Glen Levine

Take time away from the office to spend time with your family and to pursue other passions; it will allow you to be happier and more focused and productive at the office.

 

Glen B. Levine, Esq. is a founding partner of The Law Offices of Anidjar and Levine, P.A. in Fort Lauderdale. Originally form Plantation, Florida, Levine learned the value of hard work from his father who is an attorney and a builder. Levine received his B.A. from Tulane University in New Orleans in 1995 before receiving his J.D. from Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad College of Law in South Florida in 1998. Levine then went on to work as an associate attorney in Hollywood, Florida, then joined another firm where he handled many cases and obtained a multimillion-dollar jury verdict.

Soon after, Levine and his partner Marc Anidjar, Esq. launched their law firm in 2005 in Levine’s father’s old office space, beginning as a personal injury firm. They then expanded to eventually open their new headquarters in Fort Lauderdale in 2016, hiring 75 employees and becoming a full service law firm to suit the needs of their community. Levine and Anidjar constantly strive to improve their firm, working tirelessly and making themselves accessible to their clients—setting them apart from their competitors.

Together, Levine, Anidjar and their team have won more than $450 million for their clients. Levine and his team specialize in litigation cases in the areas of accident claims, property claims, Social Security, Workers’ Comp, medical malpractice and criminal defense. Levine has successfully represented individuals across the full spectrum of litigation, including acting as lead trail counsel in 25 jury trials in the last three years. Of note, Levine represented a Broward County boy who was injured while boarding a bus, resulting in a substantial recovery and the state’s passing of a claims bill to fund the settlement.

Levine is dedicated to providing quality and compassionate legal representation for his clients across Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville and Naples. He has been recognized by numerous prestigious societies and publications for his achievements, including the Elite Tier of America’s Top Lawyers by the American Law Society in 2017, the Legal Elite by the Florida Trend Magazine in 2017, and the Top Rated Lawyers by the Miami Herald in 2015, to name a few. Levine has consistently been awarded the AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell, recognizing him for the highest level of professional excellence.

In his spare time, Levine enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids. Levine is also active in his community, particularly in charity athletics. He has participated in the Dolphins Cancer Challenge, the MADD 5k in Fort Lauderdale, and the Ironman on the Crohn’s and Colitis team, among many other charity athletic events over the years. He is also an active member of the National MS Society, The ALS Association and the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.

Where did the idea for your company come from?

The idea for Anidjar and Levine was formed when Marc and I were talking about cases over lunch. We were sharing how we both felt that we could create a law firm that focused on treating clients like family. The more we spoke the more we realized that we were very similar in our approach to client service. We left the lunch with a plan to open a law firm together.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

There are no typical days at the office. I am an early riser. After getting my morning workout in, I normally arrive at the office at 7:00 AM. First I try to get through my e-mail and prepare for the day. Each day brings new challenges that need to be overcome. I supervise the litigation team at the law firm which involves overseeing nine litigation attorneys. In addition to my management role, I also handle all of the firms trials. Some days I may sit down with a particular project to tackle, but inevitably, my plans get sidetracked by something more urgent. The best thing about the office, is that the days seem to fly. I always make sure to return all of my calls before I leave the office for the day.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I bring ideas to life by leading by example. I am a big believer in not asking my staff to do something that I am not willing to do myself. I constantly meet with my team to discuss strategy and ideas on how to improve our legal and client service approach.

What’s one trend that excites you?

I am a big technology person. When we started our firm, we decided to create a paperless environment. In my opinion, the more the firm invests in technology, the more productive and profitable we can be.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I am an endurance athlete. Over the last five years, I have raced in a full ironman triathlon, several marathons, half ironman races, and half marathons. Training for races requires a commitment of time away from the office. I feel that my athletic training, allows me to be more focused at the office. A good portion of being a successful endurance athlete is handling the psychological component of racing. You need to dig deep and quiet the voice in your head that wants you to quit. The mental focus required for my athletics directly translates to being a more successful and productive attorney and business person.

What advice would you give your younger self?

There are no shortcuts to hard work and always believe in yourself.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

In today’s environment, there is so much pressure to get things done quickly. Text messages, e-mail, and calls are all expected to be returned the day that they are received. I spend 10 minutes a day with my door closed and disconnect with all electronics to clear my head and get organized.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

As an entrepreneur, I think the one thing that you must do is make time for your family. Time is such a valuable commodity, but to be the most productive you also need to be balanced. Coming home and spending time with my wife and three kids is the best way for me to recharge my battery to face the next day.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

I treat every client like they are part of my family. I give every client my cell number, and I try to take time to find out more about my clients than just the facts of their case. By taking a genuine interest in my clients’ lives, I can better serve them as their attorney, and I have made many new friends along the way. By treating clients this way, they are always happy to refer future business to my firm because they can be confident that I will treat that referral like family too.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

The hardest part of trail work is that there is always a winner and a loser. I give each trail 100% effort, but sometimes the jury doesn’t accept our side of the case. We don’t lose cases often, but when it happens, it is challenging. I know that I give my clients my best advice and my best effort, but a loss is always a tough pill to swallow.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Get into the office a half hour before the rest of your staff. The quiet time allows you to get organized for the day before the rest of the office arrives.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I like to cook and recently purchased a new chef knife. Having a good quality knife is an absolute must in the kitchen.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?

I use Google Earth almost every day. This program is such a valuable tool for a personal injury lawyer. Allowing me to visit accident locations from my desktop is a tremendous resource. Before Google Earth, we used to have to go out to accident scenes to take street-level photos, and we used to have to have helicopter’s fly over to take aerial pictures of intersections. Google Earth makes me more efficient and saves a ton of money for my firm and my clients.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

Getting Things Done by David Allen. This book is excellent for organizing and managing time. One tip from the book that I use every day is to tackle any task that takes five minutes or less immediately. By doing this, you eliminate a bunch of small things piling up on your desk.

What is your favorite quote?

10 two letter words to live by “If it is to be, it is up to me.”

Key learnings:

• By arriving early every day to get organized you set yourself up for success for the rest of the day.
• By treating clients like family, you guarantee a more satisfying experience for your client and improve the likelihood for future business.
• Take time away from the office to spend time with your family and to pursue other passions; it will allow you to be happier and more focused and productive at the office.

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