Isabella has never been accused of lacking initiative. Case in point: the way she adopted her dog, Goldie. After spotting a stray in a neighborhood chat, she spent two weeks calling the West LA Animal Shelter daily so she’d be first in line when the hold lifted. On adoption day, she found a crowd – and a silent auction. Izzy took a quick lap outside to assess the field (by way of everyone’s cars), adjusted accordingly, and made sure she walked out with the dog.
A Santa Monica native raised in a close-knit South African family, Isabella is a quintessential LA Westsider: she played tennis at the Archer School, plays weekend golf at Brentwood, and couldn’t name a single restaurant in Silver Lake if she tried. Before she could even vote, Izzy spent her free time phone-banking for Hillary Clinton, cold-calling elusive swing voters in Nevada – an experience that naturally led her to George Washington University to study political science.
After graduating, she moved into fashion at a multi-line showroom representing designers in New York and Paris, acting as the go-between for designers and buyers (and went from handling one or two brands to six or seven in a matter of months). At the same time, she wasn’t ready to abandon the political side of her brain, so her next move was to a consulting role at Booz Allen supporting work tied to the VA – until DOGE effectively put an end to it.
Legal recruiting entered the picture after a longtime family friend (and recently retired recruiter) told her she’d be good at it, and Isabella made it known she was interested. Soon after, that same family friend was at dinner in Beverly Hills when Sean, overhearing (/low-key eavesdropping on) her conversation about the lateral partner market, introduced himself. Once they realized they were in the same business, Isabella came up, and the rest followed naturally.
At Whistler, Isabella supports the associate practice, where she’s built a reputation for being sharp and thorough. She asks the right questions, gives clear, honest guidance, and puts real time into preparing candidates so they walk into interviews ready. Izzy is not in the habit of leaving any outcomes to chance. We’re pretty sure Goldie would agree.
Favorite season:
"Awards!"
Go to weekend activity:
“I go to the movies a lot. I have kind of a little club with some of my friends – we’re called the Final Girls.”
Desired super power:
"Being able to eat whatever I want and not have a stomachache.”
