Jeffrey Conn, Member-In-Charge, Pittsburgh Office, Clark Hill

Jeffrey Conn, Member-in-Charge of the Pittsburgh Office at Clark Hill, sat down with Invest: to discuss the office’s productivity and growth, the firm’s recruitment and retention, and recent shifts in demand in M&A, real estate, and banking and finance. “Demand has increased and is higher than it has been in the past two years and I believe that it will continue to increase, both in M&A, real estate, and commercial lending. We are on the uptick and trending positively at this point in time,” Conn said.

What changes over the past year most impacted Clark Hill’s Pittsburgh office and in what ways? 

Our firm is the second oldest law firm in Pittsburgh. We started as Thorp Reed & Armstrong and in March of 2013 merged with Clark Hill. Our Pittsburgh office is thriving and we are continuing to add people to our team. We are one of the most productive offices in our firm and are extending our lease, showcasing our strong commitment to Pittsburgh. 

As we continue to recover from COVID, we have a mandate that requires our employees to be in the office as least three days a week. Many people in our Pittsburgh office choose to come in five days a week. I believe that it is important for our employees to be in the office to do what we do. Not every profession needs to be in the office, however, I believe that especially for our young people, they need to be able to learn from each other and senior attorneys. It is easier for them to do so face-to-face. 

Taking a broader look at the economy, how have ongoing changes in the market impacted your business, if at all? 

Prior to COVID, Pittsburgh was at its peak and very much thriving. There was a lot of development, including new hotels and restaurants. COVID had a large impact on our city and we are still in the process of recovering from that. It has impacted our real estate market downtown, our office building market. There are a number of construction projects downtown right now that are changing the use of some of the office buildings to mixed use and multifamily apartments. I believe that the future here is looking bright. For Clark Hill specifically, our Pittsburgh office has never been busier. We have tremendously loyal clients who appreciate our efforts for them and who are great ambassadors for us.

Given the competitive legal market in Pittsburgh, how are you recruiting and retaining talent, especially in transactional finance, real estate, and M&A?

That is really important to the company and to me. We try to recruit people who we believe are a good fit for our firm. We tell candidates in interviews that our firm is not a good fit for everybody and not everybody is a good fit for our firm. We put a lot of effort into developing our young talent. We make sure to spend time with them, give them client contact, and make them feel as though they are contributing. 

Our culture is highly team-oriented, especially in our Pittsburgh office. We have a team that includes our partners, associates, paralegals, and legal assistants, and we are not hierarchical. We understand that everyone has something to contribute and appreciate everyone’s contributions. Accordingly, we have many people who have been here a long time and we do not have much turnover.

The more experienced I get, the more I realize the importance of working with good people. Character is important in both the legal world and life. 

What trends do you see as most noteworthy in your industry and market, and how is Clark Hill navigating those developments?

AI and technology have been huge trends. I think that this new technology’s role is still to be determined and it is changing every day. More specifically, when it comes to AI and its role within the industry, we are at the forefront as a firm in terms of utilizing it and putting up appropriate guardrails to protect our clients. AI is something that you must make sure your clients permit you to use and understand when and why you are using it. A few years ago, this question would have been easy to answer; today, every firm in the country is having to determine how to use AI in its operations.

How are you seeing demand shift in commercial real estate and development financing in Pittsburgh, especially given changing office use, zoning, and climate/ESG concerns?

My practice is broad, working in M&A, banking and finance work, and some real estate. Across the country, all three of those practices were thriving prior to COVID. The M&A world was still doing very well in 2021 and 2022. Because of COVID and related factors, the demand dropped off in 2023. Everyone thought the demand would come back in 2024, but unfortunately it did not until much later in the year. Demand in Pittsburgh has increased and is higher than it has been in the past two years and I believe that it will continue to increase, both in M&A, real estate, and commercial lending. We are on the uptick and trending positively at this point in time.

Deeply rooted in the Pittsburgh legal community, how does Clark Hill engage with regional economic development, nonprofits, or public-private partnerships?

Our firm is very involved in the community. We represent and serve as counsel to many of the city and county organizations. This city is known for technology, healthcare, and education and we are heavily involved in all three of those, with lawyers who serve on the boards of universities, hospitals, and others. Our firm works closely with many charitable organizations, one of which is the United Way. We believe that it is highly important to be out in the community. 

What are your key strategic goals or priorities for Clark Hill’s Pittsburgh office over the next two to three years?

One of our main goals is to continue to add talent and grow. We have some people who will be retiring soon and we are looking to successfully succession plan with respect to those particular individuals. We expect to continue to have a significant presence in Pittsburgh and throughout Pennsylvania. Our Pittsburgh office has top-tier talent across practices. Our plan is to build on that and attract professionals whose skills and culture align with Clark Hill’s. That’s been a winning formula for us and for our clients.