Blessed with a personality as large as his expansive law firm, Vaughn Bignall prides himself on being a champion of the poor because he said he had not forgotten his humble beginnings, and unlike some of his colleagues, he knows that poverty is not a disease.
BUZZZ Magazine recently caught up with the legal luminary at his Half-Way-Tree law firm, a shiny spanking suite of offices that occupy approximately 13,000 square feet, distributed over two stories. Ornate and opulent best describes the decor of royal blue with gold finishing; it is not your typical law practice, but then Bignall is anything but typical himself. Far from a shrinking violet, he shared his background, his challenges, and his passions and why working with the disenfranchised is important to him and how one does not have to choose between being good work and being wealthy. In other words, you do not have to short change people to get ahead in life.
Vaughn Bignall’s law firm is anything but typical
Bignall Law he stated, operates under a “management by objective style” with most of his work being civil oriented, mainly accidents. “Some people would call me an ambulance chaser, that is fine. It is poor people who made me what I am today. The same people who come off the bus across the road and step into these offices seeking assistance. We like to make our space comfortable as we spend so many hours here it should be pleasing and inviting, like a home away from home.
What you see is all chosen by me. I know it is not your typical lawyer’s office, and that is fine because it is about making clients feel welcomed, which matters at the end of the day. We are pioneers as we see ourselves as invested in the business of law and what it can produce. A large part of our business is referrals, so that means that we have a lot of satisfied clients out there.
We are not your typical business, and to be honest, covid has bought us more work, so I don’t have those horror stories you hear about closure and cutbacks. Yes, we are in a pandemic, but it has allowed me to remember that we have to be concerned about our fellow man. Life is good, so I am truly grateful every day.”
Being an attorney was always a dream of his. Initially, he had to choose between being a lawyer, politician, or pastor, and incidentally, all three help people and also require having the gift of gab. “Why law? Because I want to enjoy my money; I like nice things and I’m too facety, so it makes no sense to steal. Initially, I wanted to be a lawyer because of my brother who was always in trouble. l thought could save him. Unfortunately, I was not able to so now l try to help poor people. It is not always easy but I’m staying the course.”
Vaughn Bignall in a red suit sitting on a chair
It is poor people who made what I am today
Vaughn Bignall
For Vaughn Bignall, life is not about how you start, but what you _ _ do with the talents God has blessed you with. Born in East Kingston, he says his early life depicts the typical triumph over adversity story. “I was born poor, and there were many of us to feed. My father was a contractor, mother, a homemaker who was very good at sewing. When you poor, you learn to make do with what you have and try not to complain. Growing up, ‘I used to run boat a lot. Everybody contribute their ingredients, my contribution was my cooking skills. Plenty of time, it saved my life.”
Vaughn Bignall posing with a black car
Though he may have seemed to others as just another poor kid from the inner-city, he refused to allow others to use his circumstances as a means to demean or belittle him. “Growing up I didn’t realise that I was to be a little less confident because of where I came from. I apparently never got that memo. I remember once at school I complained about the service at the canteen and the server said to me ‘You a gwaan like you used to anything other than chicken back.‘. I said yes me used to chicken back but it usually cooked good and seasoned with love. I reject anything or anyone that try to make / me feel less than.”
To read more, please purchase a copy of Buzzz Caribbean Lifestyle Magazine Vol 10 #7 in a store near you.
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Blessed with a personality as large as his expansive law firm, Vaughn Bignall prides himself on being a champion of the poor because he said he had not forgotten his humble beginnings, and unlike some of his colleagues, he knows that poverty is not a disease.
BUZZZ Magazine recently caught up with the legal luminary at his Half-Way-Tree law firm, a shiny spanking suite of offices that occupy approximately 13,000 square feet, distributed over two stories. Ornate and opulent best describes the decor of royal blue with gold finishing; it is not your typical law practice, but then Bignall is anything but typical himself. Far from a shrinking violet, he shared his background, his challenges, and his passions and why working with the disenfranchised is important to him and how one does not have to choose between being good work and being wealthy. In other words, you do not have to short change people to get ahead in life.
Bignall Law he stated, operates under a “management by objective style” with most of his work being civil oriented, mainly accidents. “Some people would call me an ambulance chaser, that is fine. It is poor people who made me what I am today. The same people who come off the bus across the road and step into these offices seeking assistance. We like to make our space comfortable as we spend so many hours here it should be pleasing and inviting, like a home away from home.
What you see is all chosen by me. I know it is not your typical lawyer’s office, and that is fine because it is about making clients feel welcomed, which matters at the end of the day. We are pioneers as we see ourselves as invested in the business of law and what it can produce. A large part of our business is referrals, so that means that we have a lot of satisfied clients out there.
We are not your typical business, and to be honest, covid has bought us more work, so I don’t have those horror stories you hear about closure and cutbacks. Yes, we are in a pandemic, but it has allowed me to remember that we have to be concerned about our fellow man. Life is good, so I am truly grateful every day.”
Being an attorney was always a dream of his. Initially, he had to choose between being a lawyer, politician, or pastor, and incidentally, all three help people and also require having the gift of gab. “Why law? Because I want to enjoy my money; I like nice things and I’m too facety, so it makes no sense to steal. Initially, I wanted to be a lawyer because of my brother who was always in trouble. l thought could save him. Unfortunately, I was not able to so now l try to help poor people. It is not always easy but I’m staying the course.”
For Vaughn Bignall, life is not about how you start, but what you _ _ do with the talents God has blessed you with. Born in East Kingston, he says his early life depicts the typical triumph over adversity story. “I was born poor, and there were many of us to feed. My father was a contractor, mother, a homemaker who was very good at sewing. When you poor, you learn to make do with what you have and try not to complain. Growing up, ‘I used to run boat a lot. Everybody contribute their ingredients, my contribution was my cooking skills. Plenty of time, it saved my life.”
Though he may have seemed to others as just another poor kid from the inner-city, he refused to allow others to use his circumstances as a means to demean or belittle him. “Growing up I didn’t realise that I was to be a little less confident because of where I came from. I apparently never got that memo. I remember once at school I complained about the service at the canteen and the server said to me ‘You a gwaan like you used to anything other than chicken back.‘. I said yes me used to chicken back but it usually cooked good and seasoned with love. I reject anything or anyone that try to make / me feel less than.”
To read more, please purchase a copy of Buzzz Caribbean Lifestyle Magazine Vol 10 #7 in a store near you.
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