Miami Law Firm Adopts 1-Word, 2-Letter Name Amid Reshuffle
“It’s a name we can keep for many years to come without a need to change it,” the firm’s co-founder
and managing partner said.
by Raychel Lean
L-R: Ari Tenzer, Greg Hernandez and Javier Alvarez of TA PLLC.
When boutique Miami business law firm Tenzer Arrieta reshuffled its management team, it also took the unusual step of shortening its name to just two letters: TA. That’s in sharp contrast to the majority of law firm names, which follow the tradition of using founder and partner surnames, sometimes resulting in a list of many as five or six names.
TA — officially registered as TA PLLC — was fashioned in a way that “gives a nod” to the firm’s founders “without making any one or two people the focus of the entire firm,” according to co-founder and managing partner Ari Tenzer. “We want the focus to be on our team and our collective work,” Tenzer said. “We also liked the nontraditional use of the initials as the generic names do not pay homage to the fact that this is who we are and really an integral part of our identities as people and professionals. It’s a name we can keep for many years to come without a need to change it.”
TA joins a handful of other South Florida firms going against the grain, including AXS Law Group and GST LLP, as boutique commercial firms appear increasingly keen to differentiate themselves with short names.
New Co-Managing Partner
TA’s name change came as the firm promoted international transaction attorney and partner Javier Alvarez to co-managing partner. Alvarez will work alongside Tenzer, replacing co-founder Alejandro Arrieta, who’s transitioning to a counsel role. Arrieta is joining a longtime firm client, Miami real estate developer, The Estate Cos., in a business capacity. “I’ve known Javier for many years and have no doubt he will seamlessly step into this leadership role,” Arrieta said. “His professionalism and deep knowledge of international matters are truly synergistic in terms of the platform Ari and I have carefully cultivated.”
Senior associate Gregory Hernandez was also promoted to partner. Alvarez and Hernandez handle domestic and cross-border business transactions in the firm’s corporate and merger and acquisition groups. “Javier was a natural fit for this role because of his robust experience with matters in Latin America and for clients from that region, given the amount of work our firm does in this area,” Tenzer said. “I’m proud to see both Javier and Greg step into these new roles and to have Alex stay on and continue to provide his wealth of legal expertise. I am confident these moves will benefit both our clients and the firm.”
The firm opened in 2018 with five attorneys. It now has 15, many of whom came from Big Law. “I am honored and excited for this opportunity,” Alvarez said. “I value the strong reputation and entrepreneurial culture that Ari and Alex have established, and I look forward to working with the team to build on this success.”