The basis of leading successfully for Bhavik Patel is to expand his network to better keep a pulse on local, regional and national developments, in the legal industry, and the marketplace as a whole. “This helps me continually create an atmosphere of innovation and collaboration,” he said.
As the CEO and managing partner of Sandberg Phoenix, a full-service law firm specializing in business, business litigation, intellectual property, products liability and health law, Patel has fostered and led the firm to grow to nearly 350 employees since he joined the company in 2004.
“One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is that it’s always the right choice to find the win/win in a situation,” said Patel. “Time spent on finding an agreeable solution is never wasted.” These efforts have helped Patel to lead the firm through a strategic communications plan to rebrand to better reflect the firm’s values, culture and commitment to service. Patel also led the firm through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He quickly formed an emergency core team of firm leaders to begin assessing the situation in early 2020,” said his staff. “Because of the early planning, we were able to successfully transition to remote work in under two weeks.”
During this time, Patel hosted town hall conversations to maintain transparency about firm decisions and had the difficult task of leading firm members through the passing of a few colleagues. “He has guided the firm with grace and has extended firm values to our members’ families,” said his staff.
Patel’s influence extends beyond the firm to the community. He is the founder and chairman of Families at Ease, a local not-for-profit entity focused on delivering information about programs, services and resources available for special needs children and their families. Patel has also served as a member of the board of directors for St. Louis ARC, Starkloff Disability Institute and founded the Sandberg Phoenix Charitable Foundation.
His focus is also on planning for the future, according to his staff. “Bhavik has always been planning and ensuring the firm is prepared for the future,” they said. “He has come up with a process for leaders to use for the unknowns and business decisions and the firm continually revisits these plans to make sure we are on track.”
For his strong leadership as the professional who manages growth and expansion opportunities while coaching the firm’s leadership, Patel has been named a Titan.
