100 YEARS | CHRISTIAN & BARTON

In the 44 years since David Harless joined Christian & Barton, its roster of active attorneys has only grown by a handful, to about 30 today. That’s intentional, the partner explains; the Richmond-based firm is very comfortable remaining small.

“We can’t be everything to everybody,” Harless says. “But I think we’ve done a really good job of identifying where we can be the best in areas of high demand.”

Christian & Barton grew in fits and spurts from its 1926 founding by its eponymous founding duo until the 1950s, when a trio of powerhouse attorneys helped transform it into a transactional and bond-financing firm. By the 1980s, the firm’s litigation department gained prominence thanks to a legacy of “unbelievably strong trial lawyers,” Harless says.

Looking ahead, the firm’s energy, healthcare, and litigation practices remain strong points.

During his tenure, Harless says, the firm has never experienced layoffs nor debt, and he anticipates this “very conservative” management style passed down from predecessors will continue.

Christian & Barton has also resisted a handful of merger offers, he adds, but “we’ve never found a partner that had the culture and the working environment that we have cultivated so carefully over the years.”

Hallmarks include long ago embracing part-time schedules to give new parents the flexibility they need, Harless says. And fostering a sense of camaraderie extends beyond the office and enhances the firm’s ability to provide excellent service to its clients. “It enhances their perception of our teamwork and gives them a level of confidence that we’re communicating internally and doing so in a manner to minimize expense to them and maximize efficiency.”

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