University of Tulsa College of Law
Oleg Roytman learned at a young age not to take justice for granted. In 1980, three-year-old Roytman and his parents fled communist-controlled Ukraine due to rampant antisemitism. Because of discrimination and a lack of meritocracy in the workplace, his physician father couldn’t make a decent living or afford an apartment for the family. “Coming from a country with corruption and very few rights, the idea that in America you can defend yourself through the law is very admirable to me,” Roytman says.“To be here is to be very lucky.”
Starting Over
The trio first migrated to a Puerto Rican neighborhood in Queens, New York. Speaking neither English nor Spanish, Roytman struggled to assimilate. “I had no one to play with, and I felt very isolated,” he recalls.
Three years later with a second son in tow, his father received a residency offer in Oklahoma City, and the family packed their bags once again. After graduating from high school in the state’s capital, Roytman headed to the University of Tulsa to study business.
Defining Moments
He never guessed that two seemingly unrelated events during his collegiate years would impact his life for decades to come. The first came during his freshman year when he met his future law partner Dan Smolen.
“We instantly bonded and we’ve been best friends ever since,” says Roytman, citing his “yin” to Smolen’s “yang” as a key component to their chemistry. “We have such different personalities—he’s very intense and extroverted.” Roytman credits his own understated, low-key demeanor to his father, who passed away from Covid during the pandemic. “My dad was one of my best friends, and he gave me a quiet confidence,” he says.
The second unexpected turn came when perusing Forbes magazine. Up until that point, Roytman always assumed that he would follow up his undergraduate degree with a Master of Business Administration. “But I was reading an article on Forbes’ top 100 CEOs one day, and I noticed that most of the CEOs had law degrees,” he says. “I decided that having my JD would help my future endeavors more than an MBA, so I went for it.”
Fighting for Clients One Case at a Time
Today, Roytman focuses on insurance bad faith and personal injury cases. “When you pay your insurance premium, you have certain expectations,” says Roytman. “But these companies are incentivized not to pay claims.” In one of his earliest lawsuits, an insurance company offered $32,500 to a woman with a $100,000 policy who suffered a serious rollover car accident and needed multiple surgeries. Roytman settled the case for $500,000.
Like his law partner, Roytman will head to trial if settlements don’t live up to client expectations. He also helps clients through all aspects of a case, including finding top-notch medical care for their injuries. Ever-modest, the father of two credits something far simpler than a magic bullet with his firms’ success. “It comes down to decades of relentless work and lots of trial and error,” he says.
Oleg Roytman learned at a young age not to take justice for granted. In 1980, three-year-old Roytman and his parents fled communist-controlled Ukraine due to rampant antisemitism. Because of discrimination and a lack of meritocracy in the workplace, his physician father couldn’t make a decent living or afford an apartment for the family. “Coming from a country with corruption and very few rights, the idea that in America you can defend yourself through the law is very admirable to me,” Roytman says.“To be here is to be very lucky.”
Starting Over
The trio first migrated to a Puerto Rican neighborhood in Queens, New York. Speaking neither English nor Spanish, Roytman struggled to assimilate. “I had no one to play with, and I felt very isolated,” he recalls.
Three years later with a second son in tow, his father received a residency offer in Oklahoma City, and the family packed their bags once again. After graduating from high school in the state’s capital, Roytman headed to the University of Tulsa to study business.
Defining Moments
He never guessed that two seemingly unrelated events during his collegiate years would impact his life for decades to come. The first came during his freshman year when he met his future law partner Dan Smolen.
“We instantly bonded and we’ve been best friends ever since,” says Roytman, citing his “yin” to Smolen’s “yang” as a key component to their chemistry. “We have such different personalities—he’s very intense and extroverted.” Roytman credits his own understated, low-key demeanor to his father, who passed away from Covid during the pandemic. “My dad was one of my best friends, and he gave me a quiet confidence,” he says.
The second unexpected turn came when perusing Forbes magazine. Up until that point, Roytman always assumed that he would follow up his undergraduate degree with a Master of Business Administration. “But I was reading an article on Forbes’ top 100 CEOs one day, and I noticed that most of the CEOs had law degrees,” he says. “I decided that having my JD would help my future endeavors more than an MBA, so I went for it.”
Fighting for Clients One Case at a Time
Today, Roytman focuses on insurance bad faith and personal injury cases. “When you pay your insurance premium, you have certain expectations,” says Roytman. “But these companies are incentivized not to pay claims.” In one of his earliest lawsuits, an insurance company offered $32,500 to a woman with a $100,000 policy who suffered a serious rollover car accident and needed multiple surgeries. Roytman settled the case for $500,000.
Like his law partner, Roytman will head to trial if settlements don’t live up to client expectations. He also helps clients through all aspects of a case, including finding top-notch medical care for their injuries. Ever-modest, the father of two credits something far simpler than a magic bullet with his firms’ success. “It comes down to decades of relentless work and lots of trial and error,” he says.
