Alerding Castor Hewitt

My law firm is going through many changes.  Yesterday we officially welcomed Brian Hewitt as a named partner of our firm (note the name change to Alerding Castor Hewitt, LLP).  This is a great move for our firm and makes us all the more a full service business law / entrepreneurial law firm (also litigation and estate planning).

In times of major changes like this I spend a lot of time contemplating the direction of our firm.  What do we want our business to be?  Where do we want to go?  Who do we need to be part of our team to get there?

The answer to the first two questions are easy for me.  We want to be a full service business and litigation law firm with specific focus on legal technology consulting and SaaS law.  I want us to be knows as THE SaaS law firm.  We want to be an entrepreneur’s law firm.  And, we are well into the process of getting there.

The last question, who do we need to part of our team to get there, is the harder question.  There are a lot of good attorneys out there – but being good is not enough.  In any profession, being good is merely the barrier of entry.  We want attorneys who are exceptional. 

What makes someone exceptional?  As I stated in a prior post, there is an element of seeking personal fulfillment in your profession – seeking excellence – seeking the true benefit of others – that makes someone go from being good to exceptional.  This takes hard work, deliberate practice, smart work, high character and a sense of personal understanding. 

My wife and I know a lot of good parents – we know a few that we think are exceptional.  I asked her last week what makes a parent exceptional.  She said and I quote, “Understanding the impact of today on tomorrow.”  This applies in the business world as well.  What does it look like if you are doing your work today thinking about the impact you are meaning to have tomorrow?