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Starting a new business or entering a new market is a giant leap, both emotionally and financially. In the United States, incorporating a business involves planning, making key financial decisions, and completing a series of legal activities. Moreover, the legal structure one chooses for their business impacts the business registration requirements, and how much taxes to be paid with their personal liability. Bagla Law Firm, APC, a distinguished law firm led by Kelly Bagla, Esq., makes the leap as simple and as reliable as possible. Recognizing Kelly’s influential leadership in providing superior legal advice to entrepreneurs and business owners in breaking international barriers and driving opportunity, IndustryWired names her in “The 10 Most Influential Women Leaders in 2020.”

IndustryWired spoke to Kelly to discuss how her firm takes care of all legal formalities, advisory and what led her to start a renowned law firm helping entrepreneurs cut the big ribbon and achieve their American dreams. Below are the highlights of the interview:

Brief us about your company, its specialization and the services it offers. 

Bagla Law Firm, APC is a business law firm celebrating its 10th anniversary in law. We provide a complete suite of services to fulfill the needs of entrepreneurs, small businesses, corporations, and international businesses. After spending the early years of my career at one of the world’s largest international law firms and learning from some of the brilliant minds in law, I launched my firm specifically to improve upon the services available to startups, small businesses and international companies seeking a presence in the United States.  

Bagla Law Firm specializes in providing excellent legal services to those clients who are based outside the United States and plan on growing their business by selling products in America. It can be very daunting and confusing for foreign-based companies learning the ins and outs of how to do business in the United States and that’s where we excel: helping those companies with all their legal needs when expanding operations in America.    

Give a brief overview of your background and your role in the company.

I was born and raised in England and am the youngest of 7 children. Although I have wanted to be an attorney as long as I can remember, I also witnessed firsthand, the incredible freedom and opportunity that comes from being a business owner. I watched my father work tirelessly as an employee of a factory, all the while saving, and dreaming, before ultimately buying the company he had worked for.As the new owner of the business, he had the respect of his employees, because he’d been working alongside them for years. It was a beautiful and empowering experience.

Not surprisingly, my parents encouraged me to follow suit and chase after my own dreams.  Even though there were no attorneys in my family, they cheered my every step. Even when I decided to pursue business and corporate law, a field which only 3% of women chose, they cheered me on.  Likewise, when I decided to immigrate to the United States, I had their full support.  

As a young attorney at Baker & McKenzie, I cut my teeth in the practice of law with some of the best attorneys in the field. After leaving and joining a boutique IP firm, I expanded my knowledge and expertise to include not only the practice of law, but how to bring in clients, which would ultimately allow me to open Bagla Law Firm.

What were the past experiences, achievements or lessons that shaped your journey as a successful women leader?  

The most formative lessons and experiences, responsible for my success, and frankly, which led me to write two best-selling books, launch a podcast (Go Legal Yourself Podcast), and become a legal expert and lead judge on the Emmy winning televised show, Everyday Edisons, was my belief in myself and my own abilities. I was taught to set goals, work hard, and go after my dreams.  

Regarding Bagla Law Firm specifically, my firm became successful essentially from the start, because I had seen business owners making the same mistakes over and over again for years. I saw wonderful people lose everything they’d worked for because they hadn’t safeguarded themselves and their businesses properly. I knew how to stop that cycle. I knew that I could make a real difference, in reaching one of my goals—which is to improve upon the disheartening statistic of companies which fail. 

Mention some of the primal challenges that you faced during the initial phase of your journey. 

For anyone entering into a field where you’re definitely in the minority, as I was, as a woman in the field of corporate and business law, there was some uncertainty from time to time. There was also bit of apprehension about leaving the international law firm, where I had a guaranteed pay check, and there was fear to overcome when launching my own firm. But I had an enormous amount of conviction that I was doing the right thing, with each of these decisions. My conviction overrode my fear. Although healthy fear can play a valuable role from time to time because it prevents us from making risky decisions such as going for a jog on a freeway during rush hour; when it comes to chasing after your dreams, I find fear to be a particularly unhelpful emotion. So, I walk right through it.

Describe some of the vital attributes that every transformational leader should possess.

My role model Margaret Thatcher said, “What is success?  I think it is a mixture of having a flair for the thing you are doing; knowing that it is not enough, that you have got to have hard work and a certain sense of purpose.” I find her assessment to be spot-on. You must have passion for what you do, or what you want to create. It’s not enough to want to create something because it will make you money. I believe that you must love what you’re doing, and the money will follow. Otherwise, you’ll fail in business, and likely lose money. 

Likewise, there simply isn’t any substitute for hard work. To be a leader, you have to be willing to outwork everyone else. There’s just no getting around it. When it comes to being a business owner, if you’re not committed to working harder than you’ve ever worked, you are unlikely to succeed.  

I have to mention confidence as another invaluable attribute. If you don’t have confidence in yourself, it is highly unlikely that others will have confidence in you. So, you need to trust in your own abilities, and your convictions. If you can honestly say that you do, confidence will come naturally.

How do you innovate your products/solutions that appeal to your target audience? 

Being an immigrant myself, who is actually living the American Dream, I know firsthand how difficult and daunting it can be for business owners in other parts of the globe to even consider starting a business in the USA. Because I have personal experience with this, I sought to provide solutions that would serve this demographic in particular.

In addition to providing flat fees and transparency for clients, I act as their business coach providing business counsel related to all aspects of running, hiring and growing a US-based business, which is particularly attractive to international clients. I hold my international clients’ hands through the whole process and offer my services as acting secretary so I can do many things in the US for my clients who cannot necessarily jump on a plane every month because their signature is needed in person.Bagla Law Firm is able to serve as a full-service resource for my international target audience. This definitely sets us apart from other law firms.

How are disruptive technologies impacting today’s innovation and how has the role of a leader changed over the years?

To be candid, I have actually developed some of this disruptive technology! In addition to Bagla Law Firm, I launched Go Legal Yourself, an online legal resource company that empowers people to incorporate their business the right way— without paying law firm fees. Go Legal Yourself provides attorney drafted, client approved, turnkey business startup documents, including vital agreements, which are designed to protect business owners. Go Legal Yourself helps business owners to start businesses, grow businesses and to protect the owner and the owner’s assets, which is imperative in our incredibly litigious society. In keeping with my goal of wanting businesses to succeed, I made the startup process for businesses simple.

And yet, I also know that technology when it comes to law, can only go so far. The proof is in the pudding. If technology were sufficient to handle all legal needs of entrepreneurs and international companies looking to expand into the United States, there wouldn’t be any business attorneys. Law is a field which can leverage the best of technology, but without risk that technology is going to replace the experts working in the field. 

How do you see the company and the industry in the future ahead?

I believe in the entrepreneurship of people, and that means that I believe that some of the greatest inventions and innovations, and businesses are still yet to come. As such, Bagla Law Firm is well positioned for success for years to come. I also think that the global COVID-19 taught us a lot. I think it could lead to a surge in new businesses starting up. Disasters of all types, while painful, tend to lead to innovation. Likewise, I think thatthe recent global crisis will convince many business owners of the need to plan smarterfor growth, to develop an exit strategy, and ensure that personal assets are protected, and liability is not up in the air. Through it all, I also expect to continue to see international companies seeking to have a presence in the United States.  

What is your advice for budding or emerging business leaders?

I cannot emphasize how important I believe it is, for emerging business owners and leaders to remain true to themselves, and to be confident in their abilities. I believe that fear prevents too many from going after their dream. Again, Margaret Thatcher summed up my feelings perfectly when she said,“People think that at the top there isn’t much room. They tend to think of it as an Everest. My message is that there are tons of rooms at the top.”