In the Counsel's Chair: Daralyn Durie on building a law firm

Daralyn Durie and a group of colleagues took what most would consider a terrible risk in 2009 -- launching a boutique trial firm in the middle of the financial crisis, operating out of a borrowed conference room with spotty cell reception.

Fourteen years later, after building Durie Tangri into a powerhouse firm known for high-stakes IP and class action defense, the partners merged with Morrison Foerster in 2023.

In this conversation, Daralyn shares the realities of firm founding (think city business licenses), the major cases they tackled (including existential patent litigation against Accenture and class action trials for the California State University system), and what it's like spending five months trying a case in Sonoma County with three associates -- including regular fights over whose shower actually had hot water.

She reflects on why the partners prioritized launching junior talent over profit maximization, the tensions that came with staying small, and whether she'd do it all again. Plus: why she's been recommending a book about moral ambition to other lawyers, and her prediction for how AI will reshape boutique firms.

About Daralyn: Daralyn Durie is among the top trial lawyers in the country, acting as go-to trial counsel for both plaintiffs and defendants. Daralyn's exceptional track record has earned her consistent recognition from leading national publications. She's a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and an inductee into the California Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame.

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