You’ve been hurt. Or someone in your family’s been hurt. You’re looking for someone to help. It’s important to hire someone who shares your values and is going to maximize the value of your case.
In the About Us section we describe how we run our firm and handle cases. This tells you a little bit more about me.
IT ALL STARTED WITH SOCCER
I’m very competitive. And I like hard work.
When I was growing up, I devoted a tremendous amount of effort and energy into soccer. I loved the “beautiful game.” When I was 12 years old, I juggled the soccer ball over 1,000 times.
My competitive streak was fueled by my soccer coach, Bruce. Bruce was probably the most competitive person I ever met.
Bruce was almost, but not quite, good enough to play professional soccer. He was probably 30 when we met. It was not unusual for him to slide tackle 11 or 12 year olds on the concrete playfield where we practiced when it was too muddy to train on the regular pitch.
The hard work and great coaching paid off. I was recruited and ended up sitting on the bench at Stanford.
Success at this point is measured by friendships that started on the soccer field and knocking the ball around with the home team.
LOVE AND MARRIAGE
And then Bear the dog.
It’s cliché, but having kids changes everything. Or, at the very least, puts a new spin on life. They’re the focal point of just about every decision we make and just about everything we do.
They’re a source of constant delight. And they’ve made me incredibly efficient—not a second’s wasted during the day.
SELECTIVITY: A KEY TO SUCCESS
Over the last (almost) 30 years of my career I achieved a lot of professional success. It’s a source of pride. But more importantly, it’s given me the opportunity to be selective about the cases I take.
Selectivity ties directly into the “life ethic.” I like working hard on good cases and for good clients. It just so happens that those are the cases that are usually the most profitable.
(It’s important to hire an attorney that runs a profitable firm. Attorneys who make money are in a position to make the best decisions about whether cases should settle or go to trial. No reason to be shy…before hiring an attorney, ask him or her how much money they made last year).
It’s critical to me to have enough time to spend with my family and do the things that – outside of the law – are really important to me.
One of those things is to ride my bike to work. I’m fortunate that my route takes me over the 520 Bridge and through Interlaken Park. On the way to work I have time to start thinking about my day and how I’m going to make money for our clients. On the way home I can decompress and start thinking about what I’m going to do with the crew.
Skiing consumes the winter and spring. During the past couple of years, I’ve been doing a lot more slackcountry skiing. Even though it’s more work, the sense of accomplishment (and untracked snow) are ample rewards.
CONFLICT AND RESOLUTION
There are few things I like more than conflict and resolution. That’s probably why I decided to become a lawyer.
Hard work, creativity and aggression get cases resolved. And resolving cases is really what we’re here to do for clients. It’s how we add value.
Most cases are settled. But, sometimes, there are disagreements that can’t be resolved without going to trial.
Trial is scary and exhilarating. Conflicts get resolved at trial. And there’s no bigger stage to display all the hard work that’s gone into preparing the case and, most importantly, for you to tell the jury about what happened and how it has affected you.
For me, the first day of trial is like standing at the top of a steep, rocky, exposed slope. Basically, a no-fall zone. The stakes are high…but so is the potential reward.
On skis you push off, make a decisive pole plant and initiate your first turn. Once you’re in the moment there’s nothing better.
The same thing’s true with trial. I’m taut with nerves waiting to address the potential jurors on the first day of trial. But once I stand up and introduce myself all of a sudden, I’m exactly where I was meant to be.
When you hire a trial lawyer you need to pick someone who really likes going to trial and isn’t going to flinch when the chips are down.
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
Maybe it’s part of the conflict and resolution mindset, but
I’m not satisfied with the status quo. This means that our house is almost always under a state of remodel and I’m constantly trying to improve the way we handle cases.
It also means that I’m always interested in trying new things. Fortunately, my wife is a tremendous sport (and usually endorses these exploits).
WRAP UP
That’s a lot about me. I hope it helps. If we end up working together, I’m going to make you tell me everything about you. That way, we’ll be even. More importantly, it will help me tell your story and maximize the value of your case.