“Son, At This Firm, We Have No Billing Minimum – Just Win Everything You Touch”

At The Markarian Group, our lawyers have no “billing requirement” or “billing minimum.” Instead, we ask our team to simply bring excellence to everything they do and win everything they touch. Instead, we ask our team to simply bring excellence to everything they do and win at everything they touch. This idea and core belief were provided as a gift to me many, many mango seasons ago by my boss, Gil Haddad, when I asked him how many hours I should bill a day… He responded in a manner that I’ll never forget. I can still can hear his gravelly voice saying:

… at this firm son, we have no billing minimum or requirement. We simply ask that you win everything you touch.

And then, he laughed a loud, long, belly laugh (which I can also still hear, so many years later).

And so, it has been ever since. Mr. Haddad’s ethic lives on at The Markarian Group. Unlike nearly every traditional law firm, our team has no “billing minimum,” that is, no daily, monthly or annual “billing requirement” or target. Instead, we ask our team to focus on “winning everything we touch,” to assure excellence in all that we do. In place of a financial target or incentive, we ensure that our team keeps their eye on the real prize – doing good work and creating true value for you, our clients. Instead of viewing the law practice in terms of hours billed, our perspective focuses on creating value.

I’ve also found that this emphasis means something important to our talented team of lawyers. They love – and gain great satisfaction – knowing that they are valued for what they achieve for our clients, not how much they charge for doing it.

We don’t believe in charging for routine phone calls, nor for emails conveying quick updates pertaining to our representation. We want to encourage fluid communication that strengthens the attorney-client relationship and improves the end result; and want our clients to be comfortable that they don’t have to pay money just to get their lawyer on the phone, or to respond to a quick email, get an update or communicate an important nuance.

Finally, we hold ourselves to account, and we always treat you the way we would wish to be treated if we were on the opposite side of the equation. If our work for you doesn’t meet our standards – we won’t charge you. It is a simple guarantee – and we pledge to do our very best representing our clients and if we fall short of our own very high standards, you don’t pay for that work.