Firm News

The Rules of Professional Conduct require attorneys to communicate with their clients about their goals and objectives. Sadly, many attorneys do a poor job of communicating. I'm not talking about returning phone calls or responding to emails. That is important too....

For those of you who are sports fans, you probably know that professional head coaches negotiate severance packages that apply in the event that the team fires them before the end of the contract term. Many employees do not have the bargaining power to negotiate a...

The Alabama Supreme Court’s opinion was in the news this weekend. To listen to the media, the decision was based on one’s religious/political views about when life begins. But I read the opinion, and the actual decision is very limited.  The decision was simply based...

Parties to a contract are always able to modify their contract. The requirements for a binding modification are the same as for other contracts. The parties need to reach a meeting of the minds on the terms of their modification. Importantly, contract modifications...

I have an employment dispute case that polarizes opinion. I have discussed the matter with many colleagues and they each have a strong opinion about the correct outcome. My colleagues who represent employers think the employer should win. My colleagues who represent...

Hiring a professional of any type is a process and that process changes with the times. As a young lawyer (pre-internet), referrals from other attorneys was the primary method for establishing relationships with new clients. Nowadays, the primary method seems to start...

Business litigation often involves the use of expert witnesses. An expert witness is someone who will provide an opinion at trial that would not otherwise be permitted to be offered by a “lay” person. For instance, expert testimony may be required to establish a...

In my first law related job interview I was asked, what is a more important quality for a lawyer: hard work or experience? The correct answer is. . . that’s a stupid question to ask a law student with no experience! But now that I have a boatload of experience, I have...

Happy New Year to all whose paths crossed with me this year. Here's to a healthy and prosperous 2024. Last year, I continued to grow and refine my practice. Highlights of the year were: Representing executives and high-income employees in severance package...

There is a commonly held view that a defendant should always be willing to settle for nuisance value. Nuisance value is not a well defined term, but it generally means an amount of money that is less than the cost of defending the lawsuit. The logic goes, why would...