I founded my law firm in 1997 based on a very simple idea: Exceeding clients’ expectations. Why would an attorney start with that vision as a base to build a practice?
I grew up on a cattle ranch in the Florida heartland, working hard with my hands day in and out when I was not in school; baling hay in season, farming, herding cattle, building fences, and working on equipment. Growing up in a working environment taught me the value of an honest day’s labor, and to value the hard-working men and women who got up every day to make a living for themselves and their families. As a young man, my world view was pretty simple. Dishonesty was not tolerated, wiggle words did not exist on the ranch, and you knew to avoid people whose words did not match their actions. The idea of a “lawsuit” just didn’t feel right. Suing for insurance coverage? It just did not make sense. Certainly, those companies that advertised that they were “Like a good neighbor” or would cradle you in caring hands (the “Good Hands” people) would never fail to be fair to people who were hurting financially and physically.
Fast forward to 1991. I was lucky enough to get a job working in a law firm while I was in law school, as I wanted to get some good work experience while I completed my studies. The firm I worked with didn’t do anything but plaintiff’s injury law – representing people who were injured due to the negligence of others. At first, I just looked at it as a job where I could hone my legal skills and learn how to be an attorney. I quickly realized that I was helping good, honest, hard-working people (the type of people I grew up around) navigate a system that was designed to take advantage of their lack of knowledge and experience regarding how insurance companies handle claims. I learned that insurance companies have armies of well-trained lawyers, adjusters, and layers of management whose full-time job is to save the company as much money as possible. It was, and is, an unfair playing field and working people cannot compete fairly in without help.
I have dedicated my life to giving people a fighting chance at fairness in a system where insurance companies write the contracts and spend millions influencing legislators to draft laws in their favor. I have also chosen to refrain from billboard and TV advertising. I believe that if you do an outstanding and honest job, you will be successful and people will hear about you by word of mouth. There is no other option for my firm. I remain true to that vision, as it was ingrained in my youth.
