Kelly Law's online newsletter for March 2018
OFFICES IN NORTHWEST INDIANA AND SOUTH BEND
When a Law Firm Performs Like a TEAM The Power of Real Teamwork
A
s March arrives, spring sports kick into high gear. For my 11-year old son, it’s all about baseball. He can’t wait to step into the batter’s box and swing for the fences. In previous years, I’ve been an assistant coach on his team, but as he’s moved up through the age groups, it’s gotten a little too serious for me to offer any real help because I’m real bad. Still, I’m proud of him as he rounds the bases, giving the sport his all and working seamlessly with the team. It’s clear to me that in the six years he’s been playing baseball, he’s learned some invaluable lessons that will serve him well in life. One thing I learned from my days as an assistant coach is that teamwork doesn’t happen overnight. At the beginning of the season, the entire team is in shambles — this was especially true when my son was a little tyke playing T-ball. The second baseman is staring off into the distance as a ground ball rolls past. When he finally manages to scoop it up, his teammates aren’t ready and alert to catch his throw. As a result, what should be an easy out turns into a home run for the opposition.
1 Teamwork is as central to our law practice as it is to a baseball team. While there will always be a specific attorney or paralegal on our team who focuses on your case, our clients receive the expertise and attention of every lawyer and paralegal in the office, no matter how big or small their case may be. Many firms keep their attorneys in their own lanes with a competitive and stringent atmosphere, but at Kelly Law, creativity and collaboration are vital parts of our day-to-day operations. As a result, our clients benefit from a variety of perspectives, ensuring every legal strategy is examined and no stone is left unturned. While my days filling the Gatorade jugs for my son’s team may be over, I still find myself looking for coachable moments. As someone who works closely with a team every day, I’ve learned that teamwork is critical for true success. Anyone can hit a ball or try a case with enough training, but it takes a community of individuals operating like a well-oiled machine to achieve serious results. As I watch my son out on the field, pitching and swinging his bat, I can tell he’s getting a head start on learning that lesson. But by the end of the season, the best teams operate as a single unit. Everyone is striving toward the same goal, celebrating each other’s successes and learning from their failures. Soon enough, they’re no longer picking grass in the outfield and chasing butterflies; they’re winning and singing elaborate chants in the dugout.
–Michael Massucci
1
800-859-8800
LAWS OF COMBAT
Simplify, prioritize and execute, and decentralize command. Applied to an office setting, these combat strategies show how simplifying plans and organizing priorities will improve your operational efficiency. While there is a need for clearly designated leaders, junior leaders must be empowered to make their own decisions — and their own mistakes. SUSTAINING VICTORY
Effective leadership is the most important key to success, and to say that “Extreme Ownership”will empower you as a leader is an understatement. Jocko Willink and Leif Babin use their experiences as former U.S. Navy SEALs to provide a backdrop for their views on leadership. Their stories drop you right in the middle of the action,
both on the battlefield and within the confines of corporate America, in order to teach you invaluable leadership lessons. The book is divided into three main points and designed to make it as easy as possible for you to apply extreme ownership in your own life. WINNING THEWARWITHIN Leaders are responsible for everything and everyone within their purview. Willink and Babin make the bold assertion that there are no bad teams, just bad leaders. They use examples from the battlefield and the boardroom to show that all failures can be traced back to poor leadership.
To drive their point home, Willink and Babin provide a plan for how to implement and sustain the concepts of extreme ownership. They highlight the importance of decisiveness and show you how to create planning checklists that enable your team to operate like one fluid unit. “Extreme Ownership” differs from other leadership books by emphasizing that there can be no leadership where there is no team. Its main points revolve around the importance of teams, not just individuals. Leaders who embody extreme ownership don’t just take the blame for mistakes — they own them.
SERVICE HIGHLIGHT Prep Your Motorcycle for the 1st Spring Ride As temperatures climb in theMidwest, motorcyclists are itching to take their bikes out of storage so they can hit the road once again. But before you go for a ride in the crisp spring air, there are a few steps you should take to prepare your bike after a long period stuck in the garage. 1. Dust it off. Remove your motorcycle’s cover and any plugs or rags that were used to protect exhausts and intakes. Next, wash away any coating you applied to protect the frame, rims, and chain. 2. Look over the fuel system. Replace the fuel filter and examine the fuel tank, fuel lines, and fittings for cracks and leaks. If you used fuel stabilizer while it was stored, the fuel should be in good shape. Also, be sure to check and clean your carburetor. To keep the engine happy, add a fuel system cleaner the next few times you fill your tank to keep it in peak condition. 3. Check the fluids. Make sure to check the oil before riding, and investigate all hose connections for looseness or signs of leakage and replace as needed. Check the levels and consistency of all fluids and replace any that look suspicious, topping off any that are low. Flush and replace the old antifreeze with proper coolant.
4. Charge the battery. If you kept your battery trickle charged or hooked up to a tender, it’s probably in good shape. Otherwise, it will need to be fully charged (or replaced if it can’t hold a charge). 5. Kick the tires. Check the tires for cracks, bulges, punctures, stress marks, or flat spots. Check their pressure to ensure they’re properly inflated. 6. Hit the brakes. Check and fill the brake fluid, and replace it if it’s dirty. Inspect the brake pads and discs or shoes for wear. If they’re thin, you may want to get new ones. 7. Check the frame, suspension, and steering. Inspect everything to ensure it’s in good working order. If a problemneeds to be addressed, it’s better to do it before you get on the road. 8. Double-check the chain and sprockets. Check the sprocket for missing teeth or uneven wear. Test the amount of slack in the chain and adjust it to the manufacturer’s specification. 9. Take a look at the electrical system. Test your electronics, switches, lights, gauges, and horn for proper operation. 10. Insure yourself. If you have seasonal motorcycle insurance, be sure your policy is active and you are fully covered before you hit the road. Then, you’re ready to ride!
2
www.kelly-lawyers.com
Self-Driving Car Drives Into Motorcycle Rider: Who’s at Fault?
When General Motors subsidiary Cruise began picking up its employees with its fleet of autonomous self-driving cars in San Francisco, it seemed like the wave of the future had finally arrived. But as always, that leap forward to tech’s next big thing comes with its fair share of legal concerns. The first of these prickly legal gray areas arose on December 7, after local rider Oscar Nilsson collided with one of Cruise’s automated Chevrolet Bolts in heavy traffic, knocking him off his motorcycle and causing substantial neck and shoulder injuries. The following month, Nilsson filed a lawsuit against GM, arguing the Fortune 500 company should be responsible for his substantial medical bills. As reported by Bay Area publication “The Mercury News,” the lawsuit claims that while Nilsson was riding behind the autonomous vehicle, the car (with its
Meanwhile, the crash report filed by GM offers a far different perspective of the accident. Though they agree the Bolt aborted the lane change, they state that as the car was shifting back to the right, Nilsson “moved into the center lane, [while he] glanced at the side of the Bolt …wobbled, and fell over.” While the verdict is still out on this contentious case, it’s clear that with the race to mass-produce autonomous vehicles, the nation is sure to face a number of similarly complicated legal battles moving forward. As more and more companies adopt the technology and it moves into wider consumer use, these cases will set important precedents for future court battles.
For now, we in the Midwest — especially motorcyclists — can be thankful that our roads aren’t the guinea pigs for these
backup driver inside) changed lanes to the left. But when Nilsson pulled forward on the right, the Bolt suddenly determined that it couldn’t make the lane change and steered into him, despite the backup driver’s attempt to grab the wheel and steer to safety.
autonomous vehicles. At any rate, it’ll be interesting to see how cases like this one shake out in the coming months and years.
Spring Vegetables & BRAISEDCHICKEN
This simple and delicious one-pot recipe is perfect for aweeknight. It only requires about 15minutes of hands-onwork, but will taste like you spent all day building flavors. It’s a hearty comfort food that’s sure to delight eaters of all ages.
INGREDIENTS
• • • • •
1 tablespoon olive oil
• •
1 tablespoon sugar
8 small bone-in chicken thighs 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
•
Salt and pepper
12 radishes, halved
4 large carrots, cut into sticks
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. 2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Brown in pan for 6 to 7 minutes per side. 3. Remove chicken from pan and scrape off excess fat. Add broth and stir in radishes, carrots, and sugar. 4. Return chicken to pan, placing on top of vegetables. Gently simmer with lid on pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Finish with chives.
800-859-8800 [Recipe inspired by Real Simple]
3
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
5521West Lincoln Highway Suite #101 Crown Point, IN 46307
THIS ISSUE Inside
What Little League Can Teach You About Practicing Law Page 1 Book Review: ‘Extreme Ownership’ Get Your Bike Ready for Spring Page 2 Man vs. Self-Driving Car: Who’s at Fault? Braised Chicken and Spring Vegetables Page 3
St. Patrick’s Day vs. the Color Green Page 4
Advertising Material
GREEN DOMINATES ST. PATRICK’S DAY FOR A REASON
There’s only one day of the year you’ll be scorned for not wearing green: St. Patrick’s Day. If you’ve ever gone the whole holiday wearing any other color, you’ve probably been pinched by your peers, family, spouse, and anyone else decked out head to toe in green. Green has become so deeply associated with the St. Patrick holiday that many people are unaware that green wasn’t always its official color. Blue was the first color to symbolize St. Patrick’s Day, and the saint himself is almost always depicted dressed in what’s known as “St. Patrick’s blue.” What caused the shift from blue to green is more speculation than hard fact. Some have theorized that the change happened sometime in the 17th century, when the symbol for the United Irishmen Rebellion became the clover. St. Patrick used the clover to teach the Irish people about the Holy Trinity, and it eventually became a symbol that represented both the saint and the holiday.
adorns the country’s landscape. It also relates to the green in the flag. Each of the three colors in the flag have their own
symbolic meaning: green for the Catholics who live in the country, orange for the Protestants, and white for the peace between the two.
Of course, you can’t forget leprechauns, the little creatures that have always been affiliated with the holiday. But just like St. Patrick’s original blue garb, these impish tricksters used to wear red instead of green. While green overtook blue as the shade of choice for St. Patrick, leprechauns began putting on their signature green suits. You might wonder where the tradition of pinching comes from. We can thank the leprechauns for this one. It’s said that if the gold-loving redheads caught you not wearing their favorite color, they would pinch you. To avoid pinches from leprechauns and people alike, be sure to put on some green this St. Patrick’s Day to blend in with the festive crowd.
Another theory comes from Ireland’s nickname, “The Emerald Isle,” which was coined because of the plentiful green foliage that
4
www.kelly-lawyers.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online