Randal Oakley | Irvine Estate Lawyer

In the past two years we have obtained higher than average settlements for our clients, often even in cases where liability was questionable. In fact, I cannot recall a single case that we did not obtain a settlement for our client.

We have built our practice basically from referrals from happy clients and other attorneys who do not specialize or are not willing to take on the cases where we consistently succeed.

Clients should obviously look at the experience of the attorney but experience alone is not always the key to success. We have taken on cases where we basically had to learn the law from the beginning but still obtained superior results. Sometimes, pure competitiveness and the basic desire to win far exceeds years of experience. Clients should seek attorneys who are aren't afraid to take calculated risks and are capable of standing back and viewing a case objectively rather than simply following a routine.

We've been practicing in Orange County for several years and have had the luxury of arguing before most of the Superior Court Judges-even some Federal Judges. In fact, my last boss is now a Superior Court Judge, Tim Stafford. This familiarity helps us to know how and why a judge may react to certain cases and motions.

All of our initial telephone conferences are free and, as my partner can attest, I often provide more free information than I probably should. In any event, we have a knack for getting our potential clients to disclose that which is usually most important in a short period of time. This enables us to evaluate and determine if in fact the potential client has a case or not. If he or she doesn't have a case in our opinion, we simply advise them of our opinion and refer them to discus there case with another attorney for a second opinion.

That is a difficult question. We have many attorney friends and think very highly of them and hope they think the same of us. Clients have many choices out there and as much as we believe we are very very good, the truth is there's always someone smarter, luckier and more successful in the world. All we can say is this: we'll never lie to our clients, we'll never tell them they have a case without pointing out the negatives and making sure they understand that there is no such thing as a slam dunk. If there is an angle, we'll find it. If there is an argument, we'll argue it. In other words, we'll fight for each and every one of our clients as hard and as vigilant as if we're fighting for our own lives (because in essence-we are). Our client's success is our own success, just as our client's failures are our own failures. I often tell my clients that if they want to be fairly compensated for their loss, then we can help them, but if they expect to be compensated beyond what their claim is worth-then they best find someone else. We will represent them to the best of our abilities and get them what they are entitled to but we will not lie or cheat or otherwise risk our well earned reputation in the legal community for any client.

Winning cases, obtaining the optimal settlement, and assuring that our clients' businesses and estates are as protected as humanly possible. Naturally we have lives outside of our legal careers. My family, especially my 10 year old daughter, takes priority over pretty much everything in my life. In fact, my family is why I strive to be financially successful in the first place. I also have a strong interest in politics and toy with the idea of running for serious office someday-but that is somewhat of a pipe dream so far. I did run, win and hold office as President of my HOA several years ago (something I probably would never do again) and I did unsuccessfully run for the Laguna Hills City Council in 2010. Great experience but quite honestly, my political ambitions do not necessarily involve making sure the streets are well maintained-although I know someone has to do it. If I'm going to put myself and my family under a microscope, it has to be for a very a higher reward and involve more significant responsibilities. Like I said, this is really just a pipe dream for now.

• California State Bar Association

 Weekends: By appointment