Founded in 1986 by Bill Stone and Bob Cole and primarily focusing on insurance defense, Cole, Stone, Stoudemire, Morgan & Dore has grown to 12 attorneys and occupies the second floor of the Saxelby Building on Hogan Street. Daily Record staff writer Sean McManus met recently with the partners to discuss the firm.
HOW HAS THIS FIRM GROWN?
“It was all internal growth. Bob [Cole] and Bill [Stone] ran the firm for four years and then Richard Stoudemire came on in 1990 to help us expand the practice. We contribute our steady growth to responding to the needs of our clients.”
SO WHAT KIND OF LAW DO YOU FOCUS ON CURRENTLY?
“There are a few different ways to say it. We are a full service trial practice firm. We are a general civil litigation firm. We are involved heavily in insurance defense and handle general personal injury law and general professional defense as well. We don’t do criminal law or family law.”
ARE YOU BUSY?
“Yes. Actually our firm ends up doing better when the economy is slow because there is more litigation. We’re actually trying to hire another attorney right now.”
CLIENTS LIST
Modis, CSX, Winn-Dixie, Target, CNA Insurance, Travelers Insurance, Signa Insurance, State Farm Insurance, Bank of America and North Florida Shipyards.
HOW DOES A FIRM IN JACKSONVILLE DO WORK FOR SO MANY GLOBAL INSURANCE COMPANIES?
“The way it works in that industry is that we handle cases geographically. So we do a lot of work for huge companies but focus on their North Florida and north central Florida operations.”
IS EVERY ONE OF THE PARTNERS FROM JACKSONVILLE?
“Definitely raised, and mostly born.”
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS BUILDING?
“We actually purchased this building in November 2000 and moved in September of the following year. It’s the former Levy-Wolf building and has a lot of history. It was built in 1927 and has the only manually operated elevator still in Jacksonville. But not for long.”
WHY DID YOU PICK THIS LOCATION?
“We are a trial firm and wanted to position ourselves next to the new courthouse and the new library. And we want to contribute to the revitalization of downtown.”
WHAT QUALITIES ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A NEW EMPLOYEE?
“Good communication skills, someone who can think quickly on their feet and express ideas clearly to a judge and a jury and to other lawyers. We want someone who can work effectively with clients and instill confidence. We want someone with character and integrity. There were times when our firm could’ve grown faster, but we restrained because we wanted to preserve what we think is a pretty unique culture.”
HOW DOES THE CORPORATE GOVERNANCE WORK HERE?
“Every decision is reached by a consensus of the partners. We don’t really have a managing partner as such. Every year we rotate in a new president and right now that’s Mary [Morgan].”
HOW MANY FEMALE LAWYERS WORK HERE?
“Four. “
TELL ME ABOUT OTHER ACTIVITIES?
“If you mean law-related activities, Cole Stone has had two past presidents of the Jacksonville Defense Lawyers Association (JDLA). Mary was the past chair of the Florida Worker’s Compensation Joint Underwriter’s Association and serves on the Fourth Circuit Pro Bono team. Bob [Cole] is a member of the Jacksonville Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).”
HOW ABOUT CHARITY?
“As a firm we have supported the Hubbard House, daniel, the Sulzbacher Center, and of course Legal Aid. Bob is on the board of the March of Dimes, the JU Council, Baptist Health, and the First Baptist Medical Center. “
ANYTHING ELSE?
“Bob tried the first case ever to be aired on Court TV in Jacksonville. It was a medical malpractice case in 1996.”