While the two don’t necessarily relate to one another, both buying a home and facing a criminal charge might be two of the most daunting things a person could ever face in life. And while it might not seem logical to everyone, combining a criminal law firm and a residential and commercial real estate law firm makes perfect sense to two Lowcountry legal eagles.
Jim and Meredith Bannon, principals of The Bannon Law Group, can simultaneously and successfully represent you in a DUI case while you are closing on your new home.
“I do real estate closings and Jim does criminal defense,” Meredith said. “But, because we are married (and a little bit quirky), combining our areas of expertise has been a winning formula for us for many years.”
Such a winning formula, in fact, that the Bannons, who currently have offices in Bluffton, Savannah, and Charleston, are now expanding to include a Pooler office. The couple attributes their growth to hard work and community involvement. “And, my general excellence in all things,” Jim wryly added.
The Attorneys (from left to right): Kimberly Glass, Jim and Meredith Bannon, Jordan Culver and Jacob Spandorfer
They understand the incredulity surrounding their pairing of skill sets and have embraced it with lighthearted, witty slogans like, “From the big house to your dream house” and “From ROI to DUI.” This kind of humor, along with Jim’s excellence (Meredith’s, too!) and their respective areas of expertise are what positioned this couple solidly in the Bluffton community, where they have their home office.
Plus, with a mission to serve all the legal needs of their local communities and have fun while doing it, the Bannons’ perspective is a uniquely refreshing take in the field of law.
“I think people really just find us approachable, which is one of our core values,” Meredith said. “Facing a legal issue – whether it involves a criminal charge or it involves selling or buying a home – makes people fearful on many levels. And we don’t want to be scary; we want to be friendly and make sure that friendliness conveys to our clients.”
The outgrowth to both Savannah and Charleston came as natural progressions for the Bannons as a result of the overlap of people who live in the Lowcountry, allowing the firm to serve many of the same clients in a slightly different location.
The Charleston office, fully staffed with two attorneys and a paralegal, opened in April with much success. The Savannah office has been open for three years, and by this year’s end, the couple is expanding to Pooler due to the rapid growth in that area.
While it might sound like the Bannons spend a lot of time on the road, their expansion has actually freed them up.
“It’s great because we have attorneys and paralegals in every office,” said Jim, “which allows us to train and supervise them and oversee things, and still remain focused on our clients here in Bluffton as well.”
“Plus, our new employees are young, and that’s something that we’re really excited about,” Meredith said. “They bring new eyes to some of our processes and also an enthusiasm for really getting their hands dirty and building their own relationships and forming their own bonds in the community.”
In the Savannah office, Jordan Culver handles real estate and real estate litigation. In Charleston, Kimberly Glass handles real estate closings, and Jake Spandorfer handles litigation all over the state.
The Bannons have been together for 20 years, and they genuinely share a mutual admiration for one another in their work relationship, spending time together daily in careers they enjoy and bouncing ideas off each other.
Their clients, too, benefit from their close relationship. Before they were in private practice, they both worked as prosecutors. As a criminal attorney, Jim appreciates being able to get Meredith’s feedback. While she currently deals entirely in transactions and civil representation and is no longer involved in criminal cases, she can still offer a prosecutor’s perspective on cases that Jim is dealing with.
The Team (from left to right): Elizabeth Plasters, Sarah Bevan, Mary Evans, Hunter Dye, Julie Reszka, Jim and Meredith Bannon, Donna Edwards, Jordan Culver, Amy Hughes, Kimberly Glass, Jacob Spandorfer and Damaris Nieves
As well, clients appreciate knowing that if one of the couple refers them to the other, it’s a solid recommendation because their reputation as a firm is on the line.
“People aren’t normally interacting with both our areas of the law,” Meredith said. “So, when you buy a house or get a speeding ticket or DUI, there is a comfort in knowing that you already have an established relationship with one of us, and confidence that you will be taken care of at the same level as you were in your previous experience. That carries a lot of weight towards peace of mind.”
When considering each other’s strengths, Meredith admires Jim’s ability to bring a sense of calm to any situation.
“Jim is excellent at reassuring everyone in the moment of crisis and keeping a cool head with perspective on long-term goals and long-term consequences,” Meredith said. “He is my No. 1 counselor for every business and personal decision that I make.”
She credits Jim with being the anchor who can not only keep her grounded when she comes up with outside-the-box ideas, but he can also find ways to implement those ideas.
As for Meredith, Jim admires her ability to relate to people and build relationships in a very personal, one-on-one way, as well as being very comfortable relating to a crowd.
“Meredith is fiercely loyal, too, and will fight to protect her clients as well as her friends and family,” Jim said. “Many of her clients have turned into friends over the years, which I think is a testament to not only how great she is to work with and the results that she gets, but also the fact that she is just a wonderful person.”
Conversely, the couple admits that living and working together presents unique challenges.
“Honestly, I think the thing that I find most challenging about Jim is that he is too good of a cook,” Meredith said. “And there are always treats and fabulous dinners waiting at home for me and our 12-year-old daughter. He really spoils us.”
Jim reports that keeping up with Meredith’s energy is a full-time job.
“Trying to keep up with someone who is going 100 miles per hour 24/7 can be exhausting,” he said. “What with opening new offices, hiring new employees, picking up furniture for the new offices … let’s just say she keeps me on my toes.”
It’s no surprise to anyone that this amazingly qualified and skilled husband and wife team of attorneys has not only made their marriage work, but they’ve also successfully married real estate and criminal law. To learn more, visit BannonLawGroup.com.
Jim and Meredith Bannon, Attorneys at Law and owners of The Bannon Group
