As we mentioned last month, Dylan Ciciliano did a rate survey of business litigators. You can view the results here. What do you think?
Not Vegas, but a lawyer posted nude photos on public docket to humiliate and pressure opponent, judge concludes. [ABA Journal]
It’s time for the annual holiday parties discussion! What is your firm doing this year? Are you doing lunch in the office, dinner on the strip, a cruise, etc? Will there be gifts, door prizes, alcohol? While we’ll get to bonuses later, does your firm do bonuses before or after the holiday party?
When the facts are on your side you hammer the facts, when the law is on your side you hammer the law. When neither is on your side you hammer the nudes.
I run a small firm (me+3 associates, 9 staff). All employees are invited to the Christmas party with their SOs.
We close the office on Friday afternoon so everyone can go home and get ready, top-tier restaurant, booze, high-end gifts, limos to and from the event for everyone with pickup and dropoff to the employee’s home. Most staff (and their SOs) seem to love it; the lawyers (and their SOs) all appear bored by it. It costs me ~$30k to throw the party every year and planning it is a fairly big job.
I’d rather just give them the money; but the staff really look forward to the big night out and they especially love being picked up from their home by a limo. I am afraid the staff would revolt if we changed the formula.
We typically have the party on the first or second Friday in December. Bonuses appear on the 12/15 paycheck.
I would ask the employees and I clearly could be wrong, but I am guessing that the $30k party would be preferred to be divided up between the 12 employees in CASH and added to their bonuses.
That said, your efforts as an employer are evidence that your firm is a great place to work.
OP here. My firm seems to have a higher-than-typical number of friendships among the staff that go outside of just work and work-related events. The 9 staff people have been working at out firm an average of ~10 years, some as many as 18 years.
I don’t socialize with them (or my associates) outside the office; I’m not a snob, it’s just not something that has ever developed. But most of them all seem to be involved with one another outside the office. I’ve wondered about it over the years, but it’s never seemed to affect the in-office workflow.
So the Holiday party is a big deal for them – they talk about it starting in September. I am more toward your thinking – I don’t “loathe” the event, but I have to work at enjoying it.
The associates would rather have the money, I’m pretty sure; but I try to lead them toward making it about the staff, letting them know we appreciate them and have their backs.
If your staff enjoys hanging out together, give them the $2500 apiece and let them take the money and go hang out in Laguna together. That way they get to hang out, you look like you are a hero and you do not have to worry about socializing.
Then your staff is different than mine. My staff would rather have $500 more towards their bonus and an afternoon off than $250 apiece in food and drink for their coupledom. One year we DID give people the choice that we would be having a nice dinner or we would contribute it to their bonus. No one came to the dinner so my spouse and I had a nice private dinner because the staff all wanted the cash. And if you can spend $30k on a party for 26 people (13 staff and their partners), that is over $1000 per head. Ask your staff which they would prefer.
Kurzawa told ethics officials in an April 2022 letter that two of his IOLTA checks bounced because a client had stopped payment on a $1,070 check deposited into the account, according to the amended presentment. Kurzawa quickly supplemented his account to cure the deficiency.
When pressed for more information, Kurzawa allegedly responded in an email: “I was on vacation, landlocked salmon fishing at East Grand Lake in Weston, Maine, three of us caught about 50 fish, all of which went back into the lake alive, except for one dinner, 3 fish 20 to 22 inches long, they were delicious. Egg batter, then breadcrumbs fried in Peanut Oil. Hot Peanut Oil dissolves any soft bones left in the fish after they are filleted. Then lemon juice on the fried fish. You want to die for. Anyway, I was away. I will send you my response to this terrible offense next week.
“I have a real estate closing early next week and my client is going on vacation an[d] I have to have certain documents signed before he leaves. It’s a matter of priorities and you are not one of them at this time. I tell my children all the time (twin daughters and a son) that they are surrounded by idiots. Also, a law school classmate, who was brilliant, use to say that you can teach them to read and teach them to write, but you can’t teach them to THINK.”
Kurzawa made the comment about math in a June 22 letter.
“Sometimes math and I don’t get along,” he wrote. “There was no intent to misappropriate any funds, never did, never will.”
Kurzawa was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1987 and has no public history of discipline.
I am certain the bar considered his statement that it was not one of his priorities his greatest offense. Plus the bar dies not like sarcastic comments such as referring to the overdrafts as “this terrible offense.” The best way to deal with the bar is to be contrite and cooperative. Kurzawa is not properly playing the game.
Anyone who tracks discipline in this state knows that the most mortal of sins is not stealing money or committing crimes; it is failing to sign for the OBC’s certified mail and dignifying them with a response. The statement you can teach them to read and teach them to write, but you can’t teach them to THINK” I took to be a backhanded shot at the bar counsel that they are failing to use their common sense that this is not the end of the world and was easily and promptly rectified and that they were making a mountain out of a molehill.
That’s why he is a hero. No bow and scape for the petty tyrants. Suck it, fascists. Remember, this is the same state bar that happily persecuted Alex Jones’s defense attorneys. Corrupt hacks unworthy of respect. I am having salmon tonight in this great man’s honor.
That bar sounds SUPER CORRUPT for happily persecuting [sic] Jones’ attorneys for flagrantly violating a protective order and disclosing private health information of the plaintiffs.
To be fair, this verdict had nothing to do with Giuliani’s political stance. It had everything to do with his allegedly defamatory comments that have put private citizens in fear for their lives.
Guest
Anonymous
December 16, 2023 12:42 pm
Holy Buckets have our Appellate Courts absolutely made an unholy mess on the law of res judicata in the last year. Compare the decision in No. 84908-COA (published) with No. 81604 (unpublished) with No. 84781 (unpublished). What is preclusive and what is not preclusive any longer?
When the facts are on your side you hammer the facts, when the law is on your side you hammer the law. When neither is on your side you hammer the nudes.
Shoot. $1,000 sanction?
Not exactly a deterrent.
For a grand I’d do it again right away 🙂
I run a small firm (me+3 associates, 9 staff). All employees are invited to the Christmas party with their SOs.
We close the office on Friday afternoon so everyone can go home and get ready, top-tier restaurant, booze, high-end gifts, limos to and from the event for everyone with pickup and dropoff to the employee’s home. Most staff (and their SOs) seem to love it; the lawyers (and their SOs) all appear bored by it. It costs me ~$30k to throw the party every year and planning it is a fairly big job.
I’d rather just give them the money; but the staff really look forward to the big night out and they especially love being picked up from their home by a limo. I am afraid the staff would revolt if we changed the formula.
We typically have the party on the first or second Friday in December. Bonuses appear on the 12/15 paycheck.
I would ask the employees and I clearly could be wrong, but I am guessing that the $30k party would be preferred to be divided up between the 12 employees in CASH and added to their bonuses.
That said, your efforts as an employer are evidence that your firm is a great place to work.
You sound like a great employer but I bet all of your employees would prefer an extra $2500.00 for Christmas in lieu of the limo.
As a staff member who loathes and skips these events, agreed, poll the team, you might be surprised.
OP here. My firm seems to have a higher-than-typical number of friendships among the staff that go outside of just work and work-related events. The 9 staff people have been working at out firm an average of ~10 years, some as many as 18 years.
I don’t socialize with them (or my associates) outside the office; I’m not a snob, it’s just not something that has ever developed. But most of them all seem to be involved with one another outside the office. I’ve wondered about it over the years, but it’s never seemed to affect the in-office workflow.
So the Holiday party is a big deal for them – they talk about it starting in September. I am more toward your thinking – I don’t “loathe” the event, but I have to work at enjoying it.
The associates would rather have the money, I’m pretty sure; but I try to lead them toward making it about the staff, letting them know we appreciate them and have their backs.
If your staff enjoys hanging out together, give them the $2500 apiece and let them take the money and go hang out in Laguna together. That way they get to hang out, you look like you are a hero and you do not have to worry about socializing.
842 here
Nah bro. Do you. It clearly is working. If it aint broke. . . .
Then your staff is different than mine. My staff would rather have $500 more towards their bonus and an afternoon off than $250 apiece in food and drink for their coupledom. One year we DID give people the choice that we would be having a nice dinner or we would contribute it to their bonus. No one came to the dinner so my spouse and I had a nice private dinner because the staff all wanted the cash. And if you can spend $30k on a party for 26 people (13 staff and their partners), that is over $1000 per head. Ask your staff which they would prefer.
Split the 30k evenly between the 9 staff members and they won’t care about a limo. Add that to their bonus not in lieu of their bonus
We just do a lunch out and a christmas card with a christmas bonus. No need to be more complicated than that imo.
I nominate this fine gentleman as President of the State Bar. What a great man.
https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/gone-fishing-lawyer-allegedly-told-ethics-investigators-he-is-too-busy-eating-his-delicious-catch-to-respond-to-inquiries
Kurzawa told ethics officials in an April 2022 letter that two of his IOLTA checks bounced because a client had stopped payment on a $1,070 check deposited into the account, according to the amended presentment. Kurzawa quickly supplemented his account to cure the deficiency.
When pressed for more information, Kurzawa allegedly responded in an email: “I was on vacation, landlocked salmon fishing at East Grand Lake in Weston, Maine, three of us caught about 50 fish, all of which went back into the lake alive, except for one dinner, 3 fish 20 to 22 inches long, they were delicious. Egg batter, then breadcrumbs fried in Peanut Oil. Hot Peanut Oil dissolves any soft bones left in the fish after they are filleted. Then lemon juice on the fried fish. You want to die for. Anyway, I was away. I will send you my response to this terrible offense next week.
“I have a real estate closing early next week and my client is going on vacation an[d] I have to have certain documents signed before he leaves. It’s a matter of priorities and you are not one of them at this time. I tell my children all the time (twin daughters and a son) that they are surrounded by idiots. Also, a law school classmate, who was brilliant, use to say that you can teach them to read and teach them to write, but you can’t teach them to THINK.”
Kurzawa made the comment about math in a June 22 letter.
“Sometimes math and I don’t get along,” he wrote. “There was no intent to misappropriate any funds, never did, never will.”
Kurzawa was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1987 and has no public history of discipline.
I am certain the bar considered his statement that it was not one of his priorities his greatest offense. Plus the bar dies not like sarcastic comments such as referring to the overdrafts as “this terrible offense.” The best way to deal with the bar is to be contrite and cooperative. Kurzawa is not properly playing the game.
Anyone who tracks discipline in this state knows that the most mortal of sins is not stealing money or committing crimes; it is failing to sign for the OBC’s certified mail and dignifying them with a response. The statement you can teach them to read and teach them to write, but you can’t teach them to THINK” I took to be a backhanded shot at the bar counsel that they are failing to use their common sense that this is not the end of the world and was easily and promptly rectified and that they were making a mountain out of a molehill.
That’s why he is a hero. No bow and scape for the petty tyrants. Suck it, fascists. Remember, this is the same state bar that happily persecuted Alex Jones’s defense attorneys. Corrupt hacks unworthy of respect. I am having salmon tonight in this great man’s honor.
What did they prosecute Jones’ defense attorneys for?
https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2023-01-06/alex-jones-attorney-suspended-for-misconduct-in-sandy-hook-records-dump
That bar sounds SUPER CORRUPT for happily persecuting [sic] Jones’ attorneys for flagrantly violating a protective order and disclosing private health information of the plaintiffs.
Petty tyrants lol @ 2:39. lmao even.
Yeah 6 months for disseminating highly confidential records seems pretty fair (and I am not an SBN fan).
Thank you for the data, Dylan. I consider hourly billing to be an 18th century relic but it is what it is, and I need to bill more in 2024.
It seems the billable hour really became a thing in the 1960s
https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/strategist/brief-history-of-the-billable-hour/#:~:text=The%20billable%20hour%20became%20the,time%20spent%20on%20a%20case.
Interesting! I look at the billable hour model as a form of cost plus contracting.
Jury Awards Election Poll Workers $148M against Giuliani
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/rudy-giuliani-defamation-trial-verdict/index.html
Nobody GAF
Hi, I GAF
I think people care about huge verdicts in newsworthy cases.
Or we care about traitors being held accountable idk
To be fair, this verdict had nothing to do with Giuliani’s political stance. It had everything to do with his allegedly defamatory comments that have put private citizens in fear for their lives.
Holy Buckets have our Appellate Courts absolutely made an unholy mess on the law of res judicata in the last year. Compare the decision in No. 84908-COA (published) with No. 81604 (unpublished) with No. 84781 (unpublished). What is preclusive and what is not preclusive any longer?