RECESSIO
RU
PE
& S
A RARE
DUI and criminal defense law firm Russo Pelletier
& Sullivan (RPS) is a “rare bird” in the industry,
according to managing partner and attorney
Tim Sullivan. He refers to the firm this way
because of its long-running success marketing a
specialized practice in a single county in Florida.
The law firm was founded in the late 1980s by retired partner
Frank Russo. For more than three decades, the firm had thrived on
its well-earned reputation within the legal community for zealously
advocating for its criminal defense clients in Pinellas County,
Florida. Although the other lawyers in the firm handle a variety of
criminal defense matters, Sullivan had established a niche practice
of only representing citizens accused of DUI in Pinellas County.
Prior to the pandemic, the firm employed the marketing
strategy of highlighting its unique and focused practice
area which allowed it the ability to advertise as specialists.
However, a drastic 80 percent drop in arrests after the closure
of restaurants and bars exposed a weakness in the company
strategy: Who does the firm serve when the well-supplying
DUI and other alcohol-related criminal clientele “goes dry?”
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS A LEGAL PROFESSIONAL
The economic “butterfly effect” of the mass closure of
restaurants and bars is widespread. While it is easy to
envision the financial hit such shutdowns have had on servers,
bartenders, and restaurant owners, the global impact is much
greater than just those on the frontlines of the service industry.
The oft forgot underbelly of the alcohol and service industry
includes alcohol suppliers, Uber drivers, bail bondsmen, court
reporters, and in the case of RPS, criminal defense lawyers. All
of these service providers have witnessed a drastic reduction
in cash flow due to the closure of restaurants and bars.
14 • MikeMichalowicz.com