Leaders at Am Law 100 firm Duane Morris identified Miami as one of the firm's five strategic growth markets in the U.S., calling the city—where it has had a presence since 1999—a cornerstone for both its corporate and litigation practices and a gateway to Central and South America. The firm is laser-focused on continuing to add corporate capacity to the region, and leaders are making a priority of investing in recruiting and retaining top talent in 2026. "You have to look at the engine that is driving the growth. And I think everybody knows that in the last two years, and continuing, Miami is the most dynamic real estate market in the United States right now," said Scott Kravetz, managing partner of Duane Morris' Miami office. "In the last year, there were 90 high rises being built in Miami, and that's more than the entire state of California, and only New York has more volume than we have going on right now. As a result of that, Miami is the place to be." Kravetz said that several firm clients, including a significant multi-family real estate developer based out of Chicago, have recently seized the opportunity to open up in Miami. As these clients invest in significant real estate projects in the region, the firm finds it needs more real estate and corporate attorneys in the Miami office. In addition, there's been an influx of foreign developers the last two to three years, according to Kravetz, who noted Miami is a hot spot for luxury real estate. That's placed the firm in "hiring mode," as it looks to expand its corporate practice significantly in Miami. The most recent example of that commitment includes Stephen Rutenberg, who the firm brought on a month ago from Polsinelli as a partner in its Miami office. Rutenberg took on the role of core team lead within the firm's digital assets and blockchain group. "I've been in South Florida about five years and still spend significant time in New York, and there are a number of other lawyers who are now, for the first time, really considering building a practice in Florida," Rutenberg said. "Both because of the environment of having other lawyers around as well as the local deals. But in the current corporate market, you don't need to have all of your deals local to make it work, which I think has really helped South Florida be able to grow." Currently, the firm has 54 attorneys in South Florida, with 44 based in Miami and ten in the Boca Raton office. As firm leaders look to recruit more aggressively in the region, they say they've been impressed by the talent in the increasingly competitive hiring market. They've seen more applications from graduating law students from Ivy League schools and top schools in the Northeast than years prior. "The level of sophistication in South Florida … there's a great pool of talent there, and we certainly want to make sure that we put our best foot forward to let some of these potential lateral partner candidates know that we're growing the right way.," said chairman and CEO Matthew Taylor. "We're bringing in people that fit in our culture, that are team oriented, and I think there's plenty of talent in South Florida, and we were excited about the future and continuing to grow that office." Similarly, firm leaders noted that Duane Morris—which now has 30 offices worldwide—has been deliberate in its growth. In addition to targeting Miami, the firm is focused on Northern California, Chicago, Texas and New York—where it moved into a new office in 2025. While the firm has expanded and bolstered its presence in hot markets before, Taylor emphasized the importance of doing so doing so with focus. "We're all in, in South Florida," said Taylor.