Summary: Zuckerman Spaeder remains small and profitable with strong leadership and a focused mission.
In an age of Big Law and generalists, the boutique law firm of Zuckerman Spaeder aims to stay small and specialized. But how does this firm that opened in the 1970s stay afloat?
The Washington Post recently examined the firm, which charges up to $1,000 an hour for high-performance litigation.
“We represent people and companies who are often in the worst situations of their lives,” Roger Zuckerman, 73, a founding partner, said.
Zuckerman Spaeder’s high-profile clients include scandalized IRS official Lois Lerner and former International Monetary Fund head Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was acquitted for pimping. Corporate clients include Fannie Mae, the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and the NFL.
Zuckerman Spaeder has 100 lawyers, 30 of whom are partners. While other boutiques seem to be dying off or trying to offer all legal services under one roof, Zuckerman Spaeder fights to “be good at one thing,” the firm’s new chairman Dwight Bostwick told The Washington Post.
Bostwick, 55, has been with the firm for eight years. He’s responsible for maintaining the firm’s size, culture and profitability. The Washington Post reports the firm makes more than $1 million profit-per-partner.
Zuckerman Spaeder has four offices in Tampa, Baltimore, New York and Washington. Bostwick overseas the 200 employees of those branches, and he makes sure to hire well. The firm has notable stars such as Bostwick, Caroline Judge Mehta and former federal judge Barbara Jones.
Read the entire story at The Washington Post: A 40-year D.C. law firm seeks to stay small, successful in midst of Big Law
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