I would not recommend Tom Farrell's legal advice to any entrepreneur, especially those who are minority owned and are in the process of becoming MWBE certified.
I was referred to Tom by the director of an organization I had been working with in the beginning of my entrepreneurial career. I heard many great things about Tom and felt confident about this referral.
In February, I met with Tom to begin forming legal papers I needed for my business. We thoroughly went over what it was that I needed and wanted to ensure my business affairs were in order. He was paid in full for everything, including anything that was customized.
On several occasions, I had to contact Tom about paperwork he forgot to submit or blatantly did not get back to me about. Though this was the first red flag of many, I still wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Things came to a head when I was looking to become a MWBE certified. A month ago, I contacted Tom about this request. Instead of assisting me or referring me to a colleague, he complained about the process being long and drawn out. He told me he'd get back to me in a couple of days. For two weeks, Tom dodged my calls.
Finally, he contacted me. He sent me a proposal. Tom wanted an approximation of $250/hourly and $1500 to be kept on retainer. He let us know that any additional work would cost more. This was more than fair. However, he also wanted me to sign an agreement that he'd receive 3% of money earned from 2 of my government contracts.
I'm not well versed in business law but I was more than positive that this was illegal. After reading Tom's proposal, I requested all my paperwork and found another lawyer asap.
To my black and brown entrepreneurs, there are business lawyers who truly want to assist us in our entrepreneurial journey. People who aren't out to rob us. Tom Farrell isn't one of those people. Do your research and never let the likes of this man talk you out of money he legally isn't entitled to.
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