James Rosenblatt, President, Rosenblatt Law Firm
As one of the fastest-growing economies in the country, the business community in Texas relies on the legal sector to navigate the legal landscape and improve their business plans. As a growing regional player, Rosenblatt Law Firm is focused on leveraging its 20 years of service in San Antonio to expand its presence into Houston and Austin. In an interview with Invest:, James Rosenblatt, president of Rosenblatt Law Firm, highlights the firm’s expansion, the current state of merger and acquisition activity, and the impact of technology innovation in the legal sector.
What motivated the firm’s decision to expand into other markets across Texas?
We have approximately 15 lawyers in San Antonio. We knew we wanted to add more services, but thought it would be more strategic to look across Texas. We realized that Austin is nearby, although it is a different market, and the same with Houston, which is a much larger market. It made sense for us to add those markets as a way to provide more services to our clients here in San Antonio and enhance our overall services in other markets. Although we already had clients in Houston, having people on the ground makes it easier for us to serve them when they need assistance.
What areas of your practice are seeing growth across the different markets you serve?
We are amazed at how much mergers and acquisitions work is happening currently. Last year, we were involved in approximately 28 M&A opportunities. As of August of this year, we have completed 19, with more expected. People are looking to acquire companies and assets to grow their businesses. We have a lot of strength in that area and provide knowledge and understanding to help our clients, especially in the San Antonio area. We are celebrating our 20th anniversary in the San Antonio market, where we have considerable depth and are deeply involved in the community. In Houston, although we are a newer player, we have done a great job this year connecting with the community and developing networks. As we continue to grow our presence in Houston, we will be able to provide the same quality of service we are known for in San Antonio.
What separates Rosenblatt Law Firm from its peers?
When I first started the firm, I knew I did not want to be just another law firm. Although we are lawyers and approach matters from a legal perspective, my strong business background allows us to consider our clients’ needs holistically. We make sure that we are available to our clients for any needs. Clients do not call attorneys to chat; they call because they have a stressful situation and they need help. We want to be responsible and not only provide a legal solution, but provide a business solution that often has legal components.
What legal challenges are clients seeing the most in today’s climate?
Everything coming out of DC is changing our world. In Austin, the legislature wrapped up its session in June, and with that, there will be many changes. Clients are trying to figure out how to navigate a completely new landscape. This can be employment issues that have recently become more problematic, or it can be litigation issues, as well as estate planning. Our clients are trying to find answers, and we are often working with them in real time to develop those solutions. To navigate those challenges, we make sure we have the people and the knowledge to address complex issues. For example, we added an attorney who focuses on internet privacy concerns, which has become a huge topic in the last couple of years. We make sure that we have the right team so that when clients have questions, we can provide answers and effective solutions.
How is technology innovation changing the legal profession?
We have clients who do not realize how much AI is being used in their business, and we are working with them to make sure they have a better understanding of technology usage. While the younger generation is more accepting of these innovations, it also means that there must be guidelines and best practices on where it can and cannot be used. You have to make sure that there are processes and procedures in place. So many lawyers have seen the effects of AI in terms of where it can be a tool and where it can be a detriment. You have seen judges reproach AI where it has been used improperly. There have been cases where lawyers do not vet AI properly. AI does many things well, and other times it does not. There may be a time when it replaces lawyers, but today it enhances what we do. If it is used properly, it can help create a better product, and it can make the work more responsive and thorough. Using it this way allows lawyers to better help the client, but if we are not careful and do not understand the technology, it can be used incorrectly and create real issues for the firm and the clients. We encourage our clients to understand AI so they can know when it is beneficial and when it is not.
How is the merger and acquisition space evolving?
When we started the firm, it was important to me to make it known that we want to be involved with the client from day one until the company is sold. We come at it from the perspective that we are looking at the exit strategy and helping design the client’s business to make sure those exit strategies are available. When we are coming to the end of the process, when the client is looking to sell the company, we aim to have the exit strategy designed correctly. If it is a new client, it provides an opportunity to revise their exit plans and make sure the client can get a better price and make sure the transaction goes smoothly. The sooner we are involved, the more we can help and the better prepared the client will be for the sale.
What are the top priorities for the firm for the coming years?
We have a favorable outlook, and we are excited about what is happening in Texas. San Antonio and Houston are great markets with an abundance of opportunity. We want to become a midsize player in Houston and continue to be a midsize player in San Antonio, as well as have a growing presence in Austin. Our goal is to be a strong regional player where we have the expertise to help clients in Texas, nationwide, or globally without having to deal with a 500-person law firm where the costs are high and there are many people involved. We want to be a high-touch, high-understanding, and reasonable-cost player that can meet the needs of our clientele.
