Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Schoenthal and Anthony J. Bruno II.
Peter and Anthony J., can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Our story is somewhat unique. Growing up, Anthony and I did not know each other although we both grew up in the Fort Lauderdale area. We were around the same age and had several mutual friends. We were both admitted to the University of Miami Law School. Heading into law school, we had a mutual friend ask us if we needed a roommate. Both of us in fact did and we decided to meet. The first time I met him, he picked me up to go apartment hunting and that very day we signed a lease. We lived together during our first year of law school, which is the most difficult year. We helped each other a lot through that first year. After law school, we both went on to become Public Defenders. Anthony worked for the Broward Public Defender’s Office and I worked at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office. We again lived together our first year as public defenders. Often times, we would discuss cases and we quickly realized we worked well together.
Anthony never left the criminal defense world. He left the public defender’s office to work for Eric Schwartzreich, who is an amazing criminal defense attorney. Anthony got the chance to learn from one of the best. At that time, I briefly left the criminal defense world and was poached by a medical malpractice defense firm. It was there that I truly realized that my calling was being a criminal defense attorney. I am a big believer in finding your “why” and realized criminal defense was my “why.”
After about a year, I left the medical malpractice world and approached Anthony about opening up our own firm. We figured living together was somewhat similar to running a business together. We both knew our calling was in criminal defense work. We both enjoyed representing those who couldn’t protect themselves and we both enjoyed taking on the government and all its resources. We are also very different and we knew that would help us as it pertained to running a business. I see things differently than him and he takes a different approach than myself. It truly works. He is the yin to my yang and I truly couldn’t ask for a better partner.
After a few months of planning, we hung or shingle and we have been in business ever since!
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s never a smooth road when opening a business. We like to say “speed bumps, not roadblocks.” That phrase helps us when we are working up a case and it also applies to running a business. While we were planning and working toward opening our doors, we hit snags along the way. Deadlines were pushed. Sometimes we got frustrated. However, we never let that stop us because we knew we offered a service that could truly help others. We understand that just because an individual is facing criminal charges, it does not make them a “criminal” per se. For most people, criminal charges are an isolated event and are often the lowest point in their lives. We are fully aware of the tremendous power the government can wield in the midst of a criminal prosecution. We understand the helplessness that individuals feel when they find themselves in the crosshairs of the government. We take great pride in our ability to fight for our clients. We knew we could do great things and so our frustration never turned into discouragement.
There were also pitfalls once we opened our doors. Often times, you expect so much and you think everything will just fall into place. That’s simply not true. We were lucky enough to have a plan on how we wanted to spread our vision and over time it started to work. As we brought in clients, and helped them, they started to refer other clients and it really took off from there.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Bruno & Schoenthal, Trial Lawyers story. Tell us more about the business.
We are a full-service criminal defense firm. We handle anything from DUI’s to Murders. We understand the circumstances and stresses that come with facing criminal charges. We are dedicated to fighting for our client’s rights and protecting their freedom. We will always be at our client’s side no matter what and we will make sure they have the strongest defense possible. At the end of the day we believe there are no small victories when someone’s freedom is at stake.
We consider ourselves “old-school attorneys with a new aged approach.” This means we embrace trials and the benefits they provide while using a modern approach as we prepare cases from the ground up. Trial is becoming a “dying art” but we still feel as though it can be your best course of action. By preparing a case for trial from the beginning, we leave no stone unturned. When we approach a case this way we often find facts or defenses that can lead to our client’s charges being dismissed or allow our clients to have a stronger position when negotiating with the government. If an attorney is unprepared, there’s no way one can expect a positive outcome in court. That’s why when we approach a case, our first step is to begin fully preparing for trial so you get a complete representation.
We are also unique because we prepare every case together. This actually goes back to our time living together where we discovered how much we enjoyed preparing cases as a team. Unlike other firms who assign a single lawyer to each client, we work together on every single case and we believe in a client-centered approach. This means you will get the benefit of our combined experience and problem solving skills. By working together, we can develop strategies and initiatives that will help us be successful in court.
The thing we are proudest of might actually be something we did away from the courthouse. A few months ago, we went to a homeless shelter and decided to have a day of fun for those who were having a tough go. We brought hair stylists, food, and a DJ. We basically turned the place into a dance party. We filmed the whole thing and made a music video using the song “God’s Plan” by Drake. It was really great seeing all the positive feedback we got from the community while hearing about the impact we made. What made us even happier and more proud was the joy and happiness that was on display from the residents of the shelter. It was the most fun we have had in a long time and it tied into why we love being criminal defense attorneys; we got to help others.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I don’t know if I feel like there are any big shifts coming as it pertains solely to the criminal defense sector other than hopefully reforming our drug laws. I do feel as though all industries are seeing a shift as society changes. Social media has had a tremendous effect on that. I think we are seeing an uptick in “mom and pop” businesses. I think social media has created an environment where anyone can start a business and reach a large audience and the legal world is no different.
I also think consumers are looking to align themselves with companies that share similar ideals as themselves. There is a lot of negativity out there but we have found that this current generation really wants to make a positive difference. We obviously want to make a difference as well and have a positive effect on society. Consumers now more than ever, want to align themselves with organizations that feel as they do and I think that has affected law firms when it comes to branding and marketing.
However, you still have to provide great service and produce positive results. That will never change and we are glad that has remained the same.
Contact Info:
- Address: 208 SE 6th Street
Suite 1 Ft Lauderdale, FL 33301 - Website: BrunoSchoenthal.com
- Phone: 9543562863
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrunoSchoenthal/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImxAOaivvdg (God’s Plan Remake Video)
Image Credit:
Julian Castro from Joule Studios took all the photos
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