Today we’d like to introduce you to Deshonda P. Charles.
Hi Deshonda, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
For as long as I can remember, I only ever wanted two careers: the first was to be a singer, the second was to be a lawyer. I remember discovering I could sing around age 7 or 8 when I joined a school talent show. I started out as a rapper, and when I had to sing the melody everyone enjoyed the sound it including me. Around that same time, my forth grade teacher, Ms. Sabrina Mays, saw something in me – my propensity to help and serve, the way I challenged myself and excelled academically, the judicious way I engaged both my peers and situations, the way I challenged the veracity and accuracy of new information I encountered and the way I was moved by learning something new – she started calling me her little Supreme Court Justice. At the time, I had no clue what that meant. I wouldn’t personally meet a lawyer or judge until I began law school. But when I learned about the career path of a Supreme Court Justice, being a lawyer, and what layers did, I knew then that’s what I wanted to do for a living.
My path to becoming a lawyer was a bit untraditional in that I excelled in math and business, so I studied accounting, graduating with an undergraduate business degree in accounting as opposed to the tradition fine arts or criminal Justice degree most aspiring attorneys pursue.
After graduating from Tulane Law School in my hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, I did not set out to start my own practice; it sort of just happened naturally. I landed in Houston, by way of Connecticut, in 2006. I started out working as an associate in a boutique law firm handling criminal and civil matters. My practice at the time consisted strictly of Employment Discrimination matters (race, gender, disability discrimination) and Family Law Matters (Divorce, custody, support, modifications). I handled just about all of the civil matters that came into the firm during my time there. That experience allowed me to cultivate amazing relationships with clients and potential clients, colleagues, and various organizations about Houston. After 6 years, with a lot of support and encouragement, in 2011, I made the decision to go into practice for myself, moving my practice and book of business from the firm to under my own umbrella.
It has not been without challenges, but it has been good.
A few years into running the firm, I made the decision to add Legacy and Estate Planning for individuals and families as a practice area. Then, my own experience as a business owner contemplating the long-term strategy for the growth, success, and ultimate legacy of my business caused me to add Business Succession Planning as a practice area. It was the perfect convergence of my business and legal training and skill. We have been offering Business Succession Planning services since 2017.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Owning and running a law firm hasn’t been without its challenges, but to date, they all pale in comparison to the challenges presented during COVID-19. In the fall of 2020, I lost my paralegal of 9 1/2 years. It was devastating. Losing a skilled staff member in the middle of a pandemic, where it was nearly impossible to vette a competent replacement who could hit the ground running, was hard to overcome. I had clients I could not service quickly, and I was hard-pressed to take on new matters due to staffing shortage… and my business is built on servicing/ servicing current clients and cultivating new ones. I went through a 2-year period of no staff, then skeleton staff, and a revolving door of transient team members before I was able to assemble my current team. During the lockdown, I was also challenged by not being able to go out and meet new clients. This meant revenues took a hit, and accessing enough capital to stay afloat was a tedious, time-consuming process that had to be completed despite not having the time to get it all done. I was running on fumes. But the way I saw it was at least I had fumes until I got more gas. And I had faith I’d get more gas soon.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
You should know I have been practicing law for 20 years and the CEO of a law firm for 13. You should know that my law practice falls under the Dee The Legalista (TM) brand, where there are three pillars –
1. Legal Services – where I serve as CEO and Lead Counsel at my law firm, D. Charles Law Firm, PLLC, which is 100% minority and woman-owned, provides direct legal services;
2. Professional Speaking – Where I offer myself as a professional speaker, as Dee the Legalista (TM), on topics such as The 5C’s of Successful Business Succession Planning, Estate Planning, Entrepreneurship, Collaborative Business Initiatives, and Building Successful Teams, and
3. Business Concierge Services – Where I provide expert strategic business practice and management support to small business owners and their businesses.
I run and operate a boutique bespoke law firm, and I specialize in Business Succession Planning, Estate Planning, Employment Discrimination matters, Family Law, and Personal Injury Matters.
I am known for delivering expert legal advice to individuals and small businesses.
What sets me and my brand apart from other lawyers and business competitors is my reach through my network and associations to deliver 360-degree expert advice and guidance. The team behind my brand possesses experienced business acumen and tailored legal services.
I am most proud of the opportunities I’ve had to impact fellow small businesses and the community at large. Since arriving in Houston, I have been able to speak to school assemblies, church, and civic groups, and trade and other professional organizations about the role of law in our society, the importance of protecting and securing your legacy, and. I am also extremely proud of the volunteer work I do for the non-profit organizations I founded and/or work with mentoring youth and encouraging interest in legal and STEAM careers.
I’d like your readers to know that my law practice has allowed me to serve the community and receive support from the community in impactful ways. Through our legal services we have been able to help individuals protect their family legacies, build businesses, rebuild from broken relationships, reunite families, recover from the unexpected loss of employment, and recover from the losses and injuries sustained in car accidents…
The Dee the Legalista (TM) brand was established to broaden our impact by educating the community on how to use our services to protect themselves and their legacies and to truly make our service offerings accessible to first-time business owners, first and second-generation wealth builders, and family managers who identified with getting both their business and personal lives organized and protected.
What does success mean to you?
To me, success means excelling in your chosen endeavors while also selflessly giving back to your community. It is ultimately measured by the quality of the positive impact I have in the community and by achieving my client’s goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.DeeTheLegalista.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/deethelegalista and www.instagram.com/dcharleslaw
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/deethelegalista and www.facebook.com/dcharleslaw
- Linkedin: @deshondacharles
- Other: www.dcharleslaw.com
Image Credits
Dauphin Tales Photography
Grady Carter Photography
