It all began at the World Trade Center—a personal note

Our firm’s two founders, Eric Hutner and Noah Klarish, met in 1999 when they both had their offices on the 85th floor of One World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. They developed a close working relationship prior to the day when literally the world changed. On September 11, 2001, their offices were destroyed and they were extraordinarily fortunate to get out with their lives. Forced to relocate, their nascent plans to form a firm were put on the back burner. Since then, Eric and Noah like to think that they and the others who survived that day typify the true American spirit—to survive, to rebuild, to grow, and to prosper. Their experiences made them better friends, better colleagues, and better people. And that is something they bring to the office every day.

In the midst of the horror, they were fortunate to see firsthand the good that emerged from the fire and smoke—a level of personal sacrifice and goodness that can hardly be comprehended. These observations are included in Eric’s recollection of his 9/11 experiences.

Recovered from the rubble

Noah and Eric were both surprised the day they heard from the NYC Police Department: “We found something of yours in the rubble of the World Trade Center.” Not valuable, not grisly, and in fact very ordinary—the two pictured credit cards were all that was found. Their ordinariness, however, speaks volumes, as it bears profound testimony to all that was lost.