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. Chicago followed in 1993, driven by the firm’s growing M&A practice and the need to serve clients with Midwest operations from a market presence, not just a flight away. Los Angeles opened in 1999 at the height of the technology boom, when it became clear that the firm’s IP and venture capital work required West Coast depth. Houston came in 2004, built around the energy practice that has become one of the firm’s most distinctive capabilities. Miami followed in 2011, establishing the firm’s presence 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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