The release of Business First’s 2010 law-firm rankings – an annual barometer of how the Western New York legal community is stacking up – is out.
Local attorneys say while it has been anything but business as usual over the last 12 months, there are signs that things are looking up – or that the sky was never falling as some people forecast.
Nine of 10 firms retained their position in the top tier of the list, with only Harris Beach PLLC dropping from the top 10. Moving into the top 10 for the first time – from No. 13 to 9 – was Tiveron Law, which saw double-digit growth within its attorney ranks with its relocation to a new building that owner Corey Hogan said nearly doubled the firm’s space.
“We felt, from our perspective, that we wanted to get to a certain size so we could be effective in providing all of the services our clients want,” he said. “We also realize those needs are changing, and we want to be able to help our clients avoid problems rather than solving their problems once they are there.”
Hogan says business has been up at the firm. The business is out there, he says, and when times are tough, clients look for a firm that can add extra value through their services.
“We have seen some added buzz since the move,” said Managing Partner Diane Tiveron. “But also, it has allowed us to reconnect with some of our clients that we haven’t seen in a while, invite them in, and show them around a building we are very proud of.”
Other mainstays on the law list credit their ability to weather the economic storm on adjusting the size of underworked practice groups, cutting back on operational costs and capitalizing on growth areas typically seen during a down economic period.
See the full article in the Buffalo Law Journal