2 min read August 2023 — Ron Christaldi, Tampa managing partner of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, and president and CEO of Shumaker Advisors, sat down with Invest: to discuss Tampa Bay’s position in the state’s economy, why legal services are in such high demand and the firm’s growth strategy for the long-term.
What highlights and achievements kept you busy over the last year?
We continue to see record growth. The first achievement that comes to mind is that in January of this year, we named our first female firm-wide Managing Partner, who happens to be in the Tampa Bay region, Jennifer Compton. I’m proud of that milestone. Beyond that, we continue to grow and expand. We are the largest business law firm in the eight-county region around Tampa Bay, and our governmental affairs group is also growing. Over the past year, we added both the former Mayor of St. Petersburg, Rick Kriseman, and the former mayor of Tampa, Bob Buckhorn, to the team. That highlights our regionalism and our commitment to the entire region.
We aren’t fostering competition within the region, but rather bringing people together. Our clients have seen continued success, as well. We represent most of the big business interests in the region and it has been going gangbusters for everyone. The economy is moving forward, and the region is working together. Legal needs are greater than they have ever been before in a way that’s advancing the community forward. Through the first quarter of 2023, it’s unsurprisingly back to the races again for another fantastic year.
What are some of the biggest opportunities for the legal industry today?
One thing I perceive as an opportunity is that as COVID obviously accelerated remote-type technologies, there is a change in mindset of individuals and companies such that now you don’t necessarily all need to be in the same exact location in order to be effective. That’s not true for some industries, but for many of them, companies are prioritizing talent over region. Talent wants to live in Tampa Bay. It’s a fantastic place to live; we have the finest health care institutions in the nation, world champion sports teams, great arts and culture venues, a world-class seaport and airport, many top universities and colleges, great weather and beaches and a robust and growing business community. I’m seeing talent moving here and being more readily available. That is bringing in work that would traditionally have gone to other regions of the country and business that would traditionally have been situated in other geographies. The challenge now is keeping up with that growth from an infrastructure, transportation and housing perspective. Those are good problems to have in my opinion. Our issues are not those of shrinkage or decline; they are indicators of tremendous growth. We in Tampa Bay are leading the current crop of great cities, as we continue to grow and expand. The opportunities are to ride that wave and expand along with the organic regional growth.
What has surprised you the most about Shumaker Advisors’ journey five years after Shumaker launched that group?
The rapid nature of growth has certainly been a surprise, but I credit our growth to our community involvement and dedication to knowing and understanding our clients. We aren’t technicians; we can do technical work and are great lawyers and public policy people, but more importantly, we understand the DNA of our clients in this community. My partner Andy Mayts is the Immediate Past Chair of the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, for instance, and I’m a Past Chair of the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. I’m in line to chair Tampa Bay EDC. If you look at the involvement of our 140-plus lawyers and public affairs professionals throughout Tampa Bay, each one is involved with some board or cause in the community. We are chairing fundraising walks and galas, and are generally involved. That is so important, because what makes this place special is the fact that we are a community. It’s not just a locale to do business; it’s a community that pulls together and gets things done. The recipe for our success is that we are part of that community. I expected success for the firm, but not this much. It all came to fruition very quickly.
What is the role of the legal sector in ensuring responsible growth, particularly in zoning and permitting?
The responsibility of a law firm such as ours is to be involved not only in helping clients develop real estate, but to ensure good transportation options for people, a healthy workforce, affordable housing and all of the components that make a strong economy. Obviously, one law firm or individual can’t control or significantly impact those factors alone, but we are able to leverage our relationships with the community through organizations like the EDC, the Chamber and the Partnership, as well as our relationships with local and statewide government agencies. This enables us to pull together to help ensure real estate development happens in a way that is sustainable long term.
What’s next on your list of priorities?
We continue to become more regional. Our market is the state of Florida at large. My understanding is that if Florida was an independent nation, it would rank as one of the top 15 economies in the world. We don’t need to go outside of the state to continue to grow and have a tremendous impact. We are helping clients with projects throughout Tampa Bay, on the Space Coast, in the Panhandle and in South Florida. It’s about taking a wider, more holistic approach to expand the network we have to help lift up the whole state. We are excited to link the regions in Florida in a way that helps them to connect, work together and advance the agenda of smart, responsible economic growth.
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