SRQ Magazine | She Roars—Fortitude, October 2024 - Shumaker Loop & Kendrick, LLP

SRQ Magazine | She Roars - Fortitude

October 2024

MEGHAN SERRANO

SHUMAKER, LOOP & KENDRICK, LLP

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.

—Atticus Finch, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee

WHAT IS YOUR SINGLE, MOST SIGNIFICANT STRENGTH AND HOW HAVE YOU UTILIZED IT TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT WITHIN AN ORGANIZATIONAL OR COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP ROLE?

Knowing when to ask for help and not being afraid to do so has been invaluable to my work, both as an attorney and with the Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties. A common refrain throughout the Sarasota business community is that it is hard to network and forge business relationships if you are not originally from the Sarasota area. I hail from the Northeast and can attest to the truth of this statement. As a result, I had to get comfortable asking others for help to build business connections and make a name for myself in the legal industry. Now that I’ve established my practice in Sarasota, I pride myself on helping build connections for other newcomers. This strength translates directly to my work with the Boys and Girls Club. I know firsthand the transformational effect that something as simple as an outstretched hand and a little help can have on a person’s life, and I want to be that difference maker for kids in my community. This goal has pushed me forward through some of our organization’s toughest times, especially during the pandemic, when it was even more important to continue to provide critical services to our kids. Asking for help is integral to enacting any kind of meaningful change, and it has irrevocably shaped my personal and professional life.

WHAT IS YOUR “SECRET SAUCE”?

As a litigator, I interact with a lot of big personalities and strong emotions on a daily basis, and it can often be difficult to shake off the negativity. To combat this, I created a folder called “Sunshine” in which I have placed all the kind and appreciative messages I’ve been lucky enough to receive from my clients and colleagues over the years. One message in particular helps give me perspective when I have a rough day. Several years ago, I represented a woman on behalf of her recently passed father in a heavily disputed case. Once the dust settled, the daughter reached out to thank me for representing who her dad was as a human being—his values and what he cared about. This message reminds me that through my work as an attorney, I have made, and will continue to make, a positive difference in the lives of my clients. In a career where kind words are sometimes few and far between, my Sunshine folder is my secret sauce.

DESCRIBE YOUR OWN OUTLOOK ON LIFE IN SIX WORDS.

Being kind is not a weakness.

EVERY DAY I AM THANKFUL FOR the opportunity to be a problem-solver for my clients and community.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION OR PHILANTHROPIC WORK.

Shumaker, the law firm where I have been lucky enough to work for over 15 years, is a premier provider of legal and legislative services with a team of more than 300 lawyers and advisors, 55 paralegals, and 550 employees in its 12 offices located throughout Florida, Ohio, Minnesota, and the Carolinas. We are focused on being a positive and impactful difference maker for our clients and in the communities we serve by providing high-quality, dependable counsel while supporting a variety of nonprofits and local organizations. Shumaker recently announced the launch of our Make a Difference through Literacy Initiative, which aims to improve literacy for more than 250,000 individuals by 2025.

SHUMAKER, LOOP & KENDRICK, LLP

240 South Pineapple Avenue | 9th Floor Sarasota, FL 34236 | 941.364.2783 | mserrano@shumaker.com