Meet Baylie Fry of BakerHostetler in Midtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Baylie Fry.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, I grew up with the sand beneath my toes and the sun on my face. Growing up with two brothers taught me to love the outdoors, and to be fierce and independent. My mother, a single mom for a majority of my life, taught me to be strong and positive even when faced with the most difficult challenges and to have unrelenting focus on my goals.

I determined at a young age that I would go to law school and become a lawyer, and had no real reason as to why I had decided that. My parents were not lawyers, I did not have any lawyers in my extended family, and I had no real meaningful interactions with lawyers growing up. I had just decided, without any reason, that I was going to be a lawyer. I had no idea what type of law I would practice, and probably had no idea that there was more than one type of practice area out there.

Regardless of the area of law, I looked at becoming a lawyer as a series of steps, all of which were independently important to succeed in my goal, and ultimately, would determine my career path.

My journey began when I attended the University of Central Florida for my undergraduate degree. I knew that I had to work hard and maintain focus to be accepted at a reputable law school. During this time, I juggled a full-time class load, while working full-time at the Department of Justice, United States Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida in Orlando. Even with such a busy schedule, I made time to enjoy my time in college. I graduated in the top 2.5% of my undergraduate class, achieving summa cum laude honors. Being a first-generation college graduate, this accomplishment was momentous in my journey and showed me that hard work does, in fact, pay off.

Following undergrad, I moved to Atlanta to attend law school at Emory University School of Law. Law school was on a whole other spectrum of toughness. My peers were just as smart as me and had the same drive and ambition to do well in law school. I learned a lot about myself, and that no two people learn the same way—what worked for Sally, did not necessarily work for Baylie, and vise-a-versa. I served as the Special Content and Technical Editor for the Emory International Law Review, and upon graduation in 2015, was awarded the Excellent Editorial Board Member Award. I approached law school how I approach anything in life. My overall goal was to graduate but to reach that goal I had several little goals that, when taken together, amounted to my overall goal. Each little goal was important, but also made the process a bit more enjoyable.

I now, after passing the Georgia Bar in 2015, am a practicing lawyer focusing my practice on healthcare transactions. The process was a tough one, but I can truly say that I would not be where I am today without my support system—my family and friends who have all been there for me to help me through the tough times and celebrate my accomplishments.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road to success is full of speed bumps, detours, and distractions. Some are necessary to your growth and allow you to slow down or alter your path, if necessary, but others can be a hindrance to your ultimate goal. Maintaining focus on the goal at hand, trusting the process and persevering through the difficulties and challenges presented, allowed me to achieve my goals.

I have learned that I can be impatient about success, and believe this can sometimes be a challenge for me. Once I have my mind set on a goal, I want to achieve it now; I don’t want to wait. But all goals take time to achieve.

Most importantly, I have learned that you should enjoy the process to achieving a specific goal because the process has several growth opportunities and life lessons within them.

Finally, I have understood that everyone has setbacks in life. A real testament to your strength is how you handle those sets backs. “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” Vivian Greene

BakerHostetler LLP – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Baker Hostetler LLP is a full-service law firm with 14 offices and approximately 1,000 lawyers across the United States. I focus my practice on healthcare law, advising healthcare providers on regulatory and compliance matters, and structuring complex transactions involving acquisition, joint ventures and other strategic affiliations.

In representing clients, you always want to be a yes person. First and foremost, you want to find a way to achieve the client’s goals. But, as we all know, sometimes this isn’t possible. But that does not mean that you tell the client no; that means you find an alternative that achieves the same or similar result in a different way. This requires you to be creative and thoughtful about your strategy, which is paramount to being a successful lawyer. Everyday, this is what I strive to attain in representing clients, and I believe, sets me apart from others.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is in the eye of the beholder, and as I said earlier, what works for me may not work for someone else. In the professional sphere, success to me is accomplishing goals that I set my mind on. It is achieved through hard work, coupled with determination and focus.

But, success also includes having a happy and healthy family. Sometimes, we can lose sight of the important things in life through our busy schedules, but we always needs to find time to prioritize these things because that is what life is all about.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bakerlaw.com/bayliefry
• Phone: 404-946-9304
• Email: bfry@bakerlaw.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fayliebry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bfryy
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bayliefry/

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