As Michael Sullivan & Associates celebrates 30 years of serving California employers, we’re taking time throughout the year to reflect on the people, relationships, and milestones that have shaped our journey since the firm opened for business in 1996. To mark this occasion, MS&A Founder and General Managing Partner Michael Sullivan shares a personal letter reflecting on the firm’s growth—from its humble beginnings to the statewide industry leader it is today.
 |
|
Michael W. Sullivan |
A Letter from Michael Sullivan
Founder & General Managing Partner
Michael Sullivan & Associates
As of October this year, our firm is turning 30 years old. It is a moment for reflection and gratitude, as we have built so much in this time. It started with a fax and printer in my spare room, with trips to Kinkos to copy records. Today we are a statewide firm with a wide array of excellent people, one of the largest and most respected workers compensation practices in the state, and a diversity of related offerings.
As of this year there are just a few firms with a California workers compensation practice of over 100 attorneys, of which we are one. However it is the quality of service that really sets a firm apart, and that is what we have always striven for. Devotion to attorney development, constant innovation, and a culture of distinctive client service are some of the core values that have gotten us here.
This business is about relationships, and our clients have always worked hard with us to build high levels of communication, integrity and shared goals. I was told when I started, to work with the people that I like. We have warm relationships with our clients, and a big part of that is choosing to work with strong, mature professionals who are ready to give us feedback, good or bad. Thank you for all you have given us.
We are also grateful to the broader workers' compensation community. This is a unique industry, one that depends on collaboration between employers, carriers, TPAs, attorneys, and administrators, all working through complex and often changing challenges. We have been proud to represent employers within this system and to work alongside so many others who are committed to doing this work the right way. The people in this space care deeply about what they do, and that has shaped who we are as a firm. We have learned from this community, grown with it, and are proud to be a part of it.
There are far too many outstanding people that I have worked with and partnered with over the years to mention by name. I regret that, as I am in awe of the people that work here. We have been through it together, and it is their character and devotion that have made MS&A what it is. I have many memories of opportunities seized and tough challenges met, with people growing into world class professionals and better human beings. We were named an Amazing Workplace last year, which made me proud and grateful. The most fulfilling part of the practice is the development of the people in it.
Our practice has also grown over the years to more fully service our clients. We have always represented employers, and over time we have expanded the ways we support them. We developed a strong subrogation practice and then a civil practice. More recently, our employment law and broader civil practices have grown quickly, reflecting the needs of our clients and allowing us to support them in a more complete way. We have led the charge against lien fraud with our unit there, with many industry altering victories. We developed an audit unit which represents all of the major TPAs with great success. Each of these areas continues to grow based on the values and operational insights we have developed over the years. Most recently, we have started the foray into a national practice.
What I feel most inspired by is our thought leadership and devotion to innovation. We started with Sullivan On Comp, which has grown into over ten thousand active users and has become a standard platform for the industry. We have led and taught as we worked through the internet revolution, going paperless, navigating major reforms, and responding to Covid. During Covid we produced a book and 30 webinars, one each week, with thousands attending.
Our methods and approaches have continued to evolve. Now, we have stepped fully into generative AI, with ChatSOC hosting thousands of conversations each week and growing, and soon Cadence, which will harness AI to improve and take on the more routine aspects of our work. There is nothing more exciting to me than helping lead this kind of transformation in our industry.
It has been thirty years, and it is far from being just a guy in a room. I still find it hard to believe what this has become, and I am even more excited about what we will be in the years ahead. Thank you all for making this possible.
Warmest regards,
Michael W. Sullivan
General Managing Partner, MS&A
