Oppo PSA: Get a good lawyer

"phenotyp" (phenotyp)
04/02/2019 at 23:15 • Filed to: lawyerlopnik, macross, robotech, advice, Sketch

(Pictured: my lawyer, today, and little me standing there at the corner)

Continuing the Robotech (ALL RIGHT, MACROSS, YOU GET THE POINT) theme from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

My lawyer reviewed my former co-workers’ legal threat, which was based on non-compete clauses and under CA law, and actually laughed and said, “this is bullshit.”

This was before he’d even heard the salient details— the potential clients for my old firm, whom I’d brought to the table and written a proposal for, were never anything but potential clients. No contract, no work, no nothing. It was my relationship from the start, and the client’s choice to contact me after I went back to building my own practice has no bearing on the old firm. Threatening to sue over speculative “damages” for things that never happened won’t get you very far.

Woohoo... being a grownup sucks. Sucks that I have to pay a badass lawyer to tell the old firm to kindly fuck right off, for about a thousand reasons. Sucks that a good relationship with a guy I’d mentored from day 1 of his real career turned into this. So, for real— especially if you’re building your own business— get some recommendations. Meet a few good lawyers. Meet a few good accountants. Let them do their jobs as well as you do yours. That’s why you pay them.

Thanks for reading, if you made it this far. Have a Macross-themed NSX that’s actually pretty rad, thanks to @nth256 and @Daily Drives a Dragon and I probably screwed up those links.

Remember, kids: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Rather, strive to be excellent to each other, and yourselves.

This has been your old-man-rant for the time being.

And here’s one of my old sketches for schnicks.

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DISCUSSION (12)

Gerry197 > phenotyp
04/02/2019 at 23:24

Awesome on several levels.

and 100 more > phenotyp
04/02/2019 at 23:40

Ahhh! I love the Monster! I’m sorry that the reason for these posts exists, but at least you know you’ve got little to actually sorry about, legally. Peace of mind is priceless.

Thanks , too, for the shout- out!

phenotyp > and 100 more
04/02/2019 at 23:47

Yeah, man. The whole thing is just the old firm being petty and vindictive. If there’d been ANYTHING remotely unethical about this, I wouldn’t have touched it. There isn’t, and I can finally sleep tonight.

Also, it’s a good feeling, having massive armor and armament in your corner. When someone questions whether you’re in the right, and you know that you are, it’s very good to have backup if you need it.

I wish I had some time to draw some cars right now.

Honeybunchesofgoats > phenotyp
04/03/2019 at 00:04

Even since I avoided getting kicked out of my dorm in college* by bluffing about lawyering up, I’ve been a very strong proponent of lawyering up whenever it’s called for

*for disobeying a fire marshal.

DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever > phenotyp
04/03/2019 at 00:51

My top two reasons for wanting to be rich, is too be able to afford a good lawyer and/or PI if I need too.

Future Heap Owner > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
04/03/2019 at 00:54

.... not cars?

phenotyp > DC3 LS, Fuck Hyundai, now and forever
04/03/2019 at 01:12

I’m not rich. Just bare bones. But when you need the big guns, you need to be able to make that call, have that meeting, and know that you’re covered.

wantafuncar > phenotyp
04/03/2019 at 09:20

As I lawyer, I approve. Hah - glad our profession was able to help out.

Many hate lawyers until they need one.

phenotyp > wantafuncar
04/03/2019 at 09:40

Many hate lawyers because they’re on the wrong end of ‘em. Me, I appreciate them, and I’m more than a little jealous of their billing rate.

phenotyp > Honeybunchesofgoats
04/03/2019 at 19:21

This is a bullshit non-compete governed by CA law. In other words: fuck right off.

Grindintosecond > phenotyp
04/06/2019 at 20:14

The Rick Hunter helmet makes the car!

TheJWT > phenotyp
04/06/2019 at 20:19

I know Macross was an anime first but I can’t not recommend the other Macross-