Navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship in the 21st century requires resilience and adept leadership. Steering a company involves tackling challenges such as team management, hiring the right personnel, and staying abreast of industry trends. Equally crucial is the mastery of legal requirements, an area where business lawyers play a pivotal role in guiding entrepreneurs on applicable laws and best practices.
Kelly Bagla (founder and CEO of Bagla Law Firm, APC) is one such dynamic lawyer helping businesses with proper legal assistance. Ms. Bagla has provided expert legal advice to her clients for over two decades and has been recognized by several organizations and publications for helping business owners succeed.
Ms. Bagla’s journey began with the pursuit of the American Dream, immigrating from England to the U.S. Early in her career, she worked for one of the world’s Since its foundation in 2009, Bagla Law Firm has become both the culmination and the launching point for ongoing growth, enhancement, and expansion of Ms. Bagla’s American Dream. Alongside her legal practice, Ms. Bagla has also ventured into establishing multiple businesses and authored five books while never losing sight of her primary mission of helping entrepreneurs succeed.
“I love what I do as an attorney providing legal protection to business owners. Seeing our clients succeed through the years, knowing I played an important part in protecting them each step of the way – is, of course, the most gratifying reward,”- says Ms. Bagla. “It’s especially satisfying when clients express loyalty and appreciation for our service. And when they tell us that partnering with our team on their journey is a pleasure, it confirms that we’ve taken good care of our clients. These are the day-to-day kudos that mean the most.”
Integrity is the Key
Integrity is the founding principle of Bagla Law Firm. The firm consciously avoids intimidating its clients with complex legal jargon, opting for clear communication that empowers them to make informed decisions. Should Ms. Bagla find herself unable to address a specific issue, she ensures transparent communication from the outset.
Expressing the ethos, the leading lady states, “Not every lawyer is a good fit for every client. I am honest in helping clients know if I am the right fit for them. I often recommend other attorneys when legal issues fall outside my areas of expertise. And I often receive referrals from other like-minded law firms.”
Ms. Bagla’s primary motivation is to help her clients succeed. Throughout the years, Ms. Bagla has cultivated relationships based on mutual trust and respect. Clients can rely on her commitment to fairness and prioritizing their interests. For Ms. Bagla, financial gains take a back seat. Instead, she believes that by taking good care of her clients and prioritizing their best interests, financial rewards will follow through client loyalty and recommendations. This genuine partnership with her clients has fostered mutual trust, comfort, and respect over the years.
“Being real, fair, and honest while looking after the client’s interest is the cornerstone principle for Bagla Law Firm. That’s my definition of integrity as an attorney,”– explains Ms. Bagla.
Helping Entrepreneurs Tackle Legal Challenges
Over the years, Ms. Bagla has observed several challenges that entrepreneurs commonly face regarding the legal aspect of their businesses. Surprisingly, one prevalent challenge is what she terms as “Legal Fear.” Despite the common perception of entrepreneurs as fearless risktakers, many find themselves out of their depth regarding business law’s ever-changing and complex landscape. The fear of delving into legal intricacies without a clear understanding of what is essential often proves to be a significant hurdle.
Ms. Bagla also emphasizes that entrepreneurs can experience a double fear factor when they are hesitant to showcase their lack of legal knowledge. They fear going to an attorney where their lack of legal knowledge could be embarrassing, which adds to another layer of challenge.
A second legal challenge for entrepreneurs is what Ms. Bagla refers as the “ride-by-the-seat-of-yourpants” syndrome! During the early stages of their ventures, entrepreneurs often find themselves strapped for every dollar to launch and sustain their businesses.
So, hiring a lawyer often feels like a luxury until they are on a firm financial footing.
To cut costs in the interim, entrepreneurs might do their own legal research, confer with others in their line of business, or listen to online influencers. The fallacy of this approach is that business owners typically wait until a legal crisis forces them to hire an attorney. In this way, simple legal issues that could have been prevented at the beginning with the right advice from a business attorney escalate into a costly legal nightmare.
Ms. Bagla emphasizes the crucial significance of two legal matters that every business leader should promptly address with a business attorney from the outset. Firstly deciding which business entity is best for that business and secondly, protecting their brand. In her book “Go Legal Yourself!” Ms. Bagla has delved into these issues, emphasizing that mishandling them can lead to substantial costs and, in certain instances, pose a significant threat to the very existence of the business.
Realizing the American Dream
Increasingly, Ms. Bagla has become an influencer in law and business. She was recently named among the Top 50 Legal Influencers by the San Diego Journal. Her dual role of attorney and entrepreneur has given her unique opportunities to influence young entrepreneurs and aspiring attorneys.
“I have experienced first-hand that the American Dream is still possible if you are willing to take the risk, learn your business, and work your heart out. I feel a responsibility to promote the opportunities and benefits of the American Dream to young entrepreneurs and aspiring corporate attorneys,”– she states.
As the founder and CEO of Bagla Law Firm, Ms. Bagla’s mission to help entrepreneurs reach their own success has now expanded beyond her legal practice, and each of her four businesses and five books align with the purpose to inform, equip, and inspire entrepreneurs to pursue their own American Dream.
A Brief Look at the Future
Ms. Bagla is currently in the planning stages for her sixth book, and concurrently, she is undertaking global expansion for her law firm with a focus on assisting foreign business owners in navigating opportunities within the United States. She believes it takes someone who has successfully entered the U.S. market to fully understand the needs of someone who wants to do the same. Ms. Bagla’s latest book, Doing Business in the United States, is an overview of the legal guidance she provides foreign-based clients who plan to enter the U.S. market.
“My team will tell you that I am continually generating ideas and brainstorming with them about improving and expanding the Bagla enterprises. Admittedly, I challenge them to keep up with all the ventures I dream of. But together, we stay on track as we always come back to our purpose to help entrepreneurs reach their own success,”- she concludes.
