Alderton & Cole LLP
About the Firm
Founded in 1987 and deliberately kept small: fourteen attorneys, five offices, one standard of work.
Our History
Founded on a conviction, not a business plan.
Margaret Alderton and James Cole founded the firm in 1987 after spending over a decade each at AmLaw 20 firms. Their founding conviction was that the largest firms had grown too large - that the economics of large law firm management create misaligned incentives, and that truly exceptional legal work requires a different structure.
The firm opened with twelve attorneys in a single New York office, then grew one market at a time, each for a practice reason:
- 1993ChicagoDriven by the growing M&A practice and clients with Midwest operations who wanted a market presence, not just a flight away.
- 1999Los AngelesOpened at the height of the technology boom, when the firm’s IP and venture capital work needed West Coast depth.
- 2004HoustonBuilt around the energy practice, now one of the firm’s most distinctive capabilities.
- 2011MiamiEstablished the firm in Latin American-connected transactions and the Southeast real estate market.
Today, Alderton & Cole is fourteen attorneys across five offices - smaller than the firms the founders left, and deliberately so. That headcount is the product, not a limitation: it is why a partner reads your matter, why the attorney on the call is the attorney on the file, and why the firm is recognized by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and Best Lawyers in America without ever having merged or lost a founding partner to a competitor.
Our Values
What we believe in - and act on.
Integrity
We tell clients what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. That means frank assessments of risk, honest billing, and the willingness to refer a matter to another firm when we are not the right fit.
Excellence
Every attorney at this firm was hired for demonstrated depth in a single practice area. We do not staff cases with associates who are learning on the job - our partners engage directly from day one.
Client Focus
We measure success by outcomes for clients, not by hours billed or cases filed. Our clients have direct access to the senior attorney on their matter at all times, including during trials and closings.
Leadership
Led by the partners who built it.
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