When he joined Sands Anderson as a young attorney in 1998, Jeff Geiger said he didn’t at the time necessarily aspire to lead the downtown Richmond law firm.
But nearly 30 years later, Geiger is doing just that.
On Jan. 23 he stepped into the role as president of the 79-attorney firm, which was founded in 1842 and is known as the longest continually operated law firm headquartered in Richmond.
“It’s pretty cool to be in this position given the fact this is a firm that hails from the 19th century,” said Geiger, 54.
He takes over from Margaret Hardy, who had been president for the last eight years.
During Hardy’s tenure, the firm has grown by nearly 30 attorneys through new additions to its five offices in Richmond, Christiansburg, Fredericksburg, Williamsburg and the Research Triangle of North Carolina. It opened a new downtown headquarters last year when it took over the former LeClairRyan office in Truist Place at 919 E. Main St.
Geiger said the firm’s revenue is double what it was eight years ago and it plans to continue on a path of growth with a focus on legal work for business and government clients across Virginia and North Carolina.
“It’s fair to say if you’re not growing, you’re dying,” he said. “We have 79 lawyers (137 total employees), we’ve moved offices, increased technology and we’re on an upward trajectory.”
Like Hardy, Geiger’s own law practice will continue unabated even with his new responsibilities. His legal work is focused on litigation, handling disputes related to businesses, real estate and government.
Among the topics on his mind as he settles into the president’s seat is technology and how it continues to change the day-to-day of the legal industry, particularly the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.
“There’s a lot of noise out there of what AI is and how it’s going to be utilized. It’s important for firms to recognize that there are going to be a lot of changes,” he said. “AI is going to be law firm-disrupting in a very positive way. We’re not afraid of it.”
Geiger also is confident in Sands Anderson’s position as a midsize law firm in a time of continued consolidation.
“They’ve been predicting the death of the midsize law firm for decades,” he said. “We’re able to have the depth and breadth of our practice to provide support to our midsize clients, but at the same time we don’t necessarily have to have the infrastructure of international law.”
While it plans to remain in that midsize bracket, Geiger said the firm has its eye on beefing up its business, healthcare, real estate and employment practices.
“We’re looking forward to 2025 with some heavy expansion plans, both geographically and for subject matter expertise,” he said.
When he joined Sands Anderson as a young attorney in 1998, Jeff Geiger said he didn’t at the time necessarily aspire to lead the downtown Richmond law firm.
But nearly 30 years later, Geiger is doing just that.
On Jan. 23 he stepped into the role as president of the 79-attorney firm, which was founded in 1842 and is known as the longest continually operated law firm headquartered in Richmond.
“It’s pretty cool to be in this position given the fact this is a firm that hails from the 19th century,” said Geiger, 54.
He takes over from Margaret Hardy, who had been president for the last eight years.
During Hardy’s tenure, the firm has grown by nearly 30 attorneys through new additions to its five offices in Richmond, Christiansburg, Fredericksburg, Williamsburg and the Research Triangle of North Carolina. It opened a new downtown headquarters last year when it took over the former LeClairRyan office in Truist Place at 919 E. Main St.
Geiger said the firm’s revenue is double what it was eight years ago and it plans to continue on a path of growth with a focus on legal work for business and government clients across Virginia and North Carolina.
“It’s fair to say if you’re not growing, you’re dying,” he said. “We have 79 lawyers (137 total employees), we’ve moved offices, increased technology and we’re on an upward trajectory.”
Like Hardy, Geiger’s own law practice will continue unabated even with his new responsibilities. His legal work is focused on litigation, handling disputes related to businesses, real estate and government.
Among the topics on his mind as he settles into the president’s seat is technology and how it continues to change the day-to-day of the legal industry, particularly the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.
“There’s a lot of noise out there of what AI is and how it’s going to be utilized. It’s important for firms to recognize that there are going to be a lot of changes,” he said. “AI is going to be law firm-disrupting in a very positive way. We’re not afraid of it.”
Geiger also is confident in Sands Anderson’s position as a midsize law firm in a time of continued consolidation.
“They’ve been predicting the death of the midsize law firm for decades,” he said. “We’re able to have the depth and breadth of our practice to provide support to our midsize clients, but at the same time we don’t necessarily have to have the infrastructure of international law.”
While it plans to remain in that midsize bracket, Geiger said the firm has its eye on beefing up its business, healthcare, real estate and employment practices.
“We’re looking forward to 2025 with some heavy expansion plans, both geographically and for subject matter expertise,” he said.