Recently, a stir was created on Twitter when a user under the handle @financeguy725 posted his advice on hiring “good” attorneys. Since then, this thread has received significant attention in the legal community, with users finding the finance guy’s thoughts either amusingly misguided or dangerously mistaken.
The original thread begins with the user sharing a story of how he fired one of his attorneys over lunch, boasting about his process for finding lawyers who “don’t suck.”
When a client-attorney relationship is primarily with a partner, the thread gets this aspect technically correct; it is required that the partner, and not a random third party, should end this relationship. However, the thread soon departs from sound advice, advocating for questionable and, in some instances, comedic methods for hiring legal representation.
In a series of following tweets, @financeguy725 confoundingly advocates for using Google Maps to find law firms close to you and vehemently advises against hiring higher-end legal talent from Biglaw firms, arguing for smaller local firms instead. However, the rationale here misses a crucial point. If the complexity and scope of a case demand the resources of a Biglaw firm, using a smaller local firm may not be a wise decision. In fact, even Biglaw firms hire local counsel when the matter is outside their home territory.
The thread took a stranger turn when @financeguy725 suggested trusting the views of judges and clerks over that of litigators when it comes to assessing attorney competence. This is problematic as litigators, who are involved in legal battles every day, often have the clearest understanding of the skills and competence of their fellow professionals.
It should be noted, however, that @financeguy725 did provide decent advice about consulting multiple attorneys before settling on one, indicating the importance of comparison shopping.
However, the thread soon devolved into outright bad advice, suggesting that lawyers cave when they dislike opposing counsel. This assertion is a false match to the reality of the legal practice where unpleasant counsel oftentimes hardens the resolve of the opposing side. This advice seems to correlate more with the brash “streetfighter” archetype as opposed to an effective attorney.
In conclusion, the thread provides a mix of good, unsubstantial, and misguided advice for those looking to hire legal representation. It serves as a reminder for potential clients to rely on more dependable resources and professional opinions when searching for an attorney – because good comedy does not always translate into good counsel.
For a more in-depth analysis of the @financeguy725’s advice, please refer to the original article at Above the Law.