COLUMBUS, OH – After an extraordinary 50-year career with Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., L.P.A., Shareholder Allen (Al) Reis is retiring from the firm, leaving behind a legacy that has helped shape Weltman’s growth, culture, and presence throughout Ohio and beyond.
Al’s career with Weltman began in 1976 - although his official start was delayed slightly by a trip to Disney World with his wife. He ultimately joined the firm in September of that year, when Weltman was a much smaller organization with approximately 30 employees.
At just 23 years old, Al joined a firm that was already building a strong reputation in the creditors’ rights industry. In those early years, Senior Shareholder Robert (Bob) Weltman had established relationships with many of Cleveland’s major financial institutions. As banking laws evolved in the late 1970s, allowing banks to expand their operations statewide, new opportunities quickly emerged.
Weltman was determined not to turn away business simply because it was outside the firm’s existing geographic footprint.
In 1981, Bob approached Al with an opportunity that would change the course of his career - and the firm’s history. Would he be interested in opening a Weltman office in Columbus? Al was still in his twenties.
Al helped build the Columbus office from the ground up - quite literally. In addition to managing his legal practice and developing business, he found the office real estate, wired phones, and moved walls. The work reflected a different era, one before email, laptops, and the technology that now drives the legal industry. “You showed up for everything in those days,” Al said.
The firm’s early offices were filled with reminders of that era. One memorable feature was the open atrium and its koi pond. What began as an effort to improve the space eventually became home to a growing collection of fish, including goldfish brought in by employees after visits to the Ohio State Fair.
Technology brought equally memorable changes. Al recalls the excitement of moving from rotary phones to push-button dialing, as well as the firm's transition from handwritten collection cards to digital records.
For years, client and account information was manually maintained on physical cards. As more financial and demographic information became available electronically, Al and others began adding notes to computerized records and gradually realized the cards were no longer necessary.
Some of those cards, appropriately enough, remain in Al’s desk today - a small piece of Weltman history preserved by someone who has witnessed so much of it firsthand.
Over the course of his career, Al represented creditors throughout Central Ohio and beyond, serving clients ranging from community banks and credit unions to some of the largest and most recognizable financial institutions in the United States. His practice has included all stages of collections and litigation involving loans, B2B trade debt, credit cards, fraud, and other types of commercial debt. He also played an important role in managing the firm’s national replevin and collateral recovery network.
Al became a named partner in 1994 in recognition of his many contributions to the firm. Throughout his career, he has continued to embody the entrepreneurial mindset that helped Weltman grow from a regional firm into a national creditors’ rights organization.
As he reflects on the opportunities that shaped his career, Al encourages the next generation of professionals to embrace responsibility and take advantage of opportunities when they arise.
The chance to open and lead an office at a young age was not something Al took lightly. It became an experience that defined much of his professional life - and a reminder of what can happen when people are willing to step forward, take ownership, and build something new.
As Al begins his retirement, we celebrate not only his 50 years of dedication to Weltman, but also the lasting impact he has made on the firm, its clients, and generations of colleagues.
Al’s career with Weltman began in 1976 - although his official start was delayed slightly by a trip to Disney World with his wife. He ultimately joined the firm in September of that year, when Weltman was a much smaller organization with approximately 30 employees.
At just 23 years old, Al joined a firm that was already building a strong reputation in the creditors’ rights industry. In those early years, Senior Shareholder Robert (Bob) Weltman had established relationships with many of Cleveland’s major financial institutions. As banking laws evolved in the late 1970s, allowing banks to expand their operations statewide, new opportunities quickly emerged.
Weltman was determined not to turn away business simply because it was outside the firm’s existing geographic footprint.
In 1981, Bob approached Al with an opportunity that would change the course of his career - and the firm’s history. Would he be interested in opening a Weltman office in Columbus? Al was still in his twenties.
“I can’t emphasize enough what an opportunity it was to be that young and have them express that kind of confidence in me to be a leader at the firm,” Al reflected.
The plan was intentionally modest at first. Bob agreed to rent office space but advised Al not to commit to anything longer than six months in case the venture did not work out. Fifty years later, it is safe to say the venture worked.Al helped build the Columbus office from the ground up - quite literally. In addition to managing his legal practice and developing business, he found the office real estate, wired phones, and moved walls. The work reflected a different era, one before email, laptops, and the technology that now drives the legal industry. “You showed up for everything in those days,” Al said.
The firm’s early offices were filled with reminders of that era. One memorable feature was the open atrium and its koi pond. What began as an effort to improve the space eventually became home to a growing collection of fish, including goldfish brought in by employees after visits to the Ohio State Fair.
Technology brought equally memorable changes. Al recalls the excitement of moving from rotary phones to push-button dialing, as well as the firm's transition from handwritten collection cards to digital records.
For years, client and account information was manually maintained on physical cards. As more financial and demographic information became available electronically, Al and others began adding notes to computerized records and gradually realized the cards were no longer necessary.
Some of those cards, appropriately enough, remain in Al’s desk today - a small piece of Weltman history preserved by someone who has witnessed so much of it firsthand.
Over the course of his career, Al represented creditors throughout Central Ohio and beyond, serving clients ranging from community banks and credit unions to some of the largest and most recognizable financial institutions in the United States. His practice has included all stages of collections and litigation involving loans, B2B trade debt, credit cards, fraud, and other types of commercial debt. He also played an important role in managing the firm’s national replevin and collateral recovery network.
Al became a named partner in 1994 in recognition of his many contributions to the firm. Throughout his career, he has continued to embody the entrepreneurial mindset that helped Weltman grow from a regional firm into a national creditors’ rights organization.
As he reflects on the opportunities that shaped his career, Al encourages the next generation of professionals to embrace responsibility and take advantage of opportunities when they arise.
The chance to open and lead an office at a young age was not something Al took lightly. It became an experience that defined much of his professional life - and a reminder of what can happen when people are willing to step forward, take ownership, and build something new.
As Al begins his retirement, we celebrate not only his 50 years of dedication to Weltman, but also the lasting impact he has made on the firm, its clients, and generations of colleagues.
Thank you, Al, for your leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, commitment, and five decades of contributions to Weltman. Congratulations on an incredible career, and best wishes for a well-deserved retirement!
This blog is not a solicitation for business and it is not intended to constitute legal advice on specific matters, create an attorney-client relationship, or be legally binding in any way.
