We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mara Geronemus. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mara below.
Mara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
I credit my parents with teaching me the skills that have made me most successful in my professional life. It was law school where I learned to think like a lawyer, and on-the-job experience working in law firms is how I learned how to actually do the job. But it was my parents who modeled their values and taught me the skills that have made me most successful in my legal career.
My mother has always pushed me outside of my comfort zone. Growing up, she encouraged me to try new experiences, new places, new people, new everything. “Just go, you never know what interesting person you will meet” is a phrase I heard often. Without my realizing it at the time, my mother constantly encouraged me to put myself out there. She supporting my joining the debate team even though all my friends were not, and encouraged me to attend summer programs where I didn’t know anyone. As an attorney, this has translated into an ability to enter any room, for any purpose, in front or any group, with confidence that I can hold my own. And it is this confidence that has helped me to become not only a successful attorney, but also to a skilled networker, which is the focus of my latest business endeavor, All Before Dinner, a networking group for professional women.
My father is also an attorney, and one of the most impactful lessons I’ve learned from him is the significance of client relationships. He’s taught me the value of the hard (and often unpaid) work that goes into establishing a client’s trust and maintaining a client relationship. From him, I’ve learned to invest time in potential clients and to go the extra mile, whether that means spending a little more time during an initial consultation, or being diligent with follow up emails. With my father’s advice in the back of my head, I focus just as much on my client relationships as I do on practicing law. And in an industry where others provide similar services for similar, or even lower fees, I believe that it is my relationships with my clients that set me apart from my colleagues and that has helped me to build a successful law practice over the years.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I am corporate attorney and co-founder of Geronemus Law, a boutique corporate law firm based in Miami. I am also the co-founder of All Before Dinner, a networking group for professional women. In my legal practice, I serve as outside in-house counsel to assist companies with daily business operations, including commercial contracts and business transactions. Prior to founding Geronemus Law, I began my career in the field of securities litigation, working at a big law firms in New York and Miami.
After 10 years as a litigation associate at big firms, I still was not sold on big law firm life, and never felt comfortable with the constant confrontation that comes with litigation. I decided to switch gears and move in-house, where I immediately enjoyed working on the business side. But, with three children under 6 years old, I was still struggling with continuing to practice law in a way that worked for me and my family. It was my desire for a more flexible schedule that inspired me to start my own firm. I had discovered a need among small businesses for high quality in-house legal services at reasonable rates, and decided to focus on supporting these clients. I immediately discovered a sense of fulfillment, by providing meaningful, affordable services that my clients could not otherwise find elsewhere. Geronemus Law works with companies of all shapes and sizes, from finance to fashion, social media to sales.
What I love most about what I do is supporting small businesses and making an impact for clients who may not have worked with an in-house attorney before. I especially love working with women-run businesses, because I am passionate about supporting women in the workplace.
When I first started my firm almost 10 years ago, I was happy with the meaningful work and the control over my own schedule, but also found myself missing some of the benefits of law firm life – the professional support and feedback, and the networking benefits of rubbing elbows with colleagues by the watercooler. This is what inspired me to join forces with fellow Miami attorney, Lisa Jerles, to build something that we could not find elsewhere – a network of professional women dedicated to supporting each other personally and professionally. All Before Dinner is designed to fill the networking gap that so many working mothers experience when they don’t have the time or opportunity to network in a traditional way.
What keeps me excited about work these days are the relationships with my clients because working with small businesses and entrepreneurs is inspiring and exciting. And I’m most proud of the impact that I’ve made in only 2 years with All Before Dinner, and I’m excited to continue to grow the network outside of Florida.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
What differentiates Geronemus Law from other corporate law firms is our concierge approach to in-house counsel services. We provide high quality legal advice without the cost and commitment of a traditional general counsel. Clients appreciate our meticulous attention to detail, efficiency and practical approach to contract drafting. And just as important as delivering a top quality work product, we maintain high standards of responsiveness and professionalism.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
My best source of new clients has always been word of mouth. And I’ve been fortunate over the years to have a steady stream of work based on referrals. I also receive business through my women’s networking group, All Before Dinner. And I’ve had luck finding some long-term clients through platforms that pair attorneys with specific projects, such as UpCounsel and The Second Shift.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.geronemuslaw.com/ and https://www.allbeforedinner.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allbeforedinner/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mara-g-6739a064/
Image Credits
Photo credits: Courtney Studios, Andrew Duany Photgraphy