Corporate Vision February 2017

20 CORPORATE VISION / February 2017 , The Long Arm of the Law Drexel Bradshaw is Managing Partner at Bradshaw and Associates. He shares with us his secrets to success, what motivates him, and several of his ‘Drexelisms’! Bradshaw and Associates P.C. is a boutique litigation firm that focuses primarily on business and real estate law. Over the years the company has grown with the Bay Area, which is both the technology centre of the world, and has some of the most sought after real estate in the country. As the Managing Partner, Drexel oversees four associates. Robert Crownover Esq. focuses on intellectual property and patent law and Drexel also tries patent cases with Robert, a practice area which they have grown over the last seven years as patents has now become a fertile area for litigation. Drexel’s associate Thomas O’Brien Esq. focuses on real estate, business and employment law. He and Drexel work together on some of our biggest cases, and Drexel states that he often relies on Thomas for his insights and litigation strategy execution. Elsa Berry was educated in Paris and brings an international perspective to the firm, as well as core expertise in tax law. She is also well-versed in IP litigation, business and real estate law, trusts and estates, employment law, and has served as General Counsel for technology start-ups. “My associates are great legal talents, and through our collective creativity and acumen, 100% of our trials were victorious in 2016,” enthuses Drexel. “In addition to damages (when we are plaintiff or getting a dismissal when we represent the defendant) our clients received an additional award of attorney’s fees with the 2016 average of $429,500 to our clients!” Drexel provides his clients with aggressive representation in all of the firm’s litigation practice areas. He has extensive trial experience, having successfully tried a large number of cases to both the bench and juries. In addition, Drexel has proven himself a skilful negotiator, helping clients to avoid trial and further litigation when appropriate. A graduate of St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami Drexel led the Trial Advocacy team to several victories. He volunteered to be a Guardian ad Litem, an advocate protecting the best interests of abused and neglected children in court proceedings. Prior to law school, Drexel gained valuable business experience in the areas of corporate transactions, real estate, and securities, and received his undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida with a B.A in Political Science. “I came to the law with experience in business,” he states. “Before going to law school, I worked in securities, sales, and even broadcasting. To pay my way through law school, I did voiceovers for a defence contractor. In fact, if you want to know anything about the hydraulic system of the F- 14, a US military jet, I’m your man!” “In building a practice, I have basically followed what I love to do which stems from my pre-law school experiences, and when I’ve identified growth areas here in San Francisco. I’ve been fortunate to recruit attorneys and staff with stellar skills. “We don’t shy away from challenging litigation, which has been my style since I passed the bar. Fresh out of law school I brought my first case against the San Francisco Unified School District, so in effect I was suing an entire building of lawyers who worked for the city and county of San Francisco. “Fearlessness is our mark and trade.” One of the toughest aspects of the law sector is maintaining neutrality, confidentiality and, above all, fairness in cases. Drexel’s strong ethics play a huge part as he tells us how he maintains these three key attributes. “We represent both plaintiffs and defendants, but are very selective about who we represent, taking only 3.4% of the cases that were brought to us last year. I listen for the truth of a case, and if the client does not have a meritorious position, I will pass. I adhere closely to the Canons of Ethics, which asks lawyers to advance cases on their merits. “As far as confidentiality goes, I am a professional secret keeper. I never talk about my work. I have several friends who are clients, and when we get together with our spouses, they will frequently ask, “Did Drexel tell you what happened last week in our case?” They are often incredulous when she responds “He never talks about his cases with me.” This has always been my mode of operation. “As for fairness, I don’t make a habit of asking for things I don’t deserve, or which my clients don’t deserve. Credibility matters. This goes back to my unwillingness to take cases that fail my merits test. However, if I sign on to be your advocate, and the facts are supported by the case documents, I will ask for the moon and the stars, and do my best to get them. This seems to be working.” Client satisfaction is key in ensuring success of a firm and Drexel’s attention to detail ensures his business is second-to-none when it comes to his customers. “One of the privileges of running my own firm is that I have my hands in everything. I read everything that comes in and goes out the door, and I make sure it’s consistent with our plan. If a client calls without notice, I will know the latest on their case, and that’s true for every case we handle. My name is on the door, so my neck is on the block. “If one of my associates is trying a case, I don’t charge for my time spent in a supervisory role. Last year we calculated that our ratio of billing to actual hours of work went as low as 42% for some clients, and up to 58% for others. That is quite unusual for a law practice, where most attorneys bill their clients for every minute spent on their case. As I tell our clients, when you hire an attorney at Bradshaw and Associates P.C. you get two attorneys for the price of one - they like that. It boosts our client satisfaction, as does our high rates of favourable verdicts and large awards. “That being said, if I am given the opportunity to recover attorney fees on a case I am merciless. After a recent trial victory, I submitted a demand for reimbursed fees and my client got nearly every dollar they had spent. Let’s not forget: my client did not sue anyone; she was sued. Bringing a weak, ill- advised case against my clients has consequences.” The firm’s huge success is due, in part, to Drexel’s approach to ensuring innovation in its products and services. “Bradshaw and Associates is a tightly run ship. A benefit of running a small firm is that we have a coherent mission, and I make sure that everything we produce, as a firm, is consistent with our goals. “The secret sauce to our firm’s success is unrelenting effort. We have mottos around here known as “Drexelisms.”, quotes which help remind all of us of the principles we live by. Perhaps the best known is: ‘There may be lawyers with better facts, there may be lawyers who are smarter, but there must never be a lawyer who outworks you.’ “Another Drexelism is: ‘I don’t care if it’s King, Country, or newly- minted billion-dollar tech company, if you’re infringing my clients’ rights, I’m your worst nightmare.’ “When we get to court, I take off the gloves and all of the hard work shows. We specialise in no-holds- barred litigation.” 1701CV85

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