by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
You can equate the dissolution of the Coffman, Coleman, Andrews & Grogan law firm to the Demi Moore-Bruce Willis divorce. Folks are going their own ways, they want to and they are still friends who intend to see each other in the future — both professionally and on a personal level.
“None whatsoever,” said firm partner Bill Andrews when asked if there was any animosity. “We will still have lunch together.”
The law firm was started in 1965 by Dan Coffman and over time has grew in size and stature. Andrews joined the firm in 1978 and hasn’t had another job since. That will end July 1 when he, Pat Coleman and Mike Prendergast join GrayRobinson. Coffman is moving on to become of counsel for Holland & Knight and Mike Grogan, Tim Strong and Eric Holshouser will start the Jacksonville office of Miami-based Alan Norton & Blue.
For Prendergast, Jacksonville Bar Association president from 2000-01, the move is something he’s never known. In August, he would have been with the firm for 25 years — his entire career as an attorney. Prendergast said the move to GrayRobinson was the best choice.
“I like the people and there are opportunities for our existing clients,” he said. “It’s a growing firm and it’s well-managed. All of us considered our options carefully and talked to a lot of great firms.”
Dissolving a law firm doesn’t happen overnight and it isn’t a simple process. Andrews said the firm and its partners had been approached many times over the past 15 years by over 100 firms about either merging or being acquired.
“They started cherry picking our attorneys the past couple of years,” said Andrews.
The signs soon became clear and the partners started discussing in earnest the idea of breaking up the firm about a year ago.
“Once we came to the decision, everybody was at peace with it,” said Andrews.
In GrayRobinson, Andrews is heading an Orlando-based firm with about 225 attorneys statewide and 15 in Jacksonville. Andrews said he will be able to take many of his clients and his style of practicing law to his new firm.
“I have never been more excited, quite frankly. I can’t wait to start,” he said.
In addition to everyone finding a job, the firm’s cases had to be split and reassigned. Andrews explained the Florida Bar has a set of guidelines that explains how to handle the cases of a dissolving firm or a retiring attorney. In this case, letters were sent to every client informing them of the end of the firm with an accompanying list of firms that could handle their case. The clients returned the letters and the cases were assigned.
“Our client base is very well defined,” said Andrews. “This is not something they stewed over. About 98 percent made a clear choice.
“This could not have been more amicable. We did not fight together and we will not fight leaving.”
Andrews said the building has been sold to Signet, a diagnostic imaging services company. Signet closes on the building today.
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