I had worked with some of the largest law firms in America. I had also worked in-house for companies like Overnite (UPS) and XPO Logistics. Carr Allison lawyers serve as national trial counsel for companies like Swift and Roehl. I wanted to be with a firm that represented as many motor carriers and motor carrier insurers as possible yet had a growing presence in the employment and class action practice areas.
As I began to understand the Carr Allison model for representing “Transportation America” it fit with what I was looking for when I hired new lawyers to represent Overnite, Pacer and XPO Logistics. I never wanted cheap, I wanted less expensive. I never wanted a firm with just one lawyer that handled difficult personal injury, employment and transactional matters, I wanted a firm with broad experience in these areas from the younger lawyers to the more senior group.
What I found was a firm that had multiple lawyers that had served as Chair of national law firm networks (USLAW) but had also had a lawyer that was the first Chair of ALFA’s transportation practice group. I found a firm that was heavily involved in DRI, FDCC, and many other national defense networks but was also active in local bar and network groups. I also found a firm with a lot of lawyers who won cases in court and got cases settled early.
Carr Allison represents over half of the motor carriers that are in Transport Topics Top 100. They have a great track record of defending cases to jury verdict but they have developed a national reputation of resolving cases before a complaint is filed. When I was a General Counsel, I seemed to be the one that had to push a case to early resolution. When Carr Allison did my work, I began to realize that they were proposing unique methods to get a case settled before the first deposition was taken.
I had many cases that good lawyers won for me in my many years as a General Counsel. However, I began to realize early on that a win for corporate America is getting a better result early than I could get if I tried the case. Both legal fees and the value of a case get worse over time. Carr Allison lawyers reporting to me demonstrated that they had been taught this early on. That is the kind of team I want to be on.
I also wanted to be on a team that could benefit from my experience in handling the attack, which continues to increase, on the lease-operator business model. I think I know what a motor carrier needs to do to reduce its exposure in this area. Whether it is auditing the motor carrier to avoid being sued or ensuring that the perfect defense team is assembled if suit is filed alleging significant employment/wage & hour/misclassification issues.
I think we will make a good team and am proud to be the leader of Carr Allison’s new Jacksonville, Florida location.
