Richard Ramsey, Managing Partner, Wicker Smith
June 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, Richard Ramsey, managing partner at law firm Wicker Smith, discussed the firm’s growth strategy, talent recruitment, and AI’s impact on legal work. “Artificial intelligence is a burgeoning issue in the legal field, and it is controversial. It has tremendous advantages, but there are also scary aspects that we are still grappling with,” Ramsey said.
What major changes over the past year have had the biggest impact on the firm, and in what ways?
Our firm has just skyrocketed, both our Jacksonville office and the firm as a whole. One of our managing partners told us about 10 years ago that someday we were going to pass a certain landmark for annual revenue. We all laughed, thinking that would be impossible. Now, we have skyrocketed past that figure because we adopted a strategy of intentional and purposeful growth.
We have always been popular with our clients. The key is whether we have enough lawyers to handle the workflow. We decided to hire, hire, hire, and we have also absorbed several other law firms. We have done that nationwide, and it has been a wonderful strategy for us.
How has the talent landscape evolved, and how are you approaching recruitment and retention?
The best thing we have going for us in recruitment is our firm’s reputation. We have a good reputation as the preeminent law firm in the state for the defense of corporations and individuals in trial. I do not think there is any firm that tries cases more frequently and gets greater results than we do. Lawyers know that if they want to go to the preeminent trial law firm in the state, this is the place to be.
Thirty minutes before this interview, I received an email describing how two young female partners, who are brand new to our firm and came from another firm in Miami, had just won a big medical malpractice trial. The plaintiff asked for $10 million, and they received a defense verdict.
That is an example of how we are able to attract the best talent because of our reputation. In terms of retention, we are an old law firm. We have been around for 74 years, and sometimes it is hard to get innovative ideas when a company has been around for so long. We have changed a lot in how we relate to our staff and lawyers and what we do to keep them interested and motivated.
We have over 100 partners total, roughly half shareholders and half non-equity partners, and we want to market all of them through our PR department. That is a big endeavor, but we are going to do it. I think that is the kind of thing that will hopefully make people want to stay.
What trends are you seeing in the legal industry, and how is your firm adapting to stay ahead?
Artificial intelligence is a burgeoning issue in the legal field, and it is controversial. It has tremendous advantages, but there are also scary aspects that we are still grappling with. We had to negotiate with companies, including Westlaw, to determine what AI benefits they could provide. When AI technology is good, it is fantastic. It can take a thousand pages of medical records, and within seconds, you can target certain information. That makes us much more efficient.
On the other hand, you read stories every day across the country of lawyers getting in trouble for using artificial intelligence to help draft legal documents filed with the court. These AI writings sometimes create false entries or make up cases that do not exist.
We have to make sure our lawyers are educated. ‘Do not ever use AI when drafting important legal documents for submission to the court.’ Knock on wood, we have not had that happen, but it is always a scary prospect.
What are the biggest challenges facing Jacksonville and law firms today? For Jacksonville, the biggest challenge is dealing with frustration. We have the potential to have a fantastic downtown. We have a beautiful riverbank, and we see progress being made. Right across the street from my office is a beautiful new park that is half open.
But I think people are frustrated that more is not happening downtown. We want to see more development of shops, restaurants, apartments, and similar spaces. One key would be bringing a big grocery store chain, such as Publix or Winn-Dixie, into downtown, because I think people would then be more interested in moving in.
We see what Shad Khan is doing with the Four Seasons across from our football stadium, and it is impressive. We have a lot of potential here. We compare ourselves to similar cities like San Antonio, which has built up its downtown around the river with shops and restaurants. For the legal community, one issue I have been thinking about is literacy. I tried a case in Jacksonville, and we initially had a jury pool of about 50 people for a nearly two-week trial. I was surprised there were not more college graduates on the panel.
Afterward, I did some research using AI and learned that the adult illiteracy rate in Jacksonville is 21%. I also saw that somewhere between 46% and 52% of third graders in Jacksonville are not reading at the third-grade level.
There are many reasons for these illiteracy problems, but I see that as a tremendous issue for the legal community and for the city going forward. When we try civil cases, we want the best and brightest jurors making important decisions that impact individuals and corporations. If 1 out of every 5 adults in Jacksonville is illiterate, that is a tremendous problem. All of us need to focus on solutions because if roughly half of the third graders in our community are not reading at grade level, that is a dangerous warning sign.
How is the firm engaging with the Jacksonville community?
We are members of the Jacksonville Bar Association, which sponsors many charitable events for members of the community.
Another way we engage with the community is through trying cases. When you try a case, jurors do not want to be there at first. They would rather be at work or home with their families. But once they learn more about the case and the legal process, they understand the important role they play. Jurors come from all walks of life, with different education levels and experiences. They all work hard and take jury service seriously.
In jury selection, I talk about patriotism. You can be patriotic by serving your country in the military, by voting, and by showing up for jury selection. Those are three ways to serve your community.
The statistics for people who show up after being summoned for jury duty are relatively low. Depending on the jurisdiction, 25% to 50% of people actually show up. That is challenging to our system when so many people ignore their jury summons. I love being part of the community in that way, hopefully contributing to citizens becoming educated about our jury system and then sharing that with their friends and families.
What are your key goals and priorities for the firm over the next three to five years?
The priorities are to continue to grow, but also to make sure we have the right people in place to carry on the firm and the office for generations to come.
I am 64 years old right now, and someday I will have to retire. As one of our four managing partners, I want to make sure the firm is in good hands. I want the right people in place to continue guiding us in the five states where we operate.
I started the Jacksonville office in 2002. It was literally just me and one secretary. Now, we have had the opportunity to grow, and I have several shareholder partners with me, along with junior partners and associates.
I am an avid hiker, and in hiking there is an adage that when you exit the forest, you are supposed to leave it even cleaner and more beautiful than when you walked into it. That is how I look at my legacy with this office and with the firm. I want to leave it in better hands than when I walked in. That is my goal.
