03/07/2025
Just a reminder to the fellow inhabitants of Earth of Benjamin Franklin’s sage advice: Don’t pay too much for the whistle. (Background: As a kid, he saw other kids blowing some whistles; he wanted one and, before knowing what other people had paid, paid a relatively high price. When he realized he’d been duped, he regretted the purchase, and vowed to never again “pay too much for the whistle.) I’ve been litigating cases for 27 years, and I will add this to Old Ben’s wisdom: People pay a high price in time and stress, and also actual money, to fight cases they should settle. Now, I personally LOVE going to court. It’s one of my happy places. I don’t understand the sick psychology behind it, but I love standing on the deck of a boat in the Florida Keys, and casting a fly or bait to the unseen wonders of the sea; and I ALSO love being in the courtroom and cross-examining the SOB on the other side of my case, and letting the judge or jury decide whether I’m right. But sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor, and in my client’s best interests. Pick your battles, and count the costs.
