About Andrew Brandt
Andrew Brandt is the associate editor on Super Lawyers‘ staff. He serves as the editor for the Missouri-Kansas, Mountain States, Oklahoma, and Texas Rising Stars magazines, and he additionally writes, fact-checks and proofreads for numerous other Super Lawyers issues (and for the website). He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in English literature and environmental studies, and his byline has appeared in a variety of places, both online and in print.
Articles written by Andrew Brandt
Conflicts Checks, Red Flags and Communicating Specifics
What business litigation clients should expect from—and provide for—their attorneysIf you own a business, odds are you’re going to run into potential litigation matters eventually. We spoke with Christopher C. Kearney, a business litigator and past president of the Bar Association of San Francisco, about what clients can expect—and attorneys should provide—when meeting with a law firm's business litigator for the first time. If you’re a client in need of an attorney for a business dispute, what’s something you’d expect from the lawyer? When a businessperson comes …
Legal Representation’s Red Flags
Warning signs your lawyer may not be the right fitAs Dori Foster-Morales puts it: “No one teaches you how to hire a lawyer.” So how do you know when you’ve hired the right one for your case? And what are the warning signs if you haven’t? Foster-Morales, a family law attorney and past president of The Florida Bar, compares the process of finding an attorney to that of picking a wedding planner. Paul Kiesel, a personal injury attorney and former president of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, likens it to selecting a doctor. “You …
How Do I Pick the Right Lawyer?
Where to start when you need legal helpWhether it’s because you were hurt in an accident, need a will, or are getting a divorce, odds are you’ll come face-to-face with a lawyer at some point in your life. When you do, it’s likely you’ll feel burdened by the unknowns: How do I hire an attorney? How do I know it’s a good fit? What will the services cost? “A lot of people find meeting with a lawyer to be somewhat intimidating,” says Kathryn Grant Madigan, an estate planning attorney and past president of the New York …
Five Tips for Hiring the Right Attorney for Your Business
The documents to prepare and questions to ask when hiring a business lawyerIf you’re a business owner, odds are favorable that you’re going to need legal advice at some point in your company’s life. When you do, it’s likely you’re going to have a multitude of questions about finding the right lawyer: How do I search for legal counsel? What do I need to bring when I meet with one? How much will attorney’s fees cost? 1. Gather Documents to Help with Case Evaluation at Your Initial Consultation David B. Sosin, a business attorney and former president of the …
FAQs About Starting the Estate Planning Process in New York
Demystifying end-of-life planning and the attorney-client relationshipWhether it’s due to fear of death or simply fear of getting older, setting up a will or trust is something many put off. When someone finally begins the process, where do they start? We spoke with Kathryn Grant Madigan, an estate planning and probate attorney at Levene Gouldin & Thompson in Vestal, New York, and past president of the New York State Bar Association, about selecting an attorney and putting clients at ease. What if I’ve Never Worked With an Attorney Before? I find that, …
Is My Personal Injury Attorney Right for Me?
Tips from a California attorney on finding the right lawyerMost people who work with personal injury lawyers either haven’t worked with an attorney before, or—at the very least—didn’t expect to be working with one of this variety. We spoke with Paul R. Kiesel, a personal injury attorney and former president of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, about selecting the one that’s right for you. What Is the Most Important Aspect of Selecting a Personal Injury Attorney? The key to selecting a lawyer is finding an attorney whom you feel …
Bring All of the Relevant Documents
Bring all of the relevant documentsEven though a sizeable proportion business owners (entrepreneurs) has experience working with attorneys, there will also be a select few who have not. No matter the reason you’re seeking legal advice, we spoke with David B. Sosin—a business attorney and former president of the Illinois State Bar Association—to get general tips for those meeting with an attorney for the first time. What’s the main piece of advice you’d give a client meeting with any law firm's attorney for the first …
Leading the Charge
Meaningful change has always been Ruth Irvings’ goal, even if it’s via an estate planWhen Ruth Irvings whisked away to college in 1968, she thought she’d been rescued. Having grown up in a well-to-do suburb on Long Island, the future attorney spent her teenage years feeling alienated by the self-centered pursuits of her peers and the materialist culture that defined the area’s adults. “There was tremendous emphasis on academic achievement for the sake of getting into a good college, getting a good job. That’s not where my head was,” she says. “It was the 1960s, and …
The State of the DACA Program
New Yorkers are still able to dreamIt has been three years since the Trump administration ordered an end to the DACA program. Originally enacted by President Obama in 2012 after failed efforts at reforming the immigration system, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals shields its recipients from deportation and makes them eligible for work authorization. “DACA basically means that the government is not prioritizing nor deporting people who are in this limited class,” says Anastasia Tonello, an immigration attorney at Laura …
If You Don't Have a Will in New York
What happens if you die without an estate plan in placeAfter Prince died without a will in 2016, Gallup Poll conducted a survey and found that 55% of respondents didn’t have wills, either. Patricia C. Marcin, an estate planning attorney at law firm Farrell Fritz, guesses some don’t put an estate plan together because they don’t want to even have the discussion, while others may be worried about the money it costs to put their ducks in a row. Mostly, though, she assumes people simply don’t realize the ramifications for loved ones. “Not …
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