Irving Firman, Managing Shareholder, Tucker Arensberg
In an interview with Invest:, Irving Firman, managing shareholder of law firm Tucker Arensberg, highlighted the firm’s strategic growth, client-centric ethos, and the evolving legal landscape shaping its priorities. “Every decision we make is about what’s in the best interest of the client,” Firman noted, encapsulating the firm’s differentiating philosophy.
What specific changes over the past year had the greatest impact on the firm, and in what ways have they shaped your strategic direction?
We’ve experienced significant growth over the past year. We’re finding areas such as litigation, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and employment law continue to drive the need for additional attorneys. Our clients are increasingly looking for support in these areas, and we are committed to meeting those needs. . We’ve been able to add a number of lawyers and groups in those areas, these lawyers have been great additions to the firm and have helped us meet the emerging needs of our clients.
Which business practice areas have you been focusing on recently, and what factors are driving demand in those areas?
It has continued to be litigation and employment, primarily. That’s a direct result of the constant change in the government’s mandates relative to employment law and the constant orders that lawyers are forced to deal with. The increased regulation and emphasis on certain areas have led to a need for more day-to-day employment law advice. As the economy changes that leads to more litigation. In the past, companies would say we’re more focused on the business end of it. We don’t need to work something out. We don’t need to litigate this matter. Now they’re more likely to take things in that direction.
How does the firm differentiate itself from other firms in the region, both through its client service approach and its internal culture?
The first thing we say to anybody who comes to work here is that with every decision you make, with everything you do, the No. 1 factor is what’s in the best interest of the client. That’s the differentiator, from every legal assistant to the person who works in the file room. That’s how we make our decisions. That’s what our goal is. Our goal is to have people choose to retain us because they want to have the best possible experience with a lawyer and get the best outcome that they can obtain.
Your firm has been recognized as one of the best law firms in the country. What does this recognition mean to your team?
We’re proud of any award and recognition that we receive. But that’s not why you practice law. We don’t seek it out, but we’re honored to be recognized in those areas. You have to have top lawyers who have the proficiency that’s necessary. We have that. It’s great to have those types of lawyers. What makes the difference is how they embrace the problems or the issues posed by our clients. It’s everybody’s problem. It’s everybody’s job to get to the solution. There are many ways to solve problems. Our goal is to come up with the best solution for our clients to get them to the goal they need to reach.
What makes Pittsburgh a strategically important location for the firm’s operations and future growth opportunities?
You can’t say enough about where Pittsburgh is going right now. You have the strong healthcare, universities, as well as robotics, AI, and the different companies that are growing in that area. It’s impressive. Everybody I meet is new to town because they’re working on new AI projects, self-driving cars, biomedical things that are impressive. The draw of the intellectual strength of the area attracts people who are trying to grow in those industries. The county executive, Sara Innamorato, does a great job in creating a business-friendly place to come and start your business. The intellectual draw here along with the current political climate makes it a good place to start a business. We’re the beneficiary of that as a regional firm. We understand the area, Pittsburgh, and the region. It helps us to help businesses meet their goals.
What key trends do you see shaping the legal landscape, and how is Tucker Arensberg positioning itself to remain future-ready?
You have to be cognizant of the changing technology issues that are facing all of the industries, our clients, and law firms in general. We have a dedicated group of people on our technology committee whose sole purpose is to stay on top of those types of issues so that we can serve our clients. This touches every aspect of the firm. It touches everything in terms of the way business functions, from the way they market their companies to the way that they hire employees. It’s something that we need to be aware of. That’s how we’ve addressed it to make sure that it’s top of mind.
What challenges are you seeing in the legal landscape or within your firm, and how are you turning these challenges into strategic opportunities?
The No. 1 challenge in our industry is trying to find the best people to work with the firm. We’ve focused on creating an environment for attorneys to come here, be successful, grow in their roles, and develop their skillset to benefit our clients. We’ve had a number of people recently who have interviewed with our firm from outside of the region and they’re moving to Pittsburgh. That’s an important aspect in the way to address that challenge. You need to look beyond the city limits. As more people come here, they love it and stay. It’s a great place to work and live.
How is your firm giving back locally, and how do these efforts reflect your core values?
These things are ingrained in Tucker Arensberg. It’s always been the case since I’ve been here for over two decades. The vast majority of the lawyers in our firm are active on nonprofit boards. It’s a Pittsburgh cultural approach to things. The foundations and charitable organizations around Pittsburgh are influential in driving developments or driving the benefits that people receive. From our perspective, we encourage all our employees to be involved in their local community, to be involved in the nonprofit boards. The more people you can influence or help or be connected to, it makes for a fuller life. It’s better than sitting in your office all day and not getting the opportunity to make an impact. Our No. 1 priority is to our clients and to help them. It’s important to give back as much as you can anywhere you can. We highly encourage that.
What are your key goals and priorities for the firm over the next two to three years?
It will be to continue to grow the firm to meet the needs of our clients over the next couple of years. We’ll continue to add strategically in those areas and grow in the direction that makes the most sense for our clients.
