My Approach
“Big Mind” describes the zen approach of remaining actively unbiased and purposefully open minded. Big Mind is the practice of being inquisitive and interested. It involves listening fully and thoughtfully, drawing on experience before arriving at skillful action. This approach informs how I practice law and serve my clients.
This firm was founded on three guiding principles.
First, the practice of law should always be about delivering dynamic and outstanding service to every client at the right price. To me that means providing unparalleled performance, enthusiastic and uncompromised counsel, and budgeting every case to meet the client’s needs. Big firms are great at some of these things. My firm aims to do all of them more creatively and efficiently. This includes drawing upon years of experience to design strategies and creative solutions. This means discussing costs and expenses thoroughly from the beginning. Surprises (there are always surprises) must be limited and critical targets met.
Second, every aspect of providing and buying legal services is rapidly evolving, and a small firm can provide intelligent and creative solutions free from bureaucratic processes that impede innovation. The idea isn’t just to pivot when changes develop, but to lead change in the first place. This is about efficiency. This is about technology. This includes putting together the right team at the right time for every case. This means the client is paying for the services it receives — not subsidizing an over-market lease and under-utilized staff. This includes trying a case without printing a single document — much less printing 5,000,000 pages at a premium to the client. This is about alternative fee structures wherever appropriate, such as fixed rate and capped rate pricing, contingency fees, partial contingency or success fees, phased fees, budgets with collars, and holdbacks. I work in bankruptcy courts across Texas, and through the firm’s innovative relationships with WeWork and others, I can affordably work on bankruptcy matters beyond Texas in locations such as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Wilmington.
Third, but most importantly, personal relationships matter. Results happen through connection and collaboration. In my experience, clients hire people, not brands, to handle legal matters. The most important part of what I do is to personally connect with and serve my clients. This means fundamentally understanding every aspect of my client’s industry and business, their people, their products and services, their strengths and their weaknesses. This is the best part of what I do. Every case is different and presents new and unique people, industries, opportunities and challenges.
Mr. Mercer is not board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.