Attorney to Clients Including Pro Athletes

How does a child of parents who never graduated from high school, early unable to pronounce words correctly with one legally blind eye, too undersized to be selected for any high school varsity team, grow up to head his own law firm, representing many pro athletes? His story will reveal the persistence and sincere caring for the welfare of his family and others which was the basis for his successful career. 

FAMILY BACKGROUND

WH’s paternal grandfather died when WH’s father was 5 years old so WH’s father was considered an ‘orphan’ while he used his above average intelligence and attention to school work to skip several grades. 

WH’s mother was one of the oldest girls among the family’s 13 children. She left school after the 8^th grade to tutor her younger siblings. As an adult, WH’s mother was a homemaker who squeezed limited free time into painting and writing poetry. 

While each of WH’s parents had the native intelligence and work ethic to succeed in school, their family circumstances interfered with their opportunities to graduate from high school and enroll in college. 

WH was born the third of six children, each of whom accomplished the goal set for them by their parents: attend and graduate from college. Four of the six earned ‘advanced’ degrees i.e. an additional degree such as a Masters or Doctorate, beyond college. WH was one of those four. 

CHILDHOOD CHALLENGES

Self-describing himself as ‘undersized’, tongue-tied (until third grade although his parents sent him to first grade at age 5 to hopefully improve his speaking) and legally blind in one eye, WH was often teased by neighborhood kids, with whom he tried to play equally or better in local games during and after school. Sometimes the neighborhood bullies would call WH a “Chinese guy’ when he was unable to properly pronounce his words. A doctor prescribed that WH wear a patch over his ‘good’ eye to help train his ‘bad’ eye; WH abandoned that effort when no improved vision was soon forthcoming. 

A never-to-be-forgotten school embarrassment occurred when WH was preparing to give a speech within his school and a nun corrected his pronunciation of the school to be referenced within his presentation. WH thought she was wrong but in obedience, he included the pronunciation as she had directed, to the vocal amusement of his classmates listening to the speech. 

 Unfortunately, kids often harass other kids who seem to be different. Fortunately, WH, while frequently disappointed that he wasn’t picked to play on a certain team, kept a positive attitude for both his schoolwork and on the playing fields. 

While eventually overcoming his early speech and eyesight problems, WH was always a competitor, never giving up on his goals but sometimes having to postpone them, as will be noted as WH’s career path story proceeds. 

EDUCATION MAY ZIG-ZAG TOWARD A SUCCESSFUL ENDING

Growing up within a devout Catholic family, there was never any doubt that WH’s formal education would proceed through a series of Catholic schools, involving challenges such as occasionally, overly strict nun teachers, half-day classes to alleviate the effects of excess enrollments for the available classroom space and limited opportunities to be selected for varsity teams. 

Looking back, WH confesses that his dedication to academics did not match the same level as an older sister. One time while studying for her physics exam which WH was also scheduled to take the next day, WH was headed outside to play basketball instead of studying. Asked why he wasn’t also cramming for the exam, WH advised his sister, “If you don’t know it by now, you’ll never know it.” His sister quizzed WH about a basic physics concept, about which WH had no clue, so she phoned their father, who ordered WH to remain at home to study.  

Throughout his elementary and high school years, WH devoutly attended Catholic Mass, eventually serving as an altar boy, tasked with reciting prayers in Latin alongside the priest. WH enjoyed his participation, believed he was appreciated for faithfully serving in his role and looked up to the seminarians who had chosen their career paths as future priests. So, WH envisioned himself later as a priest. 

One day during his senior year in high school, a priest suggested that WH consider becoming a priest. WH mentioned that possibility to a friend, who had verbally committed to studying for the priesthood among the Catholic Order of the “Oblates of St. Francis DeSales” which places priests in community settings, though with a vow of poverty. The two friends then proceeded along that career path together, though after the first three months, when WH was confronted by priests for having received mail from girls back home, WH realized that he was not truly committed to leading such a world-limited life though he would continue to pursue his education within the Catholic system and remain true to Catholic values. 

Despite all the obstacles, WH (always at least one year younger than his classmates since his parents had enrolled him early in school to jump start practicing his speaking abilities) graduated “with distinction” from his large Catholic high school. So, WH easily gained admission to a local Catholic university where again, he earned high grades despite less than full attention to his studies while he worked 30 hours a week as a cashier at a supermarket. 

PART-TIME JOB TEACHES ABOUT THE WORLD AND DEVELOPS SELF-CONFIDENCE

In addition to earning money, WH’s constant interaction with the public, while accurately ringing the supermarket’s cash register keys for each item and bantering with each customer, taught WH valuable lessons for how to interact with adults of varied backgrounds. But a third job benefit was also appreciated: WH’s development of self-confidence when adults appreciated his interaction with them while not judging him for his past feelings of inadequacy due to late development of his size, speaking and sight abilities. 

FORMAL EDUCATION MAY START, STOP AND RESUME

As his senior year at the university was nearing graduation, a professor who noted WH’s analytical mind suggested that WH consider heading to law school. By coincidence, WH had recently been teased by his neighborhood buddies about going to college: “Why bother going for more school? It’s a waste of time; you don’t even have a car and if you did, you don’t have money to buy gas or insurance so get a job like us – be a fireman or policeman or get a union job.” While WH hadn’t any career plan at the time, he made up a story to quiet his friends: “I’m going to become a lawyer.” 

Another timely coincidence was WH’s friend recently mentioning that he was going to take the law school aptitude test (LSAT). WH wondered how he himself might fare taking such a test. If he passed, perhaps the law would be an interesting career with the opportunity to help others. 

So, when the professor mentioned law school, WH thought it must not be coincidental that everything is now pointing to taking the LSAT as a possible entry to law school and a career in the law. With nothing to lose, WH took the LSAT and as he said later, humbly recounted the outcome: “As with any other test not requiring me to study specific information, I ‘aced’ it.” 

With his LSAT and university GPA available, the professor who suggested law school introduced WH to another professor with more knowledge about law school admissions. After reviewing WH’s academic and LSAT records, the second professor’s advice: “Sit back and wait for scholarship offers from the best law schools in the country!” So, WH applied to well-regarded and long-established law schools at Penn, Notre Dame and Chicago but in deference to his parents, also to a relatively new law school at a local Catholic affiliated university, Villanova. 

The result: WH’s admission to all the law schools to which he applied but only an ‘immediate’ financial scholarship to Villanova. Penn offered a ‘moral’ financial scholarship: free education with a moral obligation to repay it later. WH’s mother called the Dean at Penn for clarification, including whether there would be any crucifix’s within their classrooms. When the Dean said there were none, WH’s mother thanked him for extending such an unusual scholarship offer, but without a crucifix in each classroom, her son would not be attending Penn. Later, to her son’s bemusement, she advised WH of her declining Penn Law on his behalf. 

WH later assumed that his decisions to apply to far away Notre Dame and University of Chicago were typical of the adage: “All decisions by college age students appear to be correct at the time” because he had no financial ability to travel to either school and once there, to afford returning home. So, commuting via public transportation to Villanova’s suburban law school campus was the only viable option. 

While ‘viable’, the bus, trolley, and train connections from WH’s city home to the law school were difficult, especially in bad weather. The first obstacle – affording public transportation only 2 or 3 days a week – was not the only serious problem for WH’s first days as a law student. Early on, when asked by the criminal law professor, during class, about a certain appeals court decision which had been assigned reading from the course book, WH confessed that he hadn’t read the decision. The professor persisted: “Why haven’t you read it?” Replied WH: “Because I didn’t buy the book.” The professor continued his cross examination of law student WH: “And why didn’t you buy the book?” Confessed WH: “Because I couldn’t afford it.” 

The professor overlooked WH’s financial hardship explanation and concluded the dialogue with an admonishment to his student: “Get the book today, somehow, because I will be calling on you tomorrow for analysis of one of the assigned legal opinions.” WH had to comply because he wanted to learn criminal law and even if he had no intention to be involved with that area of the law, it was one of the required courses for all first-year law students. 

A friendly classmate offered to loan WH the money to buy at least the criminal law course book. WH accepted the offer, later repaid his friend but soon spoke to the Dean about the difficulties he was experiencing in keeping up with his academics under all the circumstances, though he enjoyed reading the law cases and interacting with friendlier professors. The Dean advised WH to be patient and his situation would likely work itself out. 

Looking back, WH finds it hard to believe he was so naïve when he approached the property law professor just before that final exam, explaining his inability to afford to buy that book during the semester. Said WH to the professor: “Could you at least advise me of the areas of property law which will be on the final exam, since I don’t have time to read the entire book?” The professor replied: “You must know I can’t do that.” WH apologized for posing such a question, then asked his girlfriend (eventual wife) to loan him the money to buy the property law book, which he quickly reviewed and passed the exam. 

Despite passing all his exams, WH’s commuting and book buying obstacles were not easing so he advised the Dean that while he appreciated the scholarship opportunity, his performance was not up to his self-imposed high standards and combined with the continuing obstacles, he could no longer – in good conscience – accept the scholarship so he would join the Army and hope someday, to possibly return to the law school. The Dean wished him good luck. 

MILITARY SERVICE ADDS TO WORLDLY EDUCATION

Unable to pursue appointment as an officer within the Army due to his eyesight limitations, WH entered military service as an ‘enlistee,’ successfully completing basic training while coping with the usual harassment to mold new recruits into disciplined soldiers. WH’s athleticism, which had not been able to shine during his high school years, was soon on display during inter-platoon basketball and foot racing contests. WH’s athletic skills – including selection to the Fort Knox’ All-Regimental basketball team) – were appreciated by his platoon’s leader, a career Army Sergeant, which earned WH the opportunity to avoid both guard duty (4 hours on, 4 hours off, 4 hours on, 4 hours off, keep repeating) and food prep and clean-up duties (“KP” short for ‘kitchen patrol’). 

However, not all the career Army recruit trainers were appreciative of WH’s athletic skills. One such trainer – a Master Sergeant (informally called “Top” – short for being the “Top Sgt.”), believed all recruits needed to suffer through the same difficulties to develop proper military discipline. So, when confirming that WH had avoided KP and guard duties while about to leave the military base to head home for a few days of holiday ‘leave,’ (military term for ‘vacation’) Top  (who outranked the friendly Sergeant), ordered WH to cancel his plans to head home and instead, clean the barracks recently vacated by all the other recruits who were now headed home for a brief respite from basic training. 

After several days of scrubbing latrines, sinks and floors, Top inspected WH’s efforts, noting his approval. “So,” said Top, “do you still want to head home?” Replied WH, “Yes, sir.” Ordered Top, in his usual gruff voice, “Then get the hell out of here, now, on the double!” 

WH hitchhiked 22 hours to spend a few days at home before finding kind drivers willing to take a soldier as a passenger as far south as they could, as WH hitchhiked another 22 hours back to the military base.  

As WH’s active-duty commitment neared completion, he and all others about to complete their active duty were permitted the opportunity to hire a taxi for a ride into town (Louisville, Kentucky) for a one-day ‘leave’ with conditions: soldiers must be in full uniform and avoid trouble, especially in a town where the local civilians are not friendly to the soldiers. 

WH and friends asked their taxi driver to take them to a restaurant / bar known for good food and music but not for confrontations with local civilians. Thus the WH group soon found itself consuming adult beverages at a table overlooking a dance floor with many females available to dance with them. Focusing on one young lady, WH asked her to dance, which led to several more dances as they were enjoying each other’s company. Soon a civilian gent approached WH and demanded that WH stop dancing with his wife. As WH explained to his friends, “I doubt she’s married to anyone because if so, she would only be dancing with her husband, not accepting my offers.” So, WH asked the same lady for another dance, which (predictably) led to the civilian fellow telling WH to meet him outside so they could ‘settle their differences’. WH recalls thinking he was in good physical shape to defend himself following his Army basic training, so he handed his Army hat to his friends and headed outside with the civilian. When they exited the bar, the civilian suggested they walk to a vacant lot in the distance but before WH had taken two steps, the civilian ‘sucker punched’ WH several times in the head. Said WH, “It felt like he hit me with brass knuckles!”

Fortunately for WH, Army MPs  (“MP” – for military police) were in the area, alert to potential confrontations between soldiers and civilians. They quickly intervened in this one-sided fight where HP had been unable to counter with a single punch. WH was concerned that his bleeding face might reveal an injury to his ‘good’ eye, so he asked to be transported back to the Army base, where ‘medics’ (Army EMTs) found the blood confirmed facial lacerations but no eye damage so the medics added some stitches and bandages to his face. 

When later asked by his platoon leader about the facial bandages, WH replied, “You should have seen what I did to the other guy!” 

WH was proud to have earned recognition as an “Honor Trainee for Basic Combat.” With his college degree and law school aspiration, WH assumed that he would be assigned to a desk job within the Army’s division of military lawyers. But to those who know Army customs, it would not be surprising to learn that WH was then assigned his MOS (‘Military Occupation Specialty’) as a mechanic within a tank squadron. 

WH’s lack of basic mechanical skills was soon discovered by the career Army mechanics to which WH had been assigned to work. So, instead of trying to teach “the college boy” how to fix a tank, which would first require teaching him the difference between wrenches and screwdrivers, they assigned WH to daily morning duties of washing and oiling the tanks. In the afternoon, WH played basketball. As he later said, with a smile, “This was tough duty, but someone had to defend our country!” 

A later military assignment was within the ‘Graves Registration’ unit, whose soldier members had to use maps to locate full body sized mannequins in fields, determine their identity and religion and prepare instructions for proper burial – all as practice if needed in the future on a real battlefield with actual dead soldiers’ bodies. 

WH was relieved that the success of the Army was never dependent on his skills as a tank mechanic. He continued playing basketball for Army platoon challenge games, completed his active service commitment and earned his Honorable Discharge. 

TRANSITION FROM SOLDIER TO CIVILIAN

Upon discharge from the Army, where WH had been provided a modest paycheck plus free room and board, WH now needed to earn civilian dollars to cover all his living expenses. His first job was to prepare business reports for Dun and Bradstreet. This was a boring desk job, with little opportunity for human interaction. 

Noticing an advertisement for an entry level, federal civil service job in ‘personnel’ – interacting with people! – WH took the test (“I always did well in tests where no study was required,” recalls WH with amusing humility) and passed with a high grade, achieving appointment at a G5 level, federal civil service employee. Soon, WH’s ‘smarts’ and dedication to learning the G5 job responsibilities led to WH’s rapid promotions to levels G7 and G9. 

LAW SCHOOL – PART TWO

Feeling successful within the adult career world, WH began to consider returning to law school. His parents were in disbelief: “You’re crazy; you have a good job with a steady income and likely more promotions to come. It’s not physically hard work, with a good pension when you retire. Why waste all that by going back to law school?,” they advised WH with sincere, dramatic concern. WH was not dissuaded. “I have saved enough money now to buy a cheap car to get me to law school and buy all the books I’ll need. Plus I can work part-time while still finding time to study the law, “ replied WH politely to his parents. 

When WH called the Dean to advise that he would like to return to the law school if his scholarship was still available, the Dean said, “Yes, we kept your scholarship open, hoping you would return but now I must ask: Will you be able to buy books this time?” 

When WH resumed his law school studies, he studied either in the law school’s library after classes or usually at home, at the family’s dining room table. After observing WH take over the dining area for several weeks, his father said to WH: “Your mother and I just bought for you a small desk lamp to sit on a small table for you to take to your youngest brother’s room, which from now on, will be your study area. We’re glad to have you with us at home but you and your books are taking up too much space where we live when not sleeping.”

Aided by large cups of tea frequently brought to his study desk by his younger brother, WH devoted himself to his law school studies, ranking #7 out of 153 students based on his first year’s GPA. While his final class rank would eventually fall to #9, (horrors!), WH justified his second attempt and the law school’s scholarship by graduating as one of the top law students, thus eligible to participate in the school’s prestigious Law Review and achieve recognition as a member of the Order of the Coif, reserved for the top 10% GPAs of the graduates. 

PART-TIME JOBS DURING SCHOOL YIELD MONEY AND PERHAPS A CAREER OPENING

While law school was in session, WH was a bartender for 30 hours a week. During extended summer breaks from classes, WH first returned to federal government employment at a local Naval agency, on a part-time basis but eventually found an employment opportunity within the broad field of the law, for a locally based insurance company, where WH’s work focused on researching state regulations related to life insurance companies. 

WH was so intent on performing his legal work to the best of his ability, that he initially neglected participating in the social aspects of the office, opting instead to remain in his office to read applicable regulations and draft legal memoranda. While the family-oriented company management was impressed with WH’s diligence, they gently suggested that he join his co-workers in the company’s upscale dining and social areas. WH had no relevant experience in such social settings since his family rarely, almost never, could afford to dine out. So, WH joined the social activities but was soon back in his office. 

Apparently WH’s summer performance sufficiently impressed the insurance company’s management, that they offered him full-time employment following his law school graduation, at a salary, they claimed, which would exceed anything he could possibly earn at a private law firm. 

(Editor’s note: In this situation, career interest trumped money interest, which usually leads to career satisfaction.)

WH thanked the insurance company for the opportunity but politely declined for reason of “needing some experience in the world of private law firms” before he thought he could be successful within any business’ in-house law group.

FIRST JOB WITHIN A CAREER PATH IS NEVER A BINDING COMMITMENT

Based on WH’s superior law school rank plus having published some peer-reviewed articles within the school’s Law Journal, WH obtained an interview with a large, prestigious law firm in the city. Following three in-depth interviews with different partners, WH was offered a position as an entry-level associate attorney within the business law section of the law firm. 

The offer was made despite WH’s brief embarrassment during a lunch meeting with several partners, each of whom had ordered steak (for lunch!), along with noting their preferred meat temperature: rare, medium rare, medium, or well done. At his turn, WH was nervous and inexperienced with ordering steak anywhere, so he told the server that he would like it “tender” – immediately sensing amusement by the experienced partners in attendance. 

A few months later, during the firm’s upscale, year-end dinner, WH was seated as the only associate, with partners of the law firm at the same table. Next to WH was an empty chair, soon occupied by a top-ranked, elected city official, a former senior partner of the firm, who proceeded to ask the partners whether the recent increases in hiring new associates meant that the quality of the young lawyers was decreasing. The partners thought not. Then the former partner / current high elected city official asked where WH had graduated from law school. When WH replied with the name of his relatively new law school, the former partner had no comment, which WH assumed equaled disapproval. None of the partners offered a defense of the new law school’s growing positive reputation. 

Fortunately, by then WH’s work within the law firm’s “Blue Sky” division (devoted to states’ regulations of issuing securities) within the firm’s business law department, had already favorably impressed his supervisors, including one overbearing senior partner who liked to harass new associates. On one occasion, the senior partner persisted with questions to WH to justify why and to whom so many copies of a letter had been sent to others. Now with the experience of successfully coping with bullies from his neighborhood and the military, WH confidently defended his decisions and heard no further negative comments from that – or any other – supervising attorney. 

ENVISIONING LIMITED CAREER FOCUS LEADS TO LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES

Some law firms, especially those long established with a name well known to the public and major national corporate clients, are known informally among young lawyers as “sweat shops” where young lawyers are willing to work late into the night and over weekends, even during traditional business holidays, toward their goal of huge earnings later as a partner in the prestigious law firm.  

Somewhat naively during his interview process with the big law firm, WH asked if they were a ‘sweat shop.’ The partners denied it. But as WH soon came to learn, they were. Some associates brought cots to their office to accommodate frequent work into the early morning hours. WH regularly left his small, interior office, at 11 pm after joking with fellow associates as they observed workers in other businesses leaving their office buildings shortly after 5 p.m. “Why would they be leaving this early?” one sweatshop associate would say to his peers, with bemusement.

Never feeling totally secure in his associate’s position in the law firm, WH always felt the need to outwork his peer group of associates. To his bemusement, one of the partners advised him confidentially, that he didn’t have to log so many billable hours. (Editor – apparently, WH had out-sweated the sweat shop!)

After a few months and receiving a generous raise in base pay so the law firm could continue competing with prestigious New York based law firms, to hire highly ranked law school graduates, WH asked his business department leaders for permission to join the city’s Public Defenders Office for a month – to represent individuals who couldn’t afford to hire private attorneys for defense against (often minor) criminal charges. The goal of WH was to broaden his legal experiences in the courtroom while hopefully not harming assigned clients with his inexperience, though his concern was somewhat alleviated by loose supervision from experienced defenders and judges who needed to conduct fair trials to avoid successful appeals with resulting re-trials of the same defendant. 

WH enjoyed his time in the courtroom, questioning witnesses and presenting legal arguments to a judge. So, he asked his law firm for permission to remain a Defender for another month but the law firm, which had continued to pay WH his full salary while WH volunteered his professional time as a Defender, declined WH’s request, wanting him to return to fee productive work for the law firm. 

SELF EMPLOYMENT BECKONS

After returning to the big law firm, WH was soon approached by the insurance company where he had worked as a summer intern, to return full time for their in-house legal department, at a ‘handsome’ salary, far more than he was earning at the law firm. 

WH and his wife, now the proud parents of 3 young children, discussed the offer before they both concluded that such a salary could enable moving into a larger home to accommodate their 3 baby cribs now crowding them out of their current home. This decision was made despite WH’s lack of full enthusiasm for returning to the insurance company’s limited types of legal issues. 

(Editor – Thus, money considerations prevailed over more interesting career prospects. Often, such a decision is soon regretted.)

Having experienced courtroom trials and interaction with lawyers on varied matters while at the big law firm and now lacking a full commitment to working for the rest of his career with limited issues for an insurance company, WH was open to the possibility of combining forces to start his own law firm with a few other experienced attorneys who were essentially dissatisfied with their current legal careers. 

By now, friends from WH’s years of city living and schooling, plus employees of the insurance company had been coming to WH for legal advice. WH received company permission to represent them, even establishing a separate office, where he could maintain a solo law practice with the assistance of a secretary who remained a full-time employee of the insurance company. This was essentially a ‘hybrid’ law practice, permitted by the insurance company to hopefully keep WH content while still employed within the insurer’s legal department. But, the company’s hopes to maintain WH as an employee were dashed by WH’s desire to ‘spread his wings’ – be his own boss, decide what types of clients to represent and as a secondary priority, eventually earn at least the same amount as he was being paid by the stable insurance company. 

With a bank loan and several new law partners sharing the same commitment to client service and responsibility to pay office rent and their employees, WH launched what would be the first of several law firm partnerships to provide legal representation to a variety of clients over the course of the next several decades. 

As a minor but important tribute to WH’s personal charisma, his secretary from the insurance company volunteered to follow him to his new solo practice, to help him succeed. 

DISPROVING THE SAYING “A JACK OF ALL TRADES IS A MASTER OF NONE’

Using his ever-increasing legal skills, matched with his civilian and military life experiences, plus his sincere interest in guiding others through a wide range of legal issues, WH, eventually as the leader of several law partnerships, became involved with many interesting clients and their issues, such as:

• A fireman fatally injured by a collapsed floor while responding to a fire call. 
• A middle-aged gentleman suffered a fatal fall at a train station; WH was able to creatively present loss of earnings despite his client never having filed income tax returns, through witness’ testimony of his deceased client’s casual labor jobs which financially supported his family.
• A friend referred a local pro football player to WH for representation; after successfully representing that first player, soon the player was referring other players, who referred many other players and their wives for representation, including negotiations with the team’s management over contracts and later, involving player union issues; eventually, players were often ‘hanging out’ at WH’s office as a friendly place away from their locker room and public places where they might otherwise be bothered by autograph seekers.
• A young woman was killed by a wall falling on her as it was being demolished.
• Threating litigation against a technology company resulted in WH’s client being reimbursed for his full contract damage claim. 
• In an ‘admiralty’ case involving liability for personal injuries while aboard a ship in intercoastal waters, client was injured when thrown off a tugboat into oily waters.
• Racial discrimination claim involving ‘class (group) action’ against the U.S. Navy; involved several appeals to high level Federal court.
• Pro football player was defrauded by a husband and wife team which had ‘sold’ (but in fact never issued a policy of) disability insurance; WH suggested to the NFL that they investigate on behalf of their players, which the NFL initially ignored; then WH assisted the player to prepare for the player’s testimony about the matter to the U.S. Congress, which resulted in a Congressional investigation and improved federal regulations to protect disability insurance consumers.
• Pro football player was defrauded on an oil lease investment; WH’s lawsuit resulted in a financial recovery to the player plus the defendant stock salesman forfeiting his seat on the Philadelphia Stock Exchange when the seat was sold to pay damages awarded by the court.
• During a pre-trial conference within the ‘chambers’ (fancy word for a judge’s conference room) with WH the only attorney for a claimant, opposed by a group of prominent defense lawyers, the federal court judge asked the status of negotiations. WH replied that he had received no settlement offers. The judge then said, for all to hear, using the first name of WH as if he was personally familiar with WH from a long acquaintance, “W, I’ll leave the room for awhile so you all can get this case resolved since W’s client’s claim seems to have some merit.” The judge departed and the claim was settled by agreement within the next hour. Side note: The judge had known WH as a paperboy within his neighborhood from several decades ago. Sometimes old connections can literally pay off!
• Representation of one medical doctor led to representation of many more individual physicians and medical practice groups. 
• Service as an arbitrator or mediator in dozens of claims involving varied facts and applicable laws, all of which had to be understood by WH to enable proper decisions as an arbitrator or persuasive negotiations as a mediator, with facts ranging from contracts to personal injuries to labor disputes. 
• When the NFL was faced with the prospect of free agency for many of its players, they unilaterally (without players’ union consent) adopted “Plan B” free agency, limiting the number of potential free agents from each team to ten annually. WH then represented a former #1 draft pick of the Eagles, who was one of the four named by the Eagles as eligible for free agency under Plan B. The Packers called WH, who consulted with his player client and negotiated a free agent deal with the Packers. 
• In addition to being an agent certified to represent pro football players, WH was similarly certified to represent pro basketball players. One college star, who had led the nation in scoring and rebounding as a junior, was referred to WH for advice on whether he should give up his senior college year to become eligible for the NBA draft. The player’s mother was closely involved in the discussions, which were permissible ‘counseling’ since the player was still enrolled in college and therefore was prohibited by NCAA rules then in effect, from hiring an ‘agent.’ WH consulted with several of his NBA contacts, which led to a conversation with the then most senior talent scout who was relied upon to project how high a college player might be drafted. This was an important issue for a player to consider since there were significant differences in money paid to a new NBA player, depending on the round in which he was drafted. The scout projected this player to be drafted in the second round, a considerably less financial reward than the first round but still an enticing amount for a player and mother were still living in a city public housing project. WH declined to make a recommendation that the player remain in college or declare his eligibility for the draft because there were significant advantages and disadvantages to both options and he wanted the final decision to be made by the player and his mother based upon all the information WH had gathered and fully provided to the family. But, since the player was under doctor’s care with prescribed medication, WH recommended to the player’s college coach that the family arrange through the NCAA – not illegally through a college booster club – to gather funds to purchase life insurance on the player, in light of the recent death of another star college player, Len Bias, who tragically died soon after he was drafted in a high round by the Boston Celtics. Whether the player and his mother ever purchased the life insurance is unknown but what is known: the player collapsed and died on the basketball court while playing a game attended by his mother (who had flown to the west coast on a rare trip to see her son play). A sad story in which WH played a significant role by providing important information in a legal way, without trying to force a significant decision. (Editor – like physicians, not all lawyer stories have happy endings.)

ETHICS – SHARKS RESPECTING OTHER SHARKS

To earn and maintain a license to practice law, every lawyer agrees to abide by the Code of Professional Conduct adopted by each state’s Bar Association (group of lawyers certified by each state’s Supreme Court to adopt rules applicable to all lawyers within that state.) 

Among the many rules applicable to each lawyer are: 

• Preserving the privacy of confidential statements by each client. 
• Holding client funds not yet earned as a fee, in a separate bank account. 
• Never misrepresenting a fact or the law to your opponent or to a court 
• Lawyers are prohibited from interfering with an existing contract which has not been breached by any party to the contract. So, while WH became a respected agent for pro football players, they often suggested to WH that he should also represent their friend, ‘player X,’ If player X called WH to ask for his legal representation, WH would first ask X whether X was already under contract with a different agent. If so, WH always declined to represent X until X was not subject to a contract with another agent. If WH thought X was being improperly represented by X’s current agent, WH might call that agent to suggest he or she contact X and try to resolve any problems, which often the agent (sometimes another lawyer) had not known existed. 

LAW BUSINESS MAY CREATE OTHER BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

The adult son of a satisfied client in the business of selling promotional merchandise (hats, towels, t-shirts with advertising words) asked WH to join his company as full-time V.P. of sales. WH consulted with his wife about making such a move, then advised his law partners and clients that he was departing the practice of law for awhile and perhaps permanently. 

WH’s business efforts helped to more than double the company’s business, which resulted in a nice compensation package for WH. But he missed practicing law so after a few years, WH returned to advising and representing former and new clients, though on a smaller scale, which he continues to the present day.  

CAREER SATISFACTION

High honors within a profession are not always awarded with a gold  medal or a shiny Oscar statue for Best Actor In a Leading Role. Equally appreciated within the business world is to be referred business from a professional with whom you were once involved in an adversarial (which need not be disrespectful) negotiation or litigation. 

This happened to WH on more than one occasion, but one will always stand out in his mind: a GM of the football team with whom WH had often engaged in difficult negotiations on behalf of many of WH’s player clients, called WH with a proposal. The team’s owner hoped that the GM could assemble a new group to buy the pro football team. The GM needed some investors but equally important, he wanted “excellent” (the GM’s term) legal representation and competent business advice. If WH’s legal work and advice helped lead the group to closing the deal, WH would be rewarded with a small percentage of ownership. 

That the deal was ultimately not successful does not detract from the honor of a former adversary having placed his trust in WH’s wisdom and professional skills. 

Editor – Appreciation from well-served clients plus respect from adversaries and independent arbiters (judges and mediators) are worth more than money can possibly be earned by any professional. For WH, all the above were well earned.