Prominent Atlanta employment attorney Joe English has left the law firm he helped establish almost 20 years ago to lead the new Atlanta office of a larger firm expanding in the Southeast.
English, 62, wraps his involvement with Taylor English Duma on Friday after founding it in 2005 with attorneys Scott Duma and Marc Taylor, who remain. The firm has grown to more than 120 lawyers in nine states and the District of Columbia.
English starts Monday as the principal and founder of the new Atlanta office of Offit Kurman, a firm with more than 280 attorneys in 10 states and Washington.
“I’m very proud of co-founding an entrepreneurial firm like Taylor English. I’m proud to have served in leadership there for 19 years,” English told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday. “It’s just I’m at a place in my career, in my practice, where it made sense for me and my clients, which is really where it starts, to make a move to a bigger platform.”
English said he’s the only Atlanta-based attorney at Offit Kurman, which plans expansion in the Southeast. He said he intends to grow the firm’s Atlanta office by recruiting local talent.
“We don’t have numbers goals in terms of head count or even revenues right now,” English said. “I think the idea is client-first and how do we build an office that can service clients in as full service a way in the Southeast as we can get to.”
Taylor English announced English’s departure Wednesday, expressing “deep appreciation for his contributions” to the firm and well wishes for the future.
“We’re proud of the team we’ve built and are excited about what’s ahead,” Taylor said. “Our collaborative culture and client-centric approach remain unchanged as the firm enters this new chapter.”
English said he has “nothing but love and respect” for the people at Taylor English as he looks forward to opportunities with Offit Kurman.
He has specialized in employment law since moving from Philadelphia to Atlanta in 1991, when he started a 14-year stint at Fisher & Phillips. He represents companies and executives in all aspects of employment matters, providing preventive day-to-day advice, counseling and defense in disputes with employees, among other things.
“I have a passion for fast growth and growing companies, private clients, who sign the back of the checks,” English said. “So, spend is important to them. Value is important to them. And I enjoy working with clients that really see the value in what they’re getting.”
English said Offit Kurman has an entrepreneurial spirit he also found at Taylor English, with the benefit of greater resources. He said he has known the firm’s leaders for years and shares their philosophy.
The ability to continue in a leadership role was an important part of the move, English said.
“The beauty of the Offit Kurman model, for me, is that I can service the same size clients that I have been servicing at a similar competitive rate structure and provide value the way I feel like I have always done during my career,” he said.
Offit Kurman President Tim Lynch said English will strengthen the firm’s employment law services and expand its presence in Atlanta and the Southeast to better serve clients.
“Joe’s passion for supporting early stage and high-growth companies, along with his commitment to helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses while developing best practices and legal safeguards, aligns perfectly with our practices,” Lynch said.
English’s departure from Taylor English comes as it has expanded its corporate, intellectual property, litigation and real estate practice groups, the firm said Wednesday. It has added 10 lawyers since the start of the year.
In 2024, Taylor English lost several groups of attorneys to rivals, including national and international firms establishing offices in Atlanta.
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