ez su a8 ez su capitalbusiness boutique law firm strives ... · hired danish architecture firm...
TRANSCRIPT
Unlike some others, I’m at ease when I walk through the serene hallways at Zuck-erman Spaeder, 10 floors above one of Washington’s busiest intersections.
I am here for an interview.Most people are in trou-
ble when they come to see the hired guns in this boutique law firm. Clients bleed big money to clean up those messes, up to $1,000 an hour.
“We represent people and companies who are often in the worst situations of their lives,” said Roger Zuckerman,.73, a founding partner and elder statesmen who wants to see his creation live on.
Call it high-performance litigation.The firm’s past cases are right out of the
headlines: Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former International Monetary Fund chief caught up in financial and sex scandals. Alan Cranston, the late U.S. senator from California who was dubbed one of the Keating Five. Former Internal Revenue Ser-vice official Lois Lerner. AOL. Enron. The Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. White-water. NFL concussions. Massey Energy’s Don Blankenship. Columbia/HCA. Refco. Fannie Mae. Freddie Mac.
Zuckerman Spaeder’s 100 lawyers, 30 of whom are partners, have thrived as in- dependent troubleshooters when many contemporaries were getting gobbled up by Big Law.
“The remarkable thing about Zucker-man Spaeder is that we are still alive,” said William W. Taylor, a founding part-ner whose bluntness contrasts with co-founder Zuckerman’s lyrical verbosity.
As the firm celebrates its 40th anni-versary, it faces challenges in an industry racked by turmoil.
Smaller firms, even some large ones, have
been dying off. Many law partnerships have gone into consolidation mode, with 1,000-lawyer firms putting offices around the globe and offering one-stop shopping for a variety of legal services.
In a world of generalists, “we try to be good at one thing,” said Dwight Bostwick, the firm’s new chairman. The responsibil-ity for ensuring the continuum of Zuck-erman Spaeder’s way of life — smallish, specialized, highly profitable — has fallen to Bostwick. At 55, he is an eight-year veteran of the firm.
Bostwick’s job is a balancing act. He must tend to the million and one details that go with running a multimillion-dollar busi-
ness with nearly 200 employees across four offices in Tampa, Baltimore, New York and Washington.
He must also keep the peace so the tal-ent can do its thing. That means hiring well and keeping jerks — no matter how talented — out of the mix. The firm, like others that flourish, lives on its case flow.
“Winning is important,” said Taylor, who last month won a big victory for for-mer coal executive Blankenship, who faced felony charges related to a mining tragedy and was convicted of just a misdemeanor. He is appealing.
“The next trick is to carry this into the next generation,” Taylor said. “All of us
Linda Davidson/The Washington PostDwight Bostwick, left, is the new chairman of Zuckerman Spaeder. Bostwick is an eight-year veteran of the law firm started by Roger Zuckerman, right, and several others in the 1970s.
MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2016
Boutique law firm strives to stay small, successful
A8 EZ SU THE WASHINGTON POST . MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2016
BY ABHA BHATTARAI
When restaurateur José An-drés was looking to raise moneyto expand his fast-casual con-cept, he turned to a few oldfriends, including venture capi-talists Steve Case and MichaelKlein.
Also on his list: Gwyneth Pal-trow.
The actress-turned-cookbook-author, it turns out, is a frequent
visitor to Beefsteak, Andrés’snew vegetable-focused eatery.
“She told me kind of jokingly,‘José, if you need investors, letme know,’ ” Andrés said. “So Isaid, ‘Hey Gwynnie, now is themoment.’ ”
In all, he raised $9.25 millionfrom eight investors, accordingto a Dec. 30 Securities and Ex-change Commission filing — Pal-trow included, Andrés said.
Andrés would not disclose
howmuch each investor contrib-uted, but the filing shows thateach invested a minimum of$100,000.
Paltrow declined to commentfor this story.
Andrés also received fundingfrom venture capital firms SWaN& Legend in Leesburg and Khos-la Ventures in Menlo Park, Calif.(Klein, co-founder and chairmanof the Sunlight Foundation, andCase, co-founder of Revolution,
both invested as individuals, noton behalf of their firms.)
“We consider this a great up-and-coming company,” said Fre-drick D. Schaufeld, managingdirector of SWaN & Legend. “Thefood tastes great, it has the flavorof José Andrés, as well as themarket strength of José Andrés.”
Schaufeld declined to say howmuch his firm had invested inBeefsteak, but said it was “a fairamount.”
Themoney is to be used to fuelthe expansion of Beefsteak,which debuted last spring withlocations in Foggy Bottom andDupont Circle. Additional loca-tions in Tenleytown and at theUniversity of Pennsylvania inPhiladelphia are also in theworks.
Andrés, one of the most well-known of the area’s celebritychefs, has helped put Washing-ton on the map as a foodiedestination with nearly a dozenarea restaurants, including Ja-leo, Zaytinya and Minibar.
With Beefsteak, his first foray
into fast-casual dining, he sayshe has developed a model thatcan be easily replicable aroundthe country.
“If this concept proves it haslegs, this is very exciting for whatis to come,” Andrés said. “We’reproving that the love for vegeta-bles is very big and broad.”
As for his future fundraisingrounds, Andrés says he has hiseye on another celebrity friend:MC Hammer.
“Every time he’s in D.C., heeats five times a day at Beef-steak,” Andrés said.
Unlike someothers, I’m at easewhen Iwalkthrough theserene hallways atZuckermanSpaeder, 10 floorsabove one ofWashington’sbusiestintersections.
I amhere for aninterview.
Mostpeopleare in troublewhentheycome to see thehiredguns inthisboutique law firm.Clientsbleedbigmoney tocleanup thosemesses, up to$1,000anhour.
“We represent people andcompanieswho are often in theworst situations of their lives,”saidRoger Zuckerman, 73, afounding partner and elderstatesmanwhowants to see hiscreation live on.
Call it high-performancelitigation.
The firm’s past cases are rightout of the headlines: DominiqueStrauss-Kahn, the formerInternationalMonetary Fundchief caught up in financial andsex scandals. AlanCranston, thelateU.S. senator fromCaliforniawhowas dubbed one of theKeating Five. Former InternalRevenue Service official LoisLerner. AOL. Enron. The SaltLake CityWinterOlympics.Whitewater. NFL concussions.Massey Energy’s DonBlankenship. Columbia/HCA.Refco. FannieMae. FreddieMac.
Zuckerman Spaeder’s 100lawyers, 30 ofwhomare partners,have thrived as independenttroubleshooterswhenmanycontemporarieswere gettinggobbled up byBig Law.
“The remarkable thingaboutZuckermanSpaeder is thatwearestill alive,” saidWilliamW.Taylor, afoundingpartnerwhosebluntnesscontrastswithco-founderZuckerman’s lyrical verbosity.
As the firm celebrates its 40thanniversary, it faces challenges inan industry racked by turmoil.
Smaller firms, even some largeones, have been dying off.Manylawpartnerships have gone intoconsolidationmode,with 1,000-lawyer firms putting officesaround the globe and offeringone-stop shopping for a variety oflegal services.
In aworld of generalists, “wetry to be good at one thing,” saidDwight Bostwick, the firm’s newchairman. The responsibility forensuring the continuumofZuckerman Spaeder’s way of life— smallish, specialized, highlyprofitable—has fallen toBostwick. At 55, he is an eight-year veteran of the firm.
Bostwick’s job is abalancingact.Hemust tend to themillionandonedetails thatgowith runningamultimillion-dollarbusinesswithnearly200employeesacross fouroffices inTampa,Baltimore,NewYorkandWashington.
Hemust also keep the peace sothe talent can do its thing. Thatmeans hiringwell and keeping
jerks—nomatter how talented—out of themix. The firm, likeothers that flourish, lives on itscase flow.
“Winning is important,” saidTaylor, who lastmonthwon a bigvictory for former coal executiveBlankenship, who faced felonycharges related to aminingtragedy andwas convicted of justamisdemeanor.He is appealing.
“The next trick is to carry thisinto the next generation,” Taylorsaid. “All of us older guys aregoing to die soon.”
Youwin, you getmore cases.Youmakemoremoney. AndZuckerman Spaedermakesmoney. Lots. Its profit-per-partner, a keymetric, ismorethan $1million.
“Your goal is to handle thecases that are entrusted to you inan effective and profitablewayand in away thatwill cause thepeoplewho sent them to you tosend others,” Taylor said.
Zuckerman Spaeder does nothave the luxury of big corporateclients delivering annual seven-figure retainers to swat flies andkeep themout of themuck.
“Most boutique law firms thatdo one thing very, verywell arecreated around very charismatic,excellent individuals,” Bostwicksaid. “The challenge in thoseenvironments is to keep a team-oriented spirit and bring to thefore the younger generation.”
Translation:Don’tmess it up.Its bench is deep and filled
with people in their 40s and 50swho cut their teeth helping theTaylors andZuckermans succeed.
“We’re ready to put our ownstampon the place,” said CarolineJudgeMehta, a partner and risingstar in thewhite-collar-crimepractice.
Thecaseshavebeencomingsincethe1970s,whentwoRogers,ZuckermanandSpaeder,andTaylor
andsomeotherhungry localprosecutorsandpublicdefendersdecidedtopool their talents.
“We started from scratch,”Zuckerman said. “It was notpremeditated.”
The legalmarket in the 1970swas in a period of growth,with ademand for sophisticated trialand legal services fromgoodlawyers. It was fertile territory,breeding such local legal legendsas TomGreen, JimSharp, EarlSilbert, BobBennett, BrendanSullivan, RichardHibey, JohnDowd. AndTaylor andZuckerman.
Zuckerman andhis fellowlawyers “figured out the rightformula.We figured out thevalueswe needed to develop thisfirm. It was intuitive.”
They took on difficult cases,sometimes defending other lawfirms on professional liabilityissues, a sector that some firmswill not touch.
They grew, adding offices inFlorida, which became amoneymaker. They opened inBaltimore.ThenNewYork. They begantrying cases around the country,getting their name out.
Courts, particularly federaljudges, were increasinglywillingto entertain limited appearancesof lawyers fromotherjurisdictions. It helpedZuckerman Spaeder’s visibility.
So did caseswith big names.Theyworked alongside, andsometimes for, themajor legalplayers of the day: AlanDershowitz. F. Lee Bailey.LeonardB. Boudin.
Zuckerman Spaeder “carefullyfashioned a strategic approach toclient problem-solving,” saidMark Tuohey, a local white-collarlawyer andnow counsel toD.C.MayorMuriel E. Bowser.
As it reaches its tippingpoint,the firmhasmatured intoa smaller
versionof its chief cross-townrival:Williams&Connolly. Part ofthemagic tokeep it going iskeeping itshiringhighly selective.
“We are very careful,”Zuckerman said. “It’s not onlybrains that get you in. It is styleand personality in away that’sdecent and accommodating.”
As amember of the trial bar, itis no surprise ZuckermanSpaeder is knee-deep inDemocrats, although it does nothave a political action committee.Indeed, several of its formerlawyers accepted big jobs in theObama administration, includingambassadorships and posts in theoffice of theWhiteHouse counsel.
Politics, of course,makes itsway into the “funky culture.”Holiday parties include lip-syncsand political skits imitatingHillary Clinton, GeorgeW. Bushand others.
As I turn a corner onmywayout of the firm, Zuckerman greetsme, clad in jeans, loafers and ascarfwrapped over an expensive-looking sport coat that he swearsis 20 years old.
The co-founder is off to aluncheonmeeting, leaving someof the heavy lifting to theDwightBostwicks andCaroline JudgeMehtas of theworld.
Sohereally issteppingbackandlettingtheyoungstersmoveahead?
“It’s very important,”Zuckermanhad said, lecturingme as if I were a juror on one ofhis cases. “You’ve got tounderstand that thosewhowerefounders havewillingly adoptedtheGeorgeWashington pose andmoved gracefully to the rear ofthe bus, and let other people drivethe bus. Not grudgingly, butwithgreat pleasure and pride.”
He acknowledges that he justused amixedmetaphor, butwhatthe heck. It works.
Boutique law firm strives to stay small, successful
ValueAddedTHOMASHEATH
LINDA DAVIDSON/THE WASHINGTON POST
Dwight Bostwick, left, is the new chairman of Zuckerman Spaeder. Bostwick is an eight-year veteranof the law firm started by Roger Zuckerman, right, and several others in the 1970s.
capital business
BY JONATHAN O’CONNELL
Even while his team waspreparing for the playoffs, DanSnyder made a snazzy newsigning.
The Washington Redskinshired Danish architecturefirm Bjarke Ingels Group todesign a new stadium for theteam, according to an officialfamiliar with the decision, afirst formal step signifying theteam’s intention to depart Fed-Ex Field in Landover, Md., andbuild a new stadium elsewherein the region.
Bjarke Ingels Group is one ofthe industry’s buzziest archi-tecture firms, having madeheadlines last year when it wasselected to design Google’s fu-turistic greenhouse-style head-quarters campus in MountainView, Calif. Locally the firm isworking with the Smithsonianon a 20-year master plan formuseums on the National Malland has held a number ofexhibitions at the NationalBuilding Museum, including alife-size maze it created in themuseum’s great hall.
Before signing a deal withBjarke Ingels, Snyder’s team con-sidered other firms with moreexperience designing NFL stadi-ums, according to executives fa-miliar with the selection proc-ess. Team spokesman Tony Wyl-lie did not return a request forcomment on the selection. DariaPahhota, a spokeswoman forBjarke Ingels Group (BIG), de-clined to comment. “We areworking on an NFL stadium, butwe can’t identify who the clientis,” she said.
The firm’s selection was re-ported earlier Wednesday by theSports Business Journal.
For more than a year theRedskins have been angling forsupport among local elected offi-cials for a new stadium locationdespite the fact that the team’slease at FedEx Field does notexpire until 2027.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe(D) has pitched the team onlocations in Loudoun Countyalong the unbuilt second leg ofMetro’s Silver Line, and the teamhired lobbyists from McGuireWoods to advance support for astadium among state legisla-tors. D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bows-er (D), meanwhile, has inquiredwith federal officials controllingthe land beneath RFK Stadiumabout building a new stadiumthere.
The team’s stadium efforts,
however, have been hampered bythe club’s unwillingness tochange its name, which manyNative American groups consid-er a racist slur. Many electedofficials in the Washington areado not use the name, and whenBowser inquired about the RFKland, she was rebuffed by Interi-or Secretary Sally Jewell, whohas likened the name to calling ateam the “Brownskins” or the“Whiteskins.”
Bowser says she too considersthe name offensive and that itneeds to be changed for the teamto return to the District, andCapitol Hill residents have re-peatedly voiced opposition to theidea of a new NFL stadium intheir neighborhood.
But in an interview Tuesday,the mayor reiterated her com-mitment to returning the team tothe District. The District isstudying what to do with theRFK property when the D.C.United soccer team departs forits own new stadium in 2018.Bowser also said she planned toattend the football team’s playoffgame Sunday against the GreenBay Packers.
“I know they want to be atRFK,” Bowser said. “It’s the onlyplace that makes sense.”
Like some of the team’s foot-ball-related moves over theyears, the team’s hiring of anarchitecture firm without know-ing the plot of land — or even thestate or city —where the stadiumwould be built raised some eye-brows.
D.C. United, for example, wait-ed until after it had negotiated acomplex deal with the D.C. gov-ernment for land on BuzzardPoint, including approval by theD.C. Council, before hiring theKansas City firm Populous todesign its own new home.
The Redskins have not negoti-ated a deal with Prince George’sCounty to break its lease atFedEx Field.
Bjarke Ingels does not havelengthy experience designingsports stadiums, arena or facili-ties. The firm’s selection repre-sented “a very interesting anddifferent kind of choice” becauseof its splashy work on an assort-ment of other projects and re-cent foray into sports, said Chris-topher S. Dunlavey, president ofthe D.C.-based planning and ar-chitectural firm Brailsford &Dunlavey, which worked on Na-tionals Park.
“People involved in build-ing stadiums are usually veryreliant on the firms who havedemonstrated a strong record inunderstanding sports sites,”Dunlavey said. “BIG is knownvery well for very innovativearchitecture and design, but theyhaven’t been known for that kindof expertise.”[email protected]
Redskins hirestadium architectBjarke Ingels Groupof Denmark selected,
but no site is determined
Actress Paltrow gets a slice of Andrés’s Beefsteak
SARAH L. VOISIN/THE WASHINGTON POST SCOTT SUCHMAN FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
José Andrés, top, raised $9.25 million from eight investors, including two top venture capitalists and actress Gwyneth Paltrow, to expand his vegetable-heavy, fast-casual restaurant concept.
A8 EZ SU THE WASHINGTON POST . MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2016
BY ABHA BHATTARAI
When restaurateur José An-drés was looking to raise moneyto expand his fast-casual con-cept, he turned to a few oldfriends, including venture capi-talists Steve Case and MichaelKlein.
Also on his list: Gwyneth Pal-trow.
The actress-turned-cookbook-author, it turns out, is a frequent
visitor to Beefsteak, Andrés’snew vegetable-focused eatery.
“She told me kind of jokingly,‘José, if you need investors, letme know,’ ” Andrés said. “So Isaid, ‘Hey Gwynnie, now is themoment.’ ”
In all, he raised $9.25 millionfrom eight investors, accordingto a Dec. 30 Securities and Ex-change Commission filing — Pal-trow included, Andrés said.
Andrés would not disclose
howmuch each investor contrib-uted, but the filing shows thateach invested a minimum of$100,000.
Paltrow declined to commentfor this story.
Andrés also received fundingfrom venture capital firms SWaN& Legend in Leesburg and Khos-la Ventures in Menlo Park, Calif.(Klein, co-founder and chairmanof the Sunlight Foundation, andCase, co-founder of Revolution,
both invested as individuals, noton behalf of their firms.)
“We consider this a great up-and-coming company,” said Fre-drick D. Schaufeld, managingdirector of SWaN & Legend. “Thefood tastes great, it has the flavorof José Andrés, as well as themarket strength of José Andrés.”
Schaufeld declined to say howmuch his firm had invested inBeefsteak, but said it was “a fairamount.”
Themoney is to be used to fuelthe expansion of Beefsteak,which debuted last spring withlocations in Foggy Bottom andDupont Circle. Additional loca-tions in Tenleytown and at theUniversity of Pennsylvania inPhiladelphia are also in theworks.
Andrés, one of the most well-known of the area’s celebritychefs, has helped put Washing-ton on the map as a foodiedestination with nearly a dozenarea restaurants, including Ja-leo, Zaytinya and Minibar.
With Beefsteak, his first foray
into fast-casual dining, he sayshe has developed a model thatcan be easily replicable aroundthe country.
“If this concept proves it haslegs, this is very exciting for whatis to come,” Andrés said. “We’reproving that the love for vegeta-bles is very big and broad.”
As for his future fundraisingrounds, Andrés says he has hiseye on another celebrity friend:MC Hammer.
“Every time he’s in D.C., heeats five times a day at Beef-steak,” Andrés said.
Unlike someothers, I’m at easewhen Iwalkthrough theserene hallways atZuckermanSpaeder, 10 floorsabove one ofWashington’sbusiestintersections.
I amhere for aninterview.
Mostpeopleare in troublewhentheycome to see thehiredguns inthisboutique law firm.Clientsbleedbigmoney tocleanup thosemesses, up to$1,000anhour.
“We represent people andcompanieswho are often in theworst situations of their lives,”saidRoger Zuckerman, 73, afounding partner and elderstatesmanwhowants to see hiscreation live on.
Call it high-performancelitigation.
The firm’s past cases are rightout of the headlines: DominiqueStrauss-Kahn, the formerInternationalMonetary Fundchief caught up in financial andsex scandals. AlanCranston, thelateU.S. senator fromCaliforniawhowas dubbed one of theKeating Five. Former InternalRevenue Service official LoisLerner. AOL. Enron. The SaltLake CityWinterOlympics.Whitewater. NFL concussions.Massey Energy’s DonBlankenship. Columbia/HCA.Refco. FannieMae. FreddieMac.
Zuckerman Spaeder’s 100lawyers, 30 ofwhomare partners,have thrived as independenttroubleshooterswhenmanycontemporarieswere gettinggobbled up byBig Law.
“The remarkable thingaboutZuckermanSpaeder is thatwearestill alive,” saidWilliamW.Taylor, afoundingpartnerwhosebluntnesscontrastswithco-founderZuckerman’s lyrical verbosity.
As the firm celebrates its 40thanniversary, it faces challenges inan industry racked by turmoil.
Smaller firms, even some largeones, have been dying off.Manylawpartnerships have gone intoconsolidationmode,with 1,000-lawyer firms putting officesaround the globe and offeringone-stop shopping for a variety oflegal services.
In aworld of generalists, “wetry to be good at one thing,” saidDwight Bostwick, the firm’s newchairman. The responsibility forensuring the continuumofZuckerman Spaeder’s way of life— smallish, specialized, highlyprofitable—has fallen toBostwick. At 55, he is an eight-year veteran of the firm.
Bostwick’s job is abalancingact.Hemust tend to themillionandonedetails thatgowith runningamultimillion-dollarbusinesswithnearly200employeesacross fouroffices inTampa,Baltimore,NewYorkandWashington.
Hemust also keep the peace sothe talent can do its thing. Thatmeans hiringwell and keeping
jerks—nomatter how talented—out of themix. The firm, likeothers that flourish, lives on itscase flow.
“Winning is important,” saidTaylor, who lastmonthwon a bigvictory for former coal executiveBlankenship, who faced felonycharges related to aminingtragedy andwas convicted of justamisdemeanor.He is appealing.
“The next trick is to carry thisinto the next generation,” Taylorsaid. “All of us older guys aregoing to die soon.”
Youwin, you getmore cases.Youmakemoremoney. AndZuckerman Spaedermakesmoney. Lots. Its profit-per-partner, a keymetric, ismorethan $1million.
“Your goal is to handle thecases that are entrusted to you inan effective and profitablewayand in away thatwill cause thepeoplewho sent them to you tosend others,” Taylor said.
Zuckerman Spaeder does nothave the luxury of big corporateclients delivering annual seven-figure retainers to swat flies andkeep themout of themuck.
“Most boutique law firms thatdo one thing very, verywell arecreated around very charismatic,excellent individuals,” Bostwicksaid. “The challenge in thoseenvironments is to keep a team-oriented spirit and bring to thefore the younger generation.”
Translation:Don’tmess it up.Its bench is deep and filled
with people in their 40s and 50swho cut their teeth helping theTaylors andZuckermans succeed.
“We’re ready to put our ownstampon the place,” said CarolineJudgeMehta, a partner and risingstar in thewhite-collar-crimepractice.
Thecaseshavebeencomingsincethe1970s,whentwoRogers,ZuckermanandSpaeder,andTaylor
andsomeotherhungry localprosecutorsandpublicdefendersdecidedtopool their talents.
“We started from scratch,”Zuckerman said. “It was notpremeditated.”
The legalmarket in the 1970swas in a period of growth,with ademand for sophisticated trialand legal services fromgoodlawyers. It was fertile territory,breeding such local legal legendsas TomGreen, JimSharp, EarlSilbert, BobBennett, BrendanSullivan, RichardHibey, JohnDowd. AndTaylor andZuckerman.
Zuckerman andhis fellowlawyers “figured out the rightformula.We figured out thevalueswe needed to develop thisfirm. It was intuitive.”
They took on difficult cases,sometimes defending other lawfirms on professional liabilityissues, a sector that some firmswill not touch.
They grew, adding offices inFlorida, which became amoneymaker. They opened inBaltimore.ThenNewYork. They begantrying cases around the country,getting their name out.
Courts, particularly federaljudges, were increasinglywillingto entertain limited appearancesof lawyers fromotherjurisdictions. It helpedZuckerman Spaeder’s visibility.
So did caseswith big names.Theyworked alongside, andsometimes for, themajor legalplayers of the day: AlanDershowitz. F. Lee Bailey.LeonardB. Boudin.
Zuckerman Spaeder “carefullyfashioned a strategic approach toclient problem-solving,” saidMark Tuohey, a local white-collarlawyer andnow counsel toD.C.MayorMuriel E. Bowser.
As it reaches its tippingpoint,the firmhasmatured intoa smaller
versionof its chief cross-townrival:Williams&Connolly. Part ofthemagic tokeep it going iskeeping itshiringhighly selective.
“We are very careful,”Zuckerman said. “It’s not onlybrains that get you in. It is styleand personality in away that’sdecent and accommodating.”
As amember of the trial bar, itis no surprise ZuckermanSpaeder is knee-deep inDemocrats, although it does nothave a political action committee.Indeed, several of its formerlawyers accepted big jobs in theObama administration, includingambassadorships and posts in theoffice of theWhiteHouse counsel.
Politics, of course,makes itsway into the “funky culture.”Holiday parties include lip-syncsand political skits imitatingHillary Clinton, GeorgeW. Bushand others.
As I turn a corner onmywayout of the firm, Zuckerman greetsme, clad in jeans, loafers and ascarfwrapped over an expensive-looking sport coat that he swearsis 20 years old.
The co-founder is off to aluncheonmeeting, leaving someof the heavy lifting to theDwightBostwicks andCaroline JudgeMehtas of theworld.
Sohereally issteppingbackandlettingtheyoungstersmoveahead?
“It’s very important,”Zuckermanhad said, lecturingme as if I were a juror on one ofhis cases. “You’ve got tounderstand that thosewhowerefounders havewillingly adoptedtheGeorgeWashington pose andmoved gracefully to the rear ofthe bus, and let other people drivethe bus. Not grudgingly, butwithgreat pleasure and pride.”
He acknowledges that he justused amixedmetaphor, butwhatthe heck. It works.
Boutique law firm strives to stay small, successful
ValueAddedTHOMASHEATH
LINDA DAVIDSON/THE WASHINGTON POST
Dwight Bostwick, left, is the new chairman of Zuckerman Spaeder. Bostwick is an eight-year veteranof the law firm started by Roger Zuckerman, right, and several others in the 1970s.
capital business
BY JONATHAN O’CONNELL
Even while his team waspreparing for the playoffs, DanSnyder made a snazzy newsigning.
The Washington Redskinshired Danish architecturefirm Bjarke Ingels Group todesign a new stadium for theteam, according to an officialfamiliar with the decision, afirst formal step signifying theteam’s intention to depart Fed-Ex Field in Landover, Md., andbuild a new stadium elsewherein the region.
Bjarke Ingels Group is one ofthe industry’s buzziest archi-tecture firms, having madeheadlines last year when it wasselected to design Google’s fu-turistic greenhouse-style head-quarters campus in MountainView, Calif. Locally the firm isworking with the Smithsonianon a 20-year master plan formuseums on the National Malland has held a number ofexhibitions at the NationalBuilding Museum, including alife-size maze it created in themuseum’s great hall.
Before signing a deal withBjarke Ingels, Snyder’s team con-sidered other firms with moreexperience designing NFL stadi-ums, according to executives fa-miliar with the selection proc-ess. Team spokesman Tony Wyl-lie did not return a request forcomment on the selection. DariaPahhota, a spokeswoman forBjarke Ingels Group (BIG), de-clined to comment. “We areworking on an NFL stadium, butwe can’t identify who the clientis,” she said.
The firm’s selection was re-ported earlier Wednesday by theSports Business Journal.
For more than a year theRedskins have been angling forsupport among local elected offi-cials for a new stadium locationdespite the fact that the team’slease at FedEx Field does notexpire until 2027.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe(D) has pitched the team onlocations in Loudoun Countyalong the unbuilt second leg ofMetro’s Silver Line, and the teamhired lobbyists from McGuireWoods to advance support for astadium among state legisla-tors. D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bows-er (D), meanwhile, has inquiredwith federal officials controllingthe land beneath RFK Stadiumabout building a new stadiumthere.
The team’s stadium efforts,
however, have been hampered bythe club’s unwillingness tochange its name, which manyNative American groups consid-er a racist slur. Many electedofficials in the Washington areado not use the name, and whenBowser inquired about the RFKland, she was rebuffed by Interi-or Secretary Sally Jewell, whohas likened the name to calling ateam the “Brownskins” or the“Whiteskins.”
Bowser says she too considersthe name offensive and that itneeds to be changed for the teamto return to the District, andCapitol Hill residents have re-peatedly voiced opposition to theidea of a new NFL stadium intheir neighborhood.
But in an interview Tuesday,the mayor reiterated her com-mitment to returning the team tothe District. The District isstudying what to do with theRFK property when the D.C.United soccer team departs forits own new stadium in 2018.Bowser also said she planned toattend the football team’s playoffgame Sunday against the GreenBay Packers.
“I know they want to be atRFK,” Bowser said. “It’s the onlyplace that makes sense.”
Like some of the team’s foot-ball-related moves over theyears, the team’s hiring of anarchitecture firm without know-ing the plot of land — or even thestate or city —where the stadiumwould be built raised some eye-brows.
D.C. United, for example, wait-ed until after it had negotiated acomplex deal with the D.C. gov-ernment for land on BuzzardPoint, including approval by theD.C. Council, before hiring theKansas City firm Populous todesign its own new home.
The Redskins have not negoti-ated a deal with Prince George’sCounty to break its lease atFedEx Field.
Bjarke Ingels does not havelengthy experience designingsports stadiums, arena or facili-ties. The firm’s selection repre-sented “a very interesting anddifferent kind of choice” becauseof its splashy work on an assort-ment of other projects and re-cent foray into sports, said Chris-topher S. Dunlavey, president ofthe D.C.-based planning and ar-chitectural firm Brailsford &Dunlavey, which worked on Na-tionals Park.
“People involved in build-ing stadiums are usually veryreliant on the firms who havedemonstrated a strong record inunderstanding sports sites,”Dunlavey said. “BIG is knownvery well for very innovativearchitecture and design, but theyhaven’t been known for that kindof expertise.”[email protected]
Redskins hirestadium architectBjarke Ingels Groupof Denmark selected,
but no site is determined
Actress Paltrow gets a slice of Andrés’s Beefsteak
SARAH L. VOISIN/THE WASHINGTON POST SCOTT SUCHMAN FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
José Andrés, top, raised $9.25 million from eight investors, including two top venture capitalists and actress Gwyneth Paltrow, to expand his vegetable-heavy, fast-casual restaurant concept.
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older guys are going to die soon.”You win, you get more cases. You make
more money. And Zuckerman Spaed-er makes money. Lots. Its profit-per- partner, a key metric, is more than $1 million.
“Your goal is to handle the cases that are entrusted to you in an effective and profit-able way and in a way that will cause the people who sent them to you to send oth-ers,” Taylor said.
Zuckerman Spaeder does not have the luxury of big corporate clients delivering annual seven-figure retainers to swat flies and keep them out of the muck.
“Most boutique law firms that do one thing very, very well are created around very charismatic, excellent individuals,” Bostwick said. “The challenge in those environments is to keep a team-oriented spirit and bring to the fore the younger generation.”
Translation: Don’t mess it up.Its bench is deep and filled with peo-
ple in their 40s and 50s who cut their teeth helping the Taylors and Zuckermans succeed.
“We’re ready to put our own stamp on the place,” said Caroline Judge Mehta, a partner and rising star in the white- collar-crime practice.
The cases have been coming since the 1970s, when two Rogers, Zuckerman and Spaeder, and Taylor and some other hun-gry local prosecutors and public defenders decided to pool their talents.
“We started from scratch,” Zuckerman said. “It was not premeditated.”
The legal market in the 1970s was in a period of growth, with a demand for so-
phisticated trial and legal services from good lawyers. It was fertile territory, breeding such local legal legends as Tom Green, Jim Sharp, Earl Silbert, Bob Ben-nett, Brendan Sullivan, Richard Hibey, John Dowd. And Taylor and Zuckerman.
Zuckerman and his fellow lawyers “fig-ured out the right formula. We figured out the values we needed to develop this firm. It was intuitive.”
They took on difficult cases, sometimes defending other law firms on professional liability issues, a sector that some firms will not touch.
They grew, adding offices in Florida, which became a money maker. They opened in Baltimore. Then New York. They began trying cases around the country, getting their name out.
Courts, particularly federal judges, were increasingly willing to entertain limited appearances of lawyers from other juris-dictions. It helped Zuckerman Spaeder’s visibility.
So did cases with big names. They worked alongside, and sometimes for, the major legal players of the day: Alan Dershowitz. F. Lee Bailey. Leonard B. Boudin.
Zuckerman Spaeder “carefully fashion-ed a strategic approach to client problem- solving,” said Mark Tuohey, a local white-collar lawyer and now counsel to D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser.
As it reaches its tipping point, the firm has matured into a smaller version of its chief cross-town rival:Williams & Con-nolly. Part of the magic to keep it going is keeping its hiring highly selective.
“We are very careful,” Zuckerman said.
“It’s not only brains that get you in. It is style and personality in a way that’s de-cent and accommodating.”
As a member of the trial bar, it is no sur-prise Zuckerman Spaeder is knee-deep in Democrats, although it does not have a political action committee. Indeed, sev-eral of its former lawyers accepted big jobs in the Obama administration, including ambassadorships and posts in the office of the White House counsel.
Politics, of course, makes its way into the “funky culture.” Holiday parties in-clude lip-syncs and political skits imitat-ing Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush and others.
As I turn a corner on my way out of the firm, Zuckerman greets me, clad in jeans, loafers and a scarf wrapped over an ex-pensive-looking sport coat that he swears is 20 years old.
The co-founder is off to a luncheon meeting, leaving some of the heavy lift-ing to the Dwight Bostwicks and Caroline Judge Mehtas of the world.
So he really is stepping back and letting the youngsters move ahead?
“It’s very important,” Zuckerman had said, lecturing me as if I were a juror on one of his cases. “You’ve got to under-stand that those who were founders have willingly adopted the George Washington pose and moved gracefully to the rear of the bus, and let other people drive the bus. Not grudgingly, but with great pleasure and pride.”
He acknowledges that he just used a mixed metaphor, but what the heck. It works.
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