On Friday October 27th, McCathern attorneys and staff gathered at the Dallas office to celebrate the recent 25th anniversary of the founding of the firm. They were joined by numerous clients, friends and business partners, and throughout the night memories of a quarter century of legal practice were shared and celebrated.
Founded on October 1st, 1998 by Partner Levi McCathern, the company has grown from humble beginnings to the renowned multi-office law firm that it is today. When it was launched, McCathern consisted of three partners, one associate attorney, and two staff members. Of the original six, Levi and his paralegal Liz Criswell remain. At the 25th anniversary event, Liz was presented with a first of its kind lifetime achievement award for her longevity and dedication to the firm.
The firm’s original office in Dallas was located in a historic building in the Deep Ellum neighborhood. After three years, McCathern moved to its current location near Oak Lawn and Lemmon Avenues. The firm’s headquarters would eventually take over the entire top floor of our Dallas building and open additional offices in Houston and Frisco, Texas, as well as in downtown Los Angeles, California. The growth of the firm is continuing with a new office set to open soon in Santa Monica, California.
When McCathern began, the firm’s focus was non-subscriber defense, trucking accidents, and cases involving the poultry industry. In addition, Levi McCathern began a long relationship as outside counsel for the Dallas Cowboys Football Club and its owner, Jerry Jones, Sr. Over the years, the firm would remain dedicated to the Cowboys and Jones family while expanding its expertise to numerous other practice areas. Today, the firm and its 43 lawyers specialize in 29 distinct legal practice areas.
In addition to Levi McCathern, the firm’s equity partners are Managing Partner Arnold Shokouhi and Partner Carl Evans. Arnold Shokouhi reflected on how the firm was able to reach the milestone of a quarter century in business:
Most companies don’t last 25 years. Our longevity is a testament to our steadfast belief that we will succeed as a law firm. This, coupled with the vision and confidence to run this law firm in a very different manner than others in our industry. The thing that stands out, and sets us apart, the most over the last 25 years is our people. The people that have come and gone and sacrificed for the vision of our law firm and the commitment to improving people’s lives.
On behalf of all current and former attorneys and staff at McCathern, we thank all of our clients and friends for helping us reach this milestone and we look forward to the next 25 years of Improving People’s Lives!