Founding partner in 'state of shock' over planned dissolution of 18-attorney law firm
After nearly 40 years in business, a well-regarded 18-attorney law firm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is poised to dissove.
Managing partner Kim Smith announced Thursday that Hartman Underhill & Brubaker expects to close its doors within the next several months, citing the departures of some lawyers, resultant loss of business and competition from law firms outside the county as factors in the decision, Lancaster Online reports.
The news put founder Chris Underhill in a “state of shock,” he said, and it also startled Lancaster’s mayor, Rick Gray, who practiced law before assuming his current role.
“Law firms change, law firms come and go, but it’s unusual for a firm which has partners’ names with real Lancaster County history to dissolve,” Gray told the publication. “I consider them the crème de la crème, very well-respected attorneys.”
Smith, who has spent her entire professional life at the firm, said the decision to close was a painful one.
“The death of a firm is like any other loss, there is sadness and grief,” she said. “Many of our senior partners have practiced law together for 35 years.”
