Rosemary Attor is a lawyer, and operates from Hoboken, New Jersey. She has strong interests in family law, real estate, and personal injury law. In her career, Attor has handled dozens of high profile divorce cases, helped companies and individuals close real estate deals, and also helped people get compensated for injuries at work. Attor credits her successful career to hard work, and a passion for law that developed at a very young age. As a young girl, Attor was a big fan of legal television series, and this grew on her over time. She attended The College of New Jersey for her undergrad studies, then went to Seton Hall University for Law School. Attor was so passionate about the legal profession that she graduated among the top of her class. Her performance in class landed her a spot as an associate, at one of the largest law firms in New York City. She did an amazing job, and was named associate of the year twice. Later along, she decided to move to the next level and form her own law firm. Today, her firm is one of the fastest growing in New Jersey, and has handled several multi-million dollars deals, especially in real estate. Aside from work, Attor is also a philanthropist. She has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to charities in New Jersey and beyond.
How did you get started in this business?
I have always been the ambitious type, and always strive to be the best in everything I do. It is this drive that pushed me to start my law firm just two years after being signed as an associate at a top New York Law firm. Most of my colleagues thought I was crazy since I hadn’t built a large enough network to go it alone. However, years down the line, it turned out to be the best decision I have ever made. The firm has grown, and I am at a place where I wouldn’t have imagined I would be at, a few years ago.
How do you make money?
I make money by charging legal fees for my services, pretty much the way all law firms do it. The best thing about this business is that, as your profile grows, so does your fees. I remember when I first started out, our fees were pretty low. We also had to do a lot of cases pro bono just to prove to the world that we were good at the job. This went on for a while, and ultimately, people started taking notes. Today, I charge a premium, and since people know the quality of work that I deliver, they still come.
How long did it take for you to become profitable?
It took about a year to finally start running profitably. Before that, we were barely making rent. I remember that at some point, I was struggling with paying some of the office staff. However, this is all in the past now. Once we turned a corner in terms of profitability, things have been pretty good. We are now even in a position to incentivize our staff with bonuses at the end of every year.
When you were starting out, was there ever a time you doubted it would work? If so, how did you handle that?
Not at all. I am very self-assured person, and any time I decide to do something, I go all in. This modus operandi helped me stay focused on winning, even when the world felt like it was crumbling around me. Of course there are times when I felt pretty low, especially when we were late on our bills. However, I kept reminding myself that this was my dream that I was shaping, and no one else would ever do it for me, but me.
How did you get your first customer?
My first customer was a referral from one of my friends from New York. The client was pretty high profile, and opened a lot of doors for us. That’s because, they brought with them a lot of other clients. In fact, I would say part of the reason my law firm is where it is today is because of the ripple effect that this one client had on the business. I will forever be grateful to my friend for this referral.
What is one marketing strategy (other than referrals) that you’re using that works really well to generate new business?
That would be social networking. We use many other marketing techniques, but this has worked very well for me. The way I do it is to always make an impression at high profile social events. That’s where I get to meet members of the upper echelons of society that need to go through a divorce, a separation, or any other aspects of family law. Meeting such people at social events is awesome because I get to have fun, while advancing the interests of my law firm.
What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months?
I am lucky that I haven’t made any decisions that I would necessarily consider tough. I think I made my toughest decisions in 2020. When the work-from-home started, we realized that we didn’t need most of our administrative staff. We had to let them go but it felt really bad, because they had been part of the team since we started our operations. The good news is that, with the vaccines and all, things have gone back to normal, and we have brought them all back. I hope we never have to go through such an episode ever again.
What do you think it is that makes you successful?
That would be my passion for what I do, and sheer hard work. Whenever I set my eyes on something, I go all in to make sure I succeed. I believe this is what has got me where I am today, as a high flying lawyer in New Jersey. Being very close to New York, New Jersey is home to some of the largest law firms in the U.S. Yet through sheer determination, I have managed to cut a niche for myself in this market.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
I have many satisfying moments in my business. Any time we win a legal case, and I see a client smiling and happy, I just feel great. It reminds me that my work is changing lives for the better. This alone is a huge motivator for me to wake up every morning, go out there and be the best version of myself that I have ever been. I guess most professionals can relate.
What does the future hold for your business? What are you most excited about?
The future is bright. With the brand equity that I have built over the years, I believe we will keep attracting high profile clients going into the future. I am most excited about communication technologies that make it easier for people to work from anywhere. They have helped us cut overall administrative bills by a huge margin.
What business books have inspired you?
Currently I am reading How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. It’s a book that is changing my perspectives on how I think, act, and best of all, how I interact with people.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would advise my younger self to go after dreams relentlessly. It’s easy to feel like your dreams are too big to be achieved, but that should never be the case. If you focus on your dreams with a singular mind, then you will realize soon enough that no dream is too big to be achieved.
Are you willing to be a mentor? If so, how should someone contact you?
Absolutely! I am more than willing. Any upcoming lawyer who needs a mentor can talk to me on my social media pages, and we can schedule an appointment.