We recently connected with Shakeena Melbourne and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Shakeena thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the early days of establishing your own firm. What can you share?

The idea of starting my own law firm started with a toxic work environment. The law firm I was working at had a decrease in staffing, complaining clients and was in need of some internal systemic changes due to the high staff turn around. After working tirelessly 6 days a week for nearly 6 months to a year, changes arose and things began to change. The clients were no longer complaining, staff received adequate training, and we saw an increase in client retention. Within 2 years, clients were sending more cases, staff were working efficiently and effectively and the firm saw an enormous increase in client payments. Despite these improvements there was a negative culture and work environment. Several of my male colleagues would take credit for tasks and jobs I would complete and eventually attempt on multiple occasions to take my job or position. After numerous issues and concerns, internally I thought it was time to move on to a new position. But after looking at job descriptions in the area and job opportunities, I thought it would be best to start my own practice to give a voice to the voiceless in areas such as probate, estate planning, real estate transactions and bankruptcy. But my real target was small business owners and veterans. And with the assistance of some friends, mentors and family, I was able to start my PLLC (Professional Limited Liability Company), come up with a name for the law firm and build the confidence to be able to go out on my own with literally only $300 in my pocket.

My advice will be to know that it will not be perfect, always rewarding or decrease the amount of time or effort needed but when you see the smiles on the client’s faces, when their shoulders are released and lowered, and they have more time to work on their business ventures, get job promotions, and focus on their families. Seeing those things allows me to wake up every morning and work to help more people because it is all worth it to me.

Shakeena, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Shakeena Melbourne and I am a young woman that grew up in Los Angeles, California. My parents migrated to the United States from Jamaica and within 2 years of being in the US I was born as the 3rd child. Growing up my dad and my grandfather were very interesting in politics and the judicial system and I guess that is where I would have sparked an interest in the law. But I would also state that when God has a plan for your life it just happens that way. I wanted to be a lawyer since I was about 7 years old. And in the second grade, I had a substitute teacher that asked the traditional question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And I blurted out, I want to be a judge. She was so impressed that for the next few weeks we worked on what all schooling was required for me to get to law school and eventually become a judge. And I followed the plan to the exact. By the age of 21, I was in law school and by age of 25 I was a practicing an attorney with a Juris Doctorate and a Masters of Law in Corporate and Finance. During law school I interned at 8 different locations to figure out what practice area I held an interest. One of my internships led to my first job as an Associate In-House Counsel at a bank in East Lansing, Michigan. After leaving the bank, I worked at a law firm and learned an enormous amount from both experiences leading me to start my own practice called Upton Law, PLLC in 2018.

Today, the motto of the law firm is to give a voice to those in the community that may be voiceless such as felons and allowing them to get their lives back through expungement services; bankruptcies for families in need of a fresh financial start, small business owners in need of reasonably priced legal services for contracts, trademark applications, copyright applications; real estate clients with properties and need assistance from the closing on the loan to the foreclosure of needed; and estate planning/probate to assist families with building and passing on their assets to children, grandchildren.

I am very proud of being a woman of my word. Is the law always going to be on my side in every case or family or individual or small business owner that comes into my office? No but I am going to work like hell to find a resolution to assist even if it is simply a business strategy to get a great outcome.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I thought I had the greatest opportunity ever by working at a co-working space of people that looked like, strived for excellence like me and worked together to keep each uplifted. And then the day came when that fantasy went away in the blink of an eye simply based on miscommunication or no communication at all. I received a text message requesting me to move out of the office within 48 hours of receiving the text message. The message also included that I avoided signing the lease agreement that I drafted and refused to pay rent. I was baffled because I created the lease agreement and waited to get a signed copy back. But hey when you are a new business owner you do not and understand that you are still responsible for your actions as simple as making sure you receiving your paperwork and signed contracts back and of course in business money will always suffice anything else in your relationship. Well despite attempting to call and respond to text messages that I never received the lease agreement back nor any requests for rent, I was left to exit the office in the middle of the Covid-19 quarantine time period.

Despite all of the tears, prayers and lost, I had to learn that to pivot was more important than just closing everything done. See the business I started was first started on paper before moving into an office. The business was originally ran at my kitchen table. And in the midst of the pandemic I was left to go back to my kitchen table, re-learn about business, get an understanding of how I would like to move forward with my business and than excel.

I believe that God closes doors to open others and the most important thing is despite it all, “never to to give up.” Within a few months of exiting the office, I had the opportunity to acquire 5 billboards throughout the City for 2 years, increased staff to 7 people, got a luxury vehicle and eventually purchased my first house. Life is what you make it but you must pivot and not give up.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

On the first day of law school, we were had orientation. At the orientation, which I will never forget, the instructor said welcome to law school. As part of being in this program, please erase everything you learned K-12 and college. We are going to re-teach you how to read and write. What? After all of these years getting good grades, passing standardized exams and these crazy tests to get into law school, I am now being told to erase it all and unlearn your habits and follow our new rules.

That was a hard process and they would insist through consistency, tests, quizzes and study halls how to change your perspective on reading and writing and not to mention the 150 page a night homework assignments. But it worked.

Today, I still use the same strategies that I learned in law school but one of my biggest take aways from law school was how to listen. Most people think attorneys like to talk and share their opinions. But believe or not, we are told how to be great listeners because by following the words and phrases of clients will help with finding a legal strategy or pinning your opponent in a legal manner.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.uptonlawpllc.com
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