Building a Law Firm with Culture, Community, and Compassion - Litner + Deganian

Join hosts Ben Musgrove and Christopher Light for this insightful episode of The Bettis Musgrove Show as they sit down with Steve Litner and Arman Deganian, the founding partners of Litner + Deganian, an Atlanta-based personal injury law firm that's redefining what it means to practice law with purpose.​​

About Steve Litner:

Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Steve attended the University of Maryland, University of Florida for grad school, and UNC Chapel Hill for law school before moving to Atlanta. A state champion wrestler who later coached high school wrestling for two years, Steve started his own personal injury firm in 2012 after realizing he worked better for himself than for someone else. His philosophy: "Personal injury law gives me a chance to help clients receive fair treatment in some very traumatic situations where the deck is often stacked against them".​​

About Arman Deganian:

A "double dawg" with degrees from the University of Georgia, Arman is a Loganville native and former all-county running back who spent seven years doing defense work before switching to the plaintiff side. His insurance defense background gives him unique insight: "I know how insurance companies work, so I can stay one step ahead of them". Arman joined Steve in 2015, and they officially became partners in January 2016.​​

The Litner + Deganian Story:

What started as two attorneys and one paralegal in a small Dunwoody office has grown into a 30-person firm with eight attorneys and offices in Atlanta, Rincon, and Columbus. But growth hasn't been their goal—culture has. As they famously said in a partners meeting years ago: "We don't want to grow for growth's sake".​​

The Culture:

Forget suits and ties—at Litner + Deganian, board shorts and t-shirts are the norm. Their iconic billboard featuring what looks like an "Olan Mills engagement photo" perfectly captures their philosophy: don't take yourself too seriously, but take your clients' cases very seriously.​

Community Involvement:

LifeLine Animal Project Partnership - For every case they close, Litner + Deganian sponsors one pet adoption through LifeLine Animal Project, estimating as many as 200 adoptions per year. The firm has been partnering with LifeLine since 2021.​​

Make-A-Wish Trailblaze Challenge - Arman recently completed the grueling 22-mile hike along the Bartram Trail in North Georgia to raise money for Make-A-Wish Georgia.​​

5K Sponsorships - The firm doesn't just write checks—their entire team participates in numerous 5K races and charity events throughout the year.​

What We Discuss in This Episode:

The origin story: from wrestling champion and football star to law partners
Why Arman went by "Mike" through high school and college​
The infamous "Netflix" employee story​
Building a firm culture around personality fit, not just qualifications​
The transition from defense work to plaintiff representation
Why they hire attorneys based on opportunities, not job postings​
Managing work-life balance and encouraging healthy outlets​
Steve's philosophy on coaching kids and managing employees​
The LifeLine Animal Project partnership origin story​
Arman's Make-A-Wish hike and why giving back matters
Why they'll never hit 50 employees (and that's intentional)​
Parenting, gymnastics competitions, and the chaos of morning routines​

Key Takeaway:

"We don't want to grow for growth's sake. We like our size now. We're about 30 people, eight attorneys, and anything more than that seems like we'd lose what makes us special".​

Connect with Litner + Deganian:

📍 Atlanta Office: 1776 Briarcliff Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
📞 Phone: (678) 956-8500
🌐 Website: www.litnerlaw.com

Areas Served: Atlanta, Stone Mountain, Dunwoody, Columbus, Rincon, and throughout Georgia​

Connect with Bettis Musgrove:

📍 202 Tribble Gap Rd, STE 300, Cumming, GA 30040
📞 (470) 347-1515
🌐 www.bettismusgrove.com

Subscribe to The Bettis Musgrove Show for more conversations with attorneys, community leaders, and people making a difference! Learn what it really takes to build a successful law firm without losing your soul in the process.

Thoughts and prayers to Spenser Bettis, who is currently deployed overseas serving our country.​

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