If you’re looking for Oscar Conde Medina on a Tuesday, there is only one place you’ll find him: in his studio, singing. While Oscar is a dedicated lawyer and has created the hugely successful legal firm Legem Attorneys at Law, which he founded in 2004, he focuses one day a week on the other passion in his life – music and singing.
A talented musician of romantic tunes, he has loved singing ever since he was a small child. But it is only in the past five years or so that he has started singing professionally, becoming a favourite crooner at prestigious venues across Mexico and attracting a large, worldwide social media following.
“On Tuesdays, I’m in my studio, revisiting music, learning new songs, practising the guitar or piano with my band,” he smiles. “That’s how I balance my music and my legal work.”
Music and law may not seem to have much in common, but they both require passion and dedication to be successful. This is something Oscar has in abundance.
“I had to practise every day previously, which was complicated given my legal work. Now that I’m just practising one day per week, it’s simple and has reduced my stress by 50%,” he says.
What do his colleagues at work think of having a national pop icon as a boss? “They love my music. Really!” he laughs.
Road to Legem Attorneys at Law
Oscar was born and raised in Mexico. The son of an oil engineer, he moved around the country as a youngster, studied hard and decided to pursue a career in law. His first job after qualifying was with one of the largest law firms in Mexico City as a law clerk. He quickly proved his capabilities and climbed the ranks within the firm. During his time there, Oscar focused on providing legal services in niche areas.
“Mostly the firm was involved in providing drafts of loan agreements, mortgages, everything related to banking and litigation,” Oscar recalls. “But there was this area involved with foreign investment incorporation companies and business expansion that no one took care of apart from me.”
But post-September 11, 2001, most foreign investment dried up, with US companies pulling back and focusing on their domestic markets. Consequently, with his work drying up – and the prospect of his department closing – Oscar made the decision to leave the company and set up on his own.
Nevertheless, despite his relatively young age, Oscar had built a solid reputation as a lawyer – including for trustworthiness and getting things done. The result was that many of his previous clients signed up with Oscar as soon as he started his own firm, so his business was able to become established quickly in the local market.
Oscar also had a distinct ideology that he brought to his work. He likes to quote Greek philosopher Aristotle: “‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
“This quote is in my office, but it is also tattooed on my soul,” he smiles. “Thanks to that quote, we have been growing over the past 20 years. We always strive to provide quality services to all our clients.”
As well as providing quality services, Oscar also looks to develop long-term relationships with clients; many have returned again and again over the years: “To be honest, most of my long-term clients are actually now my friends. They even like my music!”
But while the firm has been growing since it was first established, Oscar has no ambitions to become one of the big Mexican law firms of the future. “I prefer quality over quantity,” he says. “We are experts in companies, so we do not do other legal matters except for everything related to companies. I’m very focused on the provision of quality services.”
Comprehensive approach
Legem Attorneys’ clients come from various industries, with a particular focus on the automotive sector – about 75% of clients operate in this industry – while the remainder represent sectors such as health, oil and transportation. These clients are from all parts of the world, including the United States and Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia.
“Many of our clients are international companies that want to expand their business operations into Mexico because it’s cost effective and there is a lot of potential for sales,” he says.
The firm’s comprehensive approach ensures that clients receive end-to-end support for their business requirements. From company formation and setup to obtaining operational licenses, trademarks and handling immigration matters, Legem Attorneys takes care of every aspect, allowing clients to focus on core business operations.
For Oscar, the firm has always focused on its three core practice areas: litigation, counselling, and compliance. These pillars contribute to the firm’s ability to provide all around solutions for clients’ legal business needs.
Oscar continues: “For instance, compliance now plays a crucial role for all businesses, and Legem Attorneys recognises this. The compliance team assists clients in establishing code of conduct policies, creating employee handbooks, and ensuring adherence to local and international regulations. By providing comprehensive compliance solutions, we help clients mitigate risks and maintain ethical business practices. We’re very proud of our track record on this.”
International alliances
With its proximity to the border with Texas, this helps the firm work with clients who have business interests in Mexico and the US. Additionally, Legem Attorneys has established strong alliances with international accounting and law firms, and IR Global has played its part in this. “I am well connected in Mexico, with service providers, attorneys, accountants, and around the world,” Oscar says.
“Being part of IR Global is very helpful for me because when my clients in Mexico, Canada or wherever need assistance in Cyprus or the Netherlands, for example, I just call IR Global and say, ‘I need a referral here and this is what is needed’. To me, the most important thing in business is to be connected and IR Global provides great opportunities to be connected.”
Future
Looking ahead, Oscar wants to maintain Legem Attorneys as a provider of high-quality legal services with strong client relationships. While eschewing large law firm status, Oscar intends to build the firm’s revenue by attracting new clients and continuing the professional development of his team members.
“Business is good because of our location and the international treaties that Mexico signed with US and Canada,” Oscar says. “We are always busy, and I believe the office is poised to grow again in the number of attorneys and clients.”
And in his spare time? Oscar will continue to sing to packed houses and build his following on all social media channels including YouTube: “Just Google me or look me up on YouTube,” he laughs. “That’s what I do when I’m not in the office.”
