PARACLETE MARCH/APRIL 2026 – By Amy Currotto
Firm culture is defined as the character or collective personality of the firm. In practice, it’s how lawyers in a single firm treat one another day to day; it’s how mistakes are handled; and most importantly, how we support each other.
Why is firm culture important? It’s the secret sauce of holding onto talent. Retaining and recruiting attorneys re-mains one of the largest post-pandemic challenges for law firms. The real culture test isn’t the free lunches, the dress code, or even the office ping pong table. It’s maintaining an environment where attorneys can ask questions, build rela-tionships, and create the career they want for themselves. Ultimately, support may look different to every attorney. Here are some key ingredients to the ‘secret sauce’ of foster-ing a successful firm culture by our local leaders:
Support your Attorneys
Attorney April D. Hill of HKH Law notes that, “it’s im-portant to have your associates’ backs. New attorneys need a leader who has their back. It is the practice of law—not per-fection. Everyone will make mistakes. Having a leader who understands that and helps their attorneys and staff to own and overcome mistakes creates a safe atmosphere.”
Mentor Your Attorneys
One of my mentors, Chip Merlin, President of Merlin Law Group says, “Firm culture isn’t a slogan on a wall. It’s what you do when no one is watching and how you treat people when they’re still figuring out who they want to become. I’ve always believed that mentorship starts with listening and understanding someone’s goals. What is their life outside the office? What does success mean to them? People grow differently. A law firm’s culture must respect individuality while still pulling in the same direction as a team.
There’s a painting in the foyer of my home by Mr. Brainwash that says, ‘Follow Your Dreams.’ That message matters to me because the practice of law isn’t about how much money you make. Instead, it’s about finding purpose in what you do and being the best version of yourself. We want people who are motivated by excellence, integrity, and service, not just the next dollar.
I have become very intentional about creating an environment where experience is valued, but curiosity and passion are never discounted because of tenure. Younger generations entering the profession bring energy, ideas, and purpose that deserve respect, not resistance. I have learned that my role as a leader is to stay engaged, keep learning from others, and help people grow professionally and personally. We have each attorney and staff member complete a form with personal and professional talent growth goals.”
Collaboration
In my career as a young attorney, I found a home at Banker Lopez Gassler (BLG). Being an attorney at BLG is similar to participating on a sports team. The culture is pure mutual support and collaboration. If you’re struggling with a case, you can walk down the hall and there are multiple attorneys at any given moment ready to bounce ideas and talk out complex legal issues with you. It’s really the feeling that ‘I am not in this alone’ that makes this firm so special.
Ryan Parker, Partner of Traub Lieberman, also noted collegiality and teamwork as being the key to a successful work environment. “Our attorneys regularly get together for coffee, lunch, and other firm events and share their thoughts and ideas about cases, hot legal topics, and interests outside the office. Because we hire associates with the hope that they will one day become partners in the firm, we try to foster close hands-on relationships between associates and partners from day one, both from a training and professional development perspective and also to establish trust with our clients. We know this approach works, as we have many partners who started with us as first-year associates and have made their careers with our firm.”
Final thoughts from Adam Kantor of BLG: “Our firm culture is built on loyalty, relentless hard work, and genuine camaraderie. We create an environment where people support one another and take pride in shared success. We believe great trial lawyers are forged through preparation, integrity and mutual respect, not ego. The result is a team of exceptional trial attorneys who trust each other, fight hard for their clients, and enjoy doing it together.”
Amy Currotto is a civil defense attorney at Banker Lopez Gassler. She is the Chair of the Federal Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Committee and serves on the Board of Directors for the Trial and Litigation Committee of the Hillsborough Bar Association.
