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Attorney D.G. Pantazis on the Importance of Cultivating Talent
Take a look at the attorney roster of Wiggins, Childs, Pantazis, Fisher & Goldfarb and you'll see a diverse mix of legal professionals. As attorney D.G. Pantazis explains, that's because the firm members pride themselves on bringing together, developing, and retaining talented lawyers. Look more closely and you'll see it goes even deeper, as there are a lot of attorneys with close family ties to one another.
This approach leads to a tight-knit culture that's particularly valuable given the wide range and national scope of the legal matters the firm takes on. The lawyers handle purely plaintiff's work across several practice areas and jurisdictions, from employment law to environmental litigation, along with a host of other legal issues.
Pantazis credits a supportive, positive law firm environment as a major contributor to the success the firm has enjoyed, and he gives a few reasons why.
Pantazis is quick to include collaboration as a prime ingredient in the firm's recipe for success. Despite a nationwide footprint and high-profile cases, he says "we're small enough that we can go into each other's offices to learn about their work."
That was particularly beneficial for Pantazis early on in his career, where his willingness to tackle new jobs and explore unfamiliar topics gave him valuable experience with a host of legal matters. "When I first got started, I wanted to take on any case that walked through the door," he quips.
And the firm's senior attorneys loved that arrangement too, as it allowed them to pass on essential, yet routine tasks to those new lawyers, so they could instead focus their skillset on the case's more complex issues.
That collaborative quality also makes it easy for new attorneys to find subject matter that they can excel in. "There are enough attorneys here doing interesting and diverse work, that there are a lot of different areas to look at," Pantazis states. In fact, it was through that organic process that Pantazis found the practice area he currently focuses on. A new attorney may not have the opportunity to cross-train and explore such a range of legal matters in a more specialized firm.
He explains that the senior partners are truly invested in the new lawyers too, offering both legal and career guidance to ensure a bright future for the firm. "There's a real willingness to share," says Pantazis. "Everyone operates in such a way that we all look out for each other." He makes it clear that the firm's attorneys understand the importance of education and talent development.
As alluded to above, there are several generations of families working under the firm's roof. While that's not uncommon in the legal profession, it's particularly prevalent (and helpful) for Wiggins, Childs, Pantazis, Fisher & Goldfarb. Pantazis, in particular, says he has been fortunate to work with his father and one of his brothers, and learn from his mother, all attorneys. But Pantazis says there's not really any extra pressure to succeed—at least not any more than any other family business.
"There are expectations that you can't run away from," he acknowledges, simply due to following in another lawyer's professional footsteps. But he explains that the benefits of growing up with the imparted knowledge from family members within the profession far, far outweigh any negative factors.
In reality, Pantazis says every employee at the firm shares the same culture and, family or not, the firm's attorneys are extraordinarily helpful and supportive of each other.
A CULTURE THAT PREDICTS SUCCESS
"The setup we have as a firm is one that I'm proud of." Pantazis says. From recruiting to client service, communication to education, the firm's culture shows benefits seemingly across the board—and that's in terms of both client satisfaction and attorney satisfaction. "I'm fortunate to work for the firm that I'm at," he beams.
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