Creation of Callahan Witherington

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I have been asked on a numerous occasions what brought about the partnership between myself and Patrick.  People are often surprised to hear that Callahan Witherington came about due to a similar history.  Not the history that most people think of with new business partners (that being that we went to law school together or were both associates at the same firm) but rather a history that is shared by many attorneys in this new world legal market.  That is the history of being associates at an established firm.

Our Experience

Now, let me start this out by saying that I can only speak for myself as to the experiences I had as an associate at a very well established regional law firm (although I expect that Patrick would mirror my comments).  First off, I want to be clear that my time with my former firm was extremely valuable.  It was time that I needed as a young attorney to learn how to practice law without all of the additional stresses of law office management.  It gave me an opportunity to work under and with some of the most brilliant legal minds I have yet to come across.  My firm opened my legal mind to new challenges and opportunities.  I do not regret a minute I spent at my firm.

However, a time comes when most associates realize that the firm, by its very nature, is rigid.  It has to be rigid in order to ensure the collective success and stability of the firm.  This was especially true with my firm.  When I left they were marching towards 300 attorneys and close to 1,000 staff.  A firm of this size does not have the ability to allow young associates to move too far from the center in any regard.  This understanding coupled with the desire to build a practice that excited and challenged me ultimately led to the decision that it was time to tackle a new challenge.

Challenges of Creating a New Law Firm

When time came for Patrick and I to create this new firm we worked hard on what we wanted to accomplish on a long term basis.  We identified ourselves as modern attorneys who had been restrained by the necessary inflexibility of our old firms.  We wanted to create a firm that was dynamic, fluid and very responsive to the needs and demands of our clients.  We wanted a firm that could evolve and stay relevant in the modern world.  It is often the case that the law firm structures which created the large firms of today (including our former firms) are dated and unoriginal.  We recognized that our clients wanted something new in their law firm.  This includes simple things (such as our new website www.cwfirm.com and even our offices) but more importantly it includes the fashion in which we practice.

Business Litigation

We have adopted a firm model that is focused on firmly planting our roots in legal markets that are typically ignored.  We want to assist our community members in the development, cultivation and growth of their new businesses.  And if, due to some unfortunate circumstances the need for business litigation arises our clients appreciate the efficiency and economy of a flexible firm such as ours.  Further, from an estate planning and tax standpoint we want to take the same approach to our client's family.  Our firm has a desire to provide extremely competent legal services to those who are looking ahead and planning for new opportunities.  The benefit of this model is that we don't limit ourselves to one class of clients.  One of the biggest complaints I had about my previous firm was that they were not interested in new clients under a certain dollar amount.  Again, I know this is probably a product of size but it missed the point in my estimation.  Several large dollar clients were once clients who would have been brushed away by these firms.  We are here to help the large dollar clients in a more cost effective manner and assist those to be large dollar clients as they make that progression upwards.

We Hope to Get to Know You!

I have failed at my attempt to briefly describe the creation of Callahan Witherington.  I hope this helps you understand what type of firm we have created and what type of firm we are committed to maintaining.  So, if your in the neighborhood drop by the offices or visit our website.  We would love a chance to meet you and show you what Callahan Witherington is all about.