How does one properly say “thank you” to so many people? We’ll do our best.
I hate to admit this, but looking back, when I started “my own” litigation law firm in 2011, it was all about me. I wanted to be my own boss, and I wanted to be a great litigator. I had little thought about the community, the market, serving others. I had no nest egg, was hindered a bit by credit card and student loan debt, and soon a new wife, child and mortgage. It was really just about survival for me, and hustling every day.
Something interesting happened though, as I waited for lawsuits to happen so I could champion a cause in court – I found myself frustrated at the lack of effort by the legal community to proactively help business owners stay out of legal trouble in the first place. So many mistakes were extremely easily avoidable with just a bit of thought and proper counsel. Remembering my grandfather’s story of moving across the country after WWII with his young family to buy a jewelry store, only to have the owner of the store renege on him, I wondered what would have happened had my grandfather had the benefit of a good contract. I began to feel terrible watching business owners spend their hard-earned money on mistakes that could have been avoided.
And so, after many months of frustration, I changed the messaging of our firm and adopted a new mission – to help business owners stay out of the courtroom. I began hiring with the idea in mind that we needed to fuel that mission, and the business began to grow. Now, with over 250 general counsel clients, you’re hard pressed to find another small firm that has made the impact on the South Florida business community that we have, with top-notch lawyers and important clients both big and small. We are now completely focused on our well-defined mission: to protect the economy, one business at a time. And we hold steadfast our five core values: radiate positive energy, be responsible, be a team player, take action, and kick ass. Yes, as to the last core value, it’s edgy, but so are we. We don’t apologize for attacking a problem and winning for our clients. We still litigate when we have to (with quite unprecedented results the past few years thanks to our incredible team), because disputes occur in business; but with the leverage for our clients and a clear conscience that we did everything we could to help before the proverbial you know what hit the fan.
Nine years in, and we have gone from a one-man shop, to a team of 10 layers and 25 employees. Despite COVID-19, we plan on growing again in 2021. As long as you’ll continue to have us, we’ll continue to spread our mission. Business owners are under attack right now from a myriad of unfair lawsuits, and we’re leading the way in fighting back.
Thank you to our team, the families of our team, to our friends and colleagues, and especially to our clients. Today, we truly exist to serve you. This country is great with a strong middle class spurred by entrepreneurship and innovation, and we’re honored to be on your side. Cheers to a wonderful 2021, and another great nine years.
