Joseph Neal Briers

My sister and I found ourselves in need of an attorney when Union Pacific Railroad exercised their right of eminent domain to acquire land we owned. We did not want to sell the property. It supported our family for generations through farming operations, and oil and gas royalties. Our grandparents... were Italian immigrants who sacrificed so their children and grandchildren would have a better life. This land was their home, and our history. This was not just a legal battle for us. This was an emotional ordeal. Over the course of three years we interviewed several attorneys. We spoke with a very experienced attorney who practices general law. We know him personally. He had done a wonderful job representing us in the past. We interviewed two attorneys who specialize in eminent domain cases. We were told they ranked among the best in the state. We ultimately consulted the law firm of Bruchez, Goss, Thornton, Mernoff & Hawthorne to protect our oil and gas interests. We assumed we would use another firm for the other aspects of the case. We worked with several attorneys at Bruchez, Goss, Thorton, Mernoff & Hawthorne. As time progressed we depended more and more on Joseph Briers for the answers to our questions. He explained the ramifications of complicated legal concepts in a way we could understand. We found Mr. Briers to be assessable, creative, logical, succinct, and compassionate. Several months ago we determined that we needed to have one attorney to represent all of our interests. Joseph Briers was young and inexperienced when compared with the other attorneys we interviewed. We were especially concerned that he was too young to go up against UPRs renowned lead attorney. My sister and I called Joseph “the kid”. I remember the day we decided that Joseph Briars was the best attorney for us. I was speaking to my sister and I said, “The kid is young but he is smart”. If I have to use one word to describe Joseph Briers, that word would be “SMART”. He instinctively knows how to negotiate. He never pushed us to make a decision, he guided and advised. My sister and I signed an agreement with UPR today. I cannot say it was painless, but I can say I have no regrets. I know I got the best deal possible and I am very grateful to Joseph Briers for negotiating it for us. What would I say to those who think he is too young? …Think again.