According to a story in the Toledo Blade today, Fuller & Henry, founded in 1892, “has all but disappeared… Its sign is gone from the door”. The article goes on to say: “At one time, the business occupied two floors of the city’s most prominent downtown office building but lately had just part of a floor. By the late 1990s, it had closed its Port Clinton office; several years ago, it shut its Findlay office, and a year ago, it left its Columbus office.” But here’s the clincher:

Observers at other law firms say the defections and downsizings resulted from partnership disagreements over compensation and management.

FastForward: Most lawyers will share a sense of sadness at the events that have befallen Fuller & Henry but few will realize just how perilously close their own firm may be to a similar fate. As times become more competitive, the forces that could cause a stampede of exiting lawyers are not so remote. In my opinion, complacency is often the worst enemy. You might want to discuss this at your next executive committee meeting.