As we celebrate 25 years since the merger of Nixon Peabody, we’re sharing the stories of attorneys and staff colleagues who were here from the start. We’re excited to continue our spotlight series with a Q&A featuring Joseph Ortego, a partner in Nixon's Long Island office.
Tell us about your role in 1999, when Peabody & Brown merged with Nixon, Hargrave. Describe what the firm was like then and how it changed post-merger.
I joined Nixon, Hargrave as a lateral partner in 1998. I had some friends there, and I liked what I knew about the firm culture. Soon after, we started merger discussions with Peabody Brown. The profession was shifting at that time; there were big combinations of talent happening throughout the legal ecosystem. Nixon, Hargrave was in a lot of small markets; we had great attorneys, but we lacked the raw numbers and bench strength we needed to compete in a changing marketplace. If we didn’t scale up, we were going to be left behind.
The merger resulted in a new entity, Nixon Peabody. Peabody Brown was an excellent merger partner for us; their big-city footprint and entrepreneurial focus complemented what we did well. We were able to be stronger together without losing our individual identities.
Why did it work? It worked because a lot of the lawyers had strong personal relationships with one another. We were fishing in the same pond. We networked together and attended conferences together. We were looking for the same things and willing to put in the time to build relationships and develop clients.
Fast forward to today…what does this 25-year milestone mean for the firm?
It means the choices we made when we merged in 1999 were the right ones. I left a firm I had been at for 20 years to join Nixon, Hargrave. But I recognized the need for change, and so did the people who led this effort.
We became more business-oriented, which has helped us survive and thrive over the past 25 years. We built a sustainable economic model that rewards attorneys who serve clients well and develop business. This has become a very competitive profession; if we hadn’t made those changes, we would’ve been swallowed up.
It's interesting to look back on this now because I think we’re entering a new era of change in BigLaw. And people are more amenable to change now. And we need to be asking ourselves the same questions now that we did in 1999. How do we best respond to the changes that we see happening?
What do you think have been the key drivers of the firm's success over the years?
There is a strong core of people driving our business. We work well together, and we aren’t threatened by each other. We’re driving success on a legal basis for our clients and on an economic basis for our firm. That’s what you want.
How do you see the firm's role and impact on the industry evolving in the next decade?
We must continue to broaden the scope of our services to clients while also ensuring we have a diverse workforce. We do a good job in both of these areas, but we have to stay committed and keep driving forward.
I was one of the first Hispanic attorneys at our firm, and I’m proud of that. We must have a workforce that looks like the people we represent—it makes us better and more competitive. Bring your heritage to work; bring your authentic self to work—the work is better when you do.
At the same time, it boils down to your practice. If you build yourself a practice and become a good lawyer, the other markers of success will come. In some ways, this is a very simple profession. Developing as an attorney is the number one thing that determines your trajectory.
And as for the firm, we have to maintain and increase our bench strength. We have to continue cultivating a diverse mix of practices in the areas our clients need. If we do, we’ll celebrate a 50th anniversary and a 100th anniversary.
