"I think the best thing a lawyer can do is to learn to listen well," says Kevin O'Malley, lead attorney of Gallagher & Kennedy's commercial litigation group and member of the board of directors. "Over the years a lot has been written about lack of communication being a major source of problems between lawyers and clients. Fixing the problem starts with listening very carefully to your clients to really understand their goals, and then fashioning your advice and game plan to what they want to accomplish."
That strong respect for clients, their points of view and their goals has helped drive the award-winning firm's nearly 40 years of success. Founded in 1978 by Mike Gallagher and Mike Kennedy as a boutique litigation firm, Gallagher & Kennedy evolved into a full-service, business law firm that now has 85 attorneys practicing in a variety of areas, including environmental, personal injury, criminal and bankruptcy, among others. A staff of more than 100 assists the lawyers at offices in Phoenix, Arizona, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
In spite of its growth and ranking as the fifth largest law firm in Phoenix, Gallagher & Kennedy maintains a small firm culture based on the values established early on by the founders: hard work, fairness, life balance and service to others. Those principles are always at the forefront in the ways the firm works with clients, treats its employees and engages with the community.
We have steadfastly remained a homegrown, local firm. That attribute is attractive to a number of clients who want a more personal relationship.
Kevin O'Malley
The firm's collegial and teamwork-oriented culture is also attractive to its attorneys and staff, as evidenced by being named the Phoenix Business Journal's Best Place to Work in 2010 and 2011.
Click here to read the article by reporter Vicki Hogue-Davies in Attorney at Law Magazine.