Some attorneys spend decades dreaming of launching their own law firm. Not so Brian Robbins and Marc Umeda, who opened their own litigation shop in 2002, a mere five years out of law school.

"I think I suffered from the benefit of being 28 years old at the time and not knowing I was biting off more than I could chew," Robbins said. "When you do that, I think you don’t have a choice and you figure things out, and it worked out very well for us."