NC LEAP: One Client's Story
Article Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Written By: Russell Rawlings
The following article appears in the November-December 2008 edition of North Carolina Lawyer, scheduled for print publication Nov. 1 and pre-posted to the NCBA Web site in appreciation to Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein for its contributions to NC LEAP.
David Bratcher and NC LEAP volunteer Sara Ventura of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein. |
Behind every client that NC LEAP has assisted in its first year of service to North Carolina’s lower income entrepreneurs, there is a story. A life or lives have been enhanced, perhaps even altered immeasurably, through the generous contributions of time and money provided by the lawyers of this state.
David Bratcher of Belmont is one such individual. He owns a mobile bookstore – Bookin’ it! – that provides new books to children, teenagers and adults in Gaston County.
At 21, Bratcher is one of the youngest clients of the North Carolina Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Program. He is also the only NC LEAP entrepreneur who is battling a developmental disability.
"Even though he has a disability, he has the determination to carry through," said Jenee Randall, a Bookin' it! regular. “I met him at ones of his sales events, and now I come every month. He has a great selection, and he caters to all age groups.”
Randall is especially impressed with the extra effort Bratcher extends to younger readers.
"He likes to dress up in special costumes to help entice the kids to read," she said. “He may show up as Elvis, Spider Man or Clifford the Big Red Dog.”
One of Bratcher’s biggest fans is his pro bono attorney, Sara Ventura of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein in Charlotte. She joined the firm last year after graduation from the William & Mary School of Law, and shortly thereafter took on the NC LEAP assignment as her first pro bono project.
Colleague Kent Workman served as supervising attorney and provided guidance to Ventura as she worked with Bratcher and his mother, Simone, to organize the business.
"The first matter that we helped with was deciding what type of business organization would be most beneficial," said Ventura. "They had been operating as a sole proprietorship, so we talked about the risks, benefits and costs.
"They decided to form an LLC, so we drew up the articles of organization on their behalf and filed them. After that, I took time to discuss their finances. David is disabled and receives some assistance from the State, so we had to make sure that we considered their unique concerns given that there are very few disabled people who own businesses.
“After talking them through that, we ended up with a solution that everyone thought was most appropriate."
The drafting of the operating agreement marked the culmination of a pivotal chapter in the life of David Bratcher.
A graduate of South Point High School, he previously worked at Carowinds, Logan's Restaurant and Gap. But he wanted something more – he wanted to run his own business.
"Too many people with developmental disabilities waste away," Simone Bratcher said. "That does not have to be the case."
Fittingly enough, Bookin’ it! began with the purchase of a book, "Making Self-Employment Work for People with Disabilities." From there the Bratchers received support from a number of agencies and individuals made available to David Bratcher because of his disability.
But they reached a stumbling block when it came to legal matters.
"I am good at a lot of things," Simone Bratcher said, "but when it comes to legal things, I am lost. I asked around to see if there were any pro bono services in our community, and someone suggested that I talk to Brad Rivers, director of the Small Business Center at Gaston College."
It was Rivers who let the Bratchers know about NC LEAP, thereby leading to the establishment of their relationship with Parker Poe and Sara Ventura.
"Sara has been great to work with," Simone Bratcher said. "She’s very smart and very helpful in explaining things to us. I know we spent at least six hours with her face-to-face, and who knows how many hours on the phone and e-mail.
"She has been extremely patient with David, and never forgot who owns the business."
The combined pro bono contributions of the firm amount to nearly $5,000 in free legal services for David Bratcher. Beyond the dollars and cents, the relationship has also proven rewarding for the contributing firm and its young associate.
"This has been great working hands-on with a client," said Ventura, an Oregon native who received her undergraduate degree from Clemson University and worked for Parker Poe as a summer intern while attending law school.
"I am excited to be involved with NC LEAP. There are not a lot of pro bono projects that are transactional in nature, so this is a great opportunity to do something in pro bono that is within our area of practice.
"Hopefully another project will become available and I will get a chance to jump on one of those.
"We spend our days on the 28th floor working for good corporations. It is nice to be directly involved with a person who has a need such as this. They keep me on their mailing list, so I always know what is going on, and it has been extremely rewarding to get to know a different part of our community."
The sentiment, David Bratcher assures, is mutual.
----
NC LEAP, a project of the North Carolina Bar Association and the NCBA Foundation, is the signature project of the NCBA’s Business Law and Corporate Counsel sections. For more information, contact Director Milan Pham at the N.C. Bar Center.