Who do you call when the issues are complex, or unique, and don't easily fit into the narrow areas of substantive practice of a specialist? Some lawyers have limited practices, and are uncomfortable or unwilling to get involved in issues outside the scope of their limited practice -- even to help you retain another specialist.

Who do you call when the issues seem simple, but you're not sure, or you don't want the matters handled by a new associate in a large firm? Where do you turn when all you might want is some quick and correct advice if that's possible, without a big deal being made over it?

Where can you find a lawyer who can draft a customized pleading or contract that can't be found in a set of legal practice forms?

Who should you contact when it's a divorce matter with complicated financial issues -- for example, a dissolution that needs a corporation reorganized, or a shopping center lease re-negotiated? Or another kind of matter that cannot be resolved satisfactorily unless real estate, tax, employment, personal injury, or estate planning issues also are addressed -- and addressed properly?

Where can you find a lawyer who will help you reduce potential future legal fees? Or avoid probate? Or tell you when that's not a good idea?

Who do you call when a loved one is dying or has just died? Or you've just been served with papers and don't know what to do? Or you've been treated unfairly?

What if you want to prevent problems? Or just need a will, or a trust, or a quitclaim deed, or a letter? Where can you find someone who cares, not just someone who will do a job for hire?

Where can you find someone who will be aggressive when that's what's needed, who is cooperative when that's the better approach, and who has the experience to know which way is likely to work?

Do you need a second opinion? Or some practical as well as legal advice before you start that business, or decide to make that life-change, or file that lawsuit?

What if what you really need is a lawyer who will help you find and hire the right counsel to handle a rare issue, or in another jurisdiction, or an expert in a narrow specialty? What if the problem you have is with your lawyer or expert?

What do you do when you have a possible legal dispute in the context of a business or personal relationship that must be ongoing? Where can you find a lawyer who will factor in your non-legal personal and financial interests and goals, but also not compromise your legal needs, and vice versa?

Perhaps what you want is someone who can be creative in fashioning a strategy and a solution for your special situation, using whatever approach, methods, and legal tools will work -- whether that may be in facilitating communications or coaching, negotiations or settlement, mediation, litigation, co-counseling, or consulting with another lawyer you currently have.

Perhaps you need to call someone who has nearly three decades of unusually broad-based experience doing all of the above for individuals and businesses -- managing litigation, doing litigation, doing the research, applying the thinking, finding the answers, developing winning strategies to achieve clients' goals, as well as handling or supervising a wide variety of transactional work from the simplest of personal matters to complex deals.

After obtaining an LL.M in tax law, following my law degree (UF 1980), and pre-law education in journalism, public relations, and business, I first worked with a large firm doing corporate and personal transactions, including divorce and business planning, and then spent years managing an unusually broad scope of different kinds of matters, litigation, and lawyers for a variety of large and small businesses and individuals, including as General Counsel and corporate counsel for public companies.

About 15 years ago, I brought this experience back into private practice, using a bottom-line, holistic approach to helping my clients address their legal needs in the context of their other goals. Consequently, I've kept a diverse practice of clients with different kinds of matters, maintained contacts throughout the country, and kept abreast of a variety of areas of the law. I also am of counsel or regularly co-counsel, consult, and work with several law firms in different areas of practice as my clients have had those needs. Many of my clients have been with me all of these years, and some of them... are even lawyers themselves.

Who do you call first? You call me.

 

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