Questions: Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Answer: At Maduabum Law Firm, LLC, our practice is limited to Criminal Defense, Immigration and Nationality Law, Family law and Civil Practice including Personal Injury. In these practice areas, we aggressively fight for the best possible results for each of our clients. Our attorneys fight passionately and aggressively while bringing their diverse backgrounds to serve the best interests of our clients. When it comes to Immigration, Criminal Defense, Family Law and Transactional Civil matters, you may not be able to find a better team. We are able to and have severally consulted with potential clients virtually.
Questions: Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
Answer: Mr. Maduabum is a diligent and proven practitioner in the areas of Criminal Law, Immigration and Nationality Law, Family Law, Commercial Transactions and Civil Matters. His practice includes International Due Diligence for corporate and individual clients. Representation experience spans the areas of Commercial Acquisitions and Contract Review and Negotiations involving ICSG instruments.
Prior to the founding of the MADUABUM LAW FIRM, LLC, he was a founding member and Managing Partner of Cobos Ellington Maduabum & McKenzie, LLC, having merged the new firm with his former Wall Street private Law Practice – Maduabum Law Firm, PC.
Mr. Maduabum has received many awards for his philanthropy and serves as Legal Counsel, pro bono, for National Non-Profit organizations. He also sits on the board of various corporations – Domestic and International.
A graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law School, Mr. Maduabum also holds two Certificates in International Commercial Arbitrations (AADR) and Capital Market Development and Regulation (CMDR) from the UNITED NATIONS Institute for Training and Research, Geneva, Switzerland.
Questions: What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
The firm has several attorneys and one prominent common denominator with all of us is the fact that we entered the practice of law to HELP people.
Questions: What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Answer:
- First and foremost is to be in the practice or business because you have a passion for it.
- Failure is just another learning opportunity. When you see something does not work or get you the results that you are looking for, you need to take note of what did not work and change your approach. Do not look at failure as the end of your endeavor- many times, it is just the beginning.
- Build a strong network of mentors, advisors, and peers who can provide you with guidance, support, and valuable connections. Attend networking events in the industry into which you would like to venture and get to know the folks who are already a part of that world. They will likely have important insight and ideas, as well as their own network, that can open more doors for you.
Questions: What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
- Overcoming the fear of failing – it’s like a child learning to walk. The initial hesitation is just about fear of falling. Once the conquer that fear, it is on to the Olympics.
- Creativity and innovation
- Communication and relationship building
Questions: How many hours do you work a day on average?
Answer: Every day really and truly is different. On average, I would say I work about 9 hours a day.
Questions: To what do you most attribute your success?
Answer: Hard work and dedication to our practice of law, demonstrated by our steadfast and compassionate representation of our clients. We also are sure to maintain the highest level of integrity and ethics in our practice of law, such that we have gained a very positive reputation with clients and colleagues alike. And we are fortunate enough to have built a network of colleagues who share strategies and support one another.
Questions: How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Answer: Referrals and digital marketing. Technology and societal behaviors have been evolving and thus has led to new marketing strategies away from the traditional. This dynamic fusion has caused us to adjust. While we still nurture our referral pipelines, we now engage in digital marketing, with a focus on SEO, Google ads, and social media posts. We have found marketing online via ads and social media to be successful for our firm.
Questions: Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Answer: As far as funding? Simply stated; loans. As far as investors, I don’t believe that ethical rules allow lawyers or law firms to have investors.
Questions: What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Answer: Achieving long-term success requires resilience, adaptability, and continuous learning. Essentially, you cannot be afraid to take chances and to fail, but it is imperative to learn from those failures and use those lessons to your advantage. You also need to keep up with changing societal norms as they apply to your particular field and be unafraid to adapt your business model to those changes. Maintaining a working, up-to-date knowledge of the ins and outs of your area are key to remaining the go-to for those who require your services.
Questions: Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Answer: We would like to expand our firm to the point where we become one of the preeminent law firms in our state.
Questions: Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Answer: One company I admire is Patagonia. They’ve built their brand around environmental activism and sustainability, consistently demonstrating a commitment to their values that goes beyond lip service. I greatly respect that the founder of the company has donated his ownership of the company to a trust that will ensure profits are used to address climate change.
Questions: How important have good employees been to your success?
Answer: Good employees- those who are responsible, quick learners, and intellectually curious- are key to our firm’s success. Without good employees, we would not be able to accomplish all of the necessary tasks that are needed to run a successful firm in a timely fashion.
Questions: How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
Answer: It depends on the idea because different ideas require different timelines to prove out. So basically, once we embark on a new idea, we determine the prove out timeline and stick with it to the end of the predetermined timeline. In some instances, we may extend or shorten the timeline as reality dictates.
Questions: What motivates you?
Answer: Primarily, the need to achieve the best possible results for our clients is the firm’s motivational beacon. We are also driven by a sense of fairness and justice.
Questions: What are your ideals?
Answer: A world of equal access to the instruments for justice.
Questions: How do you generate new ideas?
Answer: Client feedback is key, as we are able to understand their pain points and challenges, which, in turn, inspires ideas for new services, approaches, or solutions. We also attend conferences, seminars, and networking events, as well as follow legal publications and online forums for any insights and inspiration.
Questions: How do you define success?
Answer: In a sentence, it is Obtaining the best possible result for a client.
Questions: How do you build a successful customer base?
Answer: We are dedicated to establishing trust and credibility with our clients. We treat each one of their cases with care, and make sure they know what to expect from our representation. We strive to maintain open and honest communication with our clients throughout the representation, and any feedback that is given as to our approach is incorporated into how we operate.
Questions: What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Answer: The freedom to be creative and innovative in our approach.
Questions: What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Answer: Obtaining the best possible result for our clients.
Questions: What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Answer: Commitment and Dedication because of the sense of ownership. An entrepreneur OWNS both the successes and the failures.
Questions: What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
Answer: At the Maduabum Law Firm, we have worked hard to create a friendly, open culture where mutual respect and communication reign supreme. We established this tone through being consistent in positive reinforcement and patient feedback. We instituted this type of culture at the firm because we want everybody to enjoy coming to work, as we believe that a positive and relaxed environment fosters more creativity and enhances the work ethic.
Questions: In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Answer: Satisfying
