When Ed Herman joined Brown & Crouppen in 2001, the firm was a well-recognized brand in St. Louis, but was not seen as a serious law firm among those in the profession or with large segments of the general population. “I joined because I saw the potential of what it could be,” said Herman.
Brown & Crouppen’s mission is to provide outstanding legal representation, while at the same time offering a superior client experience. The firm’s goal is to level the playing field so that every person, regardless of their race, gender, orientation, religion, age or income, can stand on even ground with giant corporations who would otherwise deny them justice.
In 2001, the firm had annual revenues of about 5 million dollars with a staff of 50. The firm was exclusive to St. Louis, so Herman built out an infrastructure designed to handle more cases at a much higher level of success, expanding the business to Kansas City and expanding the pharmaceutical litigation department into a nationwide practice area.
Herman was instrumental in building a referral network of attorneys that now includes over 150 law firms, generating over 8 million dollars a year in referral fees to the firm. The firm now employees 265 people, has clients across the nation and sees annual revenues between 55-75 million dollars. Brown & Crouppen has also been named a Top Workplace in St. Louis for 11 years.
“I worked my whole life to become a courtroom litigator – that was my path,” said Herman. “But 20 years ago, I had an opportunity to give up my case load to spend my time working on the expansion of the practice and it represented a dramatic course change, but it was the decision that made everything else possible.”
Herman’s success has been recognized with accollades that include the Lewis F. Powell Award, the William Pomerantz Award and the Milton Napier Award. He was also awarded the Law Firm Leader from Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has awarded Herman with nine Emmy Awards for his video content.
“Being recognized as a titan requires more than just leadership within a business; it requires being an industry leader and an innovator,” said Herman. “I helped change the way that both the profession and the public feel about attorneys who advertise.”
For his influence in the industry and the community, Herman has been named a titan.
