Invest: Charlotte Q&A 
Steve Meckler, Charlotte Managing Partner
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP

How has Charlotte's growth affected the firm in terms of recruitment and company growth?

We are always looking for good lateral talent to acquire and bring over. As the legal marketing becomes a little more saturated here with firms moving in, the competition for those lateral hires is obviously greater. There has been a huge amount of growth in manufacturing clients moving into town. Some have acquired some of our clients and brought them down here, others have been new clients, or we've had clients move here that were headquartered out West. It has increased our business. Their demands are increasing as they take a stronger look at their legal spending. 

What are some of the pitfalls for newcomers entering the market?

Talent acquisition is tough for them. Building connections is tough for them unless they’re already doing work for a client that’s here. Charlotte is the land of opportunity, but unfortunately it’s also the land of who you know.

How is Shumaker handling recruitment and retention of employees?

We don’t tend to see a lot of turnover. We treat people well, pay them fairly, and we like people to have a balance. We have a culture here that we protect aggressively, so that people are not dreading coming into work on a Monday. We’re making sure that when we make offers to people those offers are attractive. 

What challenges are you facing in the Charlotte market?

As businesses move in, and people move in, there’s a demand on infrastructure and there’s a demand on planning. The continued challenge for Charlotte is to act regionally, which I think they’re improving upon greatly. You see more regional organizations coming together, like the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.