A new legal practice in downtown Detroit is helping entrepreneurs navigate all things required for operating on the level. Sadek Legal offers a range of services, from contract drafting to entity formation, licensing to pulling permits.
After moving to Detroit from Chicago, Houston native Tifani Sadek was inspired by Deroit's energetic startup scene. She left her job at a corporate law firm to start
Sadek Legal in October 2013. The one-woman practice operates out of downtown's collaborative workspace
Bamboo Detroit.
Unique to Sadek Legal is its pricing policy. Rather than charge her clients by the hour like most law firms--a practice, says Sadek, that often makes little sense for both parties involved--Sadek offers a flat rate agreed upon before the work is begun.
Flat fee billing is more value-based, says Sadek, and it alleviates the pressure to rush through a job. It can ease clients' minds as well, affording them the ability to know just what to expect and not encounter any surprises. "There are very few businesses where you don't know the price going in," she says.
Sadek is planning to offer classes for entrepreneurs, leading workshops on topics such as social media and crowdsourcing. And while a lot of what she does is teach--or fill in the gaps, as she puts it--Sadek says that she has learned a lot from her clients as well. She has learned what it means to be a small business owner herself. Small legal practices are small businesses, after all, and need to act accordingly. Marketing, branding, risk-taking, and the ability to "run lean" have all been lessons learned while running Sadek Legal.
Sadek anticipates her practice to keep growing and may take a partner in the future.
Source: Tifani Sadek, owner of Sadek Legal
Writer: MJ Galbraith