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I suspected that my former employer fired me because I was owed big performance bonuses. When they fired me citing a supposed “lack of performance,” I immediately considered my legal options. I was referred to Bayer & Borlase by another attorney who agreed that I may have a strong wrongful termination suit. I interviewed four law firms. In the end, it wasn’t even close – Bayer & Borlase rose to the top very quickly because of their team dynamic. It was evident right away that they were interested in justice first, fees second. Their personal, enthusiastic approach to my case was very different from the other attorneys I spoke with during the interview process. They were emotionally involved. They wanted to get to the truth. In my experience, teams are always stronger than any one individual. Alan and Heather spark one another, and exude confidence. They combined flashes of brilliance with sober judgment. They even made the process fun. Really. Their contrasting personalities and approaches to my case proved to be a huge asset when we went up against my former employer, who hired one of the most expensive employment law firms in San Francisco. Bayer & Borlase gave me such a level of confidence in our ability to achieve the result I wanted, I never really worried about the David and Goliath factor. Alan and Heather were more energetic, more creative, more aggressive, and just plain smarter than the high-dollar, big reputation law firm my former employer hired. They tried a number of things to intimidate and threaten us, including a countersuit against me personally. Without Alan and Heather there to help me see these ploys as actually signs of desperation, I may very well have been intimidated into accepting a lesser mediated settlement than what I ultimately received. And while I decided to accept a very fair mediated settlement, right up to that final decision both Alan and Heather were more than willing to go forward with litigation – even though they agreed to represent me on a contingency basis. They always respected and honored my wishes. If I had decided to refuse the settlement and take my chances in litigation, Bayer & Borlase stood by my side to fight just as hard for me in the courtroom. The point is - hard work doesn’t bother Alan and Heather. In fact, I got the feeling they relished it because they knew the opposition wouldn’t work as hard to prepare a case as strong as mine. And my satisfaction was always their end goal. They never pushed me; never manipulated. This is what happens when you work with attorneys truly interested in and passionate about social justice. So many attorneys go to law school to get the big house and the expensive car. I can honestly and proudly say that Alan and Heather are in it to see that our civil society operates as it should. Back |