Did you know that many attorneys aren't equipped to take your case to trial? Instead, they make their profits from whatever they can get in a settlement offer based merely on a demand letter, leaving you short thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars you could have gotten but didn't... all because it's easier and less work for the lawyer to just send a letter and then settle.

That's why you want one that is fully prepared to go to trial on your behalf to get everything you're entitled to, and has lots of experience in doing just that. 

That's exactly what we found in Marin County firm Freitas Law Firm, LLP in San Rafael CA and partner Tom Keating.

Marin County's Tom Keating in San Rafael CA Gets Results Others Don't

When choosing among attorneys to handle your case, one thing to notice is if they try to charge you for a consultation. A reputable one will take your case on contingency, not hourly billing, so there's no cost to meet with him or her for a consultation. The next is whether they do more talking or more listening. Tom Keating agrees, telling us, "I ask questions for quite a while before I offer any advice. You can only offer advice that's good if you've heard and understood the client's whole situation and their concerns and goals. And if you do go to trial, you have to know the client's story in order for the jury to get it."

Next, you should ask the attorney how many cases they've actually taken to a jury trial. Too many of them avoid going to trial even when it's in your best interest, because they're just not experienced enough to handle it, and would rather make their money from a high volume of clients and quick settlements for less than you could have gotten in trial.

Unlike them, Tom Keating has decades of experience trying and winning cases in court, so much so that he's been chosen to teach winning trial strategies to other lawyers for the American Board of Trial Advocates. One reason he's so successful is that he genuinely cares about his clients and their well being.   Another is that he's been in personal injury law since 1978 and for 20 years he was an attorney for the defense, meaning the insurance companies. So he understands better than most how they think and what it will take to motivate them to come through with a satisfactory settlement offer or how to beat them in a trial. 

But with so many others making a good living from settlements only, without putting in the work needed to go to trial, why doesn't Tom Keating just do that too? He says, "Other attorneys might make a bigger income for themselves by just settling most or all of their cases and going through a high volume of clients that way, but for me it's personal. I'm able to sleep well at night knowing that I've genuinely done my best for each client, and that I got the most possible for them."

And for you as the client, why not just settle quickly by taking whatever offer an attorney can get outside of actually filing a lawsuit? Tom explains, "Clients are always in charge, and they can always take whatever settlement offer is currently on the table at any time. But I usually file suit for my client rather than simply send a demand letter like others do because it shows the defendant that we're serious, and that we're prepared to go all the way to trial if we have to. Insurance companies can tell when a lawyer isn't really prepared to go to trial and they end up giving lower offers than they otherwise would."  

Clients of Tom Keating attest to this, like one client who said, "I was injured in an automobile accident. I had a figure in mind that I would accept as settlement. The amount that Tom negotiated on my behalf far exceeded my expectations." Even other attorneys recognize Tom Keating as someone who gives clients his full effort, like attorney Christian Kemos in San Rafael who said of Tom, "Time and again I see how Tom goes the extra mile for his clients. Not only is he an extremely knowledgeable and outstanding trial attorney, he is deeply committed to his clients....His commitment, caring and empathy set him apart."
 
But attorney Tom Keating is still willing to push for a settlement offer instead of trial if that's what the client wants.  "That's not uncommon with my elderly clients, who often just want to be done with it quickly and move on, and in those cases, I will send a demand letter and get the best offer possible for them. I've done that many times."

Clients of Attorney Tom Keating and Freitas Law Firm, LLP in Marin County Like Their Lawyer

It also makes things easier when you genuinely like your attorney, and Tom Keating is easy to like.  His grandfather and father were both Marin County natives, and today Tom Keating works in San Rafael, and lives in Fairfax CA with this wife of 34 years where they raised four children together. His father was a judge so he grew up around the law and saw the honor in it. By high school knew he would pursue it as a way to help people that needed it.   In between getting awards for his clients, he enjoys skiing, abalone diving on the north coast, and fly fishing on the Yuba, Russian, Sacramento, and Trinity rivers, and most especially the McCloud River which he says offers both natural beauty and an amazing solitude.  Clients of Tom Keating describe him as thorough, committed, and helpful in preparing them, often saying he got them more than they had expected.

So when it comes to picking the right lawyer to get you compensated, you want one who's willing to file suit rather than merely sending a demand letter and pushing the client to take a much lower offer than they could have gotten, who's confident about the prospect of going to court, and with decades of experience winning jury trials. And Marin County's Tom Keating in San Rafael CA is that attorney with 36 years of experience, who knows how to beat the insurance companies after representing them for 20 years, and who genuinely cares about and listens to his clients' story and concerns. 

In the words of one client of Tom Keating named Charles, "Mr. Keating was especially patient and reassuring while preparing for deposition, and showed great sympathy. He was very flexible in scheduling appointments around my work schedule. He conferred with an accident re-constructionist to prepare the best possible legal strategy; I felt like I had a team on my side. I was completely pleased with the outcome of the case. Top notch!"