Last month I talked about how litigation “wins” don’t always require a jury finding in your favor. This month we continue talking about reaching litigation “wins” through early communication and objectivity. If I got $100 for every time a client told me during an initial consultation that they wanted to extract a pound of flesh from the other side, I’d probably living the island life right now. These clients aren’t individuals looking to sue some international conglomerate; most are entrepreneurs or business executives. And I guarantee you that I am not alone. Most lawyers would tell you they hear the same thing from clients during their initial consultation. Sometimes clients continue that mantra for several months. Some even go so far as to say something like, “I don’t care what it costs. I want justice!” I get it too. When a client first contacts a lawyer about litigation, it’s because the client believes: (1) somebody did something that hurt the client (physically, emotionally or economically); or (2) somebody brought a bogus lawsuit against them.
Continue Reading Defining a Win in Litigation: Flexible Goals and Open Communication Establish a Solid Foundation
Defining a Win in Litigation
Does a “win” in litigation require a final judgment in your favor? Not necessarily. Litigation “wins” are defined by the circumstances facing a party at the outset of litigation, and how those circumstances change as litigation progresses. Over the next few months we will dive deeper into this topic, and talk about issues such as:
Continue Reading Defining a Win in Litigation
Partner Liability: Out of the Woods?
Debbett Runnup Partnership, a Texas general partnership, was sued by Widgets R Us in 2010 for failing to pay Widgets R Us invoices. Judgment was granted to Widgets in 2012 against Debbett Runnup for $300,000. After chasing Debbett for over three years, Widgets’ lawyer Plinn T. Agreshun realizes that Debbett is penniless. Knowing that partners