In this blog, Ohio-based trial attorneys Allen Tittle and Scott Perlmuter, co-founders of Tittle & Perlmuter, share how a strategic banking partnership led to overcoming cash flow challenges and accelerating the firm’s growth.

The Challenge: Growing a Contingency Fee Law Firm While Managing Cash Flow

As a contingency fee law firm, Tittle & Perlmuter faced a common legal industry hurdle: limited access to capital while cases were still pending resolution. “A lot of times we were just self-funding our cases. Businesswise, I learned real quick that’s not the best way to run a law firm,” notes Allen.

Even as the firm’s caseload and team expanded, capital constraints made it difficult to seize growth opportunities—whether hiring top talent, investing in infrastructure, or covering upfront case costs. Traditional banks didn’t understand the nuances of the contingency fee model, making it harder to get the financing the firm needed.

“When we were working with a traditional bank, they just didn’t quite understand that this case inventory meant dollars down the road,” recalls Allen. “And they also didn’t understand why so many dollars were going out the door to fund these cases. The moment I realized that we needed to make a switch from traditional banking was when we wanted to increase our line of credit to fund cases, and they basically wanted our firstborn child in order to do it.”

A Strategic Banking Partner Who Understands Contingency Fee Firms

That frustration changed when Tittle & Perlmuter partnered with Esquire Bank—a financial institution that specializes in working with contingency fee law firms. “Fortunately, we have a partner who actually understands the process, who understands how contingency fee law firms make it every day,” says Allen. “Traditional banks just don’t quite get it. Esquire Bank gets it.”

For Tittle & Perlmuter, the partnership provided more than just capital. It offered a financial strategy aligned with the firm’s growth goals and supported operational needs.

“We were able to access much more credit than we ever were with the traditional bank,” notes Allen. “We recognized that having lines of credit in order to fund our clients’ cases or fund our most catastrophic cases was really critical to growth.”

Results: Confidence to Grow and Compete

With improved access to capital, Tittle & Perlmuter gained confidence to invest in the firm’s team and scale growth. “Because of [Esquire’s] customer service, because of the ability to access credit, because of the ease of using their electronic platforms—every aspect of the bank is just so much easier,” says Scott. “It saves so much of my time in terms of operating a firm as compared to the traditional banks that we used before.”

What is Allen’s message to other trial lawyers? Partnering with the right bank can make all the difference when overcoming cash flow challenges. “We have a true partner in Esquire Bank, and I couldn’t appreciate it more,” says Allen.

Learn More

Click the video above to watch the full testimonial and hear how Allen Tittle and Scott Perlmuter succeeded in overcoming cash flow challenges to build a stronger, more scalable firm in the process.