Small Business Lawyer Receives Recognition

St. Louis Small Business Monthly's shortlist of "Top Small Business Lawyers" of 2011 from the February issue features a Ladue resident and founding member of Affinity Law Group.

Kathleen Bilderback specializes in handling estate planning, taxes, executive benefits and succession for businesses of all shapes and sizes. From start-ups to corporations transitioning out of business, Bilderback provides legal expertise with an ear for detail to companies large and small. Succession planning guides businesses through their options in case of death or other circumstances that might require a change in CEO.

"I work with a lot of family businesses who are trying to transition from the parents' generation to the children’s," Bilderback said. "Every situation is different, so there's no one-size-fits-all solution. It's kind of fun to sit down with the family and paint a picture of what they want the future to look like."

Business owners are better off securing such legal matters ahead of time, Bilderback said. Corporations save money over the long-term by handling their succession planning before crisis strikes.

"One thing we get a lot of is people who have incorporated themselves, but then they don’t understand that in order to have the corporation protect them from liability, there are ongoing things they have to do," Bilderback said. "If they neglect to do them, the corporation may not be respected by the courts if they get sued."

Bilderback believes a client nominated her for the award from Small Business Monthly, a business-to-business trade publication based in St. Charles.

Born and raised in Ladue, Bilderback, 43, attended (then the Mary Institute), completed her undergraduate degrees in accounting and theatre at Saint Louis University and earned her law degree at Washington University.

While at SLU, Bilderback performed in Tom Jones and several Shakespearean plays. Her experience participating in performing arts helped her become a successful professional.

"It gave me lots of confidence in dealing with clients, to a certain extent," she said. "You have to develop a rapport with clients very quickly and overcome natural shyness."

Being a lawyer need not be an artless occupation. Although she no longer rehearses stage directions or recites lines in Early Modern English as in her theatre days, Bilderback believes she has developed her own artistic signature in the workplace that distinguishes her from other attorneys.

"I spend a lot of time listening to the client," she said. "I ask a lot of questions before offering solutions. You develop better results for the client faster, things that really meet their objectives."

In Bilderback's view, business owners sometimes need an expert's perspective to understand the full scope of their needs and objectives.

"The art is making it as painless as possible for the client," Bilderback said.

The attorneys from Affinity Law Group are no strangers to recognition from Small Business Monthly. Last year, the publication's readers voted the West County firm onto the "Most Reliable Companies" and "Best Law Firms" lists.