This Thanksgiving, as usual, I am thankful to have terrific clients. That’s obvious. But upon deeper reflection, I am also thankful for a group that may surprise you. I am thankful for opposing counsel. You don’t get to choose your family. . . and the same is true of opposing counsel. But in the main, the professionals that I work with (actually against) are a fine group of people. We can fight hard on behalf of our clients, but still maintain cordial, and sometimes fond personal relationships. Just this week, I participated in a telephone conference with a federal judge. The judge gets on the phone last in these conferences. Here, the judge remained silent on the phone while opposing counsel shared travel tips about Florida vacation spots, only informing us that she was on the line when there was a natural break in the conversation. I plan to win that case, and I won’t give an inch to opposing counsel, nor will I expect him to give an inch to me. That said, this year I am thankful to work i. A profession with adversaries who are not enemies.
Happy Thanksgiving!