TCPAWORLD AFTERDARK: proud “tcpa daddy”… and how to build a TEAM and a FIRM

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Well today was a pretty special day I would say.

Our team had an absolutely incredible win today-and most of those we saved don’t even know what we did for them. And that’s ok. this is about winning for people who deserve it, not for the recognition or the fame. Although I get plenty of that too.

But in seriousness the CMS decision to back off the proposed TPMO rules was just a massive massive win. One of the biggest of my career. We helped save thousands upon thousands of jobs today and I feel really really proud of that.

BOOM!!!!: R.E.A.C.H. Advocacy Finds its Mark as New CMS Rule Omits TPMO Requirements!– At Least For Now

Yet, remarkably, that is not even the thing I am most proud of today.

Oddly the thing I am MOST proud of if that I actually lost a client today to my soon-to-be-partner Queenie.

Let me explain.

A client emailed in today telling Puja that they would like her to take over as their lead counsel over the Czar. The client stated that they loved Puja’s “brain and her style” and that she was just the sort of counsel they wanted to serve as their lead counsel.

And I just can’t stop smiling about it.

So why am I so overjoyed at this email?

Coupe of reasons.

First, and most obviously, because I have been Puja’s mentor since she first began working for me five years ago. The fact that she has matured and developed so far to be able to gain so much client TRUST and RESPECT makes me so proud and really shows the investment that we (she and I) have put into her development is truly truly paying off.

Second, and less obviously, this shows that the Troutman Firm (soon Troutman Amin, LLP) mantra of client-first lawyering is also truly paying off.

People are not just coming here–or staying here– for the Czar anymore. We have true bench strength. Heck, we don’t even have a bench. All of our players are absolute monsters right up there with the Czar. And I LOVE that I breathed this ultra-powerful super team into existence. And I love that clients feel free to pick and choose which of this GREAT (and growing) lineup best fits their needs. Super cool.

Third, and  most importantly, I love how our response to this email differentiates us and really displays our BEST qualities as a law firm.

At some firms an email like this would spark a massive feud. Partners would be at each other’s throats. There would be blood on the carpets a partners vied for “credit” for the client. The managing partner of the practice group–or even the firm–would have to step in. There would be meetings and discussions and hose trading over who “owns” what portion of the client, etc. etc. etc.

Finally, after weeks of grappling the firm–not the partners–would respond with some email of negotiated language setting forth the new arrangements.

Ridiculous.

Here at Troutman Amin, LLP if a client wants a different lawyers as lead counsel we say “cool.” We are all working toward the same goal–keeping every client as happy as possible, every day.

You want one of these but you can’t have one… yet.

We know we don’t “own” our clients. People come to Troutman Amin, LLP for the uniquely positive experience. The prompt attention. The actionable advice. The killer results–which are never guaranteed but always seem to materialize. And for the FUN of working with really extraordinarily interesting and talented counsel who speak plain English–well, except for the Dame who speaks Cajun.

In short, they come to experience the byproducts of the culture we have carefully created here–one where every member of the team gives their personal and genuine best for every client every day.

This is distinctly NOT how big law operates. In a big law environment everyone is watching out for their own “book.” Partners watch out for themselves and fight for resources with other partners–competing and even damaging clients being served by partners with less seniority or clout. Associates are tugged and pulled and all anyone cares about is the revenue and profit being generated on “their” initials. It is a dreadful system.

At Troutman Amin, LLP it is not like that AT ALL. No one is paid based on book. Totally irrelevant to compensation–and that is by design. When partners compete over client revenue that is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS going to result in a conflict of interest between the firm and its clients. Always.

Yet that is the way 99% of firms work.

Not here. Here all we do is focus on winning. And when one of us delivers such outstanding results that the client chooses to work primarily with that person that just shows how STRONG the TEAM is.

And that, ultimately, is what a law firm SHOULD be. A team.

A team pushing and striving and laying it all out for the clients and for each other every day to WIN–not competing with each other over territory and money. Gross.

Here’s a quick video of me explaining the mindset:

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When you get to this level of team and culture, you become an unstoppable force in the marketplace, and an unstoppable force at every level of advocacy.

Capable, even, of doing the unthinkable and saving an entire industry as part of a day’s work. Amazing. Simply amazing.

But I don’t do these remarkable things myself. I do them through the help of a TRULY DEDICATED, LOYAL AND HARD-WORKING TEAM.

And that is what I am most most proud of today.

Well, that and someone called me “TCPA daddy” today and I died.

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Published by Eric J. Troutman

The Czar of TCPAWorld Eric Troutman is one of the country’s prominent class action defense lawyers and is nationally recognized in Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) litigation and compliance. He has served as lead defense counsel in more than 70 national TCPA class actions and has litigated nearly a thousand individual TCPA cases in his role as national strategic litigation counsel for major banks and finance companies. He also helps industry participants build TCPA-compliant processes, policies, and systems. Eric has built a national litigation practice based upon deep experience, rigorous analysis and extraordinary responsiveness. Eric and his team feel equally at home litigating multibillion dollar telecommunications class actions in federal court as they do developing and executing national litigation strategies for institutions facing an onslaught of individual TCPA matters. They thrive in each of these roles – delivering consistently excellent results – while never losing sight of the client experience. While many firms now tout TCPA expertise, Eric has been there from the beginning. He built one of the country’s first TCPA-only defense teams and began serving as national TCPA counsel for his clients nearly a decade ago. This perspective allows him to swiftly develop the right litigation strategies for dealing with recurring problems, without wasting time on tactics that are bound to fail. Eric’s rich historical perspective and encyclopedic knowledge of the TCPA landscape also make him an invaluable resource to institutional compliance teams struggling to comply with the shifting regulatory landscape. No task is too small – or too big. Indeed, Eric and his team have helped build TCPA-compliant systems and processes for some of the largest and most complex corporate entities in the country. He commonly works with in-house compliance counsel to build and implement enterprise and business-line specific TCPA solutions, performs TCPA audits and drafts and reviews proposed TCPA policies and procedures. He and his team also have the technical expertise necessary to assist call centers seeking to develop TCPA-resistant call path architecture or to modify existing telephony and software integration to better insulate from potential TCPA exposure. Eric has built a reputation for thought leadership. An avid blogger and speaker, he has been at the forefront of the industry’s effort to push for clarity and a return to sanity for the TCPA for years. He was selected to advocate for the financial services industry on important TCPA issues before the Federal Communications Commission and co-authored the nation’s only comprehensive practice guide on TCPA defense. In his spare time, Eric leads defense teams representing banks and other financial services companies in consumer finance litigation matters. He has experience representing clients in UCC, TILA, RESPA FCRA, CCRA, CLRA, FDCPA, RFDCPA and FCCPA claims, as well as in fraud and bank operations issues.

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