At Schwabe, our attorneys reflect the many personalities found in the Pacific Northwest. From die-hard outdoor enthusiasts, to dedicated sports fans, to local music aficionados, we’re more than the stuffy lawyers of yesteryear. To learn more about why some of our attorneys made the leap to join our team, we interviewed some of the newest—and oldest—members to hear why they chose Schwabe.

To kick off our survey, we talked with Brendan Crowley, a Shareholder in our Real Estate and Construction and Manufacturing, Distribution and Retail industry groups, to discover what it was about Schwabe that helped him decide to join our firm.

Schwabe: Let’s jump right to it. What made you want to join Schwabe?

BC: The whole process started over two years ago when a former colleague of mine that had moved to Schwabe organized an informal happy hour to introduce me to some of their new colleagues. Schwabe wasn’t yet on my radar, but 12 people showed up to the happy hour; that fact and the people themselves made a lasting impression on me.

Schwabe: What was it about the people?

BC: The people were easygoing. Not only did they have good professional reputations, but right away it was apparent that they enjoyed each other as colleagues and friends. Also, it really struck me that this group took time out on a weeknight to meet a guy they didn’t know.

Schwabe: But you didn’t make the move then?

BC: At the time, I wasn’t ready to make a major career change, but the impression stuck with me.

Schwabe: So what made you decide to join Schwabe?

BC: My decision was based on Schwabe’s focus on the local and regional market, and the possibility of growing a practice with the people I had met. The firm is committed to the industries and markets I serve, and I knew this was the right platform to best serve my clients and deliver value.

Schwabe: How is Schwabe different?

BC: The firm’s response to COVID-19 really highlighted the ways in which Schwabe is different. The firm and our industry groups have done so much to keep all of us—and our clients—connected. Our groups devote a lot of time to not only client service, but also to delivering useful content to and strengthening ties with the industries we serve. And we all do our best to check in on one another—people’s individual needs and experiences in quarantine vary greatly, and we all support one another.

Schwabe is a collegial group. People are bright and talented but also a pleasure to work with. To a person, everyone is approachable.

Schwabe is simply a friendly and enjoyable place to work.

Schwabe: What are some of the things that make it enjoyable?

BC: Schwabe attorneys go out of their way to recognize and support the great work that their colleagues do. The work culture at Schwabe is highly collaborative, flexible, and supportive. People know who the subject matter leaders are, and we’re not possessive of our client relationships—we excel at looking to each other to expand client relationships and add to client service teams as needs and opportunities arise. And clients obviously appreciate this. I was recently pulled into a project as a subject matter resource and, at the end of my first call with the client, the client says, enthusiastically, “This is why I like working with Schwabe: you have someone for everything!”

Schwabe: What is different about Schwabe’s network of attorneys?

BC: When you look at building a practice with different areas of knowledge, Schwabe’s emphasis on industries as a framework for growing a firm was new to me.

Now I’m seeing that framework start to work in real time. That depth and breadth of industry experience will allow us, and our clients, to weather any storm. This brings it back to how important it is to match our clients with the right people.

Schwabe’s industry groups maintain that collaborative structure, and this approach is especially helpful now, as some of our individual clients are facing similar issues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schwabe: So you like the industry focus structure of Schwabe?

BC: I do. I appreciate that platform, being centered on the Northwest and being industry focused. That’s a great way to position ourselves. People at Schwabe are proactive and quick to pursue opportunities when they can, and they’re happy to point clients to someone else in the firm if it makes more sense for the client’s business.

Schwabe: Thanks for that, Brendan.

Schwabe is incredibly thankful to have Brendan on board. His experience, personality, and willingness to dig into what our clients really need is an asset to the firm. And, in the way we try to find the right attorneys to help our clients, we’re always looking for collaborative, passionate people to join our team. If you are interested in learning more about Schwabe, please don’t hesitate to reach out to AttorneyRecruiting@schwabe.com.