As a business litigation attorney, I handle a wide array of cases, such as breach of contract, business fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, partnership disputes, corporate dissolutions, etc. Over the course of 28 years, I’ve noticed some things that I believe are essential in the choice and decision to hire a business litigation lawyer.

First, you need a smart and wise lawyer. Wisdom comes with time and experience. While I thought I knew it all when I was younger, I didn’t. Many years of experience in my profession developed the wisdom necessary to litigate more efficiently.

Second, most business lawyers do not have any business education or experience. The typical lawyer studied political science or history in college, went to law school, and then found herself practicing business litigation. Many of those attorneys are excellent. However, I believe those lawyers who have accounting or economics degrees are better choices because they are equipped to handle many aspects of business litigation cases. For example, damages in business cases usually involve dealing with accounting records and lost revenue or profits calculations. Lawyers with college degrees in those areas or, better yet, experience practicing accounting or economics, are far more comfortable dealing with these issues – including cross-examining accounting and economics expert witnesses.

I have an accounting degree and worked as an auditor for one of the world’s largest public accounting firms before attending law school. I can tell you that my education and accounting experience help me every day in one aspect of a case or another. Choose your attorney with great care. The choice you make wlll have a significant impact on your results.