Taylor Duma, the Atlanta law firm co-founded in 2005, is shutting its doors after a wave of partner departures hollowed out its ranks. Firm leaders say Tuesday will be the last day of business, ending a two-decade run and sending dozens of lawyers and clients into transition as the office winds down.
The firm, founded in April 2005 as Taylor English Duma by Marc Taylor, Joe English and Scott Duma, once ballooned to more than 150 lawyers nationwide before shrinking in recent years. By the time leaders decided this month to close, it had roughly 65 attorneys, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The decision to pull the plug was finalized about two weeks ago, and Wednesday would have marked the firm’s 21st anniversary. Firm leaders told the paper they have worked to line up new homes for practices and clients with departing attorneys in an effort to limit disruption.
Partners find new homes
Several senior lawyers had already sketched out exit plans well before the closure announcement. In April 2025, employment partner Joe English left to found and lead Offit Kurman’s new Atlanta office, a move announced by Offit Kurman. His departure was one of several high-profile moves that signaled Taylor Duma’s center of gravity was starting to shift.
Recruiting pressure reshaped the market
Firm leaders and industry watchers say the real squeeze came from aggressive recruiting by national and global players eager to bulk up in Atlanta. “We didn’t cross the finish line where we wanted, but I’ll always be proud of what we accomplished,” Marc Taylor told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, pointing to recent lateral moves and new office launches that lured away longtime Taylor Duma lawyers.
Among the exits were groups that helped seed Atlanta outposts at Clark Hill and Buchalter, as well as laterals who joined Burr & Forman. Those departures, leadership said, chipped away at the core of the firm to the point that maintaining its earlier scale simply stopped penciling out…