Building a Firm of Principle Versus Privilege

By Matt Skidmore, Founder, Skidmore Law Group

I’m not sure what I expected when I started SLG, but unsurprisingly, it required endless decisions. Historically, being decisive isn’t something I’ve found challenging; after all, I have experience as a decision maker. I’ve practiced law for 20 years, parented two precocious children with my wonderful wife, and lived in a society in which the technology blitz has forced us all to become near perpetual decision makers. Yet, in the initial days of SLG, I no longer found this to be true about myself. 

So why was it so hard for me to make initial decisions, both big and small, about the law firm and what I wanted it to be? The answer to that question is complicated, but in seeking to answer it, I discovered one consistent theme that became the foundation of every decision I made: values.

To build an effective organization, you need to be introspective and determine what’s important to you. I quickly realized that decisions needed to be tethered to a shared ethos. In short, core values are important, and decisions need to be shaped by them.  

In his first inaugural address, President Dwight Eisenhower reminded Americans that “A people who values its privileges over its principles loses both.” That quote has always resonated with me. I interpret it as a reminder to focus on the things that are important and to not be distracted by the things that aren’t. 

As I started to think about President Eisenhower’s advice in the context of SLG, it didn’t take me long to figure out that I valued good people with strong communications skills and unmatched ethical standards. Once I qualified what I valued most, the decision-making process became much easier.  

It started with assembling the best group of people I can possibly imagine; a group who under promise and over deliver; who command the room because of their competence, not because of unwarranted confidence; but most important of all, a group of quality individuals with the highest ethical standards. I can lay my head down at night knowing they each will always do the right thing, no matter if it’s the unpopular choice.  

I’ve watched these foundational values play out in how they serve their clients. They are empathetic communicators who have transcended from the role of counsel to the role of partner. They are gritty and work hard, and they are respected within their industry and among their peers as leaders. They reflect our firm’s non-negotiables: hard work, ethical standards, and competence.  

In many ways, this team has become one of my proudest professional achievements. What we’ve created at SLG is incredibly unique to us, and it’s something I will never take for granted. 

While I don’t know what the future holds, I know it’s bright, and I’m excited about the possibilities. The decision making is easier now, not because I’ve gotten smarter; rather, because we’ve become more focused on the values that are foundational to who we are and what we do. I’m extremely fortunate to watch my colleagues transform the business in ways that reflect our shared values. I genuinely like what we have to offer, and I hope you will too!