Remote Work Powers This Startup Firm

Article by: Zane Hill
Read the article in the Los Angeles Business Journal

Breakaway startup law firm Pierson Ferdinand LLP includes Los Angeles among its widespread launch markets.

The New York-based firm, which officially opened for business in January, is the latest to tout itself as one of the largest startup law firms in the nation. With 23 markets, the firm boasts more than 130 attorneys, including six in Los Angeles. And there’s an interesting catch: outside of the headquarters, the firm does not have physical offices and instead has its attorneys working remote.

“The way that we’re able to pay our lawyers unparalleled compensation is that we’re reducing our reliance on real estate,” said Michael Pierson, a founding partner and co-chairman.

“L.A. is a huge legal market,” he continued. “It’s always been a huge focus of ours and we look forward to being as big and as best as we can in the L.A. market. We are a tech-driven law firm and our clients in large part look like us.”

Much of Pierson Ferdinand’s starting headcount – including Pierson and fellow co-founder and co-chairman Joel Ferdinand – comes via FisherBroyles LLP, an Atlanta firm with a similar business composition. In L.A., as well as its other California location in Palo Alto, the firm expects to focus on corporate and intellectual property litigation.

L.A. partner Justin Nahama, who is also chief wellness officer, said he plans to include custom well-being programming as part of the firm’s virtual framework.

“Culture is absolutely a priority,” Nahama said, “and there will be accountability internally to make sure we’re moving the needle for our lawyers and their families.”

L.A. and Southern California are complementary markets for the firm, Nahama added, because its distributed staffing and technology-heavy operation line up well with its client base.

“We have the bench to support clients in Southern California through every dimension of early stage through exit,” he continued. “We’re seeing some really impressive talent, and our firm is unusually positioned to help them get off the ground.”