Commitment, ambition, competitive spirit, preparation, diligence, creativity, passion, integrity, and a respect for each other are the fundamentals of our firm’s approach to its work. Since its inception over 35 years ago, our firm has always placed an emphasis on non-traditional approaches to the problems presented to us by our clients. From the adoption of alternative fee structures to the quantitative analysis of data as a means of providing objective evidence in largely subjective cases, FormanWatkins is constantly seeking new ways of doing things to ensure that the client’s best interest is always served. There are no “cookie-cutter” solutions, as each case requires individual attention to ensure that the best approach is taken both economically and strategically.
In 1986, Rick Forman, W.G. Watkins, and Fred Krutz believed they could build a better law firm and they have. According to Forman, “Our objective was to provide superior advice and litigation results to our clients. Also to develop a regional and national practice, particularly in toxic tort.” They were naturally ambitious and hardworking, and by cultivating these talents in the early years and insuring that the ethos of the firm was built around these basic principles, they created new litigation methods and fee arrangements. These include the joint defense concept, being among the first to utilize computers in litigation, the development of client-specific and case-specific documentation software and analytics, and the use of data quantification. Over the years, the creativity and hard work of FormanWatkins lawyers have produced the dismissal of hundreds of thousands of cases without a single dollar being paid in settlement for their dismissals. We have tried cases from coast to coast and from north to south with a winning percentage of over 83%. While trial needs to always be a viable solution in a case, settlement must be a viable alternative as well. Through the years we have settled over $1 Billion of cases.
After 30 years, we have the experience. But experience without more is not enough in today’s litigation climate. We marry that experience to our natural proclivity for creativity to produce the FormanWatkins approach to problem solving. In the end there is no substitute for hard work, intelligence, curiosity, innovation, and the refusal to lose. We are FormanWatkins, and we are proud of our history, excited with our present, and enthusiastic about our future. According to W.G. Watkins, “We founded this firm on the belief that we could build a better mousetrap and we were right. There was a need for a non-traditional approach to the practice of law, and we knew we could fill it.”
