited to a single product.

Awais Insurance sales is widely considered one of the toughest fields. Did the sales experience you gained there help in running your law firm, or was it primarily your legal knowledge?

Evan Turk It was both. What insurance taught me was that you don't lead with "I'm selling you a policy," just as I don't lead with "I'm selling you a trust or a will." Both fields require identifying the problem and becoming the solution.

People often don't know why they need a trust. But if you ask a business owner, "Do you want your hard-earned life savings going to your children, or to the IRS and potential creditors?" the dynamic changes. Once an asset base reaches a certain point, my fee becomes secondary to the value proposition.

Awais So you create value around the ultimate outcome rather than the transactional service itself. How do you build that specific value message so it resonates with prospects?

Evan Turk You surround yourself with the right network of like-minded, successful people who understand risk. Most of my clients today are entrepreneurs and business owners. They understand the realities of lawsuits, extortion, and what it takes to build wealth. These are the circles I dine with and move in. When my line of work comes up organically, it naturally turns into a conversation and a meeting.

Awais How does a newer attorney enter those circles if they don't have an established reputation yet?

Evan Turk Fifteen years ago, when I started, I relied on standard networking groups and seminars. Early on, I focused on volume and priced my services accordingly. As my practice and personal wealth grew, my networks evolved. I realized that doing legal work for one high-value client can yield the same return as ten lower-value clients, while allowing you to position yourself as a value partner rather than a commodity.

To transition levels, I created my own niche environment. In West Palm Beach, we have the polo grounds. My practice became members of the club, securing access to a private tent during Sunday polo matches. I attended charitable galas across Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and Fort Lauderdale, connecting with key figures—like prominent auctioneers.

We offered our polo tent to influential people and their guests. It placed me in an atmosphere every weekend where people networked directly with me. When asked what I did, I wouldn't just say "estate and trust attorney." I would say, "I help entrepreneurs preserve their wealth, reduce their taxes, and pass assets to the next generation by ensuring their legal, tax, and financial advisors work in sync." Framing the outcome first establishes the value statement.

Awais Did you pick that specific niche early on?

Evan Turk Yes. Right out of college, working in investments at 21, I looked very young. Pitching asset management to older clients was tough on my own. So, I partnered with established estate planning attorneys. I positioned myself as the coordinator of a broader team.

I learned early that you don't need all the answers yourself—you just need to align with the right experts. That team approach helped me succeed before I had a strong personal rolodex.

Awais Many attorneys are hesitant to put themselves out there or speak directly with high-net-worth individuals. What mindset shift is needed to overcome that hesitation?

Evan Turk Back when I was a stockbroker, I had to make 200 cold calls a day to get 50 pick-ups and 5 actual conversations. You quickly learn that rejection isn't fatal. Someone tells you no or hangs up, and you realize you're still standing. It becomes a routine habit, like exercise.

The second key is creating an environment where you are host rather than a visitor. A friend of mine who is very successful hosts charitable and political fundraisers at his house so he can speak to a captive audience for five minutes. I applied that logic to the polo tent. I provided a venue people wanted to attend. Over time, that turned into invitations to board positions and high-level social events where business flows naturally.

Awais Is it easier or harder to sell services to ultra-high-net-worth clients compared to the general public?

Evan Turk It is harder to close high-net-worth individuals initially because they are busy, already have advisors, and often think they know everything. However, when you catch them at the right moment, business owners make decisions fast and write checks without shopping around on price. When marketing to the general public, price is almost always the main point of friction.

With high-net-worth clients, I actually take the opposite approach: I vetting them first to see if we are even a fit. I evaluate their family dynamics, their litigation history, and whether our values align. If a client has filed dozens of frivolous lawsuits over the years, I don't want them in my firm regardless of their net worth.

Awais What operational structures or metrics do you use to maintain boundaries and protect your firm's efficiency?

Evan Turk We recently updated our engagement agreements with clear tier structures. When working closely with families, clients can start expecting answers via text late at night or on weekends. Our agreements state clearly that after-hours communication carries a different rate structure, even on flat-fee arrangements.

We also require initial client interactions to go through formal channels—office emails or scheduled calls. We hold client meetings over Zoom, which allows us to record, transcribe, and summarize every agreement using AI tools. If a client ever misremembers what was advised, we have an exact record to refer back to.

Awais How do you manage the core operations of the firm, such as hiring and administration?

Evan Turk You have to hire the right operational lead. As an owner, wearing every hat is inefficient. I have an operations director who acts as the primary contact for our bookkeeper and CPA.

When hiring key team members, I look for three criteria:

1. Relevant legal experience
2. Common sense
3. A solution-oriented, positive attitude

Skill can be sharpened, but an employee who approaches challenges with solutions rather than complaints is essential to running a smooth practice.

Awais Many firms spend heavily on digital marketing, like Google Ads or social media management. How do you approach marketing metrics?

Evan Turk Because we focus exclusively on high-net-worth clients, we do not run Google Ads. About 90% of our business comes directly through strong personal networks and trusted personal recommendations.

Instead of lengthy in-person sales consults, I do a focused 15-to-30-minute initial Zoom call to understand the scope. I send a formal proposal, and if they retain us, we proceed. We don't chase leads or negotiate fees. Most of our work is executed so systematically that clients often coordinate directly with our team, and we may only see them in person for final document executions.

Awais What role does social media play in your overall brand positioning?

Evan Turk Social media should tell an authentic story of who you are, rather than just broadcasting status or photos with notable figures. I use my platforms to share educational content on trusts and estate planning, interspersed with insights into my personality, values, and advocacy work. Word of mouth spreads digital content just as it does offline. You don't need thousands of clients to build a practice—you just need the right ones.

Awais You also lead a non-profit foundation. Could you tell us about that work?

Evan Turk I founded the American Rights Alliance (ARA), a non-profit organization focused on First Amendment civil liberties, constitutional rights, and fighting social injustice. We take on selective cases involving constitutional overreach, free speech preservation, and combatting antisemitism. It allows us to defend fundamental principles and provide representation where minority voices or constitutional rights are being overlooked.

Awais Where can listeners find you or learn more about your work?

Evan Turk You can find our legal practice at Turk Law Group or connect with me on social media under Evan W. Turk, Esq. For our constitutional non-profit work, you can visit American Rights Alliance.

Awais Thank you so much for joining us and sharing your experience today, Evan.

Evan Turk Thank you, Awais. I appreciate the conversation.

Resources & Contact

📥 Download Our High-Authority Growth Playbook

📊 Book a Strategic Law Firm Growth Audit

💼 Connect with Awais Haq on LinkedIn: /awaishaq-edtechgrowth

👤 About The Guest

Evan Turk, Esq. is the founding attorney of Turk Law Group in West Palm Beach, Florida. With over 15 years of experience, he has built a successful boutique practice focusing on asset protection, estate planning, and tax-optimized structures for high-net-worth families. Transitioning from a background in finance and insurance, Evan developed a referral-based business model. He is also a personal attorney to Donald Trump and an active leader in the American Rights Alliance.