Bonnie Richardson is founder and Managing Partner of Allegiant Law LLP, a boutique Portland, Oregon law firm focusing on civil litigation. Bonnie has been recognized by her peers, listed in Oregon Super Lawyers as one of the top 25 women lawyers and top 50 lawyers in Oregon and is the recipient of the Multnomah Bar Associations’ highest honor – the Professionalism Award.

Tell us about yourself!

My early years were spent growing up in Oklahoma in a mixed-race family: my mother immigrated from Japan to marry my father who is white American. My parents’ families weren’t too happy about their marriage back then, so we didn’t have much connection with extended family. Maybe that is why my brother, sister and I are so close with our parents – we just had each other.

The town I grew up in was Broken Arrow, Oklahoma which was a farming community back in the 70s and 80s. It also came to be known as the “Bible Training Capital of the World” with the establishment of a bible college in the town dedicated to “Charismatic, Pentecostal, Word of Faith” teachings. There were not many Asians in Broken Arrow at that time and not many people who approved of “mixed-race” marriages. My family were devout Buddhists, so you could say we didn’t exactly fit in.

In fact, if you were not part of the nondenominational Christian faith that dominated our town you were considered an outsider. Many of our neighbors thought my family were devil worshipers because we had a small Buddhist shrine in our home and burned incense and chanted in Japanese. My parents kept to themselves for the most part, but it was hard for my siblings and me to feel isolated and scorned by teachers and other parents and kids.

Although we attended public schools, every day the school would start the day with the Lord’s Prayer. Sometimes, we were asked to leave the classroom with kids from other religions so the rest of the class could engage in prayer groups. Of course, none of this was legal because state sponsored prayer in public schools had been ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1962. I didn’t know any of this as a grade schooler in the 1970s and 1980s. But I knew deep down it wasn’t right.

In high school, I discovered in debate class how the Constitution and laws worked. The public school system justified their daily prayer in school by creating rules in which the student body president would lead the daily school wide announcements. Because the student president led the announcement and the prayer, then it was not technically a “state-sponsored” act of religion, according to the school administration's interpretation.

Although we attended public schools, every day the school would start the day with the Lord’s Prayer. I knew deep down it wasn’t right.

A formative moment of action

In 1989, I was elected the student body treasurer of our high school (I wasn’t popular enough to run for president or vice president but I was pretty good at math) of our high school. At the start of our senior year, the president and vice president were suspended from school duties for drinking alcohol (predominant Christian faith were also strict about drinking). And suddenly I found myself as the only student officer who was now in charge of leading the daily school announcements. I saw this as my chance to make a change and right the wrong I had endured for years.

In her senior year of high school, 1990, Bonnie was the state debate championship winner.

I was given the script to read over the intercom for the daily announcement. Instead of reading the Lord’s Prayer, I just skipped to reading the announcements. I think it was such a shock that people didn’t know what to do. The school secretary and principal tried to point out to me that I had to follow the script and lead the prayer. But I was prepared for them. I explained the U.S. Supreme Court case and that the school rules designated me as the student to lead announcements and that I was not going to engage in promoting any religion.

When I look back on this, I realize this was the beginning of my lifelong path to be an advocate for justice. It sparked my interest in the law and constitutional rights and led me to law school and to forming a law firm that I’m so proud to lead.

Suddenly I found myself leading the daily school announcements. I saw this as my chance to make a change and right the wrong I had endured for years.

Becoming a fighter for justice

I went to law school to stand up for the underdog and now that I run my own law firm, I have the privilege of representing clients I want to represent and to hold people and institutions accountable. I’m a trial lawyer which means I have the honor of presenting cases to juries and the court. I believe our legal system, even with its flaws, is the best system of justice because it allows ordinary citizens to decide what is right and what is wrong.

My two largest areas of practice in the last 10 of my 26 years as a trial lawyer are legal malpractice and estate/trust litigation. Yes, I am probably most well known in Oregon and in other states for my expertise in pursuing malpractice claims against lawyers and law firms. This makes me a popular lawyer! In my view, it is the most important thing I can do as a lawyer – representing clients to hold accountable law firms who are some of the most powerful institutions in our justice system. I have also become well known for my work in representing people, especially the elderly, who need to protect their estates (wills and trusts) or pursue people who have taken advantage of our vulnerable aging population. My law firm handles a variety of other litigation-related matters ranging from business litigation to representing children in foster care abuse cases – basically, if it is interesting and aligns with our values, we’ll look into it! We want to make sure that our clients are on the right side of the law and we pour everything we have into our cases and clients. That’s why we’re so selective about which cases and clients we take on.

In my view, the most important thing I can do as a lawyer is to hold other law firms – some of the most powerful institutions in our justice system – accountable.

Why do you think you became an entrepreneur?

I was 9 years old when my dad graduated from Veterinary School and then went on to open his own small animal Veterinary Clinic in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma when I was 11 years old. I could tell that he loved the independence of running his own clinic. My mom and I helped him open his clinic and that was my first job – assisting him with treating animals – surgeries to picking up dog poop. But I could also see how he struggled to be a business owner, balancing money with doing what he loved most – treating and caring for animals. The business-side was not his main focus. But I saw what it was like to own a small business and to carry the responsibilities of supporting the lives of employees and your family. Although my dad didn’t make much money from his solo-vet practice, and I vowed as a teenager entering college that I had no desire to be a small town vet, I think deep down I knew that owning my own business was the path for me. It just took me a while to figure that out.

My first job out of law school was to work at a large law firm. Law school sort of teaches you that success means snagging a spot at a “prestigious” established law firm and I had no idea what that meant until I began my professional working life at the firm. It wasn’t fulfilling to me in the least. It seemed that most other law firms were no different in Oklahoma so I decided to set my sights on a more progressive place to live. And that is when my husband and I decided to move to the Promise Land of Portland, Oregon! It had everything that Oklahoma did not – mountains, ocean, tall trees and Democrats! We moved to Oregon along with all the other migrating 20-something-year olds in 1998. I sat for the bar exam and settled into a search for another law firm, knowing no other lawyers or law firm contacts whatsoever. I tried various ones from a medium sized firm to a couple of large firms. I made friends and connections and learned how to practice law. But I just did not see a firm environment that truly embraced women and people of color. I tried to change things from within but it was frustratingly slow and I was too impatient to wait around for big changes.

I began planning my way to starting a law firm. An opportunity presented itself right after my second child was born and I seized on it. In 2005, I left with two other lawyers at the big firm and opened shop.

The firm we started has been restarted and changed several times since then.  The two lawyers who started the original firm are now retired and remain my biggest cheerleaders. We’ve evolved and changed into an awesome, modern law firm. I’m just so proud of our group of attorneys – all just amazing and from so many different levels of experience.

There are 8 of us attorneys plus staff. And we are continuing to grow. We have become a well-regarded and highly reputable law firm in our community. We recently won the largest legal malpractice verdict in the history of Oregon for our clients. And we just really enjoy going to work downtown with each other every day.

I could tell that (my dad) loved the independence of running his own clinic. I think deep down I knew that owning my own business was the path for me.

Tell us about an obstacle that you overcame, that helped you get where you are today.

Being an Asian American woman and managing owner of a law firm, I still receive these off-hand comments from other lawyers such as “So now I see you are in the Corner office;” “Seems like a lot of women working there;” or “Where is Mr. Richardson?” Sometimes they are overt and many are subtle but it’s a reminder that no matter how far I feel like we have come, we still have a long way to go. It used to really bother me and I feel like I would hold myself back because I would question whether I truly belonged at the top of my legal community. I have learned and am still learning to turn toward the voices who look up to us and away from the naysayers. The positive and meaningful voices are really what matter the most, and they help drown out the rest. It’s the younger generations who lift me up and who give me a reason to pave the way for them to succeed.

No matter how far I feel like we have come, we still have a long way to go. I have learned to turn toward the voices who look up to us and away from the naysayers.

How has being in EO helped you?

EO has been such a tremendous experience for me. I really appreciate that it has this structure that has been tested for expanding not only business but our personal growth. I love how EO focuses on the whole person.

It really is a place for people with a wide range of needs and styles. The forum experience is my favorite, because it allows me to build trust with people outside my industry and remove those invisible barriers to get the support we all need. And it feels so good to help others, too. It’s such an unusual experience, especially coming from such a traditional based industry!

I am also so impressed with the learning program. No matter what event I attend – even when the topic doesn’t particularly interest me, I always learn something new and super interesting. Hearing about people overcoming their own obstacles is inspiring. It reminds me that I am not alone and it propels me forward. Our chapter does a fantastic job of offering a ton of learning and connection opportunities.

I love how EO focuses on the whole person. It really is a place for people with a wide range of needs and styles.

What lies ahead for Richardson Wang, LLP?

Bonnie Richardson (left) and Jovita T. Wang (right). Richardson Wang LLP is rebranding to Allegiant Law.

My vision goes way beyond personal success. My aim is to transform the legal industry through advocacy and embracing a new model of practice – growing a firm that has alliances with value-centered attorneys. In fact, we are in the middle of rebranding and will soon be renamed Allegiant Law. I like to think of it as an Alliance of Legal Giants. Stay tuned!

This is an interview series by Talie Smith, EO Board Chair for Chapter Communications, featuring Entrepreneurs' Organization – EO Portland Chapter members who lift others up through their grit, talent, and courageous entrepreneurial spirit.