Go to any website on how to be a good lawyer or what you should expect in a good lawyer, you’ll find qualities like compassion and empathy at either the bottom or not at all. In fact, some of the advice goes straight against these qualities. Well, clients can lie and it is good for lawyers to have a healthy skepticism towards every statement and evidence they collect, from whichever side. However, in reality, separating compassion from law can go against long-term success more often than not. Even though such opinions have been expressed in quite a few popular movies and TV shows, not many professionals in the field have caught up.
Houston-based award-winning attorney Willie Powells, with more than a thousand successful litigation settlements, some of them a few million dollars, agrees. When asked about his secret of such massive success as an advocate entrepreneur, that too at such a young age as 40s, Powells simply cites “the power of giving back.” It is practically how he started off in the business of personal injury litigation and that’s what still keeps him going even ten years later – the gratitude towards all the people that helped and trusted him, and his zeal of returning the favor a thousand times over.
Going to a reputed law school, internships during law school, and part-time and full-time jobs post-graduation did show Powells a basic picture of the legal world, but he faced trouble finding his passion in a system where opportunities to work in a courtroom performing litigations take way too long. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, and with lessons of pushing beyond his limits collected in university, Powells mustered up courage and took a chance on himself. He started his own practice and the Law Offices of Willie D. Powells, III and Associates, PLLC was born.
Powells understood, however, that he had a lot of on-the-field experience to gather before handling a whole case himself. So, he started collaborating with his friends working in a small general service boutique law firm where he embarked on just about everything – tax, family, and criminal law, accident litigation, and much more in an attempt to obtain real-world experience.
Powells finally began his legal profession as a personal injury attorney after a nurse from his church, Mary McCray, contacted him following a catastrophic car accident with a commercial vehicle. Despite being sought by other major law firms and Powells being relatively new in the zone, Mary believed in him and continued with him. In response, he made sure Mary received all the support she would require in the case, including money and first-rate expertise. Together, they won in the case, marking the beginning of a long and eventful career for Powells.
Mary became the foundation of some of Powell’s very first and the most loyal clients. This led him to work with people he knew and cared about, and that made him really see the possible devastating effects of personal injury claims on a family – lawsuits that last years and leave people bankrupt in exchange for negligible payout. This is what motivated Powells to choose this space and work hard to change things. His genuine concern for his clients, ability to secure fair settlements for them within a reasonable budget, and success in the majority of cases, quickly gained him recognition. People from all around the town began to favor him over other larger firms, and business started pouring in.
Today, the Law Offices of Willie D. Powells, III and Associates, PLLC represent clients in a range of legal issues, with a focus on criminal law, complex lawsuits, and personal injury. Esteemed organizations like The American Institute of Legal Advocates, The American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, National Black Lawyers Association, and many more have recognized his brilliance in the legal field and have honored him with several awards and listings. He was also named in the list of Power Lawyers in 2019 for USA Today.
Even after all this success, Powells still ensures that all of his clients are treated with the highest care and commitment, just as his first client. Regardless of his consistent victories, he continues to give all the credit to God and the power of human compassion. According to him, the secret to long-lasting, sustainable success is just fourfold – faith in oneself, faith in one’s dreams, faith in a higher power, and most importantly, giving back to people.
Published By: Aize Perez
