“We honor and respect the community we’re in, the clients we serve and the staff we employ.”—Heather Holiday, manager
Nestled on a busy corner near downtown Santa Rosa, Spaulding McCullough & Tansil LLP (SMT) has been providing legal assistance for more than 25 years. It was through networking and knowing each other within the legal field that Gregory Spaulding and Kevin McCullough first came together to form Spaulding & McCullough. During this same time, Karin Beam, Warren Dranit and Terry Sterling were already working on litigation matters with Spaulding, McCullough brought in his expertise in business law and estate planning. A few months later, Jan Tansil joined the firm and brought with her an expertise in employment law. The firm soon became known as Spaulding McCullough & Tansil LLP.
While the firm’s main office remains in Santa Rosa, it also has an office in Petaluma. Currently, there are 24 attorneys working at the firm, along with a large support staff. The firm specializes in business, trusts and estates, litigation, labor and employment, intellectual property and more.
SMT has always been community-focused. Though the pandemic has played a larger role on how businesses and their employees participate in community-involved events, the firm has always encouraged its attorneys and staff to volunteer. “Each member of the team engages with the organizations that aligns with their personal interests and values. Our participation ranges from supporting those in need to supporting those who grow with the arts,” says Warren Dranit, partner. “We understand the need for human rights and social justice. We recognize the important value that comes from supporting the legal community. Together, we take part in activities that create a vibrant and supportive community.”
This year marks the fourth time SMT has been voted as Best Law Firm in the annual NorthBay biz readers’ poll. The honor of winning this recognition hasn’t gone unnoticed with the firm’s staff and attorneys. “It’s such a great honor. It’s definitely something we really relish in the fact that we do good work for our clients,” says the firm’s manager, Heather Holliday. “As an organization, we’re highly people-focused, so each of our clients are more a part of our family here. We seek to fulfill their needs in ways that are more personal, not just as a business client, but as from a more human perspective.” Holliday believes SMT has won this recognition again because of the high value the firm places on the clients they serve, as well as on the staff. “It’s because of who we are in the community. It’s equal commitment to all and we think that this is what makes us different. We honor and respect the community we’re in, the clients we serve and the staff we employ,” says Holliday.
Dranit agrees with Holliday; the firm is more like a family, which has contributed to being voted as Best Law Firm three times before, and because of the attorneys and staff’s commitment to the firm’s culture. “It is the culture of being committed to providing top-quality legal representation for our clients. It is the culture of caring for each person who is a member of the SMT team as a member of our family. It is the culture of remaining committed to our own families and our friends and understanding how important family and friends are to each of our lives,” says Dranit. “We believe our culture attracts great people and great talent. It makes us better people and allows us to proudly be [voted] Best Law Firm of 2021.”
Photos courtesy of Spaulding McCullough & Tansil LLP
