Stewart Tilghman Fox Bianchi & Cain, P.A. was founded in 1984 by a group of attorneys who were more interested in practicing law than in running a law firm. Over 40 years later, that firm remains one of the most respected and renowned plaintiffs’ firms in the country. One of those founders, David Bianchi, was asked to share with Authority Magazine his wisdom from four decades of building his firm without losing sight of their vision of a lean, no-frills trial practice.
“From the day we opened for business, we were determined to only accept a few cases at a time,” David says in the interview about the firm’s approach, “so that we could focus all our time and resources on getting the best outcome for each of our clients as quickly as possible.”
But for David—and any plaintiffs’ lawyer—the outcome isn’t the only thing that matters. “I hate to see people taken advantage of…I feel sorry for good people who are unable to stand up for themselves and right a wrong.” David goes on to describe hearing a eulogy from Sen. Edward Kennedy for Bobby Kennedy’s memorial service as a boy in 1968. He remembers wanting to be remembered the same way Edward Kennedy described Bobby: “as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, and saw war and tried to stop it.” Before he left high school, he’d already decided to pursue law.
When asked about the biggest challenge of his career, David said, “Once I started practicing, the biggest challenge was managing client expectations. Most clients have no idea what the real value of their case is…You need to set their expectations early.” By being straightforward and clear with our clients, they’re better positioned to resolve the case on their terms.
The interview is filled with David’s insights about law, business, work, and legal practice. We recommend our readers take a look; it’s a rare look inside the ideas and principles that led our firm where it is today.
Read the article in full here.