Planning for change

East coast/west coast attitudes toward gays were different a decade ago.

“I went to practice law in Los Angeles because it was easier to be gay and in business in California in 1997 than the East Coast,” says Manuella Hancock of Hancock Legal PLLC.

Starting out as a business litigator, she then moved to San Francisco, where she developed a focus on the needs of small and start-up businesses. In 2004, she became a founding partner at Farallon Law LLP, where her practice areas included helping business owners form life transition plans through trusts and estates work. After more than a decade of practicing law, Manuella came back to her hometown, Washington, D.C., where she obtained an LLM in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.

In 2010, she formed Hancock Legal PLLC to provide services to California and capital-area clients. “I became a CAGLCC member as soon as I started the firm because of my experience with a similar organization in the Bay Area, explains Hancock, adding, “Affinity business organizations are an excellent way to get to know the community, develop business and gain a network of involved, motivated entrepreneurs. The chamber has been a real help in getting to know the capital area market, and the networking opportunities have introduced me to peers and mentors for my business.”

Hancock Legal’s edge is most apparent in consistent feedback from clients: a big sigh of relief.

“We know how to cut through situations to find the best solution for the least cost, which may be telling a client how to manage a situation without us.  As a result, our growth and profits come from referrals and return clients.”

Hard work and dedicated service have been instrumental in a practice area to which Hancock Legal is deeply committed: Life Change Management. Hancock explains,  “Working with clients to anticipate and plan for the changes in the life of their business or their personal lives will go a long way towards making these changes go smoothly.”

For more information, visit hancock-legal.com.

Who’s your best customer?

As the marketplace becomes increasingly competitive, customers are making purchases based on price and convenience rather than brand and tradition: no more loyalty. Is customer satisfaction enough? How do you build loyalty among your customers? How do you make them come back – and be your best referral?

Guest speaker Kevin Shane from 9th Degree Advisors, LLC (9thdegreeadvisors.com,) has successfully implemented strategies and processes to improve leadership, organizational effectiveness and business performance – including developing customer loyalty. Kevin will lead CAGLCC’s First Friday Working Lunch on March 4, showing you how to improve your bottom line by gaining customer allegiance through communication, expectations and a committed customer loyalty strategy.

The First Friday Working Lunch will be held at the offices of Ackerman Legal PLLC, at 1250 Connecticut Ave., N.W., from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. CAGLCC members and non-members may register and purchase tickets at caglcc.com/FirstFridayMarch.

CAGLCC member news

Marc Gravallese, certified professional coach, of Focus1 is hosting a one-day workshop, “rediscovering the Man I AM,” on Feb. 20, focus1coaching.com.

Wamwaw is now Social Driver. Thomas Sanchez and Anthony Shop are letting us know it’s time to “get with the future” with digital development and strategy, socialdriver.com.