Richard A. Hooker

I have practiced with Varnum in its Labor & Employment Group my entire career.  In my work as a neutral, I am affiliated with the American Settlement Centers in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Contested matters:  I am by nature competitive, so I enjoy and am as skilled at a good fight as any of my colleagues in the labor & employment field.  My focus in most cases, however, is to bring them to a resolution that is consistent with our clients' best interests.

Client relations:  I strive to be our clients' trusted advisor over the long term, so I believe our first and most fundamental duty is to assist our clients in avoiding disputes.  In an effort to convince clients of the value of consultation on the front end, as opposed to paying for the fight on the back end, I have several telephone and e-mail retainer relationships that allow unlimited access to our Labor & Employment lawyers and their advice for a flat fee per year.  That fee typically falls far short of the value of our time at standard hourly rates and helps eliminate the clients' reluctance to call us on the front end of potential legal problems.

Guiding principles:  1) It's important to be good lawyer, but it's more important to be a good man; 2) the two most important lines on a contract are the signature lines; and 3) one derives reward from an organization in direct proportion to that which one gives it without expectation of immediate reward.