Presidents’ Day
I just finished reading Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power. Jon Meacham, the Pulitzer Prize author, does an extraordinary job of bringing Jefferson to life, his genius, idealism, practicality, enormous personal struggles and major shortcomings. Whatever one’s opinion of Jefferson, surely, without him, the United States as we know it today would not exist. The same can... Read More
Managing Emotions 1: Why Emotions Matter In Legal Matters (Emotional Intelligence 101 for clients)
In my post Finding the Right Lawyer, I spoke about the need to find a lawyer who has the legal skills needed for your specific problem. For example, if you have an immigration issue, don’t go to a real estate lawyer. In this post, I am adding to the “find the right lawyer” mix, a rarely discussed yet critical skill that most lawyers lack and yet most clients desperately... Read More
Client Empowerment 3: Advice you need from your lawyer
In my last blog post, “Finding the Right Lawyer,” we focussed on making sure you get to a lawyer with the right skill set for your legal matter. In this post, we will focus on making sure you get the right advice. Recently, John, a client, came to visit me. He wants to invest $5,000 in a start-up business and asked me for the cost and process to form a corporation and document... Read More
Client Empowerment 2: Trademark Scams — Client Beware
Here is a warning for anyone who files a trademark. As a business and trademark lawyer, I have filed hundreds of trademark applications for my clients in the USA and abroad. Although I am set up as the point person for all communications, the applicant’s address must be listed in the application and the application is a public record. Taking advantage of this public information... Read More
Client Empowerment 1: When should you ‘play lawyer’?
I always try to focus my client on figuring out how to best utilize my legal services in the most efficient and cost effective way possible. In the attorney-client relationship, inefficiencies happen in 2 ways. In one scenario, the client does too much on their own and ends up putting themselves in legal peril because of their lack of legal knowledge and support. For example,... Read More
why it’s a great time to be a village lawyer
As we were driving from one weekend activity to the next in our small New York suburb, my middle child looked up from her cell phone and, in an iPod-induced-too-loud-voice, said, “I love this town. It’s pretty, friendly and makes me feel safe.” I think she gave voice to what many of us feel and experience in our personal and professional lives. When people engage lawyers... Read More
one lawyer. 1000 true fans
If you’re a regular reader here, you know that I devote a good bit of this space to nurturing the conversation on the lawyer-client connection. I take a bit of an unconventional approach by tapping into similar dialogues going on in other industries and disciplines – like design, health care, business management, marketing, music and non-profit development. Really, anywhere... Read More
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