The Greatest American Lawyer

Client Teams: The Five Pillars of Client Service

Larry Bodine over at the Larry Bodine Law Marketing Blog disucsses Which Clients Deserve a Client Team with David Freeman, author of the CMO Playbook audio training program and Jason Maeder, a product manager at Lexis Nexis. 

Attorneys Need to Learn to Invest in Their Clients’ Success

Oftentimes, attorneys are so focused on minimum billables and hourly billing that they forget that their clients can’t pay them if their clients don’t do well.  There’s a big difference between responding to a client’s phone call for help, and actively helping a client protect and grow their business.  Providing value to a client means much more than simply putting out a fire which grew so hot that it started to burn.

Big Law Firm Set to Review Client Base & Set New Client Minimum Billing Threshold of $200,000 a Year

In a recent article on WiredGC, John Wallbillich reports on a recent report on legalweek.com that the global law firm DLA Piper has set out to require minimum annual legal spends by its clients in order to have access to the firms legal services.  Existing clients will be dropped sometime in the future if they fail to meet the prescribed minimums. 

It is hoped the move... will help reduce conflicts where the firm has been prevented from taking on large instructions after previously accepting smaller mandates.

The firm will also assess all existing clients over the next three years to ascertain which companies it should target for more work and which it should consider dropping.

Wallbillich provides several thoughts on this new global framework below:

Law Firm Sued by Ex-Client for $55M

The law firm, Debeboise & Plimpton LLP, who filed a lawsuit last year against an ex-client for $6 Million in unpaid legal fees received an answer this week with counterclaims seeking $55 million in damages. 

Read the full story below:

What to Do When the Witness Doesn’t Give You a Straight Answer

I am currently at the INTA conference in Seattle at and education track on deposition tactics in trademark cases.  I had to share this hilarious video discussed by the panel.  What do you do when the deponent won’t give you a straight answer?

Here is a bullet list of panel recommendations, pretty standard stuff:

• Always use video on key depositions
• Know your court rules.
• Don’t allow opposing counsel to coach witnesses with objections.
• Adjourn depositions if you think that the other attorney is poisoning the deposition so much that you will not get truthful testimony
• Have another lawyer review any motion for sanctions.  You may be too close to the matter to see it objectively

The M22 Challenge: a multi-discipline event based in beautiful Leelanau County in Northern Michigan.

One of our favorite clients is M22Online.com, whose trademarks related to "M-22" we protect.  For those of you who don't know, M-22 is a road which goes around the entire Leelanau County Peninsula.  Our clients turned it into a brand which is described as follows: 

M-22 is not just a road; it is a way of life.

Founded by kiteboarders in search of epic wind and waves, M-22 was created to express a common passion for Northern Michigan. However, M-22 shares this passion beyond Michigan’s borders. It is marked by the simplicity and appreciation for natural wonders such as bays, beaches and bonfires, dunes and vineyards,cottages, friends and family everywhere.

M22 Challenge - Home

Source: www.m22challenge.com

The M-22 Challenge is a multi-discipline event based in beautiful Leelanau County in Northern Michigan. The event is designed to challenge athletes against the natural terrain and environmental elements of the area.

Stoke International: One of Our Many Client Successes

No one takes more pride and joy when a client’s small business succeeds than I do. Here is a video which reflects one of our client’s success stories, Stoke International. I love their byline.

Dante Basco and Stoke International,Working together to create this unique piece of art encourage you to live each day to the fullest and to embrace the knowledge that you are destined for greatness.

Stoke International/Dante Basco Photo Shoot from Nick Madrick on Vimeo.