Hinshaw takes own advice, joins Bennett Guthrie to ensure clients are represented into the future
The Triad Business Journal recently featured Robin Hinshaw, who recently joined Bennett Guthrie.
Lloyd Whittington, editor-in-chief, stopped by for an interview.
He writes:
“This may come as a shock, but attorneys sometimes don’t follow their own advice. But Robin Hinshaw is. After 49 years as one of Winston-Salem’s most prominent estate planning attorneys, he’s executed a succession plan for his own business. Hinshaw on July 1 merged his practice into Bennett Guthrie PLLC, a small firm also in Winston-Salem, where he’ll be ‘of counsel’ and mentor colleagues there. It’s an emotional decision, he admits, and one he’s been contemplating for a decade. The pressure mounted as one of his long-term employees left last year, and then as the other shared in December her readiness to retire. Hinshaw had considered bringing in associates to take over, as well as selling the practice, but he could never get comfortable. But, having crafted ‘4,000 to 6,000’ estate plans through the years, he was also not comfortable leaving his clients in a lurch. Finally, a few months ago, he bumped into Rod Guthrie, a partner at Bennett Guthrie, at the eye doctor, and a solution came into view, so to speak. ‘For many lawyers, their transition plan is: I’m gonna live forever, and I’m gonna work forever,’ said Josh Bennett, a partner in the firm. ‘And that’s the plan, which is not a plan … Time doesn’t wait for anybody. Hopefully more people kind of follow his example.’”
