Last year, Andy Sandler did something rare for a successful lawyer: He walked away from the law.

He had quite the run. In 2009, he left Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where headed the consumer financial services enforcement and litigation practice, to co-found Buckley Sandler. As chairman and executive partner, he grew the firm in nine years to number 171 on the Am Law 200, with profits per equity partner of $2.48 million in 2017.