Today we’d like to introduce you to Craig Thrift and Ryan McLemore.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
We have been friends for nearly 20 years. We were both practicing attorneys and eventually grew tired of the traditional law firm mold. We wanted to create a law firm that our team enjoyed, embraced modern practices, and valued each team member’s unique strengths and creativity. And so, Thrift McLemore was born.
Starting out, we wanted to specifically address the diverse needs of business owners. We recognized that small and even medium-sized businesses expect and need access to legal aptitude and expertise. We envisioned being a one-stop shop for their legal concerns because, let’s face it, navigating the legal landscape as a business owner can be a maze.
Our commitment to business owners hasn’t wavered. We’re still the go-to attorneys for business matters. However, as our client base expanded beyond business owners and our clients’ needs steered us into new territories, we evolved.
We added new practice areas that catered to the needs of business owners but also ensured we benefitted a broader spectrum of clients. Now, we’re the spot for anyone seeking real estate law, estate planning, and business law services.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Even before COVID-19, we operated as a predominantly virtual law firm. We’ve always maintained physical office space, but our philosophy from the start has been to provide flexibility of choice for our team – whether that means working remotely, in-person, or a combination of the two. We feel that flexibility is the best way to optimize our team’s performance and satisfaction.
With that, there are challenges. For example, how do we build a close-knit community and team culture despite the physical distance of some of our team members? We knew we had to develop solutions that aligned with our goal of creating a work environment our team enjoyed.
Our approach includes happy hours, trivia, “roundtables” where we brainstorm ideas, family events, a fantasy football league, Braves games, and unique experiences like having a fortune teller join one of our group dinners.
We regularly check in with our team for ideas and feedback to ensure our efforts to have fun and strengthen relationships are well-received.
We’ve been impressed with Thrift McLemore, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Thrift McLemore is a business law, real estate law, and estate planning law firm with offices in Atlanta, Macon, and Fort Lauderdale.
What distinguishes our law firm is that we designed our client experience to be efficient, easy, and effective. Quite frankly, we’ve obsessed over it. And that’s evident when you compare working with Thrift McLemore to working with a big, old-school law firm.
We’ve built a team that collaborates seamlessly. This synergy isn’t just about creating a great workplace; it directly translates to better legal representation for our clients. Our attorneys, handpicked for their expertise and ability to work cohesively, deliver effective and efficient legal services.
We’ve also strategically aligned our practice areas to benefit our clients. The combination of the right legal team and a mix of practice areas saves our clients time and money and also spares them the hassle of shopping around for different attorneys in various practice areas.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
As we built our team and brought our dream law firm to life, we quickly discovered the key to success goes beyond impressive resumes. It’s about finding the right people – those we admire professionally and enjoy working with.
The perfect mix of personalities is truly the secret sauce behind our achievements. That camaraderie and the culture make Thrift McLemore what we wanted to create – not just a law firm that delivers quality legal services but a place where you look forward to coming in every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thriftlegal.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thriftmclemore/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thriftlegal/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thrift-mclemore/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thriftmclemore
Image Credits
Katya Vilchyk Photography & Thrift McLemore
