So we’ve been getting a few Uber cases a month. Just got one where the client was in an Uber, Uber caused wreck, and he was taken to hospital and had a bunch of stuff done there. He found us online Haven’t really looked at this in awhile, but apparently my website is #1 on SEO for a few Uber/lawyer related searches. I haven’t paid for SEO in like 3+ years this is tight
he kept yelling at me to stop telling stories. so I’d go back and do it again and he would scream at me again. Guy is the fucking worst.
I know a lawyer in Atlanta that is constantly blogging about ride share stuff to try and get his SEO up. We've had some uber cases. They can be pretty good.
have a fred loya case where they just straight up haven't answered discovery responses. they blew off our second motion to compel. should i try to strike their pleading and then go try the case? i assume this would mean they couldn't defend anything?
My favorite part of being on the plaintiffs’ side is the ALAJ listserve. The types of things people are willing to ask crack my ass up.
I’d rather get a default than their answer be struck. I’d probably just ask for costs for the motions, a default, and whatever else relief the judge was willing to provide.
I’ve posted about him before but in our local bar association list serve there is one of these guys. He’s got to be in his 70s and still practicing, and I’ve concluded he doesn’t want to pay for Westlaw or Lexis. Every fucking day he posts 2-3 super elementary questions about his cases followed by a “Does anyone have a form I can poach?” It’s taken all my strength not to reply by asking him if he understands what it means to practice law.
the lack of standardization in the legal field drives me nuts tbh. There should be an easily googleable database of statewide standard forms that cover most things. also all judges should have to be on one standardized system statewide. Local rules are a scam.
I took a motions writing course taught by a federal magistrate. He gave everyone in the class a 300+ page course book of publicly file motions, basically everything he collected as model motions over the years with all the relevant 6th Circuit standard cases. I treated it like a bible my first three years out of school.
Just ended a 3 week long Jones Act trial. Right before we began closing arguments, a juror reported juror misconduct to the judge. Mistrial granted. I am devastated and exhausted.
Jurors began deliberating a couple of days beforehand. They also elected a foreperson. The judge said they were the most hostile non-remorseful group of people she had ever met after informing them what they had done was wrong. Perhaps we dodged a bullet.
\ they elected a foreperson before jury deliberations were technically supposed to begin? Like during the trial still?
adjuster just called and said she was offering policy limits because it's friday and she has no desire to negotiate sounds good!
getting ready for a trial later this week and apparently my dumbass legal assistant didn't get two witnesses via video, only stenographic. awesome
Are you saying you have some perpetuation depositions than you wanted to play the video for the jury but all you have are transcripts?
yep. sounds like we won't have to go. defendant is in chicago for a family emergency. probably reset until next week. will only have to read one depo, and it's an impartial witness to the wreck who testified for like 12 minutes
have always played video depos if people cant appear live. that's why i was pretty miffed that we didn't take video depos on a case we are planning on trying. sounds like defendant's family emergency is extremely legit, so i doubt we have to go. status conference at 130 with the judge.
first time in my career i've had a really ace paralegal and its incredible. she's worth double what we pay her.
Did yall get emails about your credentials warranting an AV rating from Martindale Hubbel? All these places are scams. I see defense lawyers adding the AV rating to their badge more than plaintiff lawyers probably. Does AV Rating actually mean anything to anyone any more?
Texted a client and asked why he still hadn't signed his electronic contract. He sent a text that said he was working with the Thang fam and it was hard to hide his phone at work and fill out the electronic contract. I thought he was talking about working for an Asian family and was very confused. My staff is laughing at me as the text actually reads " I'm still working on ere Thang fam." Turns out the translation is "I'm working on everything, fam."
quick/dumb question. I know every state is different but one of the other associates at our firm is splitting off to do her own thing due to all the claims coming in from Ian. Managing partner told her that they will be putting a lien of 40% on all of the cases she is taking with her. Is that legal? I was always under the impression you could only recoup your costs and some hours of work that staff put into the file. A straight 40% regardless of the age of the case seems absurd.
Is he getting that 40% because the contingency fee in the underlying contract is 40% ? My old boss tried to do that to me when I left the firm and I kicked his ass in the resulting litigation
Let me be clear. He is putting a lien on 40% of the fees recovered. not 40% of the entire case. But yes, all cases at the firm are on a contingency fee basis.
Not sure if she has one, but her agreement with the firm is that she keeps 60% of the fees from cases that she brings in to the firm and the firm gets 40%.
This is a loaded question you are asking with a ton of nuances that is probably very state specific but generally I think quantum meruit is going to end up being the standard and looking at specifically what the old firm and the leaving attorney (the work said attorney does at her new firm including whether she gets the case settled on favorable terms etc) have both done on each specific file. I do not think a blanket 40% would fly . So I think your firm would lose that one on the merits.
Essentially her and the assistant she was paying did 95% of the work on the files she is taking. The only thing the firm did was assist in some very minor pre-suit stuff and front the filing fees.
I don't think that necessarily helps her argument. I think most courts would look at it like this: (1) How much work was done at the originating /prior firm and what was accomplished? I wouldn't care who in particular was doing the work (2) How much work and what has been accomplished by the departing attorney at said attorney's new firm. Then the court would probably apply quantum meruit and take into consideration who ultimately originated the file, and where the substantial work was performed that ultimately resulted in favorable resolution of the claim. \ If 40% of the hours and work was done at the originating firm prior to the attorney departing, then the court would likely give them 40% of the fee.
How dumb is it when an adjuster makes an offer based on 50% liability and gives you numbers for the BI and PD claims. Then after you make a counter they say "Ok we now accept 75% liability" and give you new numbers on the BI and PD claims. It is silly.