Women-Led Law Firms 2023: Seck & Associates

Overland Park, Kansas
Sheila Seck – Managing Partner

Sheila Seck was an engineer for seven years before going to the Washington University School of Law.

“I think engineers are problem solvers by nature,” said Seck, 59. “We’re organized. We look for solutions.”

She still does that today as head of Seck & Associates, the firm she founded in 2007 after working for such names as Bryan Cave and Honeywell Aerospace.

“I love tech startups and business startups,” she said. “I love mergers and acquisitions but having that close relationship with clients and really bringing value to their growth process is really compelling for me.”

Today, her four-attorney firm, which includes Washburn University alumnus Maureen Welsh as chief operating officer, handles startups, transactions, intellectual property, estate planning, mergers and acquisitions and more. Seck said early challenges for the organization included growth, building the right team and finding ways to maintain great customer service.

“Our philosophy is to do the same level of quality work you would get at a big firm but probably more personalized and maybe more cost effective,” said Seck who graduated in the top five in her class of 200. “We love to be part of our clients’ teams.”

Seck, a 2014 Women’s Justice awardee recognized by Missouri Lawyers Media, said it can be a challenge to retain well-trained legal talent in a competitive field but that she is optimistic about the market space when it comes to client demand.

“I think there are a lot of people in small-to-middle market companies that are looking for corporate lawyers who do high level work outside of big firms,” she noted. “A lot of times, we get referred from smaller firms who just haven’t done a capital raise or anything that sophisticated. As far as our practice, I still think there is a market for people to start a firm my size.”

Her engineering background continues to drive her desire to solve problems and keep her clients on the cutting edge.

“It has been a great fit,” she said. “Being part of somebody’s success, being on their team as they grow, has been very rewarding.”