Two years of William P. Brogley Law Offices ... the making of a map

William P. Brogley Law Offices recently celebrated its second year anniversary.  The milestone rolled in with little fanfare, no ticker tape parade, nor even the clink of a champagne glass.  Rather, notice came to the office via a LinkedIn “Congratulations on your work anniversary!” from a friend. I thought to myself, “humph”, without a modicum of disdain and went back to work.  After all, I was in the midst of making sure I was up to date on subrogation. A client needed an explanation as to why this would compromise her case and I needed to be confident I was providing her the most accurate, up to date legal guidance.  For those not in the know, subrogation is a dirty word for a plaintiff and their attorney. But later that day, done the research and having received a few more LinkedIn high-fives, I started to reflect on the first two years of William P. Brogley … Law Offices.  

The practice is most accurately referred to as a “general practice.”  Ironically, no one really knows what that means and nor do I. What I do know is that it is exponentially interesting, with various areas of specialization and requiring the wherewithal to know when I have the right expertise to bear on a case and when cases need to be referred elsewhere.  

In the past two years, an extremely diverse caseload has come in the door and across my desk.  Though I do business formation, estate planning, contractual matters, and settlement agreements, the vast majority of the work has involved litigation.  Some of these matters involved topics that dominate our current news cycle, like civil rights claims pertaining to police misconduct and employment discrimination matters (prosecuting and defending).  Other cases, such as the demise of long-term business partnerships, ancient real property disputes, easements and title issues, archaic Orphan’s Court matters, personal injury, and a plethora or criminal and family matters, may seem more mundane, but every case has its own unique set of facts and circumstances, and every client their own unique set of motivations.  My job is to take those stories, discern those facts, sit down with the Rules of Court and draw each client and case their own distinct map.

I can confidently say that my clients have prevailed in the vast majority of our cases.  I wish I could say that all my clients of the past 2 years (and 13 prior to that) have been fully satisfied, but that would be untrue.   The fact of the matter is, 80% of the people seeking my counsel are doing so because things are not going well and my involvement comes at a time in their lives where something has gone wrong.  Being a lawyer is sometimes analogous to being the Coast Guard: save the person, then save the property. It is impossible to guarantee a result. Litigation, criminal defense, family law – each case has two sides.  It is an adversarial system and, if we go to court, there will be a winner and a loser, or maybe both sides win a bit and lose a bit. The outcome most often leaves both parties feeling like losers. In the best instances, reasonable minds prevail and come to the table to resolve the matter with everyone walking from the table feeling satisfied.  That is the goal of my practice; to help navigate my clients through these extremely personal and challenging circumstances with an eye towards seeking the best outcome.

As an improvement for my clients, I’m happy to share that in the past year I have implemented a client/office management system called “MyCase.”  This is a secure online portal available 24/7 where clients can access all documents, communications/correspondence, billing and invoices and are able to track their case in real time.  Cannot sleep? It’s online. Clients are able to make secure online payments and payment plans. Mind you, I still have stamps and envelopes for those of you who prefer. We have also recently launched an updated website where I periodically share articles on a range of legal topics and matters at williambrogley.com.

As my practice and this community continue to grow and thrive, I look forward to the next “Congratulations on your work anniversary!” message.  Thank you for the two years of trust.

Bill

William P. Brogley Law Offices

18 South Charlotte Street

P.O. Box 295

POTTSTOWN, PA 19464

484-624-5458

WPB@WILLIAMBROGLEY.COM