Why did you become an attorney?
My father influenced me to a great degree. He was a successful small business owner who ran his own businesses and owned his own investment properties. We enjoyed debating with one another.. He always said to me that I should become a lawyer because I knew how to argue well. That started my thought process of becoming a litigator. However, it was his business savy that influenced me to also become a business lawyer.
What experiences (work and personal) help you to be a better attorney?
When I was in law school I always thought that I would be a litigator and spend my entire time in the courtroom. When I began practicng law in 1981, I found that not only did I enjoy trial work, but that I had a strong aptitude in the areas of real estate,business and corporate law. I soon found that I enjoyed putting together deals for my clients as much as I enjoyed preparing for trial. My practice today incorporates all of these areas. My courtroom experience has helped make me a better business lawyer, because I not only understood how to put the deal together, but I understood what happens in the courtroom when the deal falls apart.
What made you choose your primary specialty focus of law?
I enjoy problem solving, whether it be stategizing for the courtroom or figuring out the best way to structure a business deal for a client. Getting creative for difficult issues is most satisfying to me. The more difficult the problem, the more determined I am to find a resolution. These traits led me to become a litigator, a real estate lawyer, and a business/corporate lawyer.
What makes your law firm unique?
We are a boutique firm. We come from a large firm practice. We pride ourselves on being able to perform at the large firm level within our boutique practice. Our lawyers are experienced both in the courtroom as well as in the conference room. We know how to litigate if need be, as well as, structuring the transactional matters.
Describe your ideal client.
There is no ideal client. They come in all shapes, forms, attitudes and temperaments. It is our job to understand our clients and how best to serve them. We do provide our clients with guidelines. When a client retains us we give them a brochure on how to keep their legal fees down and how best to assure that there is communication between them and our firm. One of the worst faults of attorneys is their failure to communicate with their clients. We do not want a phone call of any of our clients to go unanswered. We have set up a policy of not only promptly returning calls to our clients, but also setting up a policy where telephone conferences can be scheduled by a client in the event they call in and the attorney is not available at the time of the call. We find that scheduled telephone conferences assure proper communication, but also assist in efficient representation of the client.
Describe your personal interest and hobbies.
I enjoy family, sports, music, travel, and reading. I am an avid Buckeye fan. I am usually at the OSU home football games. Music was a large part of my life in my youth. I took lessons for piano starting at age 5 and guitar starting at age 10. I continued into my early 20s studying music theory through college and playing classical, jazz and rock guitar.
Describe your charitable activities.
My wife and I are strong believers in giving back to the community. We have formalized our family policy of charitable giving that we determine once each year with our consultants. Not only has our contribution been financilal, but we have actively participated with various charities assisting them in reaching their goals.