When Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell first opened its doors in 1978, the three founding partners made a collective commitment: the day they no longer enjoyed getting up to come to work, they would stop. The three partners also encouraged a true team-oriented environment based on one fundamental principle: respect and support for each other’s accomplishments and abilities. Three decades later, RKC still remains a great place to work and practice law.
Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell has much to offer, whether you are a law student seeking a summer associate position or an experienced attorney looking for a dynamic work environment to grow your practice. Our lawyers and staff comprise a group of talented individuals who enjoy a culture of collegiality, diversity, and professionalism. While RKC is large enough to provide our people with state-of-the-art resources necessary to best serve our clients, our firm is not so large that professionals become "lost in the crowd."
We value each person’s contribution to the success of the firm and offer a challenging and energetic atmosphere with continuous opportunity for growth. We focus on mentoring all generations of litigators to embrace their roles as leaders in the profession and in the community and ensure we are always cultivating our next generation of litigators.
Each October, Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell celebrates Founders Day. The event, which links attorneys and staff from all offices through video uplinks, was established to celebrate the rich culture instilled by the firm’s founding partners, while encouraging younger attorneys and newer staff members to keep the culture alive for future generations. While much of the time is spent remembering the past, there is a focus on identifying the unique qualities of the firm’s culture and how it bonds the people who make Rumberger the great firm that it is.
Scott Sarason, the Administrative Partner in the Miami office, shares memories sparked by the celebration, “At Thom Rumberger’s memorial service, I was struck by how many people were talking about the remarkable culture that he and his partners had instilled in the firm. For me, the firm’s culture has a very personal meaning as I have been with Rumberger for 25 years now.”
Remembering what it was like to go to trial with the firm’s founding partners, Tampa Partner Rob Blank recalls how much he learned about being a trial lawyer and the importance of passing that knowledge on to the next generation. “We have an obligation to maintain the firm’s culture – to remember the past and keep the vision of the future alive,” says Blank.
Each year brings different speakers from the firm, but the overall theme remains the–acknowledgement of the basic values that have led to the firm’s success over the years:
However, the one thing that makes the firm stand out, is its people and the depth of care they have for each other – not just the lawyers, but also the paralegals, secretaries, staff and management. Leonard Dietzen, a partner in the firm’s Tallahassee office advises that a culture resides within its people. “While we strive to be a great trial firm, we do so with a special sense of friendship and collegiality.”
The firm’s culture transcends the location of its offices, despite distinct differences in each community. Many companies have a hard time holding onto their cultures as they grow. Maintaining a law firm’s culture can be especially difficult as lateral hires are brought in and new attorneys are more focused on the primary reason they joined the new firm – earning more money or having more clients. At Rumberger, the firm’s culture focuses on its people, and the support they provide for each other and their enduring friendships. “Our firm is a business, and of course financial success is a priority,” advises Frank Sheppard, RKC’s Managing Partner. “But you cannot forget that a good working environment is a contributing factor to achieving success, and our culture helps set us apart from other firms.”
“As the firm continues to grow with third and fourth generations, we make sure that we take the time to reflect, as a firm, on the importance of remembering our people and the history of RKC,” adds Sheppard. The firm celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2013. “I always receive very positive feedback from attorneys and staff after our Founders Day event,” he continues, “That’s when you know these types of things make an impact.”
