If you asked him, Marshall Miller wouldn’t describe himself as an accomplished attorney who delivers excellent client service. No, it’s only other people — like his clients and fellow attorneys — who describe him that way.
It’s not hard to see why. First, there’s the complexity of the work he handles, which involves advising on and assisting with business matters such as mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financings, and partnership agreements, and planning for corporate, family, and inter-generational matters.
“Each transaction seems to be characterized by a novel set of issues,” Marshall says. “Those issues must be resolved correctly and, typically, within intense time constraints.”
That sounds like a recipe for many late nights and stress-induced headaches, but Marshall doesn’t see it that way. “I enjoy the transactions too much to regard them, particularly in retrospect, as unusually challenging.”
In other words, the work is its own reward.
Then there’s his commitment to client service, which often sees Marshall going above and beyond the scope of his legal work to do whatever it takes to ensure his clients’ transactions are successful. He’s also well-known for being exceptionally generous with his time and attention when it comes to his clients. In his characteristically understated way, Marshall doesn’t see this as anything to make a fuss over.
“To be effective, an attorney has to be committed to providing a level of service that justifies a client’s trust.”
— Marshall Miller
“I think to be effective,” he says, “an attorney has to be committed to providing, efficiently, a level of service that justifies a client’s trust, often placing personal considerations below those required to properly serve the client.”
It’s that simple. The client trusts the attorney, and the attorney must make good on that faith, come what may.
While that may sound like a commitment to continual self-sacrifice, it doesn’t seem that way to Marshall. That’s because, in addition to the satisfaction he finds in his work, he also enjoys working with his clients, helping them expand and thrive, manage challenges, and make their ambitious goals reality. He says, “I enjoy working with entrepreneurial individuals who are creative, willing to take calculated risks on large and complex projects with much to gain and conversely, much to lose.”
An affinity for complicated transactions, a commitment to client service, and an appreciation for entrepreneurial spirit — these three elements add up to an attorney who is highly valued by his peers and his clients. Not that you’ll hear it from him.
