Business

Growth Through Opportunity: How George Hamboussi Jr. Thrived in New York Real-Estate Law

Published

3 years ago

April 29, 2021

George Hamboussi Jr. never thought he would get into real-estate law. Coming from a family in the real estate business, the young lawyer decided that when he graduated from the University of Buffalo, he would set his sights on corporate law instead. This is what he landed his first job in, and that was the plan for his first year out of school.

However, being the helpful son that he was, he began assisting his father whenever his real estate business required a lawyer. He came to his father’s aid enough that people began asking him if he was in real estate himself. He always said no, but it just kind of snowballed from there. Soon, Hamboussi Jr. quit his job to start his own law firm, and this is where he truly began embracing the world of real estate law.

George Hamboussi Jr. knows how hard it is to make it in New York City. As a small business owner and a representative of landlords through hard times like COVID-19, he knows well that failure is more than possible in the big city. Thankfully for Hamboussi Jr., he entered New York at the perfect time.

It was around fifteen years ago that Brooklyn’s Chinatown boomed, and around fifteen years ago that Hamboussi Jr. opened his first office. The young lawyer decided to lean into this happenstance, at a time when Chinese Americans and other Asian Americans were purchasing and renting around this neighborhood. He introduced himself to the community, presented himself and his business. He was featured on SinoVision, a Chinese-language television network based in Manhattan, and promoted on loop. It was around this time that he also began representing a builder of condominium units in the area, which helped put him on the map even further as a real estate lawyer.

This all put Hamboussi Jr. in a fantastic position during one of the worst economic crises in American history. While the recession of the aughts was hitting New York City and the country as a whole incredibly hard, Hamboussi Jr. was opening a second office in Manhattan, larger space in the heart of the city’s business district.

His firm’s expansion only increased. A third office came on the suggestion of some real estate brokers, who came to them with a proposition: if Hamboussi Jr. and his team could represent them regarding purchasers who spoke Spanish or Asian languages, the office would be provided in their package. Since Hamboussi Jr. surrounded himself with employees who speak Mandarin, Cantonese, or Fujianese, and since he himself speaks fluent Spanish, this was a deal that was possible for his firm to uphold. Suddenly, Hamboussi Jr. gained yet another location, and he found himself going from office to office each day, serving more and more clients as the years progressed.

“Even without thinking about growing,” Hamboussi Jr. explained with a laugh,” it just happened through opportunity.” His law offices became so bustling with clients and employees alike, that he began working from home each Thursday as a way to escape from the bustle of everything.

Hamboussi Jr.’s story represents well the key to growth: putting oneself out there, and letting the contacts you develop to guide your business to success. Business owners must advertise themselves in the best way possible, and integrate themselves into the communities they serve. Hamboussi Jr. got where he is because he was fantastic at positioning his services. It only took a small amount of force, but that single push helped start a snowball effect, where word-of-mouth and results-driven business helped propel him to lengths he never thought possible.

To contact George Hamboussi Jr., email ghjrlaw@gmail.com or call his office at (718) 439-4512.

Business

Turning Tragedy into Triumph Through Walking With Anthony

Published

7 days ago

April 18, 2024

Rosario Farell

On the morning of February 6, 2010, Anthony Purcell took a moment to admire the churning surf before plunging into the waves off Miami Beach. Though he had made the dive numerous times before, that morning was destined to be different when he crashed into a hidden sandbar, sustaining bruises to his C5 and C6 vertebrae and breaking his neck.

“I was completely submerged and unable to rise to the surface,” Purcell recalls. “Fortunately, my cousin Bernie saw what was happening and came to my rescue. He saved my life, but things would never be the same after that dive.”

Like thousands of others who are confronted with a spinal cord injury (SCI), Purcell plunged headlong into long months of hopelessness and despair. Eventually, however, he learned to turn personal tragedy into triumph as he reached out to fellow SCI victims by launching Walking With Anthony.

Living with SCI: the first dark days

Initial rehabilitation for those with SCIs takes an average of three to six months, during which time they must relearn hundreds of fundamental skills and adjust to what feels like an entirely new body. Unfortunately, after 21 days, Purcell’s insurance stopped paying for this essential treatment, even though he had made only minimal improvement in such a short time.

“Insurance companies cover rehab costs for people with back injuries, but not for people with spinal cord injuries,” explains Purcell. “We were practically thrown to the curb. At that time, I was so immobile that I couldn’t even raise my arms to feed myself.”

Instead of giving up, Purcell’s mother chose to battle his SCI with long-term rehab. She enrolled Purcell in Project Walk, a rehabilitation facility located in Carlsbad, California, but one that came with an annual cost of over $100,000.

“My parents paid for rehabilitation treatment for over three years,” says Purcell. “Throughout that time, they taught me the importance of patience, compassion, and unconditional love.”

Yet despite his family’s support, Purcell still struggled. “Those were dark days when I couldn’t bring myself to accept the bleak prognosis ahead of me,” he says. “I faced life in a wheelchair and the never-ending struggle for healthcare access, coverage, and advocacy. I hit my share of low points, and there were times when I seriously contemplated giving up on life altogether.”

Purcell finds a new purpose in helping others with SCIs

After long months of depression and self-doubt, Purcell’s mother determined it was time for her son to find purpose beyond rehabilitation.

“My mom suggested I start Walking With Anthony to show people with spinal cord injuries that they were not alone,” Purcell remarks. “When I began to focus on other people besides myself, I realized that people all around the world with spinal cord injuries were suffering because of restrictions on coverage and healthcare access. The question that plagued me most was, ‘What about the people with spinal cord injuries who cannot afford the cost of rehabilitation?’ I had no idea how they were managing.”

Purcell and his mother knew they wanted to make a difference for other people with SCIs, starting with the creation of grants to help cover essentials like assistive technology and emergency finances. To date, they have helped over 100 SCI patients get back on their feet after suffering a similar life-altering accident.

Purcell demonstrates the power and necessity of rehab for people with SCIs

After targeted rehab, Purcell’s physical and mental health improved drastically. Today, he is able to care for himself, drive his own car, and has even returned to work.

“Thanks to my family’s financial and emotional support, I am making amazing physical improvement,” Purcell comments. “I mustered the strength to rebuild my life and even found the nerve to message Karen, a high school classmate I’d always had a thing for. We reconnected, our friendship evolved into love, and we tied the knot in 2017.”

After all that, Purcell found the drive to push toward one further personal triumph. He married but did not believe a family was in his future. Regardless of his remarkable progress, physicians told him biological children were not an option.

Despite being paralyzed from the chest down, Purcell continued to look for hope. Finally, Dr. Jesse Mills of UCLA Health’s Male Reproductive Medicine department assured Purcell and his wife that the right medical care and in vitro fertilization could make their dream of becoming parents a reality.

“Payton joined our family in the spring of 2023,” Purcell reports. “For so long, I believed my spinal cord injury had taken everything I cared about, but now I am grateful every day. I work to help other people with spinal cord injuries find the same joy and hope. We provide them with access to specialists, funding to pay for innovative treatments, and the desire to move forward with a focus on the future.”