Referring Lawyers
Many of our clients come to us from other lawyers.
We are usually brought in on the files that are complex, expensive to work up, or headed for trial — where the investigation is the case, where the defense is dug in, or where the coverage looks capped and everyone has stopped looking for money.
We Fee-Share With Every Lawyer Who Refers Us a Case
Our position on referral fees is simple. You introduced us to the client, so you share in the fee.
Fee divisions are made in accordance with Rule 1.5(e) of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct: the division is either proportionate to the services each lawyer performs, or, by written agreement with the client, each lawyer assumes joint responsibility for the representation. The client is advised of the arrangement and does not object, and the total fee has to be reasonable.
We put the agreement in writing before any work begins. There is nothing left to negotiate at the end of the case.
At What Stage Should You Bring Us In
Most referring lawyers want us on the case from the start — leading the investigation, retaining the experts, filing the pleadings, running discovery, and trying it if it comes to that.
Others prefer to stay involved and work alongside us through settlement or through the close of trial. That is entirely up to you, and we are glad to have referring counsel participate in whatever capacity you choose.
We would rather come in early, when we can shape the case from the beginning. But we have entered files as trial counsel a few weeks out from a trial date, and we have been brought in for the limited purpose of attending mediation to drive the number, with the understanding that we take over as lead counsel if the case does not resolve there. If you are holding a case you are not sure about, the conversation costs you nothing.
Why Lawyers Send Us Their Cases
It comes down to two things that have nothing to do with the fee: trust and reputation.
Every time you refer a case, you put your own reputation on the line with that client. So here is what you can count on. If a case should settle, we will settle it. If a case should be tried, we will try it. And your client will hear from us regularly and will know exactly where their case stands at every stage of it.
Our team includes former criminal prosecutors, and it shows in how these files get worked up — animal control and ordinance records, prior complaints, medical and veterinary records, scene investigation, neighborhood witnesses, and video.
Two examples of what that looks like in practice.
A landscaper working at a customer’s home was attacked and bitten. The insurer offered $6,000. A jury awarded $100,000.
In another matter, we tried a case to verdict alongside referring counsel and obtained punitive damages after proving the owners knew exactly what their animal was capable of and did nothing about it. The Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed the verdict.
And in a case where everyone assumed the policy was the ceiling: the carrier paid its $300,000 limits, and after the close of discovery the defendants paid a further $200,000 out of their own pockets. Total recovery, $500,000.
What Happens When You Make the Introduction
- We Move Immediately. Unless you tell us to hold off, we contact the client the same day. Cases are not lost because we were slow to pick up the phone.
- We Pay 100% of the Case Costs. Experts, medical testimony, investigators, records, filing and litigation expenses — all of it. You will never be asked to fund a file.
- We Do the Work. Stay in as much or as little as you want. Depositions, mediation, trial — or hand it off and step back. We fee-share either way.
- You Get Paid the Day We Do. As soon as the client signs the disbursement statement, the checks go out together: one to the client, one to our firm, one to you.
- You Stay Informed. From the introduction through resolution, you will know where the case is without having to chase us for it.
The Cases We Handle
Dog attacks and dog knockdowns are the largest part of our practice, and that work takes us across Georgia. We also handle premises liability in its several forms — static defects, slip and fall, and negligent security — along with car and commercial vehicle collisions, motorcycle and pedestrian cases, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death, concentrated in metro Atlanta.
If a case is outside what we do, you will hear that from us within a day rather than waiting on an answer.
Recent Results
Every case is different, and past results do not predict the outcome of any other case.
- $2,000,000 — commercial vehicle collision
- $700,000 — dog attack; wounds became infected and required extensive medical care
- $575,000 — commercial vehicle wreck
- $500,000 — dog attack; policy limits plus $200,000 paid by the defendants personally
- $500,000 — rear-end collision, settled pre-trial
- $450,000 — car wreck
- $410,000 — dog bite
- $400,000 — premises liability fall
- $300,000 — child bitten in the face at a classmate’s home
Let’s Talk About Your Case
If you are a lawyer with a case you would rather not carry alone, call 404-653-0023. We will look at it the same day and give you a straight answer on whether we want it and what we think it is worth.
Atlanta: 5180 Roswell Rd, Suite 102, Atlanta, GA 30342
Suwanee: 3449 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd, Suite C, Suwanee, GA 30024
