Some firms are built around opportunity. Others are built around relationships. Bodker, Ramsey, Andrews, Winograd & Wildstein was built on both.
On the first day of law school orientation at the University of Georgia, Brian Bodker and Tim Ramsey were introduced by a mutual friend. They ended up in the same section, taking the same core classes, studying side-by-side, and quickly realizing they worked better together than apart. Their friendship and professional collaboration began there.
After early years gaining experience in larger firm environments, they saw something missing in the Atlanta legal market. In 1986, they decided to do something about it.
Seeing the Gap and Stepping Into It
When Brian and Tim formed their firm, Bodker & Ramsey, on June 1, 1986, they weren’t simply starting a practice. They were responding to a market need.
“Brian and I believed the small-to-mid-market, privately held business community was underserved. Smaller firms often lacked the breadth to handle complex legal matters across disciplines. Larger firms tended to focus on companies with in-house counsel, leaving growing businesses without fully integrated strategic legal support. We believed there was another way,” said Tim Ramsey, founder and shareholder.
With Tim’s MBA background and Brian’s accounting education and CPA license, they brought business fluency alongside legal skill. From the beginning, they intended to serve as more than technicians drafting documents or litigating disputes. They aimed to be strategic partners with their clients, counselors who understood how legal decisions affect the broader trajectory of a business.
That philosophy remains central to the firm today.
Early Growth Rooted in Trust
The early years were personal, focused, and disciplined.
Brian’s father provided guidance. Tim’s wife, Betsy, handled bookkeeping on weekends before the firm’s first hires joined. Their first official hire stepped in to manage billing soon after that. “Every decision mattered. Every payroll had faces attached to it,” said Brian Bodker, founder and shareholder.
Within 18 months of opening, the firm established a 401(k) profit-sharing plan for its employees, effective January 1, 1988. The initial contribution, followed by a substantial year-end addition, reflected something deeper than financial success. It demonstrated a commitment to sharing prosperity with the people building the firm alongside its founders.
That pattern of investing in people early and meaningfully became part of the firm’s DNA.
Sophisticated Work, Personal Counsel
From the outset, the firm handled substantial matters. Significant business clients and complex transactions allowed the firm to grow thoughtfully and add talent early in its history.
“Our defining characteristic was never a single project or marquee transaction. Instead, it was, and remains, our approach to the work we do and our focus on relationships,” said Bodker.
Today, BRAWW provides sophisticated core legal services primarily to growing privately held and mid-market companies, while also representing entrepreneurs, executives, families, and individuals in estate, trust, and litigation matters. The firm serves as outside general counsel to many clients, integrating legal strategy with business realities.
“The value of what the firm does isn’t limited to contracts drafted or cases resolved. The deeper value lies in understanding why issues arise and helping clients address root causes so problems don’t repeat themselves,” Bodker explained.
“That approach requires more than legal acumen. It requires business judgment,” said Ramsey.
Many of the firm’s lawyers grew up in business environments, bringing finance, accounting, and executive experience to their work. That perspective shapes conversations in boardrooms and negotiation tables alike. Clients often find themselves discussing business strategy as much as legal doctrine, and the founders would not have it any other way.
Relationships Measured in Decades
“One of our proudest accomplishments is not a single case; it is longevity,” said Bodker.
Many BRAWW clients have been with the firm for decades. Some relationships now span generations.
In one instance, the firm helped a small business owner assemble an early “friends and family” investment round to purchase a line of business that others had written off. Over the course of roughly 15 years, that company expanded into dozens of states before ultimately selling for millions of dollars. BRAWW stood alongside the client through every stage of that growth.
In another example, the firm has represented a retail-focused business for more than thirty years, serving as outside general counsel through ownership transition into a second generation.
These stories are not anomalies. They are representative.
Ramsey notes, “Most of the firm’s clients have relationships measured in decades, not years.” The reason is simple: the firm invests in understanding its clients’ businesses, risks, and aspirations deeply. Legal counsel becomes part of a larger, long-term strategy.
A Culture of Genuine People
“The thing that makes us the most proud after forty years is not case lists or revenue milestones; it is our people,” Bodker said.
The firm’s attorneys are deeply engaged in the community, not because it is required, but because it reflects who they are. Firm members serve in leadership roles within bar associations, civic organizations, faith communities, economic development initiatives, and mentorship programs. Many have completed Leadership Atlanta and similar programs. Others coach, teach, mentor, or serve in nonprofit leadership capacities.
“Community involvement isn’t a line item. It’s an extension of the firm’s belief in making significant, positive contributions wherever possible,” said Ramsey.
Clients frequently describe BRAWW attorneys as genuine, accessible, thoughtful, and invested. That authenticity has shaped the firm’s reputation over four decades.
The culture also embraces celebration. Over the years, the firm has hosted open houses, anniversary events, and gatherings that include clients, colleagues, and community partners. The firm’s milestone 30th anniversary celebration brought hundreds together. The firm plans to continue marking milestones not just internally, but alongside the people who have been part of its journey.
Growing Without Losing Who We Are
As the firm expanded, adding partners across the decades and strengthening litigation, corporate, and advisory capabilities, its leadership remained focused on maintaining culture alongside growth.
That is no small task.
From Steve Andrews’ early addition in 1986, Harry Winograd’s in 1992, and Rob Wildstein’s in 2000, and others since, the firm has evolved thoughtfully. Each new leader strengthens the bench while reinforcing the same core philosophy: high-level work delivered with personal connection.
The firm continues to invest in technology and operational improvements, carefully adopting tools, including artificial intelligence, that enhance service without sacrificing judgment. “The firm may not always be first to adopt every trend, but it focuses on implementing the most effective tools thoughtfully and strategically,” Bodker shared.
Above all, the firm remains committed to developing talent. Succession is not a single event; it is an ongoing process of cultivating leaders who understand both law and business.
Looking Toward Fifty
As BRAWW celebrates forty years, the forward momentum continues.
The goal for the next decade is not reinvention; it is continuation and refinement. Continue serving growing companies and families with sophistication. Continue investing in people. Continue contributing meaningfully to the community. Continue strengthening client relationships that endure through cycles, transitions, and generations.
If asked how they hope to be described at their fiftieth anniversary, the answer is simple: as a firm that pairs big-firm capabilities with small-firm relationships. As counselors who cared deeply about their clients and each other. As people who made a meaningful difference. And as a firm that never stopped moving forward.
Leadership Milestones
- 1986 – Brian Bodker and Tim Ramsey form Bodker & Ramsey.
- 1986 – Steve Andrews joins the firm and becomes a shareholder.
- 1991 – Harry Winograd becomes a shareholder.
- 1996 – Tom Rosseland becomes a shareholder.
- 2000 – Rob Wildstein becomes a shareholder.
- 2003 – Jessica Wood becomes a shareholder.
- 2007 – Jacob Maurer becomes a shareholder.
- 2012 – John Killeen becomes a shareholder.
- 2025 – Christopher Day becomes a shareholder.