Adrienne Braumiller is a highly experienced and respected international trade lawyer, with over 30 years of experience in the field. She is the founder and Managing Partner of Braumiller Law Group PLLC and is widely recognized as a leading authority in Customs, import, export, foreign-trade zones, free trade agreements, and ITAR compliance. She has held numerous leadership roles in various trade organizations and has received numerous awards for her dedication to excellence in the field of international trade law. She is also a frequent speaker and published author on important developments in the industry. Braumiller Law Group is part of the IR Global professional network.
Can you tell us a little about your background and the company?
I grew up in Tulsa Oklahoma but started traveling internationally in my teens and decided to pursue a career in international law at the tender age of 16. When I arrived at college, I sought guidance from my advisor regarding what areas of practice to pursue since “international law” is a very broad topic. My advisor, an attorney from the Netherlands, said that she thought with globalization on the rise, (this was all pre-internet), that I should focus on customs and international trade. She also recommended I look for law schools with international law offerings and/or to seek a Masters of Law in this area. I followed her guidance by earning an L.L.M. in Transnational Business Law from McGeorge School of Law and had the opportunity of studying at prestigious universities such as the University of Salzburg and University of Oxford. After school, I worked for a boutique customs and trade law firm in San Francisco. I then determined that starting my own Customs and trade law firm in Dallas, Texas could be a wonderful opportunity should the North American Free Trade Agreement come to fruition. Luckily this gamble paid off and my law firm has flourished ever since.
How have you been able to gain funding and grow?
Actually, when I first started the law firm in 1992, I used $5,000 to launch it. I starved for the first few years of its establishment while trying to break through barriers that only big law could perform this kind of complex legal work. Each year, we doubled our earnings so that additional funding was not required.
What are the key successes?
I feel like there are so many but at the top are the quality and talent of the team members we have attracted and as a result the large multinational and fortune 500 companies that we serve. I am also honored to have received the Sarah T. Hughes Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, which celebrates the achievements of outstanding women attorneys. Both the firm and myself have been recognized by independent guide to the legal profession Chambers and Partners for several years so I am thrilled we have been ranked.
What were/are the challenges and how have you overcome these?
The biggest challenge was to convince clients that they could receive quality legal work in a niche area from a boutique law firm. In the early years of the firm’s existence, I did face some sexism as most trade lawyers were male. But with perseverance and a positive attitude, we successfully altered the playing field.
What are your plans now/for the future?
Since I have been at this for over 30 years, I am in a succession planning mode, as I train the next generation to take over the firm and ensure its longevity. But this is a ten year plan and we hope to continue growing our team of global experts and expanding our service offerings within the trade law practice.
Can you share your top tips for entrepreneurial success?
Stay positive, never give up, understand that if people underestimate you, you have the upper hand. Try to make ends meet without debt if you can.
What are your Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn social handles and also website links so our readers can connect with you?
https://www.facebook.com/BraumillerLawGroup
https://www.linkedin.com/company/braumiller-law-group/?viewAsMember=true
