Four lawyers started our firm on January 1, 1986. When we were founded there was a single goal: to be a trial firm -- litigation only, all the time. We wanted to eliminate everything that stood in the way of, or was irrelevant to, achieving that goal. For example, we did not think lawyers needed to wear a suit to do legal research or take a deposition. No mahogany or marble; no suits unless that’s what you prefer or need to wear for court. We thought that if you took a great deposition and returned the client's phone calls promptly, you should be able to wear whatever you want.
Nor did we believe that there should be artificial limitations on what a young lawyers could do. A good idea is a good idea whether it comes from a 30-year partner or a first-year associate. We wanted every case to be a team effort, with every lawyer contributing. We wanted to encourage young lawyers to speak out. We wanted to eliminate the formalities which other firms have. We believe this lack of formality promotes the free exchange of ideas.
We believed that the practice of law should be fun. When we win in court, it is common to see the lawyers giving each other high fives. A victory memo is sent to the whole firm detailing every lawyer's contribution.
We also thought a firm could benefit from having many types of people, people with different educational and occupational backgrounds; people with different personalities, including some who might not fit in elsewhere: people who are cerebral and flamboyant or quirky and formal; people who could never have checked their eccentricities at a conventional law firm’s door. We believed that if the legal work were outstanding the rest would not matter.
But, most of all, we wanted to be trial lawyers and win cases. With trial work as our core competency and focus we knew we would win and that the clients would come.