A Law Firm Merger of Equals with Scott Kadish and Kevin McLaughlin

“We wanted it to be a true merger of equals,” says Scott Kadish, who, along with Kevin McLaughlin, are Co-Managing Partners at the newly merged UB Greensfelder. On today’s episode of The Future is Bright, the two men talk to host Chris Batz about what can happen when two firms marry their considerable strengths to make themselves even more competitive and able to take on bigger, more complex work. It’s not an overnight process. It’s the result of long, thoughtful considerate discussions, where all concerns and needs are met, responsibilities are divided fairly and sensibly, and where care is taken to make sure that all employees not only survive the merger, but are placed where they will be most successful.

Even the new name UB Greensfelder was formed as the result of conscientious talks to ensure that neither firm felt that they were being acquired, but rather were moving forward together. While no merger is without its surprises, perhaps what’s most surprising was how genuinely compatible the firms felt with each other.

Today’s discussion reflects what a genuinely pleasant experience this merger has been for both parties and what can happen when two powerful entities treat each other with mutual respect and are thoughtful down to the smallest details.

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Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Merging ambitions: Why ulmer and greensfelder came together

01:09 Leaders’ journeys: Scott and kevin’s career stories

03:00 The challenge: Competing for big clients and top talent

06:04 From strength: The power of mutual respect and shared vision

08:52 Leadership transitions and the impact of loss

11:04 Navigating roadblocks: Timelines, pandemic, and pivotal pauses

13:32 Building the perfect merger: Culture, policies, and best practices

16:07 Forging new strengths: Key practice areas uniting

21:43 Integrating operations: C-suite and team harmony

33:58 Looking forward: Growth plans and vision for the future

Quotes

“Both firms were really coming at this from positions of strength…Both firms were recognized for their work in a number of different practice areas, diverse practice areas…We came together because we thought we’d be better together—we’re seeing that happen—not because we thought we were in desperation mode.” (5:14 | Kevin McLaughlin)

“Neither of us wanted to feel like we were being acquired. We wanted it to be a true merger of equals and that required a discussion about, ‘How do you do this and how do you do that?’ Every single policy. And it was a discussion—we use that word intentionally—because it wasn’t a negotiation…We also agreed—and I think this is key—that we were just going to try to figure out the best way to do it, the best practice, for everything.” (12:56 | Scott Kadish)

“I think it’s because of the length of time that we were talking that there really weren’t any significant surprises. Conflicts—our general counsel, at one point he said to me, ‘I am shocked at how few conflicts we’re having.’ And especially we didn’t have any what I would call ‘material conflicts’…in terms of impacting the overall firm, not really at all.” (29:44 | Kevin McLaughlin)

“The merger will really be successful if people develop new relationships and new contacts. Otherwise, if they’re stuck in the same place and they don’t reach out and develop these…then their practice is not going to be affected by the merger. But this is a unique opportunity to grow your client base and grow your business with people who you’ll enjoy practicing with.” (33:22 | Scott Kadish)

Links

Connect with Scott Kadish:

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Firm Website Bio

Connect with Kevin McLaughlin:

Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn

Firm Website Bio

Connect with Chris Batz:

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Follow Columbus Street on LinkedIn

Follow MergerWatch on LinkedIn

Columbus Street Website

MergerWatch.com

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