Tom C. Spooner

Some plaintiff’s attorneys are famous for their cowboy hats, private jets, or courtroom antics. They make the case about THEM. I think the case should be about the client―their story, their pain, and the defendant’s responsibility for it.

I just want the jury to trust me; I don't need them to post about me on Instagram. Judges, juries, mediators, and arbitrators all tend to say that they like me. They see I don’t play childish games or fast and loose with the facts. An effective trial lawyer doesn’t need to be flamboyant. Juries are smart; they can see through acting and artifice. I just want to be the guy some jurors smile at when they return after lunch.

I win cases because I master the facts. I read every word in every file and record. It’s tedious, but that’s how I ensure I don’t miss anything.

I recently handled a trial against a phalanx of out-of-town hotshots in designer shoes. While they strutted around putting on a big show, I surgically and steadily dismantled their witnesses’ testimony while remaining polite and professional. There’s no reason to treat people with disrespect just because you disagree with their (paid) opinions. And juries see everything. Losing their respect means you’ve also lost the case; they don’t like sneaky gamesmanship.

I learned to try cases fresh out of school, working with my father, Ralph, in courtrooms big and small across Oregon. Ralph’s widely known as “the best trial lawyer in Oregon,” and there’s no better training than spending thousands of hours watching a master at work, then deconstructing the day on the ride home. He’d throw me small pieces to handle under his close supervision.

Gradually, over time and trials, I tackled bigger witnesses and first-chaired small, then larger cases. That old-school “mentorship” approach is how lawyers were trained before law became about the billable hours. Fewer cases go to trial today so today’s lawyers can't gain real hands-on training. I have more hard-core trial experience than lawyers twice my age; when many of my PI peers can’t settle a big case, they ask me to co-counsel with them. You can’t tell from their flashy websites, but most haven’t handled more than a few real trials.

I've first-chaired far more jury trials and arbitrations than others that call themselves trial lawyers, maybe the most in Oregon for my age. Game films can teach theory, but the only experience that matters is gained standing alone in front of 12 people. That's when cases are won and lost. And I don't like to lose.

I believe in our system, in helping seriously injured victims. And no one works harder to get them justice.