Empowering Entrepreneurs Through Husch Blackwell’s Communities for Change

McNeal now serves as pro bono counsel at Husch Blackwell. Based in Houston, Texas, he counsels unrepresented entrepreneurs through HB Communities for Change. This initiative helps businesses meet their legal needs on a pro bono basis so they can grow their enterprises and move to the next level. McNeal aims to help those businesses grow, scale and expand. “But the real goal is to help them employ,” he says. “To help them bring in workers or independent contractors. Our belief is that we are offering our highest and greatest service, leveraging our God-given talent as business lawyers to provide change in the community.” Missouri is Husch Blackwell’s largest jurisdiction with over 70 clients. 

How did McNeal get here? At age 22, he graduated college with a journalism degree and began work as a television journalist, just as he’d always dreamed. He worked in Quincy, Illinois, Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Austin, Texas. While in Austin, he became enamored with a legal case that involved a woman being convicted of a heinous crime. The case lingered in McNeal’s mind for years, because he believed she was innocent. “That was the beginning of the journey to law school,” he says. McNeal graduated from law school and worked as a litigator for a full decade before finding Husch Blackwell in 2021. 

McNeal and the Husch Blackwell team have seen 16 entrepreneurs successfully complete the HB Communities for Change program since its inception. “What’s really been such a rush is to bring these businesses in, provide as much support as we can, and then see them grow out of the program because the revenue they’re bringing in is too great for us to justify their inclusion in a pro bono program,” McNeal says. It’s rare that the members who graduate then turn to Husch Blackwell after they finish the program. “That’s not our goal,” McNeal says. “Our goal is not that they become paying clients. We provide this legal service without any expectation of payment, which is the definition of pro bono work, and we’re serious about that.” 

One of his successful clients is LaRonda Lenear, CEO of We’ve Got it Covered Catering. “This Missouri-based, woman-owned enterprise has grown tremendously since we began providing legal services under our Communities for Change initiative,” McNeal says. He assisted Lenea with contract review, negotiation and business formation.  A growing business, We’ve Got it Covered Catering recently took home the Kansas City People’s Choice Award for best catering service.

When he began working with Husch Blackwell, McNeal connected with economic empowerment organizations all over the country, such as the National Urban League and the Black, Hispanic and Asian Chamber of Commerces, to engage with underrepresented entrepreneurs. “I think what’s important is for those organizations to see that our heart was in the right place and remains in the right place,” McNeal emphasizes. Now, Husch Blackwell has also implemented cyberinfrastructure to develop an online application system, allowing businesses to directly apply for assistance. This process helps McNeal grasp the business’ vision and financial situation, ensuring that legal services are provided to those truly in need.

Being in a fulfilling career is a special and sometimes rare experience, but for McNeal, what makes his job particularly rewarding is both the impact he can have and the impact the job has on him. “This job calls on natural gifts of mine,” he says. “I love talking to entrepreneurs. I salute the entrepreneurial journey. I have such great respect for them and their ability to create opportunities for others.”