Jacoby & Meyers: Small Business Owners Do not Need to Take it on the Chin

Dothan, ALSmall and midsize business owners can't usually afford to have their own in house legal department or keep a law firm on retainer. So, when a supplier walks out on a contract, or a customer decides not to pay, small companies will often 'take it on the chin' rather than spend time and money going to court. If the dispute is with a big corporation—small business owners know it is practically a no win situation for them.

"I don't have to tell you what's going to happen," says attorney Adam Jones from Jacoby & Meyers, "They are going to litigate that small business guy right into the ground."

Jacoby & Meyers has developed a reputation over the last 36 years as a provider of quality legal services at rates average Americans can actually afford. The firm now sees a growing need to provide cost effective representation for commercial and business operations.

"There are companies walking all over contracts—and walking out on contracts across the country. The economy is in a situation where some companies believe it is better to breach a contract, than it is to honor a contract," says Jones.

It is a business atmosphere, which at this moment in time, seems to reward misconduct, according to Jones. "We are finding more and more small and medium sized business owners need someone to stand up for them, but they don't necessarily have $300 thousand or $400 thousand in their coffers to fight the battle," says Jones.

Jacoby & Meyers has recently come up with a strategy that will work for businesses that find themselves in legal spats—no matter how small the business is or how limited their cash flow. "For these kinds of smaller companies," Jones says, "contingency fees are the way to go."

The strategy is primarily focused on companies with one hundred employees or less. However, Jacoby & Meyers believes its contingency fee model is the right choice for any company that finds itself in a potentially costly dispute.

"This is a workable situation for everything from a mom-and-pop ice cream parlor on the corner to a business with a seven or eight figure problem," says Jones.

"Jacoby & Meyers is a firm that has always represented the American family," Jones says. "We do not represent Fortune 500 companies. We are a big firm in terms of the numbers of lawyers, but we have always represented John Q. Public."

It is precisely because it is a national firm with offices across the country that Jacoby & Meyers commercial and business litigation department can afford to work for smaller companies on a contingency basis. Attorney Adam Jones is spearheading the new department headquartered in Dothan, Alabama. Contingency fee litigation services are available through any of the Jacoby & Meyers offices.

There are other firms that do commercial and business litigation on contingency basis. However, Jones believes his firm uniquely positioned to provide winning advice and legal services. "We have excellent lawyers, we do excellent research, we learn everything about the case and about the targets," says Jones. "If we decide to take the case, we do it because we are willing to gamble a whole lot of time and money on it."

Jacoby & Meyers is a full service law firm with regional offices in Arizona, Southern California and New York. It does personal injury law, wills and estates, criminal law, stockbroker fraud, real estate and other legal matters.

The firm spearheaded the landmark Supreme Court case of Jacoby & Meyers v the California Supreme Court that overturned a ban on advertising by law firms. It is widely believed that the decision led to more competition in the industry and lower legal fees for the average American.

Adam Jones is the Chief Operations Officer for Jacoby & Meyers, as well as the Managing Partner of the Southeast Alabama Regional Office and the Section Head of the new Jacoby & Meyers National Commercial and Business Litigation Section.