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Friedman & Rummell celebrates a milestone

On May 23, Friedman & Rummell Co. celebrated its 100th anniversary with a cocktail reception on the 12th floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Youngstown. Pictured here from the left are Friedman & Rummell Managing Partner James Dietz, partner Leonard Schiavone and partner Tracie Schmidt. (Photo courtesy of Anthony Mancino).

SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter

Published: August 8, 2019

It has been 100 years since attorneys Joseph Friedman and Evan Rummell founded the Mahoning County law firm of Friedman & Rummell Co.

While the names and faces of the lawyers and clients have changed managing partner James (Jamie) Dietz said the firm’s commitment to providing top-notch legal service remains the same.

“We operate under the same principles and high ethical standards laid out by our founding fathers,” said Dietz. “Our client service is second to none and our firm’s leaders continue to provide a nurturing environment for young attorneys to develop and grow their practices.

“I am a testament to that mentorship,” he said. “I started here as a summer intern in 1989 and I have been with the firm ever since.”

While it may not be that unusual for a law firm to remain in business for 100 years, Dietz said it’s quite uncommon for one to continue to operate under the same name for the entire century, as Friedman & Rummell has done.

On May 23, Friedman & Rummell celebrated its rich history with a cocktail reception on the 12th floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Youngstown.

The firm’s founders set up their offices inside the same building, which was then called the Stambaugh Building.

“It was pretty nostalgic,” said Dietz. “Our offices were initially on the second floor.”

In 1976, Friedman & Rummell moved to the sixth floor of the Stambaugh Building. About five years later, they opted to vacate the premises altogether in favor of the seventh floor of the Wick Building. In 2014, after two other moves, Friedman & Rummell relocated to 3801 Starrs Centre Dr. in Canfield, where the firm remains today. 

Dietz said the new location allows for future growth, while providing amenities such as a kitchen, television, workout room and a patio for attorneys and staff.

“We haven’t forgotten our Youngstown roots,” he said. “We continue to do a lot of business in downtown Youngstown.”

Friedman & Rummell currently has nine lawyers who focus on business law, real estate, estate planning, probate, trust and civil litigation.

“Our practice areas and focus have remained constant since the inception of the firm and we now have the largest number of lawyers in the firm’s history,” said Dietz.

Although Friedman & Rummell was founded in 1919, Dietz said the groundwork was laid back in 1896 when Joseph Friedman first arrived in the United States from Central Europe with his sister.

They initially settled in New York City, where Friedman worked in sweatshops, while attending night school so he could earn his high school diploma.

Friedman’s ambition was to become a lawyer, said Dietz. After making his way to Cleveland, he received a Bachelor of Laws from Baldwin-Wallace College in 1908.

It was while taking the bar exam in Columbus that he encountered a young attorney named Clyde W. Osborne (later a Mahoning County Common Pleas Court judge), who told him about the opportunities available in Youngstown.

In August 1908, Friedman moved to Youngstown, associating with attorney Hiram G. Bye. Within four months, he decided to leave and start his own law practice. After going it alone for about 10 years and creating a good reputation for himself, he sought help from attorney Evan Rummell. In 1919 they formed the partnership of Friedman & Rummell.

As it turned out Friedman started a family tradition of sorts, with his son Arthur N. Friedman, son-in-law Robert B. Weimer and grandson William A. Weimer all going on to serve as partners at the firm.

“I practiced with my Uncle Arthur,” said William A. Weimer, who joined the firm as an associate in 1975. “My grandfather and my father passed away before I joined the firm.

“I spent time in the law firm as a child,” said Weimer, now vice president and general counsel for Phantom Fireworks Companies. “I would visit my dad there when there was no school. We would have lunch together.

“The firm was located on the second floor of the Stambaugh building and the windows of my dad’s office faced Wick Avenue, which was the Memorial Day parade route back then. I would often sit in the office and watch it.”

During its long history, Weimer said Friedman & Rummell has made major contributions to the community.

“We have maintained the utmost integrity in representing clients,” said Weimer, who left the firm as a partner in 1988. “There has never even been a whisper of anything untoward at the firm.

“I am so proud to have been associated with Friedman & Rummell,” said Weimer. “While I left to go in a different direction, I continue to have friends who practice at the firm and I recently retained the firm to do some work.” 

Friedman & Rummell Co. partner Leonard Schiavone said one of the secrets to the firm’s longstanding success is that attorneys concentrate on a limited number of practice areas.

“While the technology we use has evolved, we continue to handle the same type of matters, which are primarily related to business, real estate and probate and estate planning,” said Schiavone, who has worked at Friedman & Rummell full time since 1980. “This allows us to continue to provide the same personal service to our clients as our original founders did so many years ago.

“We are a small firm and that has been the case since day one,” he said. “Our size allows for a natural process of mentorship, with the older attorneys helping to prepare the new generation to continue our tradition.

“Most of our support staff has been here for many years. I am now the longest-serving attorney in the firm and one of my assistants has been here longer than me,” said Schiavone. “I am proud to be one of the leaders of the firm, which continues to have an amazing reputation.”

Friedman & Rummell Co. partner Tracie Schmidt has worked for the firm since serving as a law clerk in 2006.

“I think the fact that a company of our size has not only survived for 100 years but continues to thrive is a major accomplishment,” said Schmidt. “Larger businesses that have offices around the country are more likely to hit those milestones, but for a small firm in the Youngstown area to do so I think speaks volumes to the quality of client service and the employees that have been here over the years.

“I remember when I was interviewing with law firms that I was very impressed with Friedman & Rummell because it has a welcoming atmosphere for attorneys, employees and clients alike.

“We truly operate as a close-knit family, which I think makes our clients feel comfortable as well,” said Schmidt. “I think that has contributed to our longevity. In my case, I’ve enjoyed working here right from the start and I’ve never considered going anywhere else.”


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