Super Lawyers - Southwest 2013

WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE
YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? AS TOLD TO LAUREN PECK

Your reputation is
everything.

Judges, clients, colleagues and opposing counsel should all be able to rely on your reputation for hard work, zealous representation, integrity and ethical practice. This means that if you promise something, deliver it. If you agree to something, stand by your word. If you make an error, own up to it and fix it immediately. All attorneys win some cases and lose others, but the great attorneys ensure that their clients get the best representation without sacrificing the important values that make for an excellent reputation.

SARA SANCHEZ / SHAREHOLDER/DIRECTOR, STELZNER, WINTER, WARBURTON, FLORES, SANCHEZ & DAWES; ALBUQUERQUE; CRIMINAL DEFENSE

Foster productive
and trusting client
relationships.

A mentor taught me that, despite the amount of billable time a particular project or pleading took, once complete, I should put myself in the client’s position and ask myself whether the incurred billable time was fair. With that additional perspective, I make the appropriate adjustment of time, and I identify that adjustment in the client’s invoice. With this practice, I have found that clients are more willing to pay their bills, confide in me and rely on my counsel as we work toward a resolution of their legal issues.

ADAM DECKER / CO-FOUNDER, FINTER
DECKER; MESA; REAL ESTATE
Protect your
reputation, rise
above the fray and
always keep your
integrity intact.

I have been fortunate enough to have skilled and talented mentors to guide me not only in developing my practice and skills as an attorney, but who have also taught me the value of my reputation and integrity in the legal community and the community at large. While it is one thing to zealously advocate for your client, it is another to uphold your professional and personal integrity. This will better serve your client, the bar and the legal system as a whole. It is a sterling reputation that builds respect, relationships and a solid and illustrious practice.