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Groom's Attorneys In Their Own Words |
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Spend a few hours with Groom’s attorneys and
you will discover that there’s nothing routine
about their enthusiasm for the work they do—and
where they do it. Read what they have to say about
employee benefits law and the law firm where they practice
it. |
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“From the beginning, Groom has been committed to a few basic principles. Each client is a client of the firm, not of individual lawyers. We work in a collegial atmosphere where the best ideas are shared ideas and the best practices are shared practices. We hold each other accountable. We believe strongly that the work we do is important. And we have a lot fun doing the work we do.”
Ted Groom |
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“ERISA has been amended dozens of times, spawning hundreds of new regulations and rulings. No one can lay claim to being its master. As an ERISA tax specialist, I can’t really venture an expert opinion on the law’s Title IV rules for multi-employer plans. But the great thing about working at Groom is that I can walk down the hall to find a colleague who can."
Lou Mazawey |
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“All litigators love to appear in court and write erudite briefs. I suppose it’s the Clarence Darrow in us. We’re no different at Groom. But you know what we enjoy even more? Getting together and thrashing out the ideas in a case until we figure out the best way to help a client.”
Ted Scallet |
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“I like being a tax lawyer, but you have to do more than just practice the law. My outside interests give me better grounding to make better judgments on tough questions. But you know what’s the best thing about my outside interests? That they are outside my work.”
David Powell |
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“Understanding Groom is simple. We are the best employee benefits firm in the country, we have the greatest depth and expertise, and we work like crazy for our clients. I come into the office every day knowing that I’m going to be doing cutting-edge work with like-minded people. What more can a lawyer ask for?”
Doug Ell |
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“I came to Groom from a large corporate firm and found the firm’s focus on benefits law to be absolutely compelling. Groom has made me a better lawyer—and a better thinker. There are endless opportunities here to have informal discussions with my peers about employee benefits law, specific cases, and life in general.”
Mark Lofgren |
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“One of my biggest thrills every year is watching the State of the Union address and knowing that whatever health issues the president mentions will most likely be the issues I work on for the next year.”
Christy Tinnes |
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“As a health benefits lawyer, I feel strongly that our work at Groom on employee benefits programs will help to make it possible for employers to provide support, advice, and benefits for their employees who are fighting cancer and other long-term illnesses.”
Liz Dold |
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“I learned early on that our clients are very busy and have enormous demands on their time. I’ve found that it’s important to be responsive to their needs and to treat their problems as if they were our problems. Our job here is to make our clients’ lives easier by assuming their burdens and making them our own.”
Lars Golumbic |
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“In the 20’s and 30’s, my grandmother worked as a fitter for a department store in Pittsburgh. When the Depression hit, the store’s owner used all the money in the employee pension plan to keep the store afloat, and my grandmother’s savings disappeared. I value the work I do today because I can help to make sure that pension plan providers play by the rules and create plans that work in the best interests of employees and employers alike.”
Bill Hanrahan |
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“My ‘Rosie the Riveter’ poster with the World War II slogan, “We Can Do It,” expresses my commitment to finding creative solutions to the sophisticated legal problems our clients face. All of us at the firm pride ourselves on being highly responsive, technically proficient, and imaginative. Whatever it takes, ‘we can do it.’”
Andree M. St. Martin |
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“My wife and I bought a historic old farmhouse in Virginia. We always have in the back of our mind that we are trustees—preserving the history of the house for the benefit of future owners. Much the same can be said about the work my colleagues and I do at Groom. At the basis of ERISA is the common law of trusts, and the legal issues we work on not only have an impact on how companies do business today but can shape the legal landscape for years to come.”
Mike Prame |
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“At the other firms where I worked, no matter how intelligent and informed my colleagues were, I was often the lone ‘expert’ in my field. At Groom, there is always another expert to question your research, your assumptions, or your conclusions—thus pushing you to do more.”
Rick Matta |
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“I always keep in mind that the law does not merely involve a set of abstract rules. Instead, it often has a real impact on everyday people. This is especially so in the employee benefits field, where the outcome of a dispute or the analysis of a legal issue might have serious economic and personal consequences for a plan participant or sponsor.”
Alvaro Anillo |
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“We make it a priority at Groom to approach each new client engagement as an opportunity to start a lasting relationship. We take time to understand a client’s needs and wants so that we can tailor a solution that doesn’t just address the immediate problem at hand but works within the context of the client’s long-term strategy.”
David Levine |
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“My dog Molly is a ‘dog’s dog’ who has an overwhelming zest for life. If there is a cat or squirrel, she’s chasing it; if there is a pile of dirty stuff, she’s rolling in it; if there’s a body of water, she’s swimming in it. I try to emulate her level of enthusiasm for life in my practice of the law, but as a mere mortal I always fall short.”
Ellen Goodwin |
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“The thing about Groom is that everyday you have to think critically and explain why you think what you think. You can’t just smile and nod at Groom. You have to understand what’s going on and to do so you have to ask questions. I’ve learned that if you don’t understand something, the thing that makes you smart is asking questions and the thing that makes you dumb is not asking questions.”
Jenny Eller |
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