COVER STORY

Attorney Christopher Grant of Boynton and Waldron says there’s a misconception by the public about frivolous lawsuits.

If you weren’t competitive, you wouldn’t have gone into the law in the first place.

A sharp edge is needed, from landing that first position, to winning over a jury, to keeping current as a veteran professional.

Competition is now arriving from out-of-state, according to Hampton attorney Robert Casassa. The state Supreme Court recently relaxed admission into the New Hampshire Bar.

In the recent past, he said, attorneys wanting to practice in this state needed to pass the same exam as the student graduating from law school.

“You had to follow the New Hampshire requirements to become admitted,” Casassa said. “New Hampshire was very strict in not allowing people to practice from other states.”

Other states waive the exam criteria for a veteran practicing attorney from out of state. Now New Hampshire has done the same.

The result has been the regionalization of larger firms in Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island, opening branch firms in the state. This has taken place more in Manchester than in the Seacoast, but some branches in Portsmouth are integrated with larger firms.

“Nationally it’s a trend as well,” Casassa said.

The single law firm in single geographic location has become the mom and pop store of law offices.

“The other trend is towards specialization,” he said. “We wouldn’t have found it 25 years ago. From a business side, it’s driving firms to spread out looking for business in other business areas.”

His firm, Casassa & Ryan, is general practice, handling domestic, real estate, business, estate planning, land use, zoning and planning, and schools.

The Internet has changed the law as it has other fields, Casassa said. Expansive and expensive law libraries used to be needed for research. Now the information is available over a computer.

“It used to be only certain law firms in the state would have significant libraries. Each county would have a law library, not equal to what these firms have.”

Technology, he said, “has leveled the field a bit from that standpoint. It also puts demands on us to be more current.”

The state Supreme Court used to mail updates every two weeks or so. Now they’re sent out by e-mail.

“Now before I go to court, I have to make sure nothing got released yesterday afternoon,” Casassa said. “You have to carve out time to do that. Some of the larger places used to have librarians, now they have IT to do that.”

Clients and others too, expect instant response, not a letter in the mail, or else it’s, he said, “Hey, I e-mailed you last night, where’s the answer?”

Getting, retaining staff

Getting someone reliable to administer paperwork has always been important.

“A good legal secretary is worth at least two out-of-school associates,” said Dan Hoefle of Hoefle, Phoenix & Gormley in Portsmouth.

Hoefle and Tim Phoenix are both Portsmouth High School graduates. In the last two decades, Hoefle has watched a tremendous influx of people moving into the Seacoast.

The cost of housing has made it harder for secretaries not only to live in Portsmouth, but to work in the city, he said.

“It’s really hard for people to live here and work here, on a secretarial level,” he said. “They come across the bridge (from Maine), coming down as far as Milton. With the gas price jump a few months ago, some firms lost people.”

In the hiring of attorneys, “there’s more attorneys than positions out there,” said David Goodwin, office administrator for Boynton, Waldron, Doleac, Woodman & Scott PA.

Some firms bring in three or four new attorneys when they need only one, to see who is the best fit, he said. His firm does not believe in the practice.

There’s 11 attorneys and low turnover, due to good compensation, benefits and finding the right fit of the individual.

“You put a lot of work in the hiring process,” Goodwin said.

The new lawyer may be paying back large student loans. Goodwin tells them, “In the next few years, we’ll put more money into you than you did into your education. They come in and know nothing about the business.”

The Portsmouth firm handles domestic law, wills, personal injury, all issues other than criminal law.

In return, lawyers should be willing to serve in the community, said Goodwin.

“In a medium-sized firm, it’s a very competitive world obtaining clients,” he said. “We stress it’s important to be involved in the community.”

At their firm, Bill Scott is former Chamber of Commerce president; Charles Doleac is current citizen of the year in Portsmouth; Phil Pettis is heading up the North Church steeple campaign.

The money side of the business

Attorney Hoefle finds business clients have tightened their purse strings.

“Our business clients don’t want to spend the money to litigate,” Hoefle said. “They’re taking much more mediation, arbitration, they want to sit down and hammer out an agreement and move on.”

Another Portsmouth attorney said juries don’t want to award big money.

“There is a misconception in the public of frivolous lawsuits,” said Attorney Christopher Grant of Boynton and Waldron. “You walk in, (the jury) is prejudiced against the case before they even get it. It’s a phenomena that cases are run amok. It’s the opposite in reality, juries are already prejudiced against them before they come in.”

The verdict book at the Rockingham Superior Court reflects lawsuits in injury cases often amount to only the medical bills, according to Grant. There’s nothing for lost wages.

“People going to trial are getting killed,” he said.

Wanting to return to the arena is the competitive nature of the business.

“What’s great about the profession is that every day is different,” said Hoefle. “You’re never bored.”