When I started my own National ERISA\/ retirement plan law practice more than 7 years ago, it wasn\u2019t easy. It still isn\u2019t easy, but I could no longer see myself working for people who were either too arrogant or too blind to see what the retirement plan industry was turning into.<\/p>\n
One of the things I\u2019ve learned over the past 19 years I\u2019ve spent in the retirement plan business is that no matter what happens to you in business, you can\u2019t change who you are. You have your way of doing business, both professionally and ethically, and as long as they are on the up and up, never change that.<\/p>\n
One of the things about my practice is that I want to be paid for legal services only, so I\u2019m not going to receive a fee for pushing clients to seek certain providers or advisors I recommend. So when advisors have come to me with these \u201cfinder\u2019s fees\u201d, I tell them: \u2018thanks, but no thanks.\u201d My legal fees compensate me for my independent legal advice; any other fee is a conflict of interest to helping my clients first.<\/p>\n
There may be competing advisors who are unethical (I know of far more successful ERISA attorney who received paid solicitor fees for referring clients to specific providers) or clients who either don\u2019t pay bills (hello John) or drive you crazy, but you should never change who you are.<\/p>\n
Never change who you are, no matter the few who treat you badly or act badly in this industry.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When I started my own National ERISA\/ retirement plan law practice more than 7 years ago, it wasn\u2019t easy. It still isn\u2019t easy, but I could no longer see myself working for people who were either too arrogant or too … Continue reading