Why We Excel

Most criminal cases are resolved by plea bargains. Most civil cases are settled. Real trial lawyers, those who actually argue cases in a courtroom, only take a small fraction of their cases to trial. That leaves many lawyers who rarely see—or even want to see—the courtroom.

The attorneys at Wagstaff & Cartmell are trial lawyers—and we’re ready. We are willing, able, and unafraid to go to trial—whenever the situation requires it, for any and every case.

FOCUSED ON RESULTS.

We get results because we focus on the endgame, on being prepared to take your case (and every case) to trial, even if we think it may not, or should not, ever get there.

This shows opposing counsel that our clients are willing to take the case all the way to verdict. That readiness for trial combined with our track record of success for both plaintiffs and defendants have earned us a reputation that greatly enhances your leverage in negotiations.

COMMITTED TO OUR CLIENTS.

Our clients have stories that need and deserve to be told.

From day one, your legal team, including your lead counsel, knows the depth, details and impact of your story, so that when the time comes, we can persuasively convey it to juries, judges, or opposing parties or counsel.

WE PLACE SUBSTANCE OVER SHOW.

Any outcome’s success depends on the cost and time it takes to get it. Clients hire Wagstaff & Cartmell to attain the best possible results quickly, efficiently, and at the least possible cost.

We do that by placing substance over show—by valuing case preparation and strategy over legal puffery and distractions. After years of trying cases, we have an understanding and feel for what we need – and what will work.

WE VALUE RELATIONSHIPS.

In the legal world, you have to work through and with people (and with a few big personalities) to get results. Strategic collaboration—among our internal team, with referring lawyers, with our long-time clients—is a hallmark of who we are and how we get results.

Team Culture

We staff our cases efficiently and strategically with a long-sighted view of your case. That lets us pull in resources as we need them and provide our clients with flexible fee structures.

Referring Lawyers

We believe that we have become a destination for referrals by other lawyers because they trust us to do an excellent job for their clients while respecting their relationships. Plus, it helps that we don’t try to do everything. We are a litigation shop, so we pose no competition to lawyers who represent clients in non-litigation areas but whose clients find themselves in litigation unexpectedly.

Long-term Clients

For our long-term clients, Wagstaff & Cartmell has the ability to be an advocate in the courtroom, but also has the business understanding to grasp the commercial impact of the dispute.

WE SHARE RISK.

The trial lawyers at Wagstaff & Cartmell handle very complex litigation and have ability to do it with much more flexible fee structures. When appropriate, we can work on a contingency-fee, fixed-fee, or blended-rate basis — where our efforts pay off only when our clients win.

Because we run much of our practice this way—where case preparation is at our expense—we have developed a very efficient approach to litigation. We have learned that large cases do not require big hours. Because we staff and run cases using the same model, clients who prefer to hire us by the hour also benefit from our approach.

No matter what our agreement is with our client for fees and expenses, we strive to achieve the best possible result in the shortest amount of time at the lowest possible cost to the client.