Appelate
Our attorneys are experienced in handling appeals-whether seeking to reverse an unfavorable decision or defending a favorable one. Our attorneys have briefed and argued appeals in federal and state courts across the country, and in the appellate arena we are both generalists and specialists.
We are generalists in that our appellate work spans a wide variety of legal subject area: partnership disputes, banking, legal ethics, employment, bankruptcy and receivership law, constitutional law, and criminal law. And we are specialists in that we know the special rules that apply in appeals-rules that govern what issues may and may not be raised, whether the appeals court will consider the issue anew or instead defer to the lower court, and what kinds of arguments an appeals court will consider. Both aspects of our work are called on when we make the hard judgment calls on which an appeal can turn, such as narrowing down the case to a handful of strong issues.
We are also specialists in the process of crafting powerful appellate arguments. That is a skill that requires thorough legal research, incisive analysis, and writing that is clear and persuasive.
Recently, we have pioneered the use of linguistics in arguing issues of statutory and constitutional interpretation. Our work in this area has received national attention, and amicus briefs we have filed in the Supreme Court have had a significant impact on the Court's decision.