Trial lawyers never should make promises about the outcome of a case. But I make this promise to my clients: No one will outwork me on a case. The day I can't put in the maximum effort on every case is the day I start looking for something else to do.

I represent the catastrophically injured - frequently it's those people who have no one to look out for them. I take that role - as their advocate, as their representative - very seriously.

I came to Duffy & Duffy eight years ago and I know we have one of the most committed organizations to trial law anywhere. Here, the trial is king. It's not about marketing and promotion, or about slogans on the radio. Our resources go into the trial process. Our trial support staff is first-rate, and we are a close-knit organization. Jim Duffy just let me be me from the start - I've always been grateful for that - and we've collaborated on many cases now. We work to formulate winning strategies.

Some lawyers may feel cases should be tried in front of law professors or groups of other lawyers, in an academic setting. But that's not the real world. In my life I had plenty of jobs - accountant, football coach, clerk - so many jurors can relate to me. I'm a pretty typical Brooklyn guy. I inherited my father's arguing skills, and my wife's fighting spirit rubbed off on me. I can't change that. And I wouldn't want to.

Integrity is everything in what we do, especially on our side of the case - plaintiffs' attorneys are always scrutinized, and questioned on their motives. But the fact is, if you don't have integrity, you can't even try a case, much less win one.

Our clients don't hire us on retainer. It's not as though they have a reason to call after their case is completed. But often they do. They keep in touch with us, sometimes for years. I think that says something important about what we do.

Once I set my mind to something, I have a force of will to succeed. I think sometimes that it's a fear of not being good at it. I never assume I'm going to win. Now I've come to realize that, when engaged, I can be very formidable.