About Us
Business and legal coaching for savvy business owners who want to protect what’s theirs
Build your business. Leave a legacy.
Your business is not a hobby. You’ve created something that will last. Something that is capable of building generational wealth for you and your family. And you want to make sure that it’s safe and protected.
If that sounds like you, don’t move a muscle.
You’re in exactly the right place. You’re my people.
Hi. I’m Nakia.
I’m an intellectual property attorney, business strategist, podcast host of Build Your Own Table, and founder of Locked & LawyeredⓇ, a modern law firm that helps digital entrepreneurs build profitable and protected brands that create generational wealth. Unlike most lawyers, part of my magic is my ability to help clients turn their expertise and creative genius into intellectual property that can be leveraged to build strong and lucrative businesses.
I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Marketing from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law, and a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication from American University. I’ve also been named a “top attorney” by SuperLawyers magazine four times.
I’m known for turning a brick-and-mortar law practice into an online empire. Since 2014, I’ve created digital products and easy-to-digest legal courses to help online entrepreneurs protect their businesses, without the hefty price tag that comes with having a lawyer on retainer.
But I’m not just an attorney. I love to speak on topics like practicing law in the digital era, personal branding, intellectual property theft, and running a heart-centered empire. And I’ve spoken to diverse audiences in a variety of formats including podcasts, legal panels, and conferences.
Apart from running my firm, I’m also a proud wife, mom to two young adults, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority alum, and founder of the Beyond the Bar Institute, a personal branding and marketing consultancy for attorneys.
Why I Built My Own Table
After working as a litigator for nearly a decade, I made the decision to step away from the courtroom in 2015 to start my own firm. My intent was two fold: create a business that worked around my family life (as a mom of two) and help other ambitious entrepreneurs build their dream brands.
The move to open Locked & Lawyered was one made out of necessity. After years of exemplary work and growth at an established law firm, I found that I was being overlooked and underpaid relative to my white male counterparts. Plus, the 80-hour work weeks and emotionally fraught cases (I was a divorce attorney) were beginning to wear on me.
With my background in marketing and business, I knew that I could help other entrepreneurs looking to carve out their own legacies. And with the online business space blowing up, I could do it on my own terms. Thus, Locked & Lawyered was born.
I started the business as a side hustle while I homeschooled my daughter. In 2017, after she graduated and went off to college, I took the business full time. ISince then, I’ve helped thousands of entrepreneurs legally protect their brands. And I’ve built a life that I love
Mission &Purpose
Providing the tools and the confidence to thrive
Our Mission
To give business owners from marginalized communities the tools and confidence they need to create the sustainable businesses of their dreams.
Our Vision
Creating a world where businesses run by people from marginalized communities not only survive but thrive.
Our Purpose
Helping digital entrepreneurs from marginalized communities monetize their intellectual property to build generational wealth.
Get to know
my story
For legal advice, business strategy, and a glimpse behind the scenes of Locked & Lawyered, follow us on Instagram.
