Litigation is the
backstop of all legal matters. Successful and aggressive advocates with experience in a
wide-ranging array of subject matters make up our litigation team. Our firm appears regularly in federal, state and municipal
courts, as well as arbitration and mediation hearings. We not only
represent our clients at trial, but continue to advocate on their behalf at all
levels of appeal. Our attorneys have argued matters in a multitude of
areas of civil law including first amendment, real estate, title and lien
issues, employment discrimination, personal injury, matrimonial and domestic
relations, contract disputes , and a variety of municipal court matters.
In order to best champion our client's rights, we engage in practice we refer to as
"preventive lawyering". Many times a court is not the best
forum for resolving a dispute. When it is appropriate to go
before a court, it is critical that the best possible
groundwork is laid for arguing a client's position. Recognizing these factors, before
we recommend proceeding with a litigation we meet to evaluate in detail the relevant
and provable facts. We then discuss alternative methods of resolving the dispute. If there are no
alternatives, we work with our clients to place them in the best position for the litigation.
We approach each litigation matter, whether representing
plaintiff or defendant, with an understanding of and sensitivity for the
importance that matter has for the client. Our objective is not only to meet
the client's goals, but to provide the
client with satisfaction throughout the litigation process. Clients are kept fully informed of developments in the
litigation as they occur. Since the process of litigating an issue can be very
slow, with long periods of inactivity, we also offer our clients regular status
reports. We find that by maintaining an open and responsive communication
flow between our firm and our clients, the litigation process is both more
effective and economical.
During an initial client interview, we focus on obtaining
information about both the client's background and the details of the
dispute. We identify legal issues, discuss strategies, and help the client
identify preferred outcomes. Knowing that the expenses of litigation are
an enormous factor in deciding whether and how to proceed, we spend time
discussing the fee arrangement, whether it be contingent or hourly, and
follow-up with a written engagement
agreement clearly outlining our fees. Once our services have been engaged,
we conduct research and have subsequent meetings with the client to plan strategies for resolving the dispute. By developing a clear understanding
of both the client and the dispute we are able to recommend strategies with a
high success to cost ratio.
Our litigation team is supervised by
Jim Shepard, Shareholder in the firm. If you are currently involved
in a dispute, or think that you may become involved in one in the future, we invite you
to contact Mr. Shepard to see how we might service your needs.
