Attorney Journals, San Diego, Volume 213

SAN DIEGO

Volume 213, 2021 $6.95

Preparing for Trial: 5 Tips for New Litigators

Valerie Henderson Kimberly A. Chojnacki Smart Rainmakers Don’t Only Network at the Bar Association

Shari Davidson The Latest California Case Summaries

Monty McIntyre Blockchain and eDiscovery: What Should the Legal Industry Expect?

Epiq

Associates: 11 Tips to Survive Your Freshman Year

Jennifer Eaton Dustin Paul Hiring Associates?

6 Do’s and Don’ts for Your Law Firm Website

Katherine Hollar Barnard Get Prospects to Your Website Without Relying on SEO

Trey Ryder

Attorney of the Month

Joshua Price Defending Rights Law Center, San Diego

Winning Strategies in DUI Cases

SPECIALIZING IN COMPLEX BUSINESS LITIGATION

BET-THE-COMPANY CASES OVER 65 YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE REFERRALS/SUBSTITUTIONS ACCEPTED AT ALL STAGES OF LITIGATION, INCLUDING TRIAL • Complete defense jury verdict in real estate dispute and more than $400,000 collected for attorneys’ fees and costs in Batter v. McElhinney, et al. (2019)(Jason Kirby).

• $2.1 million jury verdict for firm client in Doe v. San Diego Unified School District, et al. (2018)(Jason Kirby & Michael Kirby).

• $1.1 million arbitration award for firm clients on cross-complaint after zeroing plaintiff on $6 million damage claim in Step Strategy Advisors v. Solid Gold Health Products for Pets, Inc., et al. (2018)(Jason Kirby lead counsel).

• Michael Kirby received the 2021 Best Lawyers in America® distinction for (1) Bet-the-Company Litigation, (2) Commercial Litigation, (3) Litigation – Real Estate, and (4) Litigation – Securities.

501 West Broadway | Suite 1720 | San Diego, CA 92101 | 619-487-1500 | www.kirbyandkirbylaw.com

2021 EDITION—NO.213

TABLE OF CONTENTS 6 Hiring Associates?

Six Do’s and Don’ts for Your Law Firm Website

by Katherine Hollar Barnard

8 Eleven Tips to Survive Your Freshman Year as an Associate

by Jennifer Eaton and Dustin Paul

10 The Future of Blockchain and eDiscovery: What Should the Legal Industry Expect?

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Brian Topor EDITOR Wendy Price

by Epiq

12 Community News

CREATIVE SERVICES Penn Creative

14 Preparing for Trial: Five Tips for New Litigators

CIRCULATION Angela Watson

by Valerie Henderson and Kimberly A. Chojnacki

PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Griffiths STAFF WRITERS Dan Baldwin Jennifer Hadley CONTRIBUTING EDITORIALISTS Katherine Hollar Barnard Kimberly A. Chojnacki Shari Davidson Jennifer Eaton Epiq Valerie Henderson Monty McIntyre Dustin Paul Trey Ryder ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Info@AttorneyJournals.com SUBMIT AN ARTICLE Editorial@AttorneyJournals.com OFFICE 30213 Avenida De Las Banderas Suite 200 Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 www.AttorneyJournals.com ADDRESS CHANGES Address corrections can be made via email or postal mail.

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ATTORNEY OF THE MONTH

16 Joshua Price, Defending Rights Law Center, San Diego Winning Strategies in DUI Cases

by Dan Baldwin

22 The Latest California Case Summaries

by Monty McIntyre

26 Smart Rainmakers Don’t Only Network at the Bar Association

by Shari Davidson

28 How to Get Prospects to Visit Your Website Without Relying on SEO

by Trey Ryder

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Hiring Associates? Six Do’s and Don’ts for Your Law Firm Website

by Katherine Hollar Barnard

H

aving weathered the COVID-19 epidemic, many law firms now see a sharp uptick in work—and feel a need to hire.

Specifically, associates are in high demand. Decipher, an investigative intelligence firm, reports that associate moves in the top 10 legal markets were up 20 percent or more in the first two months of the year. Press coverage of the associate rush is centered around a frenzy of aggressive tactics, from big hiring bonuses to same day offers. (Caveat emptor there.)

Thankfully, for most firms recruiting is a more measured process. Still, in the potential boom of 2021, it’s a buyer’s market, and qualified associates will have many options. In a December 2020 survey, 57 percent of lawyers with hiring responsibilities said they were actively looking; 93 percent said it was somewhat or very challenging.

To be sure, the country’s most wired generation will be checking out their prospective employers online. In this race for associate talent, your law firm’s website can be a helpful tool for making the right impression and conveying your culture and differentiators.

How can you best position your firm to be a first-choice employer?

Know Your Market Major, Lindsey & Africa’s Millennial Attorney Survey provides valuable insight into the wants, needs and attitudes of lawyers between 25 and 40 years old. This report surveyed more than 1,200 respondents, 78.6 percent of whom are current law firm associates.

When asked their priorities in scouting potential employers, on a scale of 1 to 10, they ranked: • Commitment to fostering work-life balance: 8.2 • Firm’s compensation package: 8.1 • Commitment to training and professional development: 8.0 • Commitment to progressive family-friendly policies: 7.5 • Strength of firm in a particular practice area: 6.7 • Commitment to diverse and inclusive workforce: 6.2 • Prestige of firm: 5.9 • Commitment to corporate social responsibility: 5.8 Key takeaway: Compare the high priority of work-life balance with the relatively low priority of firm prestige. If your firm’s recruiting page focuses on the rich tradition established by long-dead named 6

Attorney Journals San Diego | Volume 213, 2021

partners, you’re missing the mark with Millennial recruits.

Work-life balance is so important to your potential associates that nearly 75 percent of respondents said they would take lower compensation in exchange for more time off, a flexible work schedule or fewer billable hours.

When asked what they would like to spend more time doing in their current positions, they said: • Business development: 33.2 percent • Training: 23.1 percent • Mentorship: 14.1 percent • Pro bono: 11.6 percent • Work outside the primary practice group: 11.6 percent • Firm social events: 6.5 percent Key takeaway: More than five times as many associates want to work on business development as those who want more firm social events.

Baseball games and progressive dinner parties are important recreation for your law student recruiting. But seasoned associates want activities with more substance: business development and skills training chief among them.

Speak to Your Market As your law firm’s communications hub, your website should complement your recruiting endeavors. If your organization is among the many clamoring for trained associates, mind these guidelines: 1. Don’t skip them. Many law firms’ Careers pages skip straight from law students to lateral partners. Lateral associates are a different demographic with different desires. Many are parents to young children; all have earned professional respect. Develop a specific page for lateral associates that discusses benefits, schedule options, business development training, the track to partnership and other specific concerns.

2. Do be authentic. In the process of selling your firm, you must be genuine. It’s one thing to make a favorable first impression; it’s another to delve into fiction. Do not tout flexible schedules if you know the firm is putting the kibosh on remote work post-pandemic. Be forthright and manage expectations from the beginning, and you will find your people: While not every firm is “fun,” neither is every associate.

3. Don’t be coy about compensation. In the Major Lindsey & Africa survey, compensation was the No. 1 motivation Millennial attorneys cited for considering a job change. Meanwhile, nearly 70 percent of associates “strongly agreed” that law firms should strive for maximum transparency with regard to compensation.

In addition to salaries, be straightforward about billable minimums and what counts toward them.

4. Do offer evidence. Smooth marketing prose will only get you so far. Take a “show, don’t tell” approach, and provide proof points for your firm’s culture. Post testimonials from current associates. Share favorable statistics.

Profile successful alumni. Don’t assume that a potential hire will read every page of your website: Reiterate core values, major awards, and significant client work.

5. Don’t just talk about diversity. Show action. In the Major, Lindsey & Africa survey, 77.5 percent of Millennial attorneys said a diverse and inclusive workforce should be a priority for law firms. This demographic is looking for more than a well-crafted statement; show your action and show your investment.

6. Do embrace multimedia. Younger consumers strongly prefer video; 56 percent of those 25 to 34 years old said

it was their first-choice medium. Consider the power of a recruiting video geared to lateral associates that shared their peers’ stories; you could write with static text that you support work-life balance, or you can create a video that shows an associate playing with his kids. Keep it short, and keep it authentic, and video can be a compelling recruiting tool.

Above all, the “experienced associate” portion of your Careers page should further the brand promise of your firm. The best brand experiences are authentic, relevant and ownable: Carry this into your recruiting story.

• Authentic: Who are we really, and what is it like to work here?

• Relevant: Why does this matter to this specific audience?

• Ownable: Why us instead of the law firms down the street?

(And if all else fails, maybe put a cat meme on there.) n Katherine Hollar Barnard started Firesign to help legal industry clients attract, win, and retain business. She draws upon more than 10 years of experience at two of the nation’s largest law firms to build brands that connect and business plans that deliver. Learn more at www.firesignmarketing.com.

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11 Tips to Survive Your Freshman Year as an Associate

by Dustin M. Paul and Jennifer L. Eaton

C

oncerns about starting your first job after law school are justified. It is terrifying. For many, the first year as an associate will be your first professional job.

Little has prepared you for the difficult, confusing, and stressful first year ahead.

Even many summer associate positions fail to provide a realistic picture of what it is like to be an associate—or worse, they intentionally paint a false picture. After years of living through, talking about and guiding others through this process—including formally as part of our firm’s associate development committee—we thought we would pass along some tips to the next generation of young associates.

 Don’t get in your own way.

 Build trust and stay busy.

is joint and several liability.

Building trust and staying busy have the same playbook: Do good work. Doing good work means not only creating a strong work product but anticipating the next step. If you are drafting a responsive pleading, you should be thinking about the discovery you will soon serve to support the claims or defenses. If you are researching whether a particular contractual provision is permissible in a business contract, consider drafting your own clause.

You will stay busy if partners can trust you and your work product. If you do a good job on an assignment, they will come back to you again and again.

 Don’t just identify problems; solve them.

Don’t just come with problems—come with proposed solutions. In your first year, don’t always expect your solutions to be the right ones. But a proposed solution demonstrates that you are striving for excellence and independence.

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You can be your own worst enemy. Avoid self-imposed deadlines unless you can guarantee that you will meet them.

That said, if you can’t meet your own deadlines, why would anyone trust you with major deadlines? Remember your mistakes. Most mistakes can be fixed, so be forthright when they happen, and resolve them quickly. Know what you don’t know. You are a first-year associate; you don’t know it all. No one expects you to. If you think you do, you are wrong, and your ego will get in your way.

 Remember that responsibility You work as part of a team, never forget that. Your mistakes impact a partner, and a partner’s mistakes impact you. But in the end, if something goes wrong, you will likely bear at least some responsibility. Take the initiative to send reminder emails and offer your assistance to colleagues. Saying: “I thought you were handling that”—even when a partner told you they would handle it—will rarely absolve you of responsibility.

 Learn how to deal with ethical dilemmas and difficult situations.

You will almost assuredly deal with difficult clients, difficult attorneys, and difficult situations. Usually, the best thing to do in a difficult situation—whether with a client, attorney, or colleague—is document, document, document. Make sure your position on difficult issues is known. You want to be on record if something goes sideways. If a partner decides to proceed in another direction, then there are certain protections available to you as an associate performing work under the supervision of a responsible partner under most jurisdictions’ ethical rules.

 Find a mentor.

Much of being a new associate is avoiding common mistakes and pitfalls, and who better to help you with those issues than someone who has already been through the associate experience? Look to current associates, new partners, professors, or attorneys you have met through social or professional involvements as a starting point.

Ideally, you will have at least one mentor within your firm to ask firm-related questions and one mentor outside your firm to ask for unbiased opinions, often about firmrelated questions.

 Start to build your professional network.

Professional involvements—like Inns of Court and voluntary bar associations—are great places to start. Take charge, look for leadership opportunities and ways to shine within the organizations to which you belong. If you don’t see long-term growth potential within an organization, consider dropping it for another involvement.

You should also look for organizations and affiliations that are targeted to your goals, your practice area, and your desired clients. For instance, if you know more generally what you want to do, like be a federal court litigator, then join your local federal bar association.

If you have a more specific area of focus, such as wanting to represent transportation companies in highly complex disputes, then consider joining an organization like the Transportation Lawyers Association. The same rules apply: Look for organizations where you can grow and take a leadership role.

 Make long-term and short-term goals.

If your focus is only the day-in and day-out aspects of being a lawyer, you will easily get bogged down and likely never be happy. Plan for the short term and long term. Pursue professional opportunities, whether that is attending a conference or going to a young lawyer social. More substantive goals should be measurable, actionable, and attainable.

 Find your daily dose of stress relief.

Being a lawyer is stressful. Finding ways to manage stress can help offer a sense of calm. In the legal

profession, time is a commodity—and you are worthy of some of your own time. Setting aside 30 minutes each day (at the same time each day if you can manage it) for something all about you is a good way to bring a small bit of order to your life. And it helps to have an extracurricular activity or community involvement that is—and we cannot stress this enough—100%, completely and totally unrelated to law.

 Know your why.

The incentive structure of most law firms has the end goal of making the firm profitable. Remember that. Before you step foot in your new office, you should know why you are there and what kind of impact you aspire to make during your tenure. It is easy to lose track of yourself in the dayto-day of the practice of law. Find your polestar. Keep asking yourself if you are headed in that direction. And don’t be afraid to decide to change course.

 Remember, this too shall pass.

Challenging cases, difficult clients and tight deadlines are temporary, at least on an individual case level. But everything is relative. You will always have a least favorite case or assignment. Get used to the idea of not having a pristine portfolio of work, at least at first.

Before you know it, your first year will be over. You might feel more settled in your role and have a better idea of whether your firm is a good fit for you. Or perhaps you will feel just as lost as you did on Day One. Now is a great time to reflect on your accomplishments from the past year, look again for your polestar and identify areas of improvement for the coming year. Above all, be kind.

Your one-year mark usually means a new class of firstyear associates are now trying to find their way. Help them if you can. n Dustin M. Paul is a partner and Jennifer L. Eaton is an associate at Vandeventer Black in Norfolk, Virginia. Dustin is a skilled litigator who finds creative solutions for his clients in Virginia state and federal courts. He excels in using the depth and breadth of his knowledge to achieve cost-effective resolution of disputes. Jennifer is a trial attorney who represents businesses—including many in the maritime and transportation industries—in state and federal courts across the Commonwealth. Her representations range from contractual disputes to personal injury defense. Learn more at: www.vanblacklaw.com.

Attorney Journals San Diego | Volume 213, 2021

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The Future of Blockchain and eDiscovery What Should the Legal Industry Expect?

by Epiq

W

ith new technologies frequently surfacing during an eDiscovery review, it is time for legal departments to take a deeper dive into blockchain so they can be prepared for what is to come. Legal professionals are aware of what blockchain is and may even use this technology for some business functions like smart contracts or payment for services via cryptocurrency. However, blockchain is still evolving and there are many unknowns about how this technology operates and what role it will play in both the legal industry and general business.

Blockchain—The Basics Blockchain is a complex type of distributed ledger technology that the legal industry is still learning about. A few important distinguishing features include: • Users can record transactions over a distributed network that is very secure. Identities of the individuals involved in a transaction are not disclosed.

• The network can be either public or private.

• The transactions are permanent. The blockchain also creates a recorded transaction history that users can access, but never alter.

• Third-party facilitators are unnecessary.

• An established protocol instructs computers on the network about when a transaction is verified and should be added to the ledger. This is commonly referred to as mining and is the only way a transaction can become a permanent part of the blockchain.

All of these features make blockchain appealing to individuals wanting to carry out secure transactions where asset ownership is permanently recorded without the need for a bank. It will only continue to gain popularity and continue to branch out to other areas besides virtual currency. Especially if smart contracts gain more acceptance,

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legal departments will start to see increasing exposure to blockchain technology with their corporate clients.

Predicted eDiscovery Implications Just as with any emerging data source, litigators need to be ready for collection and review hurdles that blockchain could impose. As more businesses utilize blockchain, it will pop up as discoverable electronically stored information (ESI) in cases and investigations. To prepare for this, legal departments should anticipate potential challenges, develop new protocols, and keep informed on new blockchain developments. Being able to advise corporate clients about what to be mindful of when deploying or encountering blockchain technology and accounting for this in information governance plans will limit eDiscovery issues in the future. The first step is to anticipate what will be easy and what will be challenging when dealing with blockchain as a source of ESI during litigation.

Blockchain data contains several features that are attractive to litigators. The fact that the transactions are permanent and do not allow for editing ensures that a party cannot tamper with any relevant blockchain ESI which can limit the time spent on eDiscovery disputes (like spoliation) and aids with data authentication. However, the fact that blockchain transactions conceal identities makes it difficult to prove that a party or other person relevant to the case participated in a certain transaction. Legal departments should account for extra costs and time to track down proper custodians, establish identities, and decode blockchain transactions. Utilizing experts and AI-powered solutions may help accelerate this process and yield efficient results.

These resources could provide methods to strip anonymity from transactions that are relevant to litigation.

Additionally, when collecting blockchain data, lawyers need to prepare for any obstacles or unique methods they may need to deploy. Whether the data is easily exportable will highly affect collection practices. From what we know

about blockchain, this may be an easier task than anticipated.

The fact that the transactions take place over a secure network should make collection an easier feat than some unstructured data like chat messages or various dark data sources. Still, it is important to talk about blockchain collection with a legal department’s eDiscovery vendor to understand the process and plan eDiscovery workflows.

Information Governance Considerations Even though the data contained in a blockchain transaction is reliable, there will definitely be more steps and new considerations—especially as the technology matures. As such, when a party needs to authenticate blockchain data as evidence for a case, they should expect to utilize additional resources and encounter evidentiary roadblocks. To avoid expending unnecessary resources, it is important to weigh the cost benefit of using this data as trial evidence. Organizations should account for these costs and concerns in their litigation readiness plans.

To be proactive, legal departments should start talking about blockchain and resulting information governance considerations with their corporate clients. Taking this approach aligns with the current trend of taking a more business-centered approach with legal transformation efforts and ways to be more efficient. Besides accounting for

blockchain in litigation readiness plans, organizations should have policies around using blockchain for internal and external business purposes. Updating data classification and mapping protocols will also help better manage these transactions if they become discoverable ESI in a future case.

Other helpful actions include monitoring new blockchain developments, providing training opportunities to staff, and seeing how courts handle future blockchain eDiscovery issues. It is important to remember that how this technology influences litigation will change as legal departments discover best practices for eDiscovery workflows pertaining to blockchain. Therefore, it is crucial to keep track of any case law and court rulings on blockchain and eDiscovery to help refine practices. Just as lawyers have recently seen the courts respond to eDiscovery obstacles and arguments pertaining to AI usage, blockchain questions will undoubtedly follow. n Epiq, a global leader in the legal services industry, takes on largescale, increasingly complex tasks for corporate counsel, law firms, and business professionals with efficiency, clarity, and confidence. Clients rely on Epiq to streamline the administration of business operations, class action and mass tort, court reporting, eDiscovery, regulatory, compliance, restructuring, and bankruptcy matters. Epiq subjectmatter experts and technologies create efficiency through expertise and deliver confidence to high-performing clients around the world.

Learn more at www.epiqglobal.com.

EMPLOYEE-OWNED? The time is now to learn about Employee Stock Ownership Plans.

Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) create new opportunities for employee ownership, shareholder liquidity, corporate financing, and tax planning opportunities.

For more information about ESOPs, contact: Marc Schechter: mschechter@bsllp.com

Helping You See ERISA and Employee Benefits Law Clearly Practice areas include: ESOPs - Pension, Profit Sharing, 401(k) Plans - ERISA Litigation - ERISA Compliance - IRS and DOL Audits - Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plans - Stock Options Plans - Business Transaction & Succession Planning Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs)

10021 Willow Creek Road, Suite 200, San Diego, California 92131 Telephone: (858) 444-2300 Facsimile: (858) 444-2345 www.bsllp.com

Attorney Journals San Diego | Volume 213, 2021

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COMMUNITY news n Gupta Evans would like to welcome John Ahn to their firm. John joins the team as an associate attorney after having practiced as a registered Patent Attorney here in San Diego working on various tech-related JOHN AHN cases where he helped entrepreneurs and businesses thrive in their respective fields. Being a creative problem solver has helped his career in the world of intellectual property, and he looks forward to bringing the same skillset, passion, and results to Gupta Evans and Associates. John received his B.S. in Biology from the University of California, Riverside in 2009 and his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2014. John has also been a member of the Korean American Bar Association of San Diego since 2015 and has served on the board of directors for six years with three of those years as Secretary and one year as President. n Hartley LLP Partners Jason Hartley and Jason Lindner were named to Thomson Reuters’ list of “Super Lawyers” for 2021.

“We are proud of the work we do and the clients we represent nationwide, and we JASON LINDNER are honored to be recognized for our work by our peers,” said Jason Hartley, Founder of Hartley LLP. “San Diego has a great legal community with highly talented attorneys, and we congratulate all of the 2021 honorees.”

Jason Hartley represents exclusively plaintiffs in commercial contingency representation, class action litigation, antitrust, and unfair competition. He is involved in all aspects of civil litigation and has handled cases in both federal and state courts, in litigation and at trial.

Jason Lindner’s practice includes litigation of antitrust, unfair competition, complex business, California wage and hour, Fair Labor Standards Act, and other general class action litigation. He has been involved in all aspects of civil litigation in both federal and state courts.

Noonan Lance Boyer & Banach LLP

n Noonan Lance Boyer & Banach LLP has announced that four of its partners are on the 2021 San Diego Super Lawyers list. Notably, David Noonan is recognized in the “Top 10 San Diego Attorneys” list; James Lance is listed in the “Top 50 San Diego Attorneys”; and Ethan Boyer and Micaela Banach both made the “San Diego Super Lawyers” list for business litigation.

Meeting Super Lawyers’ rigorous standards, these four NoonanLance partners selected have considerable expertise in all aspects of commercial litigation, representing both plaintiffs and defendants and taking on some of California’s most challenging cases. NoonanLance attorneys are some of San Diego’s most experienced commercial litigators, handling a wide range of cases in state and federal court, as well as arbitration.

Have a Press Release you would like to submit for our Community News?

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n Johnson Fistel is pleased to announce the addition of Johnathan M. Scott to its San Diego office.

His practice will focus on complex commercial and business litigation. Mr. Scott earned his J.D. from JOHNATHAN M. SCOTT California Western School of Law, graduating cum laude. In law school, he was recognized for his excellent writing skills, receiving the National Order of the Scribes award, and serving as the Executive Lead Articles Editor for the California Western Law Review. Mr. Scott also served as a teaching assistant in legal writing I and received the American Jurisprudence award for obtaining the highest grade in the class in legal writing I, legal writing II, and business entity finance.

Prior to law school, Mr. Scott earned his MBA from Gonzaga University. “I am excited to not only practice and serve clients within my area of interest but to join such a respected law firm,” said Jonathan. n Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP (HFM) has awarded its annual diversity scholarship to second-year California Western School of Law (CWSL) student Matthew Jensen. Jensen received the scholarship at a virtual event MATTHEW JENSEN on March 24.

HFM has been granting scholarships in support of diversity and inclusion efforts to local law students for several years. This year’s $5,000 diversity scholarship was funded by contributions from HFM’s attorneys in addition to a contribution from the Firm.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion are a priority for Higgs Fletcher & Mack and creating a diversity pipeline is critical for the legal profession,” said Partner Susan Hack, Chair of the HFM’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

“We are proud to award Matthew with our 2021 Diversity scholarship. I believe he will be a great lawyer and will help further diversity initiatives in our community.”

n Butterfield Schechter LLP’s Founding Partners Robert K. Butterfield and Marc S. Schechter have been included in the 2021 San Diego Super Lawyers list. This is a first for Mr. Butterfield, and this is Mr. Schechter’s ninth year to be included on the list of Super Lawyers. Mr. Butterfield specializes in employee benefits, ERISA, and estate planning. Mr. Schechter specializes in employee benefits, ERISA, and business matters, with special emphasis on ESOP transactions. Mr. Schechter is admitted to practice before the courts of California and New Jersey; the United States District Court for the Southern, Central, and Northern Districts of California; the United States Tax Court; the Ninth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals; and the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of the Employee Benefits-Taxation Section, State Bar of California; Taxation Section, San Diego County Bar Association; and a former member of the Legislative and Regulatory Advisory Committee, ESOP Association of America.

Partner Corey F. Schechter has been recognized on the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list in 2016 and 2018-2021. Mr. Schechter’s practice focuses on employee benefits law (ERISA) and executive compensation matters, ERISA litigation, qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs), and business and employment law. Mr. Schechter is admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Southern, Central, and Northern Districts of California, the United States Tax Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is a current member of the San Diego County Bar Association, the Western Pension and Benefits Council—San Diego Chapter, and the Business Law and Tax Law sections of the State Bar of California.

This is Partner Paul D. Woodard’s second year to be recognized and included on the Super Lawyer’s Rising Stars list. Mr. Woodard’s practice focuses on employee benefits law, employee stock ownership plan, pension, profit sharing and 401(k) plans, ERISA litigation, business law and litigation, qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs), estate planning and trust litigation. Mr. Woodard is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Southern, Central, and Eastern Districts of California; the United States Tax Court; and the Ninth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals. Mr. Woodard also serves as President of the Western Pension & Benefits Council, San Diego.

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Preparing for Trial: Five Tips for New Litigators

by Valerie Henderson and Kimberly A. Chojnacki

Y

ou’ve completed discovery and motions practice and are now preparing a case for trial, where being prepared is often the key to success. As a new litigator, what should you keep in mind when preparing a case for trial?

 Create a solid foundation through attention to detail.

Double and triple check local rules relating to pretrial filing deadlines, docket call, necessity (and format) of any courtesy copies to the court, and any other requirements of the specific judge. Call the trial coordinator to confirm your understanding of the requirements.

Some courts request flash drives with exhibits, others request binders. Some want you to exchange pretrial pleadings, but not file them. Knowledge of the court’s local rules and procedures is even more imperative now that many proceedings are being conducted via Zoom and other video conference software.

 Develop your trial theme. How will you present your case to the judge or jury? Consider weaving in elements of each claim or defense and specifically identify the witness or the specific document you will use to prove each element. Organize the order of witnesses, their testimony, and the introduction of exhibits to present the narrative in line with your trial theme. Meet with each witness to go over the narrative, ultimate objective, and how their testimony fits into the process. Determining how you will prove your claims or defenses through your trial theme also assists you in finalizing the witness and exhibit list, which is often a key portion of the materials that must be submitted to the court in advance of trial.

When meeting with witnesses, identify any weaknesses or issues you anticipate and help them feel comfortable with addressing questions they may be asked.

 Develop a plan for overcoming evidentiary objections.

Think about the case from multiple angles. How might you overcome evidentiary objections? Write notes on the exhibit list so they are on hand when the issue

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arises during trial. Have a copy of the applicable rules of evidence on hand in case an issue arises that you had not previously noted.

 Identify

opportunities for trial briefing. Anticipate potential disputed questions of law and home in on those that may benefit from briefing.

These should be apparent from the course of litigation (e.g., motions practice, points made in mediation, lines of questions in depositions, defenses pled, etc.). Often a trial brief is not only beneficial to the court, but also to you when developing the theme and structure of trial.

 Prepare the trial binder in a way that makes sense for you. Everyone is different in how they organize materials for trial. Give thought to what will work best for you.

A typical binder could include the exhibit list (with objection response annotations), witness outlines, brief outlines with responses to anticipated substantive arguments from the other side, and pertinent case law or statutes that you may need to reference. Also consider a separate folder or binder with your opening statement and a second, separate folder or binder with your closing statement that can be heavily annotated with notes pertaining to points made throughout trial by the other side.

By following the above steps for trial prep, you’ll have set yourself up for success and be able to focus on the trial once you enter the courtroom. n Valerie Henderson and Kimberly A. Chojnacki are attorneys at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC. Valerie Henderson is a Shareholder and concentrates her practice in commercial disputes, insurance defense, and consumer financerelated litigation. Kimberly Chojnacki is an associate and focuses her practice on eminent domain and condemnation, complex commercial disputes, construction, and insurance defense matters. Learn more at: www.bakerdonelson.com.

JOURNALS

Leveraging the Powers that Be

ATTORNEY

OF THE MONTH

2021

Leveling the Legal Playing Field in DUI

by Dan Baldwin

In most cases a DUI is victimless. Unless there is an accident that involves property damage or injury to another person, there is no victim. A guy gets pulled over and says, ‘I’m cooked. Just get me the best deal you can. I’m going to take the heat and bite the bullet by pleading guilty.’ That’s not a smart move and that’s not why people pay me to handle their case. They pay me to turn over every stone to make sure that the government does their job; if the government doesn’t do their job, that’s where I step in to make sure the rights of the individual person are represented,” says Joshua J. Price, founder and Managing Attorney of Defending Rights Law Center.

Price says even an apparently simple, open-andshut DUI case can be a complex matter requiring the aggressive skills of an experienced DUI attorney. For example, the government doesn’t always draw blood according to accepted medical practices. That could be a fourth amendment violation and the blood may be subject to suppression. Additionally, the government may not always use the correct methods when testing blood in a lab. He cites a case in which the government left a client’s blood sample on a gas chromatograph that tests the blood overnight, a matter not included in their one-page report and which could have been disastrous for his client.

In those cases when the government dots their I’s and crosses their T’s, there’s nothing an attorney can do other than mitigate and walk the client through the process.

That process can be very confusing with numerous gray areas, not only with the Department of Motor Vehicles

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on one side, but in the criminal court on the other side.

There are ways to win at DMV that you cannot win with in criminal court and ways to win in criminal court that you cannot use to win at DMV. “That’s why I treat each case as if it is my own butt on the line. I obtain every piece of relevant evidence for a reason. There are cases where I’ve pulled gold out of garbage and have gotten a case dismissed. People pay me to dig and look. I look at every single item and that’s why our record is so stellar.

No one fights harder for their clients,” Price says.

Clients agree. I was arrested for DUI without any accident on my birthday which was the first offense of my life. Submitted to FST, refused PAS, but did blood test with a 0.11 BAC result. My attorney wasn’t able to negotiate a plea offer from the DA, so I ended up going to trial. I’m an RN so my professional license was on the line. My attorney brought Josh on as co-council for my trial. I immediately began to understand why this was. From the beginning, Josh was compelling and charismatic. He was there for every minute of the 7-day trial which ended up dragging on much longer than expected. He knew how to cross-examine the toxicologists and crime lab specialists and he was always prepared. The jury deliberated for another two days and then declared that they were officially hung. Was declared a mistrial and eventually got a wet-reckless plea deal, which I accepted. My only regret is that I didn’t hire him from the beginning. I’m thankful to have had him represent me!

© Bauman Photographers

© Bauman Photographers

Backed by more than 10 years of DUI experience, Price has defended more than 2000 DUI cases and has saved more than 100 driver’s licenses.

“I personally believe every single type of DUI case can be won. The problem is a lot of lawyers get overwhelmed by complexities of these cases and give up fast. But I make sure to fight my best for each case and leave no stone unturned to get the best results possible for my clients,” says Price.

A Working-Class Background Builds a Strong Work Ethic

“I grew up in a working-class family in a working-class neighborhood and early on realized that law enforcement officers can abuse their power. I felt like the government in general had too much power and could just stamp out the accused too easily. I felt as if maybe I could help leverage the powers that be and even the playing field a bit. I wanted to defend the injustices in the world and make a difference in people’s lives for the better,” Price says.

His father, his grandfather, and his great-grandfather worked in the trades from the welder’s union to mechanical insulator’s union. Price paid his way through college, working as much as he could on top of going to school.

Even in law school he worked two to three jobs and took

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out loans to keep enrolled. “I thought I could work a couple of jobs and go to law school full-time too, no problem. It didn’t work out that way. I had to drop down to part time in law school to avoid failing classes because I could not afford not to work. I worked restaurant jobs from bartending to serving tables and I substitute taught K-12 in San Diego Unified School District—whatever it took.”

Price graduated from San Diego State with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in social work. He earned his J.D from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law. He is a firstgeneration college graduate.

Although initially an unpleasant experience in career development, a downturn in the economy proved to be a boon for the young attorney. He had held on to the image of his dream job working for the Public Defender’s office.

During his time in law school, he was involved in criminal defense work through his internships with the San Diego County Alternate Public Defender. The dream job was put on hold. He continued to wait tables until an opportunity arrived and he began working at a DUI law firm. Using his foundation of general criminal defense concepts, he was able to hit the ground running in defending against DUIrelated allegations.

“I jumped at the opportunity and have not looked back. I was able to grow my own DUI practice while handling another

firm’s DUI clients. I did this for about a year before moving to take over another law firm’s DUI clients while still being able to grow my own practice. Finally, in 2015, my own firm was too busy, and I stopped taking any other firms’ cases.” Today he works with a full-time paralegal and a part-time assistant.

Making Sure There Are No Victims in Victimless Crimes

Most DUI cases do not involve property damage, injury, or death, so there is really no victim in those instances. Some people may not be guilty of what they are accused of and others may have just messed up. “I am not dealing with hard core criminals that I cannot look in the eye, let alone defend them.

One of my main goals is to make sure that the driver does not himself become a victim of government overreach,” Price says.

One client wrote, I was found NOT GUILTY after a four-day jury trial! After I was being charged with a DUI, .28/.27 portable breath test and .30 blood test. In which I was EXTREMELY happy about, since I never drove my car that day and my cousin was the one who was driving when my car broke down. Not only did we win the week-long trial, we won the DMV case before that. I never lost my license and never had to pay any money to DMV, Chula Vista Courts or Chula Vista Police Department.

Defending Rights Law Center, Inc. is a full-service firm. Price handles all their hearings and does not farm out cases to other attorneys. He and his team handle everything from pre-trial hearings, motions, trials, DMV hearings and appeals.

Price says, “Our firm’s typical client is someone similar to people I know and can connect with on some level—usually a good person who is hard working and often times has a family. That is what makes most DUI cases easy to get behind, as it is not illegal per se to drink and drive, or smoke marijuana and drive, or take prescription medication and then drive a vehicle. It is only unlawful if you are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs or at or above a .08 percent blood or breath alcohol level. The key to success is to not take anything for granted and put the same concentrated effort into every client’s case.”

That commitment and attention to detail attracts referrals from other firms and attorneys throughout the state. For example, just before Covid19 hit, Price obtained a not guilty verdict on two counts of DUI on a .14/.13 breath alcohol case where their client was stopped at the border and detained by Border Patrol before being tested and arrested by CHP. “It is always an honor when another attorney sends us a client and it is humbling and flattering. We also pride ourselves in paying referral fees to other attorneys.”

The Price Family: Kaeden, Alicia, Braylon and Josh

Attorney Journals San Diego | Volume 213, 2021

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Contact Joshua Price Defending Rights Law Center, Inc. 4025 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 300 San Diego, CA 92108 Office: 619-542-7714 Cell: 619-846-2235 joshuajprice@defendingrights.com

© Bauman Photographers

Price says that continuing education and training is key to keeping up with changes and trends in the law and the legal community. He backs his beliefs with action.

He has gone through the same training as law enforcement officers when it comes to Standardized Field Sobriety Testing. He attended a three-day, 24-hour training and testing to become qualified in administration of these tests pursuant to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

He attended a two-day, 16-hour, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) training where he learned more advanced techniques and testing that law enforcement use to try to detect drugs other than alcohol in DUI investigations.

He attended a five-day, (more than 40 hours of training) at Shimadzu Laboratory at University of Texas, Arlington.

The Serious Science Blood Drug Analysis course combined hard science and trial advocacy. He learned the basics of metrology, blood alcohol and the more complex blood drug analyses, and got hands-on experience preparing and analyzing samples of blood for detection of various drugs.

Typically, he attends 20-30 CLE’s a year related to DUI training.

He is a specialist member of California DUI Lawyers Association (CDLA). To achieve that status, an attorney must have handled a specific number of DUI trials to verdict along with several appeals and some other requirements. He was voted to the Board of Directors for the Association in 2017. In January he was elected the President of CDLA for 2021.

“To say being elected as President of California DUI Lawyers Association (CDLA) is an honor and a privilege is a vast understatement. I truly stand on the shoulders of giants in the field of DUI Defense, and I am thankful for the opportunity to lead such a phenomenal organization.

It is this organization that taught me DUI Defense and equipped me with the tools necessary to competently represent people accused of DUI. It’s one of many extensions of my commitment to level that playing field,” Price says. n

EXP ER I ENCE

Continuing Education and Training to Continue Winning

» EDUCATION • Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego.

• B.A. in Psychology (minor in social work) San Diego State • J.D.—Thomas Jefferson School of Law

» HONORS/AWARDS/CERTIFICATIONS • SFST Qualified • ARIDE Qualified • Shimadzu Training • National Top 100 Trial Lawyers • Super Lawyers 2017−2021

» ORGANIZATIONS/MEMBERSHIPS • State Bar of California • President of CDLA • Board of Directors member CDLA • Member National College of DUI Defense (NCDD) • Member Driving Under the Influence Defense Lawyer’s Association (DUIDLA) • Member San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association • Member BBB

FAMILY/INTERESTS • Married five years to Alicia Price • Two children: Braylon James Price (2 1/2) and Kaeden Carter Price (1) • Avid soccer player, mountain biker, and snowboarder

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• Writes a monthly article entitled “CrimPro” for North County Lawyer Magazine, a publication by the North County Bar Association

California Case Summaries New California Civil Cases

by Monty A. McIntyre, Esq. These recent cases summarized by Monty A. McIntyre are from his publication California Case Summaries™. Monty prepares short summaries, organized by legal topic, of every new published California civil and family law case that California lawyers can subscribe to on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. For more information go to https://californiacasesummaries.mykajabi.com. A California civil trial lawyer since 1980 and a member of ABOTA since 1995, Monty serves as a mediator, arbitrator and referee with ADR Services, Inc. handling cases in the areas of business, elder abuse, employment/wage & hour, insurance bad faith, legal malpractice, medical malpractice, personal injury, real property and wrongful death. To schedule a matter, contact Monty’s case manager Christopher Schuster at ADR Services, Inc. at (619) 233-1323 or christopher@adrservices.com.

CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT Employment Kaanaana v. Barrett Business Services, Inc. (2021) _ Cal.5th _ , 2021 WL 1166963: The California Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Appeal’s decision, in a wage and hour class action, that the work performed by plaintiff contract workers working as belt sorters for a county sanitation district falls within the definition of public works in the Labor Code and they are entitled to prevailing wages. The issue was whether the belt sorter work qualified as public works as defined in Labor Code section 1720(a)(2). The California Supreme Court ruled that the most reasonable interpretation of “public works” in Labor Code section 1720(a)(2) was that it was not limited by the definition of “public works” related to construction work set out in section 1720(a)(1). The belt sorters’ labor qualified as “public works” under section 1720(a)(2). (March 29, 2021.)

CALIFORNIA COURTS OF APPEAL Arbitration Roussos v. Roussos (2021) _ Cal.App.5th _ , 2021 WL 567366: The Court of Appeal reversed the trial court’s order granting plaintiff’s petition to confirming an arbitration award. In August of 2017, plaintiffs demanded arbitration pursuant to an arbitration agreement entered in 2012. In the 2012 agreement, the parties agreed not to contest that Judge John P. Shook would arbitrate all issues with binding authority over them. In early 2018, the trial court granted plaintiff’s motion 22

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to compel arbitration. Judge Shook shortly thereafter served on the parties a disclosure report disclosing two matters, both in 2016, in which he had served as an arbitrator. Defendant then timely filed a notice of disqualification of Judge Shook as the arbitrator based on the disclosure report pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 1281.91(b). The arbitrator denied defendant’s disqualification request, and ultimately entered an award in favor of plaintiffs. The Court of Appeal ruled that, despite the 2012 agreement, the arbitrator was a proposed neutral arbitrator for the arbitration under Code of Civil Procedure sections 1281.9 and 1281.91, and under section 1281.91(b)(1). As such, the arbitrator was required to disqualify himself upon defendant’s timely notice of disqualification. The Court of Appeal ruled that the parties could not contract away California’s statutory protections for parties to an arbitration, including mandatory disqualification of a proposed arbitrator upon a timely demand. (C.A. 2nd, February 16, 2021.)

Attorney Fees Guo v. Moorpark Recovery Service, LLC (2021) _ Cal.App.5th _ , 2021 WL 423563: The Court of Appeal reversed the trial court’s order denying judgment creditor’s motion for attorney fees under Code of Civil Procedure section 685.040. The trial court erred in denying attorney fees. The Court of Appeal ruled that, because the judgment indicated that defendants were the prevailing parties under Code of Civil Procedure Section 1032 and were entitled to recover their costs of suit and reasonable attorney fees in the action, even though no dollar amount was stated in the judgment, they were awarded attorney fees under section 685.040, and judgment creditor was entitled to attorney fees incurred in enforcing the judgment. (C.A. 1st, February 8, 2021.)

Pech v. Morgan (2021) _ Cal.App.5th _ , 2021 WL 926562: The Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court’s orders granting plaintiff attorney’s applications for attachment orders regarding unpaid fees and costs totaling over $821,000. In an action to collect unpaid fees based on breach of a valid attorney fee agreement, the terms of the fee agreement determine the amount of recoverable fees. To be enforceable, the fee agreement cannot be unconscionable. And, as with every contract, the attorney’s performance under the fee agreement must be consistent with the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. This requires a court adjudicating a fee dispute to determine, among other things, whether the attorney used reasonable care, skill, and diligence in performing his or her contractual obligations. This standard applies in determining the probable validity of an attorney’s claim for breach of an enforceable fee agreement under the attachment statutes. (See Code of Civil Procedure, section 484.010 et seq). The trial court properly ruled that, in two of the four cases worked on by plaintiff, the parties had entered into valid and enforceable written engagement agreements that complied with Business and Profession Code section 6148’s disclosure requirements.

Regarding the two additional cases without engagement agreements, the trial court properly found defendants impliedly agreed to the specified hourly rates in plaintiff’s other fee agreements based on previous work performed by plaintiff.

The Court of Appeal affirmed the attachment orders because plaintiff had established the probable validity of his claims for breach of the fee agreements. (C.A. 2nd, March 11, 2021.)

Civil Code Ruiz Nunez v. FCA US LLC (2021) _ Cal.App.5th _ , 2021 WL 752644: In a lemon law case alleging violations of the SongBeverly Consumer Warranty Act (Song-Beverly Act; Civil Code, section 1790 et seq.), the Court of Appeal reversed in part and affirmed in part a judgment for plaintiff, following a jury trial, awarding plaintiff damages of $45,378.99, $179,510 in attorney fees, and $31,888.49 in costs. The judgment was reversed because the trial court erred in giving a special jury instruction, requested by plaintiff, and objected to by defendant, stating that if a defect existed within the warranty period the warranty would not expire until the defect had been fixed. This instruction misstated the law and conflicted with another instruction given to the jury, CACI No. 3231, which correctly explains the continuation of warranties during repairs.

The Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court’s order granting defendant’s motion for nonsuit on plaintiff’s cause of action for breach of implied warranty. Defendant was the manufacturer of the car, not a distributor or dealer who sold the used car to plaintiff, and therefore was not liable under the lemon law for breach of implied warranties in the sale of a used car. (C.A. 2nd, February 26, 2021.)

Civil Procedure Crestwood Behavioral Health, Inc. v. Super. Ct. (2021) _ Cal.App.5th _ , 2021 WL 613700: The Court of Appeal denied a writ petition seeking to overturn the trial court’s order denying defendant’s motion to transfer venue from Alameda to Sacramento, where petitioner’s principal place of business was located, in an action filed under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA; Labor Code, section2698 et seq.). Ruling on an issue of first impression, the Court of Appeal denied the petition, concluding that venue was proper in any county in which an aggrieved employee worked, and Labor Code violations allegedly occurred. (C.A. 1st, February 17, 2021.)

Manhan v. Gallagher (2021) _ Cal.App.5th _ , 2021 WL 1152394: The Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court’s order setting aside discovery sanctions of $3,360 that plaintiff had obtained against defendant. Defendant’s motion to set aside the sanctions was filed after plaintiff dismissed the action without prejudice. The trial court properly set aside the discovery sanctions after learning from defendant that plaintiff’s attorneys were representing plaintiff without charging any attorney fees.

The trial court was initially inclined to report the matter to the State Bar of California. But, after the attorneys for plaintiff explained that the fee request in the motion for sanctions was an inadvertent error because the associate handling the case did not know the client was not being charged fees, the trial court decided it need not report the matter to the State Bar. On appeal, plaintiff argued the trial court lost jurisdiction to reconsider the sanctions order after the case was dismissed.

The Court of Appeal ruled that the trial court’s authority to reconsider sanctions survived even after plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the action. (C.A. 1st, March 26, 2021.)

Government Guastello v. AIG Specialty Insurance Company (2021) _ Cal. App.5th _ , 2021 WL 650878: In an action where plaintiff sued an insurance company under Insurance Code section 11580(b)(2) after it had obtained a default judgment against a subcontractor who had built a retaining wall that failed, the Court of Appeal reversed the trial court’s order granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment on the basis that the failure of a retaining wall built by the subcontractor occurred long after the insurance policy had expired, and therefore the insurance company had no duty to cover the default judgment. The insurance policy provided coverage based on the timing of an “occurrence.” Plaintiff alleged that “continuous and progressive” damage began to occur shortly after the subcontractor built the retaining wall during the policy coverage period. The insurance company disagreed.

The Court of Appeal ruled that the determination of when the occurrence took place was a question of fact requiring the denial of the motion for summary judgment. (C.A. 4th, February 19, 2021.) n Attorney Journals San Diego | Volume 213, 2021

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Smart Rainmakers Don’t Only Network at the Bar Association

by Shari Davidson

T

ime is simply something none of us have. Therefore, you need to work smart. The sum total of your efforts must bring in new business. Make sure you are connecting with the right people, who can help you. Constantly assess what is working, and what is not.

Organizations are a great way to build new relationships that can bring in new business. An obvious choice is the Bar Association. “As a legal recruiter, I cringe every time when I hear this. Is that the only place you are networking? Why, you ask? Why would you put yourself in the mix with your peers to slug it out to win new business when you can find more fulfilling and better ways to make it rain?” asks Shari Davidson of On Balance Search Consultants.

How do you choose a group? What is your practice area and who are your clients? Ask yourself where and who you should network with before you join a group.

Follow these steps to ensure you pick the right group:

CLEARLY DEFINE YOUR BUSINESS VALUES A great place to start is your mission statement. Don’t have a business plan? Get one. Clarifying your mission will help you see the natural connection between your organization and a potential new partner.

DETERMINE THE CRITERIA FOR THE POTENTIAL NEW GROUP Consider criteria such as the size of the organization, the age of the organization and the type of group:

Non-Compete Groups Referral groups like BNI and Gotham offer non-compete exclusivity. Being the only lawyer in the group can be advantageous. But don’t just jump in, consider who is in the group first. If the group is a bunch of Mary Kay representatives or landscapers, this may not be a good source of new business for you.

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Professional Groups Consider partnering with other trusted providers such as Attorney Accountant Networking Groups (AANG). These groups, as well as CPA and Insurance firms, Architects, Engineers, and yes, Bar Associations may have sub committees that don’t only have attorneys in them. WE CARE Fund (the nationally recognized charitable arm of the Nassau County Bar Association) may also generate a steady stream of new clients.

Hybrid Groups USA 500 club is a professional networking group of attorneys, CPAs and trusted advisors who sit at the Board table of corporations. Join this group.

Industry Associations What are the new trends in legal work? Get creative. Research associations that match up with your practice area of law.

Consider women’s groups or new burgeoning fields such as cybersecurity. Consider verticals that require your expertise.

Buildouts in construction need attorneys well versed in mapping out the legal commercial legalese for everything from airports, dams, and tunnels. Other verticals to consider are hotels, restaurants, strip malls or sports complexes.

Your competitors are not going to be working these niche industries. Stand out and become the leading authority in these fields of law.

Personal Social Groups Let your interests and passions guide you. Perhaps you are an avid bowler, cyclist, or runner. Do you have a passion for art, history, or horses? These networks may prove to be a major new source of business. Political organizations can be a good place, just remember this can also backfire. Let’s face it, everything is political. Steer clear of politics.

Charitable Organizations Shari Davidson says, “As a member of the American Heart Association Charitable Estates Committee, I routinely

interface with attorneys, CPAs, insurance agents and many other trusted advisors on the council. Groups like this are a great place to align your brand or firm and can be a fulfilling experience leading to forging new friendships and new business.”

There are so many reasons why you should put yourself within a powerful network that has “the resources, tools, and experience to help the professional community … creating an impactful win-win for all,” said Ed Rodbro, Sr. Advisor Charitable Estate Planning for the American Heart Association.

Start building strong relationships and establish yourself as an expert in your field of law. Working with a charity can become a fulfilling way to further the mission of your organization while helping your community.

SELECT AN ORGANIZATION WHOSE VALUES ARE CONSISTENT WITH YOUR OWN Ask yourself, do you like the organization’s board members?

Do you feel comfortable working with them? If an organization makes you feel uneasy, then trust your gut. Move on.

Don’t waste time and money getting to know a group that can’t help you. Look at the metrics, trends, and risk mitigation when assessing where to source new business. There is more to networking than securing the mailing list from the business chamber.

Nurturing relationships takes time, set yourself up for success.

Get to know one or two contacts at an event. Don’t try and get everyone’s business card. Take an interest in who you meet, learn more about what they do, what’s important to them and make sure you remember them. Invariably you’re going to meet up with that person again. Leverage these new relationships.

Keep a small notepad with you or use an app on your smartphone to take notes. Ideas will pop into your head when chatting with a friend or networking at an event. Write it down, that way you won’t forget. You are a resource and expert in your field, you often are asked for your assessment and opinion on an issue. Make a note. You are now well on your way to penning that new article or writing that book you’ve been talking about.

Once you’ve selected the right groups to network with, you’ve got to make the most of your time to bring in the business. n Shari Davidson is the founder of On Balance Search Consultants LLC. & On-Balance Life Centers. On Balance Search Consultants is a boutique search firm that specializes in finding top talent in the legal community. Shari has placed lateral partner attorneys, as well as group acquisitions & law firm mergers. And has assisted her clients in recruiting lateral associates, paralegals, and legal secretarial positions.

Learn more at: www.onbalancesearch.com.

Monty A. McIntyre, Esq. Mediator, Arbitrator & Referee ADR Services, Inc.

To schedule, contact Christopher Schuster: (619) 231-1323 or christopher@adrservices.com

Organized, succinct summaries of EVERY new published California civil and family law case, published every month for $50.00 a month. Subscribe at www.cacasesummaries.com

27

How to Get Prospects to Visit Your Website Without Relying on SEO

by Trey Ryder

With search engines, you face at least two problems: Problem #1: The lawyers who get the first few positions usually get the inquiries. The remaining lawyers are left paying for websites that produce little.

Problem #2: Even if you rank high, your search results are mixed among those of your competitors, so prospects can easily get distracted and miss your site altogether.

Fortunately, you can bring prospects to your website without search engines and without the potential for confusion. Here’s how: STEP #1: Load your website with educational articles that have teaser titles. People are drawn to helpful information written in list form. For example, I use 17 Fatal Marketing Mistakes Lawyers Make, Marketing Secrets of Superstar Lawyers, 11 Brochure Mistakes Lawyers Make, and many more. When you add educational articles, in addition to increasing your relevance in search engine rankings, you create a highly desirable website.

STEP #2: Invite prospects to visit your site where they can read your articles. Offer the articles in every type of communication, including • Classified Ads. Invite prospects to your website through classified ads. Your entire ad could be as simple as this: Discover 17 Fatal Marketing Mistakes Lawyers Make at www.treyryder.com. Or make it more attractive by including two or more titles: Discover How to Build Your Law Practice with Dignity and 11 Brochure Mistakes Lawyers Make at www. treyryder.com.

• Display Ads. If you want more space than a classified ad—or think your prospects may not read

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classifieds—design a small display ad. Make powerful use of black and white graphics to seize your reader’s attention. In addition, include a closely cropped photo of your face with good eye contact and a warm, engaging smile. (Nothing draws a reader’s eyes to your ad faster than your eyes looking back at the reader.) Depending on the size of your ad, you could include titles of many articles. Each title acts like a fishhook in the lake. You can’t be sure which bait will cause your prospect to bite, but all it takes is one good title to motivate him to visit your website.

• Yellow Page Ads. If you still use yellow page ads, offer articles that your prospect can read on your website.

• News Releases to the Media. Write a news release about a key issue in your area of law or the impact of a recent court decision. At the end of the news release, announce that you have published three articles, listing each by title. Then tell the reader he can call your office to receive free copies by mail or visit your website at www.yourdomain.com.

• Newsletters. In every issue, invite prospects to read articles on your website. You might say something like: Yours Free! Discover 15 Business Card Sins Lawyers Commit, Marketing Secrets of Superstar Lawyers, and How to Market Other Practice Areas Within Your Firm—at www.yourdomain.com.

• Seminars. In your seminar materials, include a flyer that lists articles on your website.

• Referral Sources. Send a mailing to your past clients and referral sources alerting them to articles on your website—and inviting them to direct friends and colleagues to your site.

• Referral Cards. Create a referral brochure with a reply card on which you offer various articles. Say that for a faster response, they can read these articles on your website.

• Feature Articles. At the end of every article you submit for publication, include an author’s note that offers your articles, something like this: Trey Ryder specializes in education-based marketing for lawyers. He offers the following three articles at www.treyryder.com: 17 Fatal Marketing Mistakes Lawyers Make, High Pressure vs. Dignity Depends on How You Use the Three Cons, and 19 Secrets That Increase Response to Ads.

In addition to offering articles, you can also use the above methods to invite prospects to your website so they can (1) ask you a question by email, (2) send you facts about their claim for a case evaluation, (3) subscribe to your firm’s newsletter, (4) register for your firm’s seminar, (5) read your latest newsletter, (6) request a consultation with you by phone or in person, (7) read comments from past clients— whatever you think will motivate them to visit your site.

• Email Signatures. Consider offering an article and including its title in the signature to your email. You might include something like: Visit www.yourdomain.com to read 17 Fatal Marketing Mistakes Lawyers Make. Your URL by itself may not motivate a prospect to go to your website. But when you alert him to an important article that discusses one of his current problems, he has a good reason to visit you site.

SUMMARY: Don’t depend only on search engines to bring prospects to your website. Also, don’t depend on your web address alone to motivate prospects to visit.

Instead, make your prospects an irresistible offer— something they can’t refuse—which they’ll discover on your website. Then put the offer in ads, newsletters, and announcements. This will erase the confusion factor from search engines and increase the number of qualified prospects going to your site. n

• Envelope Inserts with Outgoing Mail. Prepare an insert about 1/3 the size of an 8.5" x 11" sheet that announces new articles on your website. Include this in all outgoing correspondence and, on the insert, invite the recipient to pass it along to a friend or colleague.

Trey Ryder specializes in Education-Based Marketing for Lawyers. He designs dignified marketing programs for lawyers and law firms in the United States, Canada, and other English-speaking countries. Trey works from his offices in Payson, Arizona and Juneau, Alaska. To read more of Trey’s articles, visit the Lawyer Marketing Advisor at www.treyryder.com.

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