Many lawyers are entrepreneurs. They work in single or small group firms and face the same challenges of other business or personal services small businesses. The Startup Magazine reached out to a family law firm to attain some insights into how lawyers view the “business” of their businesses. Here is the commentary from Todd Warren, President of the family law firm, Katz, Goldstein & Warren.
Describe your product/service in 10 words or less:
We are a law firm concentrating in family law.
Give us a little more detail about the firm and what it does?
Our law firm represents parties in divorce proceedings. Clients look to Katz, Goldstein & Warren for excellence, integrity, and quality results in the area of family law in Lake, Cook, McHenry, Kane, DuPage and Will Counties in the northern Illinois. The firm is comprised of seven seasoned and experienced trial attorneys, all of whom understand the impact family-related matters have upon clients and their children. Through our collective efforts, the firm is known for offering thoughtful and creative solutions to meet the needs of our clients.
What inspired you to start your firm? (Share with us what problem you’re solving)
The originating partners of the firm, Stephen H. Katz, Ilene B. Goldstein, and Todd R. Warren had practiced together for many years. Our collective vision was to start a law firm that put the client first and which concentrated on problem solving in complex legal matters ranging from child custody to business valuation and finance. Though we all had different styles as practitioners, we all have a strong work ethic, and worked exceedingly well as a team.
How is your firm impacting the world/your clients?
We treat each client and each situation with the highest level of importance. Every situation is unique in its own way. Our focus is to “think outside the box” and to creatively solve the problems facing families who are in the midst their worst circumstances.
What are the disruptive factors in your industry that make it so challenging?
Unrealistic expectations and unexpected consequences are usually at the core of the family discord that then points toward divorce. Guiding people through the worst time in their adult lives is certainly challenging, but as the process evolves, it can also present some unrealized opportunities for a new start and happiness at the end of the tunnel. Watching people evolve toward a more positive life in the future is always highly rewarding for the practitioner.
As your firm grew, what were other primary challenges? Hiring? Operations? Getting clients?
Creating and maintaining a cooperative and team-like approach is at the core of our firm. We are very selective in terms of the attorneys and staff that we hire to make sure that each newly hired person fits in with the culture we have tried to establish as a law firm.
Going back to your early career decisions, tell us what factors influenced your decision to be an entrepreneur?
Managing a successful law firm has always been a goal for all of the originating partners. Using and combining our respective skill sets has resulted in what we believe is a rather unique management format that has allowed us to successfully represent many different kinds of clients.
It doesn’t sound that much different from other entrepreneurs’ paths to success. Thank you for sharing, Todd.
