Anthony R. Robertson

As far as Anthony Robertson is concerned, the will is the thing -- both in terms of having the will to make something happen and being willing to wade in, take a chance, go further, dive deeper.

As a boy growing up in Anderson, he supposes he was short-tempered, competitive and active, especially when it came to sports. He wasn’t the biggest or the fastest kid out there, he says – but he was likely the most determined.

He mentions having a passion for beer. Not so much the drinking part as the brewing. He went to a brew school in Chicago and came back home to take a job as a brewer during the early days of the Mt. Carmel Brewing Company in 2007. He filled growlers and bottles for several months, then started handling the brewing. The company consisted of the husband-and-wife owners, a delivery guy and Anthony.

“It was just as important for me to sit on the bottling line for 60 hours a week as it was to come up with the recipe for the next great seasonal beer. Both were necessary. Creating the recipe is more fun, but it’s not more important than filling the bottles. The reason the Mt. Carmel Brewing Company worked is that we were all willing to deliver the beer, to sit on the bottling lines – from the owners to the guy doing deliveries to me.

“That’s how I look at every endeavor. Everyone has to be willing to do the basic stuff, whatever the pursuit. I like working with people I know will get the job done because they refuse to not let it get done.”

That perspective translates to the practice of law in this way:

“If a couple thousand documents need to be reviewed to put together a strong case, I’m happy to do it – the same as if we need a complex and elegant legal argument to be written. Both have to get done. I’m happy to do either if it helps the team.

“Part of being a leader means that none of the work can be beneath you.”

Anthony, his wife, Sarah, and daughter, Maddie Lee (1), like to take urban hikes. They’ll choose a neighborhood – maybe something in Milford or Northside or Fairfield Avenue in Bellevue – and they’ll start walking around, visiting shops, restaurants, little bars, learning about the city a piece at a time.

His passion for the city is part of what drew The Firm’s attention to him.

“During the interview process, people here had an actual interest in who I am, what I like to do and what sort of impact I want to have on the city. It’s clear that they’re looking to bring in a person and not just a law school ranking.

“The people here are interested in the full person. You can see that in how we treat our clients.”