Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Sidebar: Favorite Opposing Counsel

From time to time, I will be posting Sidebars. Each one will have a short topic and we want to get some discussion going in the comments. Remember, it's anonymous, so you can say whatever you want.

This week, we're going to start off with a positive topic aimed at the litigators in the crowd:

Who is your favorite opposing counsel?

If there is a specific reason, tell us why. Are they pleasant to deal with? Really good work product? Really bad work product (i.e., easy to beat)? Fun to fight with? Dumb and easy to trick? Here's a chance for you to recognize your favorite colleagues

42 comments:

  1. Oooooo. I won't even leave an anonymous comment because this is innocent enough.

    I heart Kemp Jones. Everyone there is extremely nice and their work product is outstanding. You don't get the motion and think, okay, how can I say that this is stupid in a more professional way.

    Hutchison & Steffen also has great work product.

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  2. I disagree - one of the worst opposing counsel I ever encountered was William Coulthard of Kemp Jones. To be fair, he was opposing counsel in one of my first cases out of law school - so my memories of him may be exaggerated. Still, his behavior in this particular case is the example I use when describing to younger attorneys how not to act.

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  3. This question does nothing but set people up to bash each other. It's a bigger waste of time than the stupid brackets that have been going on the past few weeks. This web site has some great stuff, and now it has a bunch of worthless, time-wasting crap that takes away from all the good info on this website.

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  4. I agree with 7:57. This post is just a way to create more tension in a pretty cordial legal community.

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  5. @ 7:57 AM: You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life.

    You don't want to waste time in your day? Then stay the hell off of the internet! I'll bet you're one of those people who grumbles every time you see a comic strip in the newspaper.

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  6. I have a lot of respect for Steve Parsons. Brilliant guy, and very professional.

    Also, I once got my ass handed to me by Leonard Schwartzer. He's pretty good.

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  7. Jan Paul Koch, Bradley Kenny, Tommy Deaver, Paul Raby, Gabe Martinez - all ethical, honest, and collegial. Unfortunately, very few others have those qualities.

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  8. This question will only create negative tension for negative people. In fact, judging from the actually responsive comments, most are saying something positive about opposing counsel.

    I am so tired of reading about that one person whining about this blog. Why don't you go whine on your own blog and stop bothering everyone else? And you're the one who claims this is a free country and everyone should be able to comment freely? Well then, what is your problem with other people blogging freely on issues that plenty of people are interested in, besides you.

    No one is asking you to read this blog. Go bill some more hours.

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  9. I had Gus Flangas and Kim Price from Flangas McMillan as co-counsel on a case. Granted we were on the same team, but both were extremely professional, produced a quality work product every time, and were all-around nice guys. Gus Flangas is outstanding on his feet in Court.

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  10. I usually never post on blogs but must disagree with 10:42 PM. Bill is as cordial and intelligent of an attorney that you will ever find. Plus he's pretty good looking.

    -not an KJC employee

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  11. I agree re: Lenny Schwartzer - great attorney and nice guy.

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  12. Best To Work With Or Litigate Against:
    1. Andy Gordon @ McDonald Carano - reasonable and extremely smart, a challenging opposing counsel to be up against.
    2. Jim Pisanelli @ Brownstein Hyatt - pompous, not sure how much he actually writes, but excellent in the court room. The kind of player you want on your team, and hate playing against.
    3. Oliver Pancheri @ Santoro's - smart, reasonable, and a fun attorney to be up against.
    - In my opinion, the best attorneys to litigate against are the ones that make you really think about every strategic move you make.

    Worst To Litigate Against:
    1. Anyone from John Peter Lee's office - the most frivolous complaints and/or motions I've ever seen, do little more than stomp their feet and yell at hearings, and does any other firm bring a court reporter to an ECC?
    2. Thomas Rondeau - a long-standing reputation as complete asshole to both opposing counsel and their staff, which I can confirm.
    3. Any pro per party - it's harder to litigate against someone who has little to no working legal knowledge, especially when the Courts bend over backwards for them.
    - The worst attorneys are the ones that waste the other side's time and money for no good reason, and attempt to litigate through intimidation over smarts.

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  13. A vote for Frank Flansburg at Marquis & Aurbach. Fantastic attorney who produces excellent work. Always a pleasure being up against him.

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  14. Worst: Ian Christopherson.
    C-R-A-Z-Y
    Best: Lots of good ones. Eric Marhsall, Jeff Galliher, Mark Gentile come to mind.

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  15. How about a poll about which of the attorneys named as good in responses top this question are actually posting their own name?

    I agree with the comment earlier about this being a waste of a question.

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  16. I'm amending by "Good Attorney, Bad Attorney" comment to include - as bad attorneys - each and every self-important whiner who feels the need to let us know how much he/she feels this blog is not meeting their expectations.

    I know it's been said many times before, but the constant bitching and moaning from people who think "the polls are a waste of time," "this blog is going downhill," "I'd rather slide naked through broken glass," blah blah blah is getting really old.

    Here's the deal: If you don't like the topic of the post, shut up. If you don't like the polls, shut up. If you think this website is a big waste of your valuable billing time, shut up and go read something different. At no point has anyone at WWL put a gun to your head and said "read this or you get laid off." If it's all such a waste of your valuable time, don't read the post, definitely don't click again to read through the comments, and by all means don't spend a few more minutes to bitch and moan in a new comment!

    You know what's a waste of MY time? Checking this website, seeing a new comment posted, being interested in what someone else has to say, and finding that it's just another self-obsessed blowhard telling us all that WWL is not what it used to be.

    Please, by all means, start a new blog (post link here: _______________ )so you can show us all how it should be done. I can't wait to be blown away by your amazing insight...

    P.S. For all of you who enjoy reading this blog on a daily (hourly) basis, comment away!!

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  17. @ 2:27 PM

    THANK YOU BEANTOWN!

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  18. Where's the round two intro for Reza Athari vs. Richard Harris?

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  19. I'm as sick of Beantown's rants as I am of these polls.

    (stirs the pot)

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  20. Best attorneys:
    (1) JJ Jackson - always cordial and no dirty sneaky tricks.

    (2) Will Kemp - very courteous and all pleadings were well written. Good strategist.

    (3) Justin Watkins - young but smart and courteous. He's a straight shooter.

    Worst:

    (1) Ian Christopherson - I agree with 1:08 pm he's crazy and makes no sense.

    (2) Matt Vannah - Not a straight shooter. Plays sneaky games.

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  21. Beantown needs a job. Too much time on their hands. Anybody hiring?

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  22. LOL to 3:03. Amen.

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  23. How many of the actual lawyers responding to this poll think the juvenile whiners are law students? Of course they don't care about the actual legal community or anything positive that anyone has to say. Grow up.

    Beantown is absolutely right. If you think you can do it better, make your own site (blogger and wordpress are free and easy) and stop the constant whining.

    Thanks to all of those individuals who responded to the actual question on the post. I was hoping to do future questions about judges and other topics that matter to our legal community, but it seems that skipping over a post is something that is simply too hard.

    And, btw, to the whiners with the attitude about those who contribute to the site, you have no idea how wrong you are or who you are talking about. I have a feeling that we bill more, write better and kick your ass in court.

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  24. @ 2:38

    Here's a guy/girl who gets WWL:

    "(stirs the pot)"

    LOL. One of the main purposes of this blog is to stir the pot and get a chuckle in the process.

    @ 3:03

    You hiring? Is anyone hiring these days? I'm always open to taking a pay raise. What are you offering?

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  25. To: 2:43 PM

    Concerning Matt Vannah; the apple does not fall far from the tree. I hear he has a brother in prison.

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  26. Most fun I ever had while having my ass handed to me: motions against Bill Terry

    Most unapologetic dickhead: Mark Ferrario (I could have used a decoder ring to get through his briefs).

    Attorneys most likely to give me goosebumps while listening to their closing arguments: Ed Kainen and Scott Coffey

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  27. Do you actually think Mark Ferrario writes his briefs?? Really?! Awesome attorney in the courtroom but he hasn't written anything since 1998.

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  28. I concur with Lenard Schwartzer...nice guy even when he beats the crap out of you in BK court.

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  29. What about some of the older attorneys in town such as Sam Lionel, Mitch Cobeaga, Bruce
    Alverson, Walt Cannon, and others. Do they still try cases and|or does anyone have experience with them. Maybe they have just retired.

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  30. Best -

    Jim Bradshaw @ McDonald Carano, an absolute gentleman.
    Mark Dzarnoski @ Gordon & Silver - you may not like his clients, but he's incredibly good.

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  31. Dear Beantown and Elle Woods:

    I made a comment a couple of weeks ago suggesting that the polls are distracting from what this blog once was. Many, of course, disagree with me, but many share my same sentiments. Candidly, many who agree with me express their views by "whining"- a tactic that certainly grates on everyone's nerves. I understand your frustration with the "whiners."

    However, telling faithful readers who offer constructive criticism, whom you have necessarily lumped in with the whiners, to "shup up and go read (or start) other blogs" (I'm paraphrasing) is the surest way to alienate (read: completely piss off) your audience.

    Oh, and, "[W]e bill more, write better and kick your ass in court." Really? Who's being juvinile now?

    I like this blog a lot. It's a fun and interesting medium to find out more about a legal community I have only been a part of for a short time (I went to an out-of-state school). My comment about the polls was my way of trying to preserve everything I liked about WWL. Please take it as such.

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  32. @ 9:33 am

    What would you like to see more of on this blog? And how do you think it's changed--what kind of posts made you continuously read the blog?

    This is an honest request for feedback.

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  33. What makes me read and continue to check in on this blog are the rumors. Some I already knew and some are new to me and I love hearing about the different law firms, mergers, firings, wage cut-backs, hiring, things like that. Then of course the comments that come are hilarious!

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  34. @ LegalEagle:

    9:33 am here.

    I must, sheepishly, agree with 11:27 am. I like the dirt. I like knowing who's paying what, who's hiring, who's firing, who's working their associates like dogs, who's coming up with inane legal theories about flower beds. Stuff like that.

    I guess for a while there I thought the polls were taking over and less of the dirt was being reported. I will say, however, it seems like things are picking up again. I don't know, maybe it was just slow times or something.

    Lest my comments to Beantown and Elle Woods be misinterpreted, I just wanted to make it clear that sometimes a little whining is nothing more than honest feedback from otherwise satisfied WWL groupies. I think you all do a great job. Keep up the good work, and don't take the criticism so personally.

    Again, thanks.

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  35. @11:27 and @12:45

    Comments heard and feedback appreciated. We will be working on another salary/benefits post for the early fall.

    We're hearing that many of the firms are slashing starting salaries, but we don't have confirmations yet. But know we're working on it and will have that info ready to go sometime in Sept.

    As for rumors, we love 'em too. Apparently nobody's acting too outlandish. We were hoping for some bad behavior with all the law students running around law firm halls, but so far no reports.

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  36. I tune in for the fantastic bash sessions on ATMNS!!

    More please!!!

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  37. I tune in for the news. I like the Noel Gage update and I can lie, I like the ATMS bash sessions too

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  38. Legal Eagle:

    The news and rumors are what makes this blog so good. These polls need to go. They detract from the good, juicy news and rumors. The polls should be in a small space in the margin, not in a place where they detract from what it looks like people like to read.

    The small percentage of people bashing the "whiners" are the ones who don't have jobs or who are working for little pay and hate their lives and have nothing better to do than to spend their time reading polls. These brackets are like the NCAA men's basketball tournament, but without the basketball (thus, who cares?).

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  39. I can tolerate the polls because they generated some interesting comments. For example, fascinating scuttlebutt about Adam Kutner's antics as an employer. Polls are a little too prominent/obtrusive though.

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  40. 9:12: I'm not sure how much time Sam Lionel spends actually in the courtroom anymore, but he still practices - takes cases, comes to the office everyday, still sharp, partners seek his advice on the toughest issues. The guy is 90 and he still takes the stairs between floors in the office. The guy is absolutley amazing.

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  41. 2:43....seriously??! Matt Vannah was nominated as your villian?? LOL! I have known him for over 20 yrs and he is hands down one of the nicest, most honest individuals I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I have never once heard him speak ill of another human being or do anything unethical. The guy has morals that would blow yours out of the water.

    AS for comment 4:51 you are pathetic. Since when is it ok to judge an individual by another's actions? I'd love to see how perfect your family is *rolleyes*. Nobody has a perfect family. Why don't you get to know someone before judging them. Go back to high school.

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  42. I have had good dealings, for the most part, with Jim Randall and Kristol Ginapp @ Hutchinson & Steffan, Ken Webster @ Lewis Brisbois, and Doug Cohen and Tracy Difillipo @ Jones Vargas. Cohen & Difillipo actually answered discovery without 500 billion objections that are nonsensical!

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