History | Culture
Innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit have always been hallmarks of Taylor Duane Barton & Gilman, and that translates into superior service for its clients. Unlike so many other law firms that operate with a hierarchical model for business that instills internal competition and encourages debate over the “origination” of clients, Taylor Duane has always had a unique business model: Clients are clients of the firm, not an individual attorney. This means that clients work with the partners and associates best-suited to handle their cases and address their legal concerns. This model for doing business differently from other law firms was put into place by the four founding partners, Allan E. Taylor, James J. Duane, III, John J. Barton and Pamela Slater Gilman, and remains a bedrock principle.
What flows from this approach to client relations is remarkable. Collaboration and team work flourish in the hallways of the firm’s Boston and Providence offices and between the offices, too. Clients get the value they deserve because the focus is exclusively on providing them the advice needed to efficiently and effectively resolve their litigation issues, or to resolve matters short of litigation. Our attorneys never lose sight of this because they are not sidetracked by internal power struggles that riddle many other firms.
Also quite different from the typical model of a law firm, where decision-making power is often in the hands of a few partners and compensation is largely driven by the “origination” of clients to the firm, Taylor Duane has always been run democratically. Each attorney has a real say in how the firm does business and each has a valuable role in serving clients.
All attorneys at Taylor Duane have regular access to firm financial information. Associates regularly participate on firm committees. Compensation for partners and associates is decided by a committee freshly appointed each year by the administrative partners with no pre-ordained “formula” or benchmarks to control the decision making. Taylor Duane is committed to running the law firm transparently and fairly. With this steady exposure to business considerations, Taylor Duane lawyers understand not just the legal aspects of our clients’ problems, but also their practical concerns.
The firm’s philosophy on hiring is to bring in bright, energetic, talented associates and train them to be outstanding trial lawyers and business people. The partnership is comprised of attorneys who have risen through the ranks over the years and are steeped in the egalitarian culture of the firm, including Edward D. Shoulkin, Jennifer Ellis Burke, Francis A. Connor, III, Robert C. Shindell, Stephen Adams, Sheri L. Pizzi, Andria Coletta and Tamara Smith Holtslag.
Taylor Duane is different from the inside out. Taylor Duane’s internal business model, by design, translates into better client service. We welcome the opportunity to help you solve your litigation challenges.
