Callahan & Blaine

An interview with Daniel J. Callahan of Callahan & Blaine has been included in the new book, Critical Mass: The Power of CEO Guiding Principles by Richard Franzi and Doug Gfeller, hosts of the Critical Mass weekly radio show in Orange County.  Here is an excerpt of that interview:

A: One of the principles that I live by is to do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it.  Run your practice with integrity, play hard but play fair, and always be prepared.  If I’m prepared and I live by these simple rules, I also lead by example.  The attorneys that work with me must do the same.  Each of us will hold the others accountable.  Contrary to popular belief, a good excuse is not as good as a good result.

That’s what we’re all about.  We’re about producing results and producing value.  Our firm currently has 25 attorneys.  There are a lot of firms that are larger, but we are all litigators and trial lawyers.  Most large firms’ litigation departments generate much of their business from other departments in the firm.  For example, their M&A department, corporate department, or trust and estate department feed business into the litigation department.  We, on the other hand, are basically a stand-alone litigation department.  We do not have other departments that feed us work.

Adding to the complexity of the business is the fact that lawsuits usually are resolved within two years, and 80% of our clients only have one piece of critical litigation.  Therefore, 80% of our clientele turn over within two years.  Thus, it is important that we nurture and maintain our referral sources on an ongoing basis.  That is where our business comes from.

Q: So in effect, every two years you’re sort of rebuilding your business, your clientele.

A: Exactly.  It is important to produce reliable results and communicate those results to the people that refer you business.  You must work to maintain and build a great reputation so people continue to refer business to you.  I believe that I receive 70% of my business as referrals from other law firms.  The balance of the business comes from referrals from existing clients.  It is important to remember that it takes years to build a solid reputation, but only moments to destroy it.  Vigilance, integrity, and excellent results are the key to our business model.

To listen to the entire interview, click here.

Callahan & Blaine’s business litigation practice reflects the firm’s commitment to client service and outstanding results across a wide range of litigation problems — employment disputes, trade secrets violations, ownership issues, and shareholders’ rights. We’ve been working toward building the ideal civil trial practice since we opened our doors in 1984, and complex business litigation has formed the central core of our work at every step of the way.

With 25 trial lawyers who have concentrated experience in a wide variety of legal disciplines, our law firm offers business litigants an impressive set of credentials and client service values.

Our law firm represents corporate, professional and entrepreneurial clients of all sizes: multi-national, Fortune 500 companies, California-based corporations, medium and small businesses, homeowners associations, and employers and individuals engaged in business. Our ability to integrate outstanding trial skills with sophisticated litigation strategy and resourceful dispute resolution tactics can make the winning difference in your company’s contract, corporate or business tort case.

To learn how you can benefit from the experience and focus of Callahan & Blaine’s business litigation practice, contact us today.