Jonathan Skeeters Quoted in Nashville Post on Nashville's Growing Legal Market and Strategy
May, 2023 - Birmingham, Alabama
Bradley Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner Jonathan Skeeters partner talked to the Nashville Post about the firm’s history in the legal industry and its growth strategy, as well as Bradley’s record of success in the city since its merger with Boult, Cummings, Conners and Berry in 2009.
Skeeters was a partner at Boult Cummings at the time of the merger. “The merger talks began because the Boult Cummings partners knew Nashville was a great market but felt we could diversify and find ways to grow and be more than just Nashville-centric,” he recalled. “Then the Great Recession hit, and from our perspective, the timing was perfect. There was a better mix of work for the Boult Cummings lawyers to rely on and different markets to tap into for work and talent,” Skeeters explained.
Bradley’s strategy has led to mergers with several other offices since the Nashville office acquisition. Skeeters said, “Law firms are funny businesses. They’re so people-driven, and culture dictates a lot about the way things are done. With a merger, that meshing of cultures and systems can be a big challenge.”
As Nashville’s legal market has continued to develop, Skeeters mentioned the interest of other firms in Bradley as a potential acquisition. “We don’t feel compelled to be the Southeastern piece of someone else’s puzzle,” he said. “We are confident and comfortable with who we are, what we offer and what our current strategy is.”
Bradley’s number of partners has continued to grow with the volume of talented attorneys attracted to the firm, and Skeeters explained how he’s able to rely on a team of firm leaders from the firm’s offices throughout the Southeast. “Running a law firm takes a lot of consensus building. As managing partner, my job is not to set the direction, but to get everyone to buy in and start running towards it,” he added.
Skeeters also discussed more about firm leadership and the need for younger leaders for future growth and plans, saying that younger leaders give firms a better time horizon, so leaders can see 20 years into the future, rather than just the next few.
“If we can get the right lawyers and talent into the firm, we will continue to attract the legal work we want to do while providing additional and better solutions for our clients,” Skeeters said.
The full article, “Standing Firm,” was published in the Nashville Post on April 19, 2023.
