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Two of the area’s oldest law firms have joined forces, as Hamilton County-based Church Church Hittle + Antrim celebrated its new merger with Burrus & Sease June 8.
The two firms will work collaboratively from Burrus & Sease’s current office space, located at 410 W. Oak St. in downtown Zionsville.
According to a Church news release, Burrus & Sease is an established firm that has been serving the Zionsville community for more than 70 years, and its leadership looks forward to offering additional services with the support of CCHA Law’s full-service legal offerings.
The two firms will continue to serve clients in estate and trust planning and administration, real estate law, business law matters, family law, school law, personal injury, litigation, and mediation.
Roger Burrus of Burrus & Sease said his firm had been looking for a firm to work with for awhile and felt like CCHA was the best fit.
“When Beth (Sease) first came on, we thought that she could help me take some of the load off me and take on new clients, more clients. What happened is that she attracts too many clients. She’s very good. So, what happened was we’ve had a very successful law practice, but we’ve gotten a little bit older, have to face reality and thinking about what comes next,” Burrus said. “We had considered merging with other firms. We had talked with a couple of firms. And so, when Andrew Manna, who I knew from various things, he approached me about renting an office because he lived in Zionsville, he thought it’d be easier to come here than drive to Noblesville.”
Burrus said he knew CCHA was a respected firm.
He said he was overwhelmed by their commitment to community service and felt good about them taking care of their clients.
“They are really helping us, not only by backing us up and helping our clients when we’re no longer here. But also, because Beth and I have had limited practice in estate planning, real estate, corporate, we don’t do it all. So, we are frequently referring lawyers to other firms,” Burrus said.
Manna, a CCHA partner, said he had been driving past the Burrus & Sease office in Zionsville for 18 years and didn’t fully realize he already knew Burrus and Sease.
“It’s been an inspiration, driving by here getting to know and realize that we already knew Roger and Beth from some associations from some partnerships, and realizing the great people that they are and how happy we are to associate with them,” Manna said.
During that time when they chose CCHA, former Indiana Supreme Court justice and now CCHA of counsel Steven David joined the firm.
“I wanted to reengage and I, like Roger and Beth had choices. But clearly there was only one real choice. And that’s why I joined Church Church Hittle + Amtrim. And it just so happened, as magic does occasionally happen, at that time, Beth and Roger were in discussions with the law firm, so it is a perfect merger. It’s a perfect opportunity,” David said. “There is nothing we can’t do. And we are excited and ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work. So, taking the longest serving longest established law firm in Hamilton County, merging with the longest established law firm in Zionsville. The future is very, very, very, very good.”
Beth Sease added that they really wanted to make sure their clients were in good hands for when they’re not around.
“We just want to make sure that our clients know and have really good trusted counsel. And being a part of just getting to know the attorneys at CCH+A and being able to broaden the areas,” Sease said. “We have live, long term relationships with our clients. And we’re so grateful, we don’t take it for granted that our clients trust us with some sensitive issues and important issues to them.”
Erica Carpenter, former president of the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce, noted how the merger isn’t just something good for their firms but for the community as well.
She pointed out that both Burrus and Manna are former presidents of the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce.
“This strategic merger persons new opportunities for growth and development, not just for the firm, but for our entire Zionsville community. Both firms have built a reputation for excellence over the years and their commitment to live delivering high quality legal services to their clients is admirable. Their contributions to our community are immeasurable,” Carpenter said.
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