My Slope Saturday: Shefali Lakhani
With her firm Lakhani Legal, this Prospect Heights lawyer finds herself at the intersection of counsel and community.
Sponsored by Lakhani Legal
Leda Strong is a native New Yorker who lives in Park Slope with her husband, Andrew. Follow Leda on Substack for more.
It’s no secret that the streets of Park Slope and its surrounding neighborhoods are bustling with beloved small businesses, dotting the sidewalks as frequently as the area’s emblematic brownstones. But what about a small business designed to support…other small businesses?
That’s exactly what Shefali Lakhani, a Queens native and Prospect Heights resident, set out to do when she opened Lakhani Legal, her law firm designed to provide legal counsel to small businesses, in 2024. After working in bigger firms and feeling that the culture wasn’t a good fit for her, Lakhani pivoted to careers in financial technology and legal technology before starting her own law practice. “Entrepreneurship was always on the table…it was just a matter of what and when,” says Lakhani.
With years of experience in the legal field, she knew she had the skillset to support small businesses – a point of personal significance for Lakhani. “I grew up around [small businesses] – I come from a family of entrepreneurs, so I know what it takes to build something from the ground up, or even buy something and manage it,” she says. Outside of her own family, she also recognizes the role these businesses play in the neighborhoods they serve. “Small businesses are the lifeblood of a community, and not only do they bring diversity and different views, but they support the community in a way that maybe large corporations don’t.” In exchange, Lakhani’s firm endeavors to support them – specifically, in an area where they are often overlooked. “If you have deeper pockets, you can go to bigger, sophisticated white-shoe firms. I want to be able to provide sophisticated [legal] access…to businesses that really need it.”
Sometimes, that support looks like education. “People don’t know what they don’t know,” says Lakhani, whose approach involves breaking down complicated legalese jargon into something more digestible. She cites the trademarking process as an example of how proactive, comprehensive legal guidance can save business owners expensive trouble down the road. Lakhani’s firm also supports small businesses beyond just their nascent phase, offering strategic advising for companies looking to scale, launch new products, or garner more investments. No matter where the small business is on its journey, Lakhani relishes the ability to build relationships, meet people at the human level and learn about their origin stories and their passions. “That’s the fun and exciting part,” she says.
Unsurprisingly, Lakhani spends her Saturdays frequenting beloved local spots and exploring new neighborhoods.
MORNINGS ON THE MOVE: Lakhani starts her Saturday at Crunch Fitness on Flatbush Avenue. Following her workout, she typically pops into Hom Cafe for coffee to fuel her three-mile loop in Prospect Park.
FAMILY / BUSINESS: Before leaving the park, Lakhani often meets up with her brother, a Park Slope resident. Lakhani’s husband also joins them in the park, where he is often trying to meet new canine clients for his dog adventure business, Concrete to Creek. The group does their weekly shopping at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket, picking up fresh vegetables, chicken, and “maybe some flowers, honey or bread, depending on the week,” says Lakhani.
GALLERY WALK: In the afternoon, Lakhani enjoys wandering through different neighborhoods, both close to home in Brooklyn and across the East River. A frequent stroll takes Lakhani down Park Slope’s 5th and 7th Avenues – Konoha Yakitori and Bangkok Degree are some of her eateries of choice, while Park Slope Nails is also a local favorite in the way of self-care. In Prospect Heights, she is a regular at farm.one, a space that sells fresh produce and grocery items out of its pantry, hosts events and also holds “study hall” for those looking for a workspace. “They’ve always poured back into the community,” Lakhani says. She also loves Muse Thai, where “they have a great lunch special,” Olde Brooklyn Bagel Shoppe on Vanderbilt, and The Brick Art and Gifts, which features work from local artists. When she ventures into Manhattan, she opts to visit Chelsea, the West Village, Chinatown or the Lower East Side – in any of these neighborhoods, she “loves meandering…picking up lunch and popping into a random art gallery,” she says.
DINNER AND A SHOW: Lakhani loves meeting up with her friends for dinner – “we’re always trying to try something new,” she says. They also like to follow dinner with entertainment like a comedy show or a magic show – recently, Lakhani and her crew enjoyed a magic show near Herald Square, but she’s also been interested in checking out this popular one on Court Street.
No matter where her Saturday finds her, Lakhani is someone who appreciates small businesses from every angle – as a customer, as an owner, and through the counsel she offers to others. “I’d love to meet more of the businesses and support more of the businesses in the area,” she says. “Like the small businesses that pour into communities…I too am a small business, and I want to be somebody who pours back and helps build what Prospect Heights and Park Slope are.”
Thank you to Lakhani Legal!
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