Lateral Story - Loss, Judge and Ward

In 2018, the partners of Loss, Judge & Ward decided to explore whether to remain an independent boutique or combine with another firm in order to offer their clients a national footprint and broader practice capabilities, without losing what made their independent firm so special. The group started on a yearlong exploration of alternatives before finding their match with Dykema.

Broadened Services and a Nationwide Footprint to More Fully Serve Clients
It seemed logical to the partners of Loss, Judge & Ward that being part of a firm with a national presence across a broad array of practice areas would allow them to more fully serve their clients. But they weren’t exactly sure of the steps that would be necessary to expand their relationships.

It didn’t take long to find out. When making calls to key clients to inform them in advance about the combination with Dykema, several asked about expanding work in other areas. In the weeks that followed, other opportunities to serve clients in different parts of the country and in different practice areas also presented themselves. By providing additional value to existing clients, their long-standing relationships have deepened, exceeding their expectations of the benefits provided from being part of a larger platform. Dykema’s size offers these expanded capabilities without the high cost of potential conflicts that can be limiting at an even larger firm.

Honoring Rate Flexibility While Upholding High Quality
In a rate-sensitive, competitive space, the Loss, Judge & Ward partners knew that they would not be able to justify rate increases simply because they now had a new letterhead. They needed to find a firm with the economics and sensibilities to allow for rate flexibility.

Dykema, with its center of gravity in lower-cost cities, checked that box. Just as important, however, was Loss, Judge & Ward’s ironclad requirement that the quality of the lawyers and services delivered at any firm they would consider must be at the high level their clients had come to expect. During the search process, many candidate firms were eliminated due to the partners’ insistence on this level of quality. Lew Loss knew of Dykema’s strong reputation for excellence, which was only reinforced by the many individuals Loss, Judge & Ward met at the firm. Dykema provided rate flexibility and quality in a way other firms could not.

Chemistry before Math
Even before considering the financials of a combination, there had to be a match of cultures.

“Dykema got this exactly right,” said Lew Loss. “Within a week of deciding to meet with Dykema, we were sitting with chairman of the firm, Peter Kellett, and other members of the management team. Those initial conversations were about getting to know us as a firm and as individuals, and that spoke volumes about the Dykema culture.

We became very comfortable that Dykema has a culture of civility, integrity and respect much like our firm’s.” Now that they are immersed in the Dykema culture, their first impressions have been confirmed time and again as they have come to know their new colleagues more deeply.