Lawyer thread

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by Jax Teller, Apr 8, 2015.

  1. herb.burdette

    herb.burdette Meet me at the corner of 8th and Worthington
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    Ohio State Buckeyes

    We’ve gone to daily time entry firm wide to track how the office closures are affecting our hours.
     
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  2. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    Not to be a jerk but didn't you just make like $250k on the stock market recently (I still need to send you my $20)? Can't you invest a little bit of that into the company to help?
     
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  3. Oranjello

    Oranjello Well-Known Member
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    Seeing a few private equity funds delaying deal closings and putting things on hold amid economic uncertainty. Another client already changed projections to push some things into next year due to COVID-19, but that doesn’t really impact the fund formation that we are doing.

    Will be interesting to see how this ripples through the firm. Referred a buddy today, will be curious to see if he gets an interview (he’s more than qualified) and if we are hiring laterals.
     
  4. Gallant Knight

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    I can but I’m also not running a charity. Not sure if it makes sense to pay someone to answer phones when there aren’t any phones to answer.

    This sort of relates to what I’ve always told anyone who has asked me for work advice is to work to bring in business and/or make yourself irreplaceable. It’s easy to find a new receptionist

    I’m going to see how this all plays out
     
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  5. Why?Pokes

    Why?Pokes Take me back to the kine
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    Anyone ever rep a commercial lessee in pre-eviction? I’ve got a potential group of several small business owners whose landlord is trying to enforce some cocknugget 4-month acceleration clause in their leases due to the covid.
     
  6. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    Same thing here. We put most of it towards reserves. Pretty great timing.
     
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  7. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    is the PI business down that much? I can't tell how much it is down so far. I'm still fielding MVA and comp calls and so are my partners.
     
  8. Gallant Knight

    Donor
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    Yep it’s slowed significantly

    also half of our cases are in lit and I’m guessing almost none of those will settle now that basically none of the deadlines matter anymore
     
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  9. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    Yah that makes sense. Sucks. Prelit soft tissue cases are still moving well at least here. And my litigated cases are still moving as well. We've agreed to do video conference depositions in most of them. I don't have any jury trial set until June. Most of my trials are in the back half of 2020 so hopefully they don't get bumped.
     
  10. Gallant Knight

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    I’ve canceled all of my depos until mid April. We take most of our doc depos as trial depos and didn’t have much desire to figure out how to do those via zoom

    call with my banker at 10 this morning. Hopefully he isn’t like loljk about the credit increase
     
  11. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    I'm doing some doctor depos as video depos via video conferencing.
     
  12. Gallant Knight

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    Going to look like shit if you have to play them at trial imo
     
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  13. Sammy Meatballs

    Sammy Meatballs DeBoer on the Floor
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    Alabama Crimson TideArsenal

    So far the great majority of defense lawyers have been great to work with and we’re still exchanging paper discovery.

    my least favorite defense attorney shockingly has not been.

    most of my cases are fairly early in discovery so we're just moving the depos into May. I'm not going to attempt to do a Plaintiff's deposition via zoom.
     
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  14. Gallant Knight

    Donor
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    That would be impossible with 80%+ of my clients
     
  15. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    If I can get the doc to allow a videographer in the room and a court reporter then that would be swell. Everyone else would be remote. If that won't fly, are defense lawyers allowing court reporters to be remote and not with the witness? If you have a good connection on zoom wouldn't the video look ok? I'm going to call my court reporting company this morning to discuss this. Hadn't thought through the logistics until you brought it up just now.
     
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  16. Gallant Knight

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    Let me know what you find out
     
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  17. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    Sammy Meatballs I still have that tractor trailer case in Jackson County Florida that I need to file. Still looking for Florida counsel.
     
  18. (Z)

    (Z) Well-Known Member
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    Yep. Not good for my wallet, but at least we can keep the staff paid and the doors open.

    Mine have ground to a halt. The biggest value increaser I have for my soft tissue cases is venue and fear of a jury. If I don't have a potential trial date to be pushing these cases too, I'm getting nothing.
     
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  19. Sammy Meatballs

    Sammy Meatballs DeBoer on the Floor
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    Alabama Crimson TideArsenal

    60-70% of my cases are some form of premises liabilty.

    nobody is paying me a fucking thing without several depos, some motion practice and the threat of a jury trial.
     
  20. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Question over my coffee while I wait for a zoom meeting -- any chance this pandemic results in more people working from home/takes the practice more remote once this is over? Had a talk with my buddy over the weekend who thought this might be the impetus for some companies to do more working-from-home.

    I can already do about 75% of my job from home, just can't take depos or go to Court (the latter being much less in WA and OR than in the South, based on my limited experience). I'm getting more efficient at working from home; so maybe just trying to justify my own pitch to work remotely.
     
  21. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
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    I think that it will definitely have that effect, which will certainly impact commercial real estate markets. A lot of overhead is paid in rent.
     
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  22. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    was talking to a lawyer in my office about this yesteday. commercial real estate will feel this.
     
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  23. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    Here is what I came up with after researching video depositions done remotely:
    The MS Supreme Court is allowing court reporters to swear in the witness without the reporter in the room with the witness. Zoom is going to be your best bet but the free version cuts out after 45 minutes, so you'll need a commercial account. Also you have to pay extra to record the deposition. Also the video feed is never going to be that great-all depending on connection/bandwidth/camera resolution. If you use an actual video conferencing facility that is hard wired you're going to get a better feed than zoom obviously. But the doc isn't going to drive to video conferencing facility. The reporter service I use is waiving their videoconferencing fee during all of this.
     
  24. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    So I'm thinking you just proceed with zoom and even if the video kind of sucks the jury will understand that it was done during covid19 . I don't think that's that big of a deal. Better than just delaying depos.
     
  25. herb.burdette

    herb.burdette Meet me at the corner of 8th and Worthington
    Donor
    Ohio State Buckeyes

    There are tons of companies already using work from home as a business strategy, especially when trying to retain qualified two income families with at least one stay at home parent.
     
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  26. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    I'm not as productive as usual. Goofing off reading internet and what not. Covid19 is a big distraction.
     
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  27. Gallant Knight

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    Could also have the opposite effect and make people realize working from home sucks ass

    that’s where I am at

    I get maybe 20% as much accomplished

    My office building is empty I think I’m just going to go work there alone instead of sitting at home
     
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  28. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    when all this started happening I told my partners that , yes it is great to have the capacity to work remotely, but everyone is going to grossly underestimate the inefficiency of working remotely. it all sounds great in theory. But I'm a firm believer in having asses in chairs at the office.
     
  29. bro

    bro Your Mother’s Favorite Shitposter
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    Certainly can get most of my work done from home. Would be even more efficient if everyone was prepared to set their employees up with proper home offices (desk, filing cabinets, multiple monitors).

    Our firm’s lease is up in March 2021. I think the partners hate not being able to have face to face discussions.

    but I think fridays should be a telecommute day every week unless work requires you to be in the office, go to court/depo
     
  30. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    screw all you hippies than want to work from home.
     
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  31. Gallant Knight

    Donor
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    me too.

    my associate is maybe the most organized person i've ever met and she lives 50 minutes away from the office so i let her work from home 2-3 fridays a month.

    i hope this is just a 2-3 week thing and not a 2-3 month thing
     
  32. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    Court reporter: "We tested recording zoom video and it works great, but it also records the questioner. So, whoever is speaking, that’s who the camera is on and what we all will see on our screen. That is what it is recording, rather than the standard recordation only of the witness."

    My question:
    "Would there be a way to take the video and then edit out all the video of the person asking the question but leave in the audio of the question being asked? i.e. just leave the video on the deponent and keep all the audio?"
    Court reporter: :You have two options: You can come to our office and we can video our screen with the doc on it. That will be the best quality videoconference, as well.
    Second option, if participating from your office, just put a blank piece of paper in front of your camera on your computer. Then when the camera switches to you, the jury can hear your voice but not see your face. As soon as the doc answers, the camera will go back on him."
     
  33. Gallant Knight

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    mark lanier pays a bunch of money for a set up where there is someone recording him and recording the person being deposed and plays it like that. he has done focus groups and says its a lot better
     
  34. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Man screw you goes, I'm digging working from home.
     
  35. Gallant Knight

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    dont you also just want to work like 6 months a year and travel the rest?
     
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  36. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    so you're saying it is fine if it records the questioner. I was wondering that myself. You never see that done but maybe it's not so bad if the video has you on it.
     
  37. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    well yea
     
  38. Gallant Knight

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    yes. every video depo that his firm plays at trial records both the questioner and the person being deposed and goes back and forth between them.

    he says he loves it
     
  39. Bricktop the white

    Bricktop the white Well-Known Member

    Slim pickings in Jackson proper. Everyone I know who works out there basically does it from Tallahassee or Pensacola.
     
  40. RJF-GUMP

    RJF-GUMP Daubert Qualified in Cooler Thermodynamics
    Donor TMB OG

    Yah that's what I found. Soft tissue case with preexisting injuries but over $100k in meds, clear liability, bad property damage.
     
  41. pez

    pez Competent
    Staff
    SMU Mustangs

    Mark Lanier loves watching himself ask questions. Who would have guessed
     
  42. Bo Pelinis

    Donor TMB OG
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    Think WFH would be ideal at 1 or 2 days a week.
     
  43. Gallant Knight

    Donor
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    for other people who are involved in firm administration/own their own firms:

    are yall going to take advantage of this SBA loan thing? my understanding is the bill hasn't passed but if you don't lay poeple off you can get 250% of your monthly payroll and if you spend it on payroll/firm admin expenses they'll forgive the loan aka its free money

    is that right?

    so i can get a free $80,000.00 if my bimonthly payroll is ~16k?
     
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  44. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
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    I did zoom depositions this morning. My client was in her living room, doing it through her cell phone. I'm midway through my questioning of the plaintiff and glance at her screen to see her casually gnawing on a honeybun.
     
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  45. (Z)

    (Z) Well-Known Member
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    That’s my general understanding of it. We discussed it today and plan on taking advantage of it.
     
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  46. Gallant Knight

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    I mean yeah it legit sounds like it’s just free money

    I called my banker and he was like we don’t know yet since this is all new and the bill hasn’t passed but yeah it sounds like you just pocket the money
     
  47. (Z)

    (Z) Well-Known Member
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    Alabama Crimson TideBoston Red Sox

    Yeah, you just have to produce your monthly payroll over the last 12 months, and then you have to maintain that number of employees/pay until June at which point principal is forgiven, and you only owe the interest.
     
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  48. Gallant Knight

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    That’s pretty tight
     
  49. Oranjello

    Oranjello Well-Known Member
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    I'll more than likely exceed 200 billable hours for the month when it ends on Tuesday. That's a first for me, and I cannot fathom how people regularly bill 2300+ year in, year out.
     
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  50. Gallant Knight

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    They pad
     
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