Sandy Krigel founded the beginnings of Krigel & Krigel nearly 40 years ago. Today he assists clients in the areas of corporate/transactional services, litigation, real estate, estate planning, adoption law and assisted reproductive technology law. Read on to learn more about his start in law, his current practice and what makes Krigel & Krigel so special.
‘I Knew I Wanted to be a Lawyer When I was 12’
Sandy’s love for the law started at a young age. In fact, by the time he was 12, he thought he would probably like to be a lawyer. In junior high, he had to interview someone in an interesting profession, and naturally, he interviewed an attorney. While in college he considered becoming an urban planner (and graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Urban Studies), but decided to follow his gut and headed to law school at St. Louis University School of Law.
Founding Krigel & Krigel in the 70s
The events of the 1970s, including the Vietnam War, convinced Sandy that he wanted to work for himself, so after graduating law school in 1976 he started the beginnings of Krigel & Krigel. During his first year of practice he met Erlene, his soon-to-be wife and business partner. When Erlene graduated law school in 1978 she turned down several job offers to join her husband. While his firm was doing well before Erlene entered the picture, he kindly credits her joining to the firm’s success.
A Culture Based on Good People
Sandy is proud to have built a law firm where people actually look forward to coming to work. He and Erlene have always focused on working with not just smart lawyers, but really good people. The Krigel & Krigel culture means working hard, collaborating and taking care of each other. This ensures a positive experience for their employees, and ultimately their clients.
The Ideal Size for Clients
Sandy points to their unique size as a real advantage. While they could have grown or joined another firm, their unusual size and broad range of practice groups allows them to offer personal service at a competitive price. Practicing everything from litigation and family law to bankruptcy, estate planning, and workers’ compensation, allows them to attract great clients and their clients appreciate the personal level of service they receive.
A Client-Centric Model
“If we could be famous for one thing, it would be taking really good care of clients,” said Sandy. “We want to make people feel important and be available for anything they need.”
One of the best things about working with business clients is the personal relationship that develops. Sandy explained that he typically works with a business owner or whoever is running the business and it’s this one-on-one, personal relationship that allows them to thrive. Their clients’ business is dependent on great legal advice and Sandy and the other attorneys at Krigel & Krigel can offer that.
Sandy’s Unique Approach: A Trusted Business Advisor
One of Sandy’s proudest moments is when a client calls with a question that doesn’t pertain to the law. It’s when the relationship transitions from ‘lawyer’ to ‘trusted business advisor’ that he knows he’s doing his job. Whether it’s a business, transactional or personnel issue, those non-legal questions demonstrate trust and show that his clients really value his opinion.
Outside of the Firm: An Active and Generous Life
When Sandy isn’t practicing law you can find him doing one of his favorite two things: cycling or skiing. He is an avid road cyclist and even teaches spin class at Woodside Health and Tennis Club.
He also donates a lot of his time to several non-profit organizations in Kansas City. While Sandy has spent a lot of time with RBI, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kansas City’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program, teaching kids how to play baseball, his real passion is helping children find forever families.
Over the past 10 years he’s donated countless hours to the Midwest Foster Care and Adoption Association, helping the organization grow and helping neglected children find safe and loving homes.
Connect with Sandy
If you would like to learn more about Sandy, his practice or firm, you can reach him at 816-285-6012 or skrigel@krigelandkrigel.com.