William Webb | San Francisco Litigation Lawyer

A number of our cases each year involve people with strong personalities on the other side. These cases require a lot of work and attention to detail, and often require winning at trial before the other side is in a frame of mind to resolve the case. About a year after a recent trial that we won, the party on the other side called us to ask if we would represent him in another matter. We felt this was the highest compliment we could have been paid as attorneys.

Hard work and attention to detail fueled by a highly competitive nature, which leads to courtroom success. Then, word gets around. We get most of our clients as referrals from other attorneys, whose trust we have earned.

First, we always encourage potential clients to shop around and interview other attorneys. They always come back to us. Second, make sure the attorney has your best interests in mind, and asks questions designed to help the attorney to figure out what that may be. Third, make sure they are willing to talk to you and review some paperwork before they start charging you. How will they know if they can help you until they have at least a basic understanding of the matter?

It depends on the case, but at least some local knowledge is critical in every case. We try cases throughout the state of California and elsewhere. When we are venturing from the Bay Area, we always consult heavily with local counsel about the area and the judges, and often retain local counsel for this purpose, too.

We have a policy where we will review up to about 100 pages of documents and talk by telephone for up to an hour before we will begin billing for our time. We want to make sure that we have a good fit before we enter into a financial relationship with a client. And, we want to make sure that we are in a position to deliver value before we charge our first dime.

First, we need to know what type of case it is. We have handled a large number of different types of cases through trial, and so we get calls about a to of different types of cases. Assuming it is a business or transactional matter, we would need to know whether a written contract is in place, what the other side did wrong (or what the client is accused of doing wrong), and the amount of money at stake. For other types of matters, it would be different types of questions.

There are three main factors. First, we have strong academic backgrounds and big-firm experience, but we founded the firm with the strong belief that clients can be well-represented without being charged big-firm rates. Our offices are not opulent, but are well-appointed for our needs. Our clients do not require us to have million dollar views, because they know that money has to come from somewhere. Second, although we are a small firm, we have the ability to scale up literally overnight because of our relationships with other attorneys with various specialties. For instance, we have a relationship with a firm whose billing rate is similar to ours, and we can staff cases involving millions of documents and very complex issues without affecting the rates our clients pay for the attorneys working on the file. Third, Mr. Webb is an experienced trial attorney who teaches other lawyers how to try cases through the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. At the end of the day, we find our clients demand that if they are going to trial, they are very comfortable doing so with someone who is so experienced that he is regularly called on to teach trial skills to other attorneys.

Working with our clients. We are in the enviable position of being able to screen our cases, and we only work with clients we like, respect and trust. A close second is delivering great results for them.

I have a young son, so it's hard to think of anything other than Lego's right now, but I have a vague recollection of being very enthusiastic about skiing, wine, cooking, hiking, camping, traveling and watching Notre Dame football and basketball games.

Yes. As mentioned, I teach trial skills to attorneys, and some of the programs are for attorneys who work in the public interest field. These attorneys work long hours for little pay, but are in court all the time, fighting for the rights of children who have been abused and neglected. I receive no compensation for teaching at these programs, but try to answer the call whenever it comes in. My wife and I are also involved with our son's school and sports teams.

• Member | California State Bar Association
  Member | Indiana State Bar Association
  Advisor | Business Litigation Committee | Business Law Section of the State Bar of California | 2016 – present
  Member | Executive Committee | Business Law Section of the State Bar of California | 2012 – 2015
  Member | San Francisco Bank Attorneys Association | 2007 – present
  

• Litigating and Adjudicating Business Entity Governance Disputes in California Lexis-Nexis (“Professional Business Entities: Special Considerations” Chapter Author, and Editor, with others); expected publication date July 2019
  
  The International Legal Aspects of the Lithuanian Secession, 17 Journal of Legislation 309
  
  Casenote: The Jolley Case; Business Law News 2014 Issue 2
  
  Financial Institutions and Consumer Financial Services Legislative Update, 2013 – 2014 Business Law News (with Jennifer D. Yu and Kenneth Sayre-Peterson)
  
  Financial Institutions and Consumer Financial Services Legislative Update, 2012 – 2013 Business Law News (with Victoria L.S. Allen)
  
  Financial Institutions and Consumer Financial Services Legislative Update, 2011 – 2012 Business Law News (with Victoria L.S. Allen)
  
  Financial Institutions and Consumer Financial Services Legislative Update, 2010 – 2011 Business Law News (with Martha King)
  
  Financial Institutions and Consumer Financial Services Legislative Update, 2009 – 2010 Business Law News (with Caryn Becker)
  
  Financial Institutions and Consumer Financial Services Legislative Update, 2008 – 2009 Business Law News
  
  Financial Institutions and Consumer Financial Services Legislative Update, 2007 – 2008 Business Law News

William Theodore Webb has been a Premium Member since September 18, 2019.
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