Minority-owned and women-owned businesses have a new resource for acquiring their MBE and WBE certification with the addition of attorney Chet Chea to the Collins & Lacy team. Chet Chea has joined the firm practicing in corporate and business law. Within this practice, Chea can guide South Carolina businesses through the MBE and WBE certification procedures, and he can coach them on how to apply the benefits.
“The first step is determining if a business meets the qualifications of a MBE or WBE and then assisting in the process. From there, I can provide advice on how to leverage that certification for increased business opportunities,” said Chea.
Chea is former In-house Counsel and Director of Supplier Diversity and Small Business Development for a multinational corporation. In his role as Director of Supplier Diversity, Chea advised small businesses on providing goods and services to the large corporation.
“There are many large corporations out there looking for certified MBEs and WBEs to do business with here in South Carolina,” said Collins & Lacy Managing Partner Mike Pitts. “Chet’s experience in supplier diversity can help certified companies navigate opportunities to expand their business.”
“Once a company gets certified, that’s when the work really starts,” said Chea. “I walk a MBE or WBE through the process of developing, preparing, and executing commercial subcontracting proposals related to government contracts and corporate contracts. When that work is acquired, I can help the companies meet the government-regulated reporting guidelines so that new work can continue to flow.”
Chea’s legal background includes procurement transactions, commercial and business law, mergers and acquisitions, contract drafting and negotiations, corporate law, and white-collar criminal defense. He began his legal career in Greenville, S.C. serving as an assistant prosecutor with the 13th Circuit Solicitor’s office prosecuting white-collar crimes before becoming corporate counsel for a large corporation. He is a graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and received his Juris Doctor from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
To learn more about the certification process for minority-owned and women-owned businesses, or to explore potential ways to leverage the certification, contact Chet Chea at 864.282.9102 or cchea@collinsandlacy.com.
