How it works
How a case moves, from the first call
Lawsuits are slow. Here is what happens at each stage, and what I’ll need from you.
- 01
Step 1: A call and the documents
We talk for half an hour about who’s involved and what happened. I check for conflicts, then ask for the contract, the policy or the agreement, and the messages around it.
- 02
Step 2: A written read
Once I’ve read the file, I send a short letter: the claims and defenses I see, the deadlines that apply, a rough cost to each stage and what I’d do first.
- 03
Step 3: Engagement
If you hire me, we sign a letter that sets out the fee, how costs are paid and what’s included. Nothing starts before that.
- 04
Step 4: Pleadings and early motions
The complaint or the answer, and any early motion that could end or narrow the case. This is where weak claims are often thrown out.
- 05
Step 5: Discovery
Both sides exchange documents and take depositions. It’s the longest and most expensive stage, and I keep it as narrow as the case allows.
- 06
Step 6: Mediation or trial
Most business cases settle, often at a mediation. If yours doesn’t, I try it, before a judge, a jury or an arbitrator.
What I ask of you
Keep every document and message about the dispute, and tell me about new ones as they turn up. Answer the other side only through me. And tell me early if the business changes: a sale, a new partner, a cash squeeze. Each can change what a good outcome looks like.
In return, you’ll hear from me after anything happens in the case, and you’ll see every filing before it goes out.
When you’re ready to start
Bring the names of everyone involved, so I can check for conflicts before we talk.