At Ulmer & Berne, our goal is exceptional service and value for every single client. We understand that each client represents an important relationship to us, whether that client is an individual, a small business or Fortune 500 company. Ever since our firm was founded in 1908, we have grown steadily into a leading statewide and regional presence. Ulmer & Berne represents publicly traded and privately held companies, financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, family businesses, international joint ventures and affiliations, investor groups, start-ups and emerging businesses, local and regional governments, and nonprofit organizations. At Ulmer & Berne, growth has been driven by client needs and can be attributed to our excellence in client services on a local, regional and national level.
HISTORY
In a small Cleveland office 100 years ago, business lawyers Jacob Ulmer and Joseph Berne entered into practice as Ulmer & Berne. Since our founding, the remarkable growth in attorney numbers, offices and practice group areas has reflected Ulmer & Berne’s continued commitment to not only meet our clients’ changing needs, but exceed their expectations. In 1948, Ulmer & Berne grew to seven attorneys and changed its name to Ulmer, Berne, Gordon & Glickman. A merger with the law firm of Laronge & Curtis in 1953 brought the total to 10 attorneys. In 1988 the firm decided to honor its founding partners by returning to its original name of Ulmer & Berne LLP. After three more decades of significant growth and success in Cleveland, the Columbus office of Ulmer & Berne opened in 1989, extending the firm’s reach into new markets and business communities, most notably with its highly regarded environmental law practice. By 1998, Ulmer & Berne attorneys numbered nearly 100.
OHIO EXPANSION
More expansion was needed to respond to an increasingly sophisticated state, regional and national clientele, and therefore the Cincinnati office was opened in 2000. Formerly the Cincinnati firm of Walker Chatfield & Doan and originally founded in the mid-1960s, the Cincinnati office enjoys national success with its leading pharmaceutical and mass tort litigation practice. In our continuing efforts to broaden our reach and better service our clients' needs, Ulmer & Berne's Chicago office opened in 2001, further enhancing the firm’s substantial financial services industry practice.
What began a century ago as a law firm with two attorneys, one desk and one phone has grown into a firm with more than 180 attorneys practicing in four offices across the Midwest. In celebration of Ulmer & Berne’s 100th Anniversary, the Firm will be participating in various community and civic activities throughout the year to give back to the cities in which its attorneys and staff live and work. Ulmer & Berne kicked off the celebration with a $100,000 donation to the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, which will be used to further the efforts of the Volunteer Lawyers Program and other Legal Aid programs in Cincinnati and Columbus, where the Firm also has offices.