Building a Law Firm on Your Own Terms feat. William Marranca DiGiorgio

22 minutes ago

3 min read

William Marranca DiGiorgio is an Atlanta-based personal injury attorney who turned his experience in insurance defense into an opportunity to build his own law firm. In this episode, William shares why he left traditional firm life, how being licensed in Florida and Georgia helped him find a niche, and why his creative interests have become an unexpected part of running his business.

About This Episode

Background

William Marranca DiGiorgio is a personal injury attorney and solo law firm owner based in the Atlanta area. Before starting his practice, he worked as an insurance defense trial attorney in Florida, where he developed his litigation skills and learned how insurance companies approach claims. Although he enjoyed depositions, court appearances, and trials, the constant billing and administrative demands of defense work were not what he had envisioned for his legal career.

“I thought that was really like an honor to, you know, be somebody's attorney," shares William Marranca DiGiorgio You Are A Lawyer.

That appreciation for working directly with clients stayed with William as he moved to a personal injury firm and eventually opened his own practice. His wife encouraged him to consider entrepreneurship long before he felt ready, and he ultimately treated his time at the plaintiff's firm as an opportunity to learn before launching his business. Now he handles cases in Georgia and Florida and is considering hiring additional staff after experiencing faster growth than he anticipated.

Why Law School

William didn't grow up imagining himself as an attorney. He originally wanted to become a fashion designer, but his father, who was a surgeon, had concerns about the difficulty of building a career in a creative field. William ultimately pursued law, although his interest in design never disappeared. Even while working at other firms, he found himself paying attention to their logos, business cards, technology, and overall branding.

“I didn't intend to be an attorney. When I was young, I wanted to be like a designer, like a fashion designer," explains William Marranca DiGiorgio on Episode 265 of You Are a Lawyer.

Owning his firm has given William an unexpected way to reconnect with those creative interests. He now makes his own branding decisions, from having business cards produced on a historic printing press to carefully selecting and designing embroidered hats. The freedom to create a business that reflects his personal aesthetic has become one of his favorite aspects of entrepreneurship, alongside the opportunity to practice law the way he wants.

What Can You Do with a Law Degree

William began his career in insurance defense because he wanted to understand how insurance companies evaluated and defended claims before eventually representing injured individuals. That experience became a foundation for his personal injury practice, giving him insight into the companies he now negotiates with. He also obtained licenses in both Florida and Georgia, allowing him to represent clients whose accidents and home states cross those borders.

“You can probably do anything law related, like if it touches law, but I mean you could even just you know, sort of use your degree as a way to gain credibility, like maybe in a startup or something," shares William Marranca DiGiorgio on Episode 265 of You Are a Lawyer.

William encourages law students to think about how each early career decision can create additional opportunities. He considered remaining in defense work when a specialized position offered substantially more money, but ultimately continued toward his goal of representing plaintiffs. Beyond litigation, he sees opportunities for lawyers to apply their education to technology, startups, and other businesses, especially as new tools change how legal work gets done.

Lawyer Side Hustles

For William, owning a law firm means being much more than an attorney. He is responsible for litigation, case management, marketing, networking, administration, and client relationships. His interest in design also gives him an active role in developing the firm's visual identity, from custom merchandise to promotional content. He has even created a video studio, although finding time to produce content while managing a growing caseload remains a challenge.

“I'm sort of at that stage where, you know, things happened a lot faster,” William Marranca DiGiorgio expresses in Episode 265 of You Are a Lawyer.

As his practice grows, William is learning to distinguish between work that requires an attorney and tasks that could be delegated to a case manager or other staff member. He currently handles administrative responsibilities alongside his legal work but recognizes that hiring will allow him to focus more of his time on clients and litigation. His experience highlights how entrepreneurship can provide creative freedom while also requiring business owners to rethink how they spend their time.