Law firm will disband after 143 years as end result of strategic planning process
After 143 years in business, one of Georgia’s oldest law firms is planning to disband.
The decision is the culmination of a several-year strategic planning process by Columbus-based Hatcher Stubbs Land Hollis & Rothschild.
The project was intended “to discern the best way for the firm and its attorneys to expand their resources and their footprint to better serve valued clients and continue to provide top quality services in a broader market,” a law firm news release says. As a result of this process, “its attorneys will be joining forces with several strategic partners effective January 1, 2016.”
The firm lists 18 attorneys on its website, and seven of its 13 partners are headed to Hall Booth Smith, which will be taking over the Columbus offices of Hatcher Stubbs, according to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
Four partners will join Page Scrantom Sprouse Tucker & Ford, and two others are evaluating the options concerning their extensive real estate practices, the firm says.
Managing partner George W. Mize Jr., who is among those who will be at Page Scrantom, said the strategic planning process began several years ago and picked up steam nearly a year ago. Meanwhile, Hatcher Stubbs has been having “some really good months” financially.
“Sure, technically it’s a breakup. Normally that involves acrimony and hard feelings, but there was none of that,” he said of his firm’s plan to disband. “This was a unique situation. We all sat down as reasonable people and figured out, ‘This situation fits me better, and that situation fits you better.’”
