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JUNE 2020
4315 W. Lovers Lane, Suite A, Dallas, TX 75209 | 1900 W. Illinois Avenue, Suite 101, Midland, TX 79701 www.buttonlawfirm.com | 214-888-2216 HOT-BUTTON ISSUES
Speaking From a Place of Passion and Motivation THE COACH MENTALITY
This month, we wanted to feature one of our colleagues and friends, attorney Todd Bailess, and share his perspective on what it means to be a leader. Todd runs his own law firm in West Virginia, and after meeting Russell a few years ago, the two formed a bond over their shared passion for their profession, experiences overcoming obstacles, and backgrounds in sports. Here’s Todd to tell you more of the story.
off over our shared experiences in athletics and the mutual respect that comes from recognizing someone who is as driven as you are. We have similar philosophies, we’ve read similar books, and we are united by the drive to be successful, not for ourselves but for the people we represent. A while later, Russell called me up and asked if I’d be interested in teaching a course in an organization we were both involved in. It was a big call for me. I was at a point where I was feeling stagnant in my law practice. I was searching for something that brought me more fulfillment, and teaching provided that. Being able to teach a course with Russell was an incredible experience, and it got us to connect even more in terms of how we approach life. It’s a connection that continues today. Russell and I are both continuous learners, and it’s not uncommon for us to send each other a text at 4 a.m. because we know the other person is up and getting ready for their day. We’re like coaches for each other, always checking in and asking the other person, “What’s your one big thing today? What do you want to get done? What can I help you with?” Our friendship is like when you’re out jogging at 5 a.m. and see the one other person up at that hour out jogging just like you. You nod your heads at each other, acknowledging the commitment you’re both making. You’ve both made a personal decision to better yourselves, and you respect the commitment of the other person. You know that if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. It’s also like the way athletes exchange high-fives at the end of a game. It doesn’t matter that they were competing a few minutes earlier. They both recognize the commitment the other person has to being the best they can be. A while ago, I got the chance to visit Russell and his firm and see it all in action. It is so efficient, and everyone working there is so committed. There’s this team atmosphere that is apparent from the
I came to know Russell a few years ago at a conference in Dallas. There were probably around 50 attendees, and we were set up in a ballroom full of tables. All of a sudden, I hear this voice coming from a table behind mine. The voice was the first thing I gravitated toward because I thought, I’ve heard this voice before, but I’ve rarely heard this voice. It’s the voice of someone full of passion, motivation, and drive. It’s the voice of someone who really feels what they are talking about. It’s the voice of a coach. Being raised by a coach and growing up playing sports before becoming a coach myself, it was a voice I was familiar with. Coaches speak from a place of passion and motivation; they inspire their team to make the play, take the next opportunity to score, and give their all in the next game. In my experience, only coaches speak with that level of passion and motivation. We call it “coach talk.” After I heard Russell talk, I said to myself, “He was either a coach or played athletics at a high level.” So it wasn’t surprising when I learned Russell had played competitive basketball in college. We didn’t get the chance to meet at that conference, but several months later, Russell was an instructor for a class I’d signed up for. I realized I’d have the opportunity to talk more with him, and we hit it
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THE POWER OF POSITIVITY WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW
Choosing to be kind is something we talk a lot about at The Button Law Firm. When there’s a lot out of our control, how we respond in any situation — and choosing to respond with kindness — is one of the most important decisions we get to make. All of us are faced with challenging situations every day. Our clients know this better than anyone. People call us when they are going through some of the most challenging moments in their life. They, their child, or another loved one has been injured by a company’s or person’s negligence.
are going to happen; adversity is going to happen. But you don’t have to succumb to it. You can take the time you need to feel your emotions and process what you are going through. Take 15 minutes to yourself or even a whole day if you need it. Then, choose to look at the lesson you can take away from that challenging situation. Choose to focus on the positive rather than dwell on the negative. You can especially apply this outlook of kindness when you encounter someone who’s not having a great day. Something going on in their life has affected them, and you’re seeing their “not so good” side. How we respond to another person should always be from a place of understanding, so let’s give each other the
benefit of the doubt. When we could choose to be anything, let’s choose to be kind and compassionate. There are two habits you can start right now to help you find the power of positivity! 1. Every time a negative thought enters your head, flip it around and write down the reverse. For example, if you think, “This dinner is going to be a disaster,” flip it around and write, “This dinner is going to turn out well.”
The power of choosing positivity is that you get to choose how you react. Tough moments
2. Each day, take a few minutes and write down five things you are grateful for.
While they may seem little, when done over time, these habits will help you more easily focus on the positive and let go of the rest.
HOW TO CULTIVATE MORE TIME FOR ‘DEEPWORK’
Last month, I read a book that really got me thinking about how I approach my work every day. “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport explains how creating more time for deep,
which smaller tasks were distracting me and pass them off to others. It also led me to realize I need to bring on an executive assistant. My dad has had one for decades. They make sure everything is operating on all cylinders so he can focus on high-priority tasks. I’m excited to see how this model will help me create more time for deep work. HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT AWAY FROMTHE OFFICE FOR FOCUSED TIME. Maybe you’ve heard of one of the ways Bill Gates creates the environment for deep work: He takes all the books, papers, and resources he needs and isolates himself in a cabin away from everyone. He spends a week there reading, thinking, writing, and coming up with one big idea to move his company forward. He maps it all out, then returns to his team and shares his idea. The book gave a bunch of examples of how different business leaders create this time away from the office to do their deepest thinking. I may not be able to take a week
like Bill Gates, but I can go out into nature for an afternoon (or even a day), bring the books and resources I need, turn my email and phone off, and focus. CREATE DEEPWORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR TEAM. I’m not the only one on my team who’s going to benefit from deep work, and after reading Newport’s book, I want to make sure I’m providing opportunities for everyone to have deep-work sessions. There might be a day when Ashley has the chance to do deep work, and any calls, emails, or questions that would normally go to her are rerouted to me first. We’re also looking at setting up a no-phone zone in the office where team members can go to do deep work. I’m excited to see the impact this has.
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focused work will help you see better results in whatever you are tackling. Three main takeaways stuck out to me.
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EMBRACE THE POWER OF A ROUTINE. Newport describes how cultivating more time for deep work can have massive benefits in every profession. To do that, you have to create a routine. Because my days can vary a lot, it’s challenging to get big projects done because I get distracted by smaller tasks that pop up. “Deep Work” made me realize I needed to figure out
With the guidance Newport provides on how to create a routine that cultivates deep work across professions, I think just about anyone can benefit from the takeaways of “Deep Work.”
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ASHLEY AND HEATHER PERSEVERE IN THE COURT OF APPEALS
A Win for Our Team and a Win for the People of Texas
Our firm recently celebrated a big win on a product liability case with our attorney Ashley
Of the win, Ashley says, “It felt great. It takes a lot of work to win at the trial level, and then to win again at the appellate level. Even more importantly, because those opinions are published, other lawyers in the state of Texas can use our case to support theirs. It’s pretty exciting.” Ashley worked diligently on this case with our co-counsel attorney Heather Long. Ashley shares, “Heather handled the majority of the writing for the case at the appellate court level, and she was able to simplify complex medical terms to explain what went wrong, why the complaints before and after ours were discoverable, and why we should have access to them.” Heather was instrumental to the case’s success. Congratulations to Ashley, Heather, our client, and the entire Button Law Firm team for this win and for another positive result that will benefit anyone who finds themselves injured by a company’s negligence.
taking the lead. Not only was this a win for our client, but the results of the case and our team’s efforts will also have reverberating effects for others who’ve been victims of faulty medical devices. After our client was injured by a company’s medical device, we won a motion for the company to share documents with us of prior complaints about the device. However, even though we’d won the motion at the trial court level, the company wanted to take it up on appeal, arguing that we should only be allowed access to limited documents. The trial court kept the motion in our favor, telling the company this access to limited documents wasn’t good enough. When the company took the issue to the appellate court, the motion was sustained. The appellate court reaffirmed that in cases like this, all information related to similar incidents is discoverable, not just information for the same incident that happened to the plaintiff.
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BUTTON LAW HIGHLIGHT REEL BUTTON FAMILY HAIRCUTS
moment you walk through the door. He’s done a great job of building a team of people who are just as committed as he is to the ultimate goal of serving and helping their clients. He practices what he preaches, and I’m so appreciative that he allowed me to step into his circle and see it. Anyone who’s worked with Russell also knows how selfless he is. Most people listen to you talk for an hour, then expect you to return the favor. But there’s none of that with Russell; he never looks to cash in his chips. When confronted with a situation where they have to make an instinctual decision, most people trust their gut. Russell doesn’t trust his gut — he trusts his heart. You probably know one or two people in your life who, regardless of your flaws, see the best in you. Most of the time, those people are your parents. Some of us are lucky enough to meet other humans who are that unconditionally giving. That’s Russell. –Todd Bailess
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4315 W. Lovers Lane, Suite A Dallas, Texas 75209
www.buttonlawfirm.com | 214-888-2216
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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The Coach Mentality
The Power of Positivity
Russell’s Key Takeaways From ‘Deep Work’
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Celebrating a Big Win for BLF
Button Family Haircuts
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To Our Health Care Workers
THANK YOU TO OUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS
We Appreciate You!
For a lot of us, the last couple months have seen us home 24/7 with our families. But for health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic, many have been away from their families, sometimes for days at a time on around-the-clock shifts. Even when they’re not on shift, they may need to isolate and don’t get to go home.
and first responders and more scientists learning about disease control and how to save lives.
All of us at The Button Law Firm have friends, family members, and loved ones who are in the health care field, and we want to make sure they know we’ve been thinking of them. Here are some of the amazing people we want to give a special shoutout to:
These folks have been giving their all to save lives, and we want to recognize them.
Cicily John, an amazing nurse at a local DFW hospital who has been working around the clock.
Our doctors, nurses, first responders, and other medical staff who’ve been serving our community didn’t choose their professions for the shoutouts or the fanfare, but we’re going to give it to them anyway. We want you to know how much we appreciate you and everything you do for our community. We know you chose to go into this field because you care about people and helping them stay healthy. You have stepped up to the plate and run toward the battle rather than away from it, and we want to say THANK YOU. Thank you for everything you do!
Sharanda Palmer, a nurse that went to Florida and worked around the clock.
Steve Hoel, an ER physician who has been working non-stop.
Dr. Roxana Campano and Dr. Dominic Campano: My sister is an OBGYN and her husband is an orthopedic.
Dr. Roxana Campano and Dr. Dominic Campano
Wouldn’t it be pretty cool if coming out of all of this, more people were inspired to go into the health care field? Imagine more doctors, nurses,
From everyone at The Button Law Firm, THANK YOU!
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