Growth is a word synonymous with Maryland based Offit Kurman. The firm was formed in 1987 by the two Offit brothers who were later joined by their best friend. In the past 34 years the firm has grown exponentially; now numbering 244 attorneys with 14 offices in eight states.
Recently, the MSBA hosted a webinar with members of the firm: Tim Lynch, President and Managing Principal; Jim Ries, Director of Business Development and Marketing; Sarah Sawyer, Counsel; Mo Ali Syed, Principal. The meeting was moderated by the MSBA’s Shaoli Katana, Director of Member Experience and Programs. The program is now available to members: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3XBZCjQeds
Lynch, who joined the firm in 2004, began by sharing some facts about the firm’s phenomenal growth. Offit Kurman has grown 15% a year over the past few years. That includes 2020. Challenges to that sort of growth include keeping up with the constant need for evolving technology, management and workflow. But the firm remains focused on continued growth in the privately held marketplace.
The pandemic has also been a challenge for the firm. Attorneys and staff are going back to work. Lynch said that on any given day 35% of attorneys are in the office. Lynch feels the pandemic experience has opened eyes as to how lawyers can support their clients remotely. It’s also provided an opportunity for the firm to not be limited by geography and to expand its hiring pool.
Katana asked Lynch to describe what the firm is looking for in its lateral hires. Lynch responded that Offit is always looking for good lawyers who want to serve the privately held marketplace with a skillset that the marketplace needs on a regular basis. The right candidates are interested in growing their own book of business and working as part of a team.
The firm has a dedicated talent recruitment team. Ries plays a large part in finding and bringing aboard partner level attorneys from the central Maryland region and beyond. He says part of his role is reaching out to his network with opportunities at Offit. His other main role is to attract new clients to the firm.
Sawyer went through the recruitment process and joined the firm last year — one day before everything shut down. Sawyer has been out of law school for seven years, and she’s hoping to reach principal very soon. That’s something that her law school friends at other firms can still only dream of. Sawyer says at Offit that goal can happen very fast.
Ali Syed joined the firm in February of 2020 after 10 years in solo practice. He’d built up a strong client base, but he’d also gotten to a point where there was too much work for one person. He feels Offit provides a good platform for him to keep his autonomy but also to use his strengths.