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LEGAL BRIEF
516-800-8000
NOVEMBER 2024 FriedmanSimon.com
BEHIND THE SCENES OF LAW REFLECTING ON MY LEGAL JOURNEY ON LOVE YOUR LAWYER DAY
When I first started down the path of becoming a lawyer, I wasn’t entirely sure where it would lead me. All I knew was I wanted to do something meaningful, something that would help people. So, after undergrad, I went to law school without a clear direction, but my desire to make a difference remained my guiding star. Flash forward to today, and I get reminders daily of why I love this work. This month kicks off with Love Your Lawyer Day on Nov. 1, and it felt like the perfect time for me to reflect on my journey in this life- changing profession and the meaningful cases that reaffirm why I love what I do. When I started in law, I did the total opposite of what I do today as a personal injury lawyer. I was doing insurance defense work, helping the insurance company fight claims from injured people. But it didn’t feel right. I didn’t become a lawyer to tell real people in need they shouldn’t be rightfully paid for their injuries. Eventually, I switched my focus and made my way to the other side, helping people who were truly injured. I’ll never forget one of the first moments I stepped back and thought, “This is why I do this work.” My friend’s family member was severely injured in an accident, and they’ll never recover from it. I did everything I could to help him, from talking to all the insurance companies involved to looking at his retirement plans. Any way we could help this man out, we did. Every once in a while, when I’m walking in my neighborhood, I’ll see my friend who referred their family member to me, and it immediately reaffirms that I’m where I need to be. I’ve seen a lot of change in the legal field over my career, and I think one of the biggest shifts I have ever experienced was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The day before the lockdowns began in New York, I was in a courtroom in the Bronx crammed into a hot room with 100 other lawyers meeting with a judge. The very next day, we were doing everything virtually, and it’s never gone entirely back to the way it once was. About 90% of our depositions are done virtually, and we scan all our physical files and paperwork into the computer. The goal has never changed, but how we conduct certain parts of this work is different.
As lawyers, we face tremendous pressure working with complex cases and supporting people through emotional situations. I’ve found the key to staying grounded is a positive mindset. I don’t bring stressors from home into work, and I try not to bring what happens at work back with me. Though our work can be challenging, it’s nothing compared to the tragedies our clients are facing.
Much of what we do happens behind the scenes, like filing paperwork, dealing with the court, and navigating complexities clients don’t always see. There is an incredible amount of hard work going on through the months or maybe even years a case takes to conclude. I always strive to keep my clients informed and updated on their cases, but I know it can feel like their case is taking a long time. I promise we are diligently working to secure the best outcome possible for our clients. As we celebrate Love Your Lawyer Day this month, I am very grateful to the clients who have trusted me to help them over the years. It’s a privilege to walk this path with them, and I continue to be reminded daily why I love being a lawyer.
-Michael J. Mills
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How Tenacity and Perseverance Led to Lasting Success The Nitro Cart
Audrey Finocchiaro and Sam Lancaster, a couple in Rhode Island, literally built their business from scratch. Before they ever sold a single cup of nitro cold brew, Finocchiaro maxed out her credit card purchasing construction materials. Then, in her parent’s basement, the couple cobbled together a cart, outfitting it with bike tires and a kickstand; thus, The Nitro Cart was born. It was as humble as beginnings get, and the business was far from an overnight success. HUMBLE BEGINNINGS In the beginning, The Nitro Cart struggled to gain traction. They parked their cart throughout Providence, Rhode Island. They brought their nitro cold brew to several locales, from farmers markets to sheep shearing events. Despite that, they were selling less than $100 of product per day and were considering giving up altogether. Finocchiaro and Lancaster had a difficult decision to make with a cold New England winter approaching and their profits dwindling. But, as fate would have it, things changed when they brought The Nitro Cart to Brown University. There, they found their audience. Their nitro cold brew was an instant hit with the students, and they sold out — for the first time — in just 30 minutes, raking in $400 in sales. They decided to return every day, earning themselves a reputation and a profitable venture. Despite their newfound success, winter still posed a serious problem. They navigated this by partnering with several local restaurants, who agreed to carry and sell their nitro cold brew. This worked like a charm: Over 70 restaurants have it on tap today. THE GAMBLE Two investors sampled The Nitro Cart’s cold brew at a farmers market and decided to invest. They offered Finocchiaro a deal: a $100,000 loan, with a 10% interest rate, to help the couple expand their business. Additionally, the deal stipulated that the investors could turn the loan into a 10% equity investment in The Nitro Cart. It was a gamble because they risked losing all they had built if they could not keep up with payments. But they took it, and the money provided a financial safety net for them.
However, their newfound finances did not stop them from working to their full potential. Instead of slowing down, they sped up. The couple proceeded to work weekends, spending 80-hour work weeks and willing themselves to succeed through tenacity and hard work. They could no longer give up. They had to persevere. BRICK, MORTAR, AND TIKTOK Finocchiaro and Lancaster did not rely on word-of-mouth alone. They started a TikTok channel, creating content showing their hard work and innovative cold brew. By giving their audience a look into their lives and processes, they have become social media influencers on top of business owners. To date, the channel has accrued over 220,000 followers, and Finocchiaro’s personal TikTok account has nearly 100,000 subscribers. Now, The Nitro Cart is known as The Nitro Bar. They currently have three brick-and-mortar stores and over 60 employees. They made less than $100 a day when they started, and now they earn $4.5 million annually. It does not matter how you start but how you finish.
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MASTERING THE MARKETING TOOL MAZE Naturally, not all of today’s online business solutions are created equal. As even the simplest Google search will reveal, the marketplace is flooded with products of varying usability, capabilities, and pricing structures. Also, tech providers are prone to mergers and rebranding, so a platform known by a certain name today may change monikers overnight. Before selecting any software or service, dive into free demos/ tutorials, customer reviews, and what competing vendors offer. Above all, research with patience, as something that seems like a quick fix today could become a costly tech-ache in the long run.
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WHAT EVERY PARENT NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT SETTLING A CHILD’S INJURY CLAIM Infant Cases Explained
When a child is hurt in an accident, settling their personal injury case can be a time- consuming and complex process. Cases involving minors, called “infant cases,” differ from adult cases in several ways, including a requirement for court approval and holding the funds until the child turns 18. While it may seem similar to standard adult cases, it’s essential for parents to know the critical differences in the process to get the best outcome for their child. In a typical personal injury case, your lawyer could work directly between you and the insurance company to come to a settlement offer outside court. But, if a person younger than 18 is involved, it must go through the court for approval.
The process starts the same — your lawyer will talk to both sides until everyone agrees on an acceptable settlement amount. It will be necessary to gather evidence to support your claim, prove the other party is at fault for your child’s injuries, and substantiate their damages. It’s important to have the child go to their doctor again to have them sign an affirmation that the child has healed or this is the maximum amount of healing for a particular injury. Once the claim is submitted to the court, an infant compromise hearing will be held. At this hearing, the judge will sit with the parent, child, and lawyer to review the paperwork and ask questions. The goal is to give the child a chance to speak for themselves without collusion and ensure the settlement is fair.
Once approved, the award funds for the child must go into a savings account, which they can’t access until they turn 18. Parents should understand that it will take some time for the process to conclude with an actual court-approved settlement. There are only a few exceptions to the rule that the child can’t touch the money until they are a legal adult, including a dire situation where the court approves a portion of the funds to be allocated. Understanding the nuances of infant cases is crucial to protecting your child’s financial future. Though the process takes time, it is ultimately designed to get the best outcome for the child and a fair settlement that will provide for them when they turn 18.
SUDOKU
Greek Chicken and Rice
Ingredients • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 onion, diced • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 cups chicken broth • 1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes • 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice • Juice of 1 lemon • 1/2 cup feta cheese • Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp dried oregano • 1 tsp dried thyme
Directions
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil and sauté onion and garlic until softened. 2. Add chicken, oregano, and thyme and cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 3–4 minutes. 3. Pour in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. 4. Stir in the lemon juice and feta cheese, then season with salt and pepper.
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516-800-8000 FriedmanSimon.com
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Why Helping Others Fuels My Passion INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 2 3 Courts Safeguard Minors in Personal Injury Cases
From Basement to Brick and Mortar
Greek Chicken and Rice
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Transformative Tech for Top Leads
TECH TOOLS TO IGNITE YOUR SALES AI, AUTOMATION, AND MORE
These days, it’s hard to imagine a time when landline calls, in-person meetings, handwritten day planners, and faxes fueled our sales and marketing efforts. The tools we use to grow our businesses have evolved exponentially in recent years, giving us exciting new frontiers to explore in creating and maintaining customer relationships. The technologies now available for lead generation present virtually endless possibilities for organizing goals and increasing profits. FROM CLICKS TO CLIENTS Going through the list of followers on your company’s social media accounts may give you an idea of who’s casually interested in you, but decoding the secrets behind businesses that visit your company website is the key to identifying dependable leads who’ve directly investigated your services. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to receive word that the main purchaser at your most coveted new client company has already checked
out your product page? You may be thrilled to know that visitor identification tools like Leedfeeder and Factors trace website visitors’ IP addresses to the source and identify their business, position, and contact information. This technology enables sales and marketing pros to develop personalized campaigns to turn that warm lead into a lasting partnership. ENHANCING EMAIL ENGAGEMENT Is your email outreach structure generating new accounts or functioning more as the virtual equivalent of hit-or-miss door-to- door sales? Thankfully, modern methods make generating sales from cold leads more than just a shot in the dark. As just one example, Instantly AI provides tools for mass email automation/management, writing assistance, and analytical tracking. If you need help building a more substantial list of legitimate prospects, Instantly AI’s Lead Finder database — which, according to the company, has
160 million verified entries based on job positions, specific keywords, and other confirmed data — may be worth a look.
STRATEGIZES FOR STREAMLINED SCHEDULING
Gone are the days when we had to cover the borders of our computer monitors with Post-It notes to remind ourselves of important meetings and events. Today’s web-based scheduling software allows users to book appointments without grabbing a pen or sending multiple emails. By sharing their calendars and availabilities virtually, sales reps and customers can slot times seamlessly in just a few clicks. Utilized by teachers and students, small businesses and major manufacturers, these technologies are especially helpful for sales forces that juggle meetings with multiple clients in various time zones. Well-known providers include Calendly, YouCanBookMe, and HubSpot.
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