Page 51 - BusinessWest May 13, 2024

“We work hard, and we provide quality service, but we’re pretty good at work- life balance and understanding that folks have to have lives outside of the office.”
century — everything from the demise of law libraries, with all that material now online, to the advent of depositons and other legal functions via Zoom.
What’s probably more important is what hasn’t changed — and won’t change, they said, especially the firm’s commitment to excellence as well as the environment that Buxton described earlier, one where law- yers and staff with wide ranges of experi- ence and knowhow work together to gener- ate positive results for clients while learn- ing from each other.
In fact, both Barry and Finnegan used similar words and phrases to describe those who mentored them when they arrived four and three decades ago, respectively.
“I’ve had a lot of great mentors here,” said Barry, noting that he and others now serve as mentors to the younger atttorneys.
Finnegan said the firm has created a strong culture, one that has promoted many lawyers (he’s one of them), and staff members as well, who then spend their entire careers at Bulkley Richardson.
“That’s a testament to the culture of the firm,” he said. “We work hard, and we provide quality service, but we’re pretty good at work- life balance and understanding that folks have to have lives outside of the office.”
Looking ahead, Barry and Finnegan said the business plan is rather simple. It calls for continued growth and building upon the solid foundation laid in 1924.
“We’ve made a commitment to growth. Within the past few years, even we’ve hired quite a few young lateral attorneys, as well as several attorneys right out of law school,” said Finnegan, adding that the firm has what he calls a rather robust summer associate program (he was one himself) that has served to help keep talent flowing through the pipeline. “We have a lot of young lawyers that we’ve hired over the past few years.”
Bulkley Richardson’s leaders say the firm was built on excellence and has maintained it through the decades.
Overall, the firm has long managed to maintain an important mix of older attorneys, those in the middle of their careers, and those just joining the profession, said Barry, adding that such a mix is critical to the ongoing success of any law firm.
Finnegan agreed, noting that this quality is one of many that have defined the firm since Warren Harding was in the White House, and will continue to do so moving forward.
“When I got here, the word I always heard was ‘excellence’ — this firm was built on excellence,” he said. “The firm has always been a collection of exceptional lawyers providing top-quality legal services to our clients. I don’t think that’s ever changed over the 100 years the firm has been in existence, nor is it going to change mov- ing forward.” BW
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