Inspiring Conversations with Michelle Fonseca-Kamana of West Coast Lemons APC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Fonseca-Kamana.

Hi Michelle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started West Coast Lemons APC in February 2020 with no connections in the legal industry and self-funded with the money I had saved from previous jobs. I figured once I launched the firm, I would go out, network, and build my brand and business the old-fashioned way. Little did I know that three weeks after launching my new law firm, the pandemic would hit and what little momentum I had from the launch would come to a screeching halt.

The pandemic ended up being a blessing for my business, although at the time, it certainly did not feel that way. Faced with choosing between accepting defeat or throwing the ultimate Hail Mary, I chose to dive head first into a marketing tool that was still ahead of its time back in 2020: social media.

In one of the hardest first years of business any attorney and law firm could have endured, I not only found my place in the incredibly competitive California legal market, but I was able to connect to attorneys and law firms all over the world. As the founder of a new law firm that nobody knew back in February 2020, the amount of growth social media brought to my law firm was mind-blowing.

By February 2021, I was honored in Yahoo! Finance’s feature: 13 Women Who Are Changing The Game In The Legal Industry. In my first two years in business during a pandemic, West Coast Lemons APC doubled year after year all without spending money on marketing. My firm’s growth was 100% attributed to educating, entertaining, and empowering consumers and other attorneys on social media and providing unparalleled customer service to our clients.

Fast forward to 2023, I now have a team, 48 five star Google reviews, and get to travel the world teaching other attorneys and law firms how to grow their firms using social media. In the last year alone, I’ve had the opportunity to speak at the Law-di-gras legal conference in San Diego, Women in Trial Travel Summit in Punta Mita, Mexico, and at the Clio Cloud Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

Authenticity has always been at the forefront of how I have approached my business and social media and I’m thrilled to be spearheading a new initiative to change the negative attorney stereotype by encouraging all attorneys, whether from big firms or small firms, to put themselves out there and show who and what attorneys are really like. This initiative strives to change the attorney stereotype from reflecting the worst of our industry to the best of our industry.

It’s crazy to think it’s only been three years since I started my own law firm, but I have already been blessed beyond measure. God willing, I will be able to continue this work for decades to come.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth is definitely not how I’d characterize the first 3 years of running my own law firm, however despite the challenges I’ve faced, starting my own law firm has been the best decision I’ve ever made for myself and for my career.

A lot of us get so stuck on wanting to feel like we’re ready for a big move like starting your own law firm, but the reality is you’re never going to be 100% prepared for everything that will inevitably be thrown your way. From learning how to run your law firm like a business, to navigating recent developments in the law, to learning how to stay relatively sane while balancing work and life, you will always be a work in progress. The sooner you can embrace that reality, the sooner you can step into your God-given purpose. Putting myself out there and betting on myself has exponentially changed my life for the better and in sharing my story I hope I can encourage others to do the same.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
When life gives you lemons, I’ll get you justice!® When you hire West Coast Lemons APC for your lemon law case, you are hiring an attorney that is passionate about consumer education, advocacy, and an unparalleled client experience. With 48 five star Google reviews, clients can be assured that we don’t just talk about having a phenomenal client experience, we actually deliver that experience. Our firm also puts a premium on educating clients by consistently sharing educational videos on the lemon law and car buying process on social media as well as explaining the legal process via easy to read guides that are provided when clients retain us.

Some firms know a little bit about a lot of things. Not us. We know a lot about one thing- the California lemon law. We specialize in suing car, truck, motor home and travel trailer manufacturers on behalf of consumers and are currently accepting cases involving new or certified pre-owned vehicles that are 2018 or newer. The best part: consultations are free and if we take on your case, you won’t pay anything for attorney’s fees and costs, the manufacturer that put you in that lemon will pay them for you!

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I didn’t know I wanted to be an attorney until my junior year of college at UC Santa Barbara. That year I decided to take on an internship with the Santa Barbara County Probation Office where I would report to the county jail for work and interview individuals accused of crimes. I quickly fell in love with the idea of advocacy in our legal system and realized I wanted to do more than just write reports, I wanted to be the woman in the courtroom fighting for my client. I had my Elle Woods moment where I woke up one day a few months into my internship and thought, “I think I’m going to go to law school!” Several Google searches later, I learned what I had to do to get into law school, ultimately made it happen, and the rest is history!

Pricing:

• Consultations: free

Contact Info:

• Website: www.westcoastlemons.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westcoastlemons/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westcoastlemons/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-fonseca-kamana-lemonlawattorney/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/senora.limon/