“The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision . . . .” You see this on many attorneys’ websites because it is true (well, that and because it is required by many bar associations throughout the United States). So then, how do you make this important decision?
First, you should find out what types of cases the firm handles. Do they have experience in the legal area you need? Most attorneys concentrate on certain areas and you obviously need to find someone with experience in the area that fits your needs. If your situation involves something outside of our areas of concentration, we will be happy to help you find legal counsel with the necessary expertise.
Second, find out about the lawyer who will be representing you. Truth is, you might be hiring a firm, but you will usually be working with a primary attorney. Has he been rated by his peers by a nationally recognized directory such as Martindale-Hubbell? Does he have the education background necessary? Does he have the experience in your area of inquiry? How long has he practiced in this community? Do you have the time to interview him? Anything you can discover about the individual attorney who will be doing your work is going to help you make an intelligent decision.
Third, what is your budget? There is no sense denying that representation costs money and this issue should be dealt with at the outset. If you only have a Yugo budget, there is no reason to go to the Rolls Royce dealer. On the other hand, “econo” lawyers should usually be avoided just as you would avoid discount brain surgeons or second-hand parachute resellers. Give careful consideration to your needs and abilities in the beginning, but be sure never to settle for less by mistake. I can assure you that sometimes clients miscalculate the expense of litigation by being too low, but sometimes by being too high. Always ask. A good attorney will be forthright with you up front about the financial commitment involved.
Fourth, do you need a “big firm”? Probably not. I have worked in large (500+ attorneys), medium, and small firms and while they all have their advantages and disadvantages, the number of lawyers in a firm – most of whom will not know you exist anyhow – is often irrelevant to your case. When your attorney is trying your complex federal corporate litigation, it simply will not matter if his firm also has a whole department of “entertainment” or “real estate” attorneys and paralegals. According to BTI Consulting Group, more and more Fortune 1000 companies are turning to small firms. Why? BTI’s President, Michael Rynowecer, notes that “Flexibility is a trademark of the small firm, and clients couldn’t be happier. Clients note that small firms are better at adopting new ways of doing things . . . . With less bureaucracy, small firms can remain keenly focused on the client’s objectives.”*
What if I am up against a mega-firm? Honestly, the answer is the same. It all depends on many factors. Which attorney from the meg-firm are you actually up against? What is his style, competence, and work ethic? I have certainly been up against very competent solo practitioners and less-than-competent members of huge firms – and vice versa. In my experience, there does not seem to be a correlation between quality of an attorney and how many partners he has. I also know this: Whether I was in a big or small firm, I have personally never been outgunned by the work-product or technology of a large firm. The truth of the matter is that small firms like ours can offer speed, economy, flexibility, and service which often can’t be matched by a large firm. This, from my point of view, is a big advantage.
So then, large firms are always a bad choice, right? Not at all. If you want us to represent your petroleum interests across the globe, we’ll be glad to . . . help you find the right lawyers in the right big firm. Sometimes we refer a client to larger firms, but we have also worked jointly, hand-in-hand with large firms thereby giving our clients the personal attention they need coupled with the global reach of a large firm. We have also had large firms refer business to us (for instance, in suits against the corporate officers and directors of their large corporate clients when there has been the potential for a conflict prohibiting the firm from representing the corporation and the individual at the same time). We are always very appreciative of those referrals and we do our very best to be worthy of the recommendation.
Still not sure which attorney is best for you? That’s okay. It is not always an easy choice, so let’s find the time to talk. Contact me any way you like and I’ll help you find what’s right for you – whether that’s us, or someone else.
–M. Glenn Curran, III, Esquire
