Plaintiff Firm Relying on Track Record in Major Push Into Business Litigation Arena

29 March 2006

The following is issued by Janet, Jenner and Suggs, LLC:

Relying on its track record representing consumers against companies who have engaged in misconduct in the energy, insurance and health care industries, a Baltimore plaintiff law firm with a national practice has announced an aggressive expansion into the corporate litigation market.

The new litigation area for Janet, Jenner and Suggs, LLC, is headed by Ken Suggs, partner, and current president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. The firm has offices in Baltimore and Columbia, SC.

"We've had businesses coming to us for some time to handle disputes with other companies. It was a natural next step to take advantage of this experience and reputation and expand on it," said Howard Janet, managing partner.

The firm, best known for professional malpractice, pharmaceutical products liability and bad faith insurance litigation on behalf of individuals, has launched a major advertising campaign to alert businesses to the advantages of using a plaintiff firm. Ads are appearing this month in such publications as Fortune, Forbes, Newsweek, Time and the Wall Street Journal.

The football-themed ads note plaintiff attorneys play legal offense -- a distinct litigation specialty that businesses need when they seek to sue another business, according to the firm. See http://www.janetjennersuggs.com for details.

"If a business has been significantly damaged as the result of fraud, breach of contract, or unethical behavior by another business, they don't need attorneys who've spent their careers defending those kinds of actions. They need a team that knows how to work with juries to hold those businesses accountable," Janet said. "Helping good, honest businesses protect themselves against bad corporate behavior is an extension of the work we have done for years on behalf of regular citizens."

The new practice area will focus on contract and bidding disputes, fraud, and bad faith insurance, Janet said. Former business clients have come from the manufacturing, energy, real estate and food services industries.

"The old taboo against businesses hiring plaintiff attorneys is crumbling," said Suggs, whose organization represents 60,000 attorneys worldwide. Among the reasons he cited were successful high-profile lawsuits against big companies for engaging in illegal or unethical behavior, and the contingency fee arrangements offered by plaintiff firms.

"Businesses that have been significantly and unfairly hurt in a business dealing now are encouraged to seek a remedy in court, and have found a way to do so without incurring substantial financial risk," Suggs said.

Because plaintiff attorneys are just as invested as the client in a good outcome, they won't accept a case unless a thorough assessment shows the client can win -- also a big advantage to a business from the out set, Suggs noted.

But the plaintiff firm-business marriage isn't meant for all, he cautioned.

"A business shouldn't go on cost advantage alone in picking a trial firm. And not all plaintiff firms have the resources and expertise to win major business cases in court. Like any important business decision, it should be carefully considered from all sides," Suggs said.

For More Information

Teresa Kelly, 512-328-4276

teresapkelly@msn.com

Source: prnewswire

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