Brankamp

Portsmouth is a special place. In Portsmouth, Jeremy Burnside found a rare sense of community and he was so loved by everyone. For this, Jeremy moved from Cleveland to establish Burnside Law as a place where regular people could stop in, get a slap on the back, and receive top-notch legal representation for some of the most complex injury cases, against powerful insurance companies. In doing so, Burnside law became a special place, too. Jeremy brought together an exceptional team of compassionate and like-minded lawyers, driven to achieve great results for each underdog who walks through the doors of that beautiful old, converted church. In the process, Burnside Law won state and even national recognition, right here in Portsmouth. Now, Burnside Law holds distinctions in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, the National Top 100 trial lawyers, a 10-point superb rating in Avvo, and a spot in Super Lawyers Magazine. For this reason, the Burnside name will live on forever at the law firm of Burnside Brankamp.

As you know by now, Jeremy recently passed away after his war with cancer, but the values he brought to Burnside Law will forever live on in the minds of its attorneys as we seek to honor his legacy and grow into the law firm of Burnside Brankamp. This is where I come in. I, like Jeremy, am an outsider, moving from Columbus, pulled in, the way Portsmouth pulled in Jeremy, through its people. As a child, my family and I occasioned a cabin on the river while members of my family served clients here in Portsmouth, including Burnside Law. Some of my fondest memories include visits with locals and relaxing on a porch while I watched with excitement as the boats passed by. In those visits, I discovered old-school values of love for family, love for nature, faith, hospitality, and the kind of grit that gets you through hard times. This is Portsmouth. Perhaps it takes the occasional outsider to see, but this is why Portsmouth is “The Comeback City” and this why I too want to be a part of it.

After attending The Ohio State University for my undergrad, I served in the United States Peace Corps in Isla Pa’ū, a remote village in Paraguay, South America. There, I found my own calling to serve underdogs. But I knew that in order to make a greater positive impact on my own community, I had to go to law school. That experience led me to Capital Law School where I was a Marshall Brennan Constitutional Law Fellow, Moot Court Board Member, and Family and Youth Advocacy Fellow. After law school, I started Brankamp Law in Columbus where I represented clients suffering injuries, not of their own fault. For my work, I was selected to the 2023 Super Lawyers list of Rising Stars, and it’s been great. But it’s not Portsmouth. Portsmouth is Special. It’s why, in picking up the torch at Burnside Law, I too hope to greet you as you walk through the doors of our beautiful old, converted church, shake your hand, hear your story, and partner with you in making Portsmouth special.