Treebank Legal
Our Mission
To empower businesses and families with innovative legal solutions for transition planning and transaction expertise.
Our History
A Family Business Background
During his childhood, Martin grew up with a front-row seat to
the family business, a manufacturer and supplier of building
products and steel industrial wire. The value of hard work
and dedication were deeply instilled in him. After high school
graduation, he postponed attending college to join the US
Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment. He carried his military experience
with him as he studied mechanical engineering at Clemson
University.
Following graduation from Clemson University, he began
working in the family business. His engineering background
wired his brain for efficiency and he applied this to the family business in creating processes and solving problems. Martin’s
experience as a family member in a leadership role gave him
a unique perspective on the complicated nature of family
businesses. He recognized the need for legal services but was
frustrated in the delivery of these services.
Turning Over A New Leaf
After working with lawyers and thinking that the concepts would
be much easier if he just knew the rules, he applied to law school
and began studying law at Georgia State University at age 35.
During law school, Martin realized practicing law would enable
him to leverage his prior experience to provide effective and
efficient counsel to business clients. Upon finishing law school,
Martin worked in “big law” where he once again noticed a gap—
this time his frustration was with the numerous inefficiencies
normalized in large firms. Hourly legal fees approaching $1,000/
hour did not sit well with him—especially when the client
was paying for the firm’s time mismanagement. If the goal of
lawyers and attorneys is to mitigate risk, Martin wondered why
traditional law firms placed the risk on the client with respect to
fees.
Determined to see beyond the status quo, Martin formulated a
new legal services structure—one that would provide necessary
legal services to clients without exorbitant fees and poor
communication.
He believed he could build a firm that would operate efficiently
and honestly, providing clients with essential legal services—
particularly in an area he was well versed in: family business
matters including corporate governance, succession planning,
M&A transactions, and commercial contracts.
MISSION & VISION
Our Mission
To empower businesses and families with innovative legal solutions for transition planning and transaction expertise.
Our Purpose
Treebank Legal believes in promoting integrity and ethics and sustaining family legacies.
Our Vision
To redefine corporate law by creating a customer-first, efficiency-driven legal practice that supports strong families
and strong businesses.
Our Values
Critical Thinking: Martin is a critical thinker. His studies and background have instilled in him the need to continuously look for new ways to solve problems that create valuable solutions for all in his sphere of influence.
Efficiency: Martin is willing to take on the risk associated with law forcing him to find efficient means to solve problems and remain profitable. He seeks to be efficient in processes and time management.
Family: Martin grew up in a strong family context that has shaped who he has become. He wants his firm to be a place where the culture is knit together like a strong family while creating flexibility for his team so they can be both family and career oriented.
Other values: Entrepreneurship, Honesty
– Deeply rooted
• Treebank operates on a legacy of entrepreneurship, fair
business practices, and a positive reputation
• Succession / transition planning and transaction expertise
• Equipped to assist in even the most complex legal needs
• Legal services for family businesses
• Unique and intricate business needs call for a unique legal
firm
• Honest and transparent legal practices
• Prioritizes clarity and thorough communication
– Flat fee billing, upfront billing approach
• A new, more honest approach to legal fees
• Entrepreneur mindset
• Built by an entrepreneur for entrepreneurs
• Family business expertise
• We understand family business deeply
• Precision experts
• Acute attention to detail is given each contract, agreement
and legal framework
The Path to Treebank Legal
Entrepreneurship in his blood, Martin founded Treebank Legal
in the summer of 2024. Treebank Legal delivers high-quality,
efficient legal services by integrating legal and business
expertise with innovative technology, value-based billing, and
transparent cost planning to ensure clients can evaluate value
and plan effectively. Treebank works to provide high-level legal
services for a flat fee instead of billing clients by the hour. This
model protects the client by ensuring the onus is on Treebank to
work smartly and efficiently. And Martin is up for the challenge.
In Treebank’s short life, they’ve garnered dozens of clients,
building a book of business with the goal of working with clients
on an ongoing proactive basis rather than reacting to client
problems after they have festered.
Martin, recognizing his limited manpower to manage growth,
strategic planning, and give clients the attention they deserve,
hired his sister-in-law, Emily, as an office manager, and Cody Rankin, who holds a law degree, as a paralegal. He has also partnered with a licensed professional counselor, Morgan Weatherly, PhD, to help navigate sticky family business dynamics. The four make a strong team, Emily and Cody bring
organization, precision, and strategy to the back office and
Morgan brings empathetic counsel to families as Martin works
directly with clients on legal issues.
Treebank Legal
Deep Rooted Growth
Though growth is happening quickly, Treebank desires to expand intentionally and methodically, guided by a strong branding and messaging strategy. The Treebank name comes from Martin and his brother when they attempted to name a sibling “Herbert Sherbert Treebank Martin.” The sibling was a girl so the name was not used. The consolation was that their dad would use this name for a business; thus, one of his dad’s early entrepreneurial ventures was named H.S. Treebank, Inc.
Forty years to the day after his father established H.S. Treebank, Treebank Group LLC was born as a tribute to generations of entrepreneurship. Further, as the name suggests, Treebank is steadily growing deep roots, the three branches representing three generations of entrepreneurship. With the mission of empowering and enriching businesses and families with innovative legal solutions coupled with recognition and counsel regarding underlying family dynamics, Treebank’s growth is just beginning