Meet Andre Belanger, Attorney and Author

Andre Belanger is an award-winning criminal defense trial attorney in Louisiana handling serious and complex state and federal cases. His firm is probably the largest criminal defense firm in the state, and though they primarily handles cases in the greater Baton Rouge area, the have handled cases all over the country. Andre is the author of, The Anatomy of a DWI Arrest, now available on Amazon.

1. What made you decide to focus your career on being a criminal defense trial attorney?

I actually learned how to trial cases as a prosecutor and quickly rose through the ranks of the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office. When my boss retired, I was one of a handful of people entrusted with charging homicide and sex crimes cases. The office is political and not "at will" so with my boss' retirement, I was out of a job. Fortunately, the top criminal defense firm in New Orleans was eager to bring me on board.

2. How often do you handle DWI related cases?

I'll do a a few DWI trials a year. My fees aren't cheap, so generally my clients are those that do want to have someone fight for them and not necessarily escort them through the guilty plea process.

3. What are some common misconceptions that people have about DWI arrests?

That you can't be prosecuted if you didn't "blow into the machine." Answering that question is the genesis for this book. Everything from the beginning of the traffic stop until you are asked to blow into the machine is an artful process by the police to collect evidence to prosecute you whether you provide the breath sample or not.

4. In reading your book, what is some of the key information that people will learn?

A DWI arrest isn't just a traffic ticket. There are some serious consequences to a conviction. So, you do yourself a favor by hiring the best lawyer you can afford.

5. If you could give just three pieces of advice to people when it comes to choosing an effective criminal defense attorney, what would you say?

Ask questions. How many cases have you brought to trial? What is covered with my fee, or what access to you and service to I get for my fee? What is your plan for handling my case?

Thanks, Andre!

Meet Oliver White, Barrister: A Commercial Barrister from London

Oliver White is a barrister based in London specializing in commercial litigation. In this interview he gives some background as to how he became a barrister, plus details on what a typical day could involve. If you would like to find out more about him, then please see his LinkedIn profile.

1. How did you first become interested in pursuing a career as a barrister?

My father spent his whole career in the practice of the law, albeit as a partner in a provincial but well-regarded solicitor's firm, in which he developed a specialty in commercial planning law. I remember attending a planning inquiry with him, only to discover that my father had instructed counsel to represent his client at the hearing.

Prior to this, I was unaware of the distinction in the profession between solicitor and counsel. I was fascinated about this division of labor, and by nature drawn towards the theatrical calling that is so often associated with a career at the bar. From that day, I cannot recall ever wanting to pursue a different career.

2. As a commercial barrister, what are some of the common types of cases you encounter in your practice?

The range of commercial disputes I have acted in or currently act in is unsurprisingly wide ranging, both in the legal problems and complexities each case discloses and also in terms of facts. However, as a general observation, many if not all commercial disputes contain certain underlying common themes, which in my experience are very human and flawed by nature in ways you might expect.

They include being motivated by greed, a hidden agenda which is driven by a belief in a need on some level to restore pride and exact revenge. Sadly, embarking on costly litigation is, I'm afraid to say, one of the least effective ways achieve any or all of the above.

3. What do you find most challenging about your work?

Every case presents its own unique set of challenges. Perhaps the most challenging is structuring the client's expectations of the likely outcome in a litigated dispute. Many clients only want to hear what they want to hear from their advisor, and I sometimes struggle to get through to an expectant and over-confident client the realistic strengths and weaknesses of their case.

As time goes on, I am improving my communication skills in relation to outcome prognosis, and hopefully this is increasingly helping my clients to be armed with a full and dispassionate overview of the merits of their case.

4. How do you envision your career path over the next five years?

At my age (37), I suppose it is just about realistic (albeit a trifle presumptuous) to be thinking of taking silk in five years time. It is certainly a target I would wish to set myself, and even if not achieved, it will hopefully provide a valuable motivational platform to increase the size and quality of my practice over the next five years.

If any potential clients are reading the interview, then they can find me on Google Maps by clicking on this custom map that I created: Oliver White Barrister on Google Maps.

Thanks, Oliver!

Meet Santo Artusa, Attorney

Santo Artusa, Esq of the Artusa Law Firm is an attorney who focuses on family law and divorce cases in New Jersey, primarily in Hudson and Essex County, NJ.

He started the firm right after law school as he worked in sales, marketing, and trading before becoming a lawyer. He also interned for a federal judge.

Learn more about Santo and his law practice by visiting his website, http://topjerseycitydivorcelawyers.com.

1. What made you decide to shift your career path and become a lawyer?

I left Wall Street and the sales industry after I had a family law situation and realized how important it was to have a lawyer in court. From there, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer, so I went to Rutgers Law School at night after working in Manhattan every day and with two young children at home.

2. How did you decide on family law and divorce as your specialty?

I chose family law and divorce because it is one of the specialties in the law that can have a direct impact immediately on someone's life.

3. What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy when a client is happy and justice is done. It is harder than you think to prove to the judge who is honest and who is trying to deceive the court.

4. Do you run into any common misconceptions that people have when it comes to divorce proceedings?

The two most common misconceptions I come across as a divorce and family law in New Jersey is that people think judges want to hear about affairs or misdeeds their spouse has committed only to find out from me that the law does not take these acts into account when dividing assets or awarding alimony. The other is that people only see us working in court, but the majority of our work is preparation and paperwork.

5. Why did you decide to base your practice in the Hudson and Essex County area of New Jersey?

I decided to work primarily in Hudson and Essex County because I have lived here for over ten years. I understand the people here, and I can relate to them.

Thanks, Santo!

Meet Emma, Blogger, Lawyer, and Traveler

Roots and Wings is a blog written by Emma, a lawyer and world traveler who lives in Melbourne, Australia. She describes her blog as sharing her journey to try and have roots (career, family, relationships, etc) at the same time as wings (travel!).

1. How did you decide on the title "Roots and Wings" (R.A.W.) for your blog?

I was on the plane coming home from eight months in Europe, and I was feeling very frustrated and torn about coming back to Australia to pick up my career. It took a few more years, several holidays, and a job change for me to realize that my frustration was a result of my struggle to "have it all." I was trying to lay down roots and a foundation, while still having the freedom to explore and spread my wings. At first, I didn't really know what to do with this realization. I briefly contemplated an ankle tattoo of "Roots & Wings" before the light bulb idea to start a blog. I think I made the right choice!

2. What helps you to balance your career as a lawyer with finding time for travel and other pursuits?

A strong work ethic and a good relationship with my boss. Although travel is a non-negotiable part of my life, I still view it as a privilege rather than an automatic right. I work hard, establish trust, and encourage my boss to value "performance over presence." If the work gets done well and on time, there's no reason to decline my holiday request. I very rarely have enough annual leave but am more than happy to take unpaid leave--you always seem to have the money or the time for a holiday, but rarely both. So, instead of trying to earn more money (although, that's always nice), I'm focusing on scheduling the time to actually spend it--preferably in the Mediterranean!

3. When you travel, do you prefer to do a lot of planning ahead of time about what you'll do when you visit a certain place, or do you prefer to let things happen more spontaneously?

I’m much more of a planner! I actually just wrote a post about this because I think that people (wrongly) assume all travelers are aimless wanderers. The perfect holiday needs to balance both, so that there is some pre-planned structure and space for spontaneity. Read more and get a copy of my template holiday planner here.

4. What would your advice be for people who want to travel internationally but feel hesitant somehow, maybe because of the expense of maybe because of the unfamiliarity of going abroad, etc?

Just do it. It will be challenging but it will be amazing. You can overcome a lot of those issues by researching and planning--work out a budget, research the cities, look at discussion boards, and find the best hostels/hotels. If you're not keen on solo travel, join a tour group, teach English, volunteer, or find work through companies like WWOOF or WorkAway. This is a great way to meet like-minded people, save money, have support, and get a really authentic experience.

5. As you imagine your future self, what do you picture yourself doing?

I'm not exactly sure, but I'm excited! I'd love to be in a role where I'm doing something strategic and innovative but able to work with my own hours and location--my career path is looking more like a scatter diagram than a line graph but it's not going to be a "cookie cutter" life and that's the main thing (http://www.therawlife.co/the-modern-career-staircase/). I'm currently exploring opportunities for another extended working holiday in 2015--six months split between NYC and Italy is the dream. I'm loving being a blogger, too, so hopefully Roots & Wings will take me somewhere amazing.

Check out Emma's posts here.

Thanks, Emma!

Meet KA Bedford, Personal Injury Solicitor

KA Bedford works as a personal injury solicitor in Manchester, United Kingdom. His website and firm specializes in helping people who have been in an accident and injured, claim compensation to help them with the recovery process.

1. Why did you decide to launch a website on the topic of personal injury law for people in Manchester?

With my legal background, and interest in internet marketing, it made sense to try to capitalize on both of those skills and interests. I could also see a gap in the market online where Manchester personal injury solicitors did not represent themselves particularly well online. I decided to get into the market and offer a unique service for clients in Manchester who are seeking the services of no win no fee and personal injury lawyers in the city. If your readers are interested, they can see the progress on our website (KABedford.com - Accident Solicitors in Manchester).

2. What is your own background / interest in personal injury law?

I studied law at university and graduated 15 years ago. I kind of fell into personal injury law due to a mentor I had at the time. Being a personal injury solicitor and lawyer has been very rewarding due to the difference you can make to people's lives. That's why I love this line of work, and being based in Manchester means I get to meet so many interesting and varied people.

3. Do you think that a lot of injured people don’t pursue personal injury cases because of a lack of knowledge or other reasons?

I think that certainly used to be the case ten years ago. However, these days with so many personal injury claims, management companies advertising in print and television, I think it would be very hard for a person to be injured and not immediately think of making a compensation claim--that's my experience from working as a personal injury claims specialist for all of these years now.

4. Is online research the best way for someone to start learning about their rights after an accident, or are there other resources you also suggest?

In today's world, most people turn to the internet first for research purposes. This is why it's very important for me to get the KA Bedford Personal Injury Solicitors website up and running and satisfying those kind of researchers. However, I still don't think you can truly beat good old fashioned personal recommendations from friends and family members.

5. What can people find on your website, and how are you planning to continue to build it over the next several months?

OK, so on the website there's a new section currently under development which I hope to launch fully very soon--you can see a rough draft of it in our accident claims section. In addition to that, I'm currently working with legal experts and web developers to draft up content for an online compensation quote calculator. If people want to make a personal injury claim in Manchester, then they will very easily be able to put their details into the system and get a real-time estimate back from us--it's very exciting times!

Thanks, KA!

Meet Edward Barker, Personal Injury Solicitor

Edward Barker is a senior partners at Personal Injury Claims Manchester, a group of personal injury solicitors who specialize in helping people who live and work in Manchester in making injury and accident claims. He and his colleagues at their firm work on a no win no fee basis.

1. What first inspired you to pursue a career in the legal field, working as a personal injury solicitor in Manchester (UK)?

My father worked as a lawyer (solicitor) here in the UK, so I was exposed to the world of law from quite an early age. Whilst he never pushed me down this path, he was there to offer encouragement and helped me to finance my way through Manchester University. I studied law there, and when I left decided to go into the personal injury side of things. I now run a firm of personal injury solicitors in Manchester and have never looked back (your readers can visit my personal injury website here). It's in my blood I guess, and is something that I've always wanted to do and think I always will.

2. Why did you decide to focus on personal injury law?

Whilst at Manchester University I was involved in a few charity projects. I've always been interested in helping people, so a natural progression for my law career was the personal injury and accident claims side of things. After leaving university I spent a couple of years working as a personal injury solicitor in some local injury and accident claims companies and then set-up in business myself a couple of years later--this was only once I was 100% certain that I would be able to offer a professional and experienced service to people living and working in Manchester who needed to make a personal injury claim.

3. What are some common types of accidents and injuries that you help clients with in your practice?

Some of the most common are road traffic accidents. They happen daily in Manchester due to the sheer size of the city. We also help clients who have been injured at work, or simply just in their day to day life whilst out in public. Accidents can happen anywhere at any time, and so it's my job to make sure that our clients are advised correctly and can get the help and compensation that they deserve if they have had an accident or injury that wasn't their fault. I think we are fast becoming one of the best personal injury solicitors firms in Manchester due to our friendly and reputable approach.

4. Do you find that people have any misconceptions when it comes to personal injury law?

I think some people do because there has been a lot of bad press over the last few years about spurious personal injury claims. Admittedly there can be a large amount of money involved in personal injury law, so by its very nature you do get people trying to make a personal injury claim where perhaps it's not entirely ethical. My company only ever progresses ethical accident claims and are very careful to validate the clients and claims that we deal with.

5. If someone has been injured or in an accident and is unsure if he or she needs a lawyer, what would your suggestion be?

The first thing they need to do, at the point of the injury or accident is to see if there were any witnesses to the accident, and record everything that happened. After that, search out for a reputable personal injury claims company or see if a friend can recommend a good solicitor of lawyer near to you. When you call the lawyer or solicitor, they will take you through the entire process and in truth this means you don't have to have any stress or undue worry. Many personal injury solicitors work on a no win no fee basis which can take the financial worry out of the equation for most people too which can be very important when making a personal injury claim.

Thanks, Edward!

Meet Jason Tweedy, Personal Injury Solicitor and Lawyer

Jason Tweedy is a personal injury solicitor and lawyer from London. He has recently set up a new legal firm in the city specializing in personal injury claims. He offers support to people who work and live in London that have had an accident and require compensation.

1. I think a lot of people aren't sure what is covered by "personal injury" law. Could you tell us some of the types of claims that you help your clients pursue?

We help people that have been injured in an accident that wasn't their fault. So for example, drivers who have been hit and have suffered an injury, or people that have slipped up in a store. Essentially, if a person has an accident and suffers as a result, either through changes to their lifestyle or potential loss of earning, then we can help them to claim compensation. As personal injury solicitors and lawyers it's our job to take as much pressure and stress from our clients as possible and to ensure that they receive recompense for an accident.

2. What are some common misconceptions people have about personal injury lawsuits?

Over the last couple of years, personal injury law has had a bit of a rough time. This is mainly due to the fact that there were a few charlatans in the industry who tried to push through personal injury and accident claims that probably should never even had seen the light of day. This is due to the large amounts of money that are involved. Thankfully, in the UK there is new legislation being pushed through and recommendations by the Ministry of Justice in order to clamp down on this type of behavior. At Personal Injury Solicitors London we are very transparent and ethical when it comes to personal injury claims which is why we have the reputation that we do.

3. If someone already has auto insurance or a similar policy that is covering injury-related treatment, how can a person know if he/she should also be considering a personal injury claim?

Having insurance is great, but most insurance companies will only cover an injured person for the very basics. A bad accident can have a huge impact on a person's life, and it's the job of a personal injury lawyer to evaluate the impact and explore all avenues possible in order to get the client the best support possible--whether that's financial or otherwise.

4. What is your advice for finding a reliable solicitor/lawyer to handle an injury claim?

Look for online reviews or speak to someone you know that has had the misfortune to need a personal injury solicitor. In London and the UK, there are various registers which hold details on the best qualified and reputable lawyers and solicitors, so these are also worth checking against. If you do meet with a personal injury lawyer and you don't feel comfortable working with them, walk away.

5. In your own legal career, what drew you to the personal injury field, and what are some aspects of your job that you especially enjoy?

At university I was involved in local charity work, whilst doing my legal degree. It seemed like the most "human" aspect to law for me to enter into. Plus at the time, personal injury law was becoming a hot topic, and it appeared like it could be a very rewarding niche of law to enter into. It's not been an easy process becoming an established personal injury solicitor in London, but was definitely worth it! I love meeting new clients and helping them come to a resolution with their cases. There's nothing better than seeing a happy face at the end of a case, and seeing how our services can actually improve someone's life and that of their family--especially after what has probably been a dark time in their life.

If any of your readers would like to find out more about me and my personal injury firm, then they can visit my website.

Thanks, Jason!

Meet Marcelo Robalinho, Lawyer and Author

Marcelo Robalinho is a lawyer, with a Bachelor's degree from University of São Paulo – Largo do São Francisco, the most prestigious Law College in South America. He also has a Master's degree in Sports Law from University of Neuchâtel, in cooperation with the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES/FIFA). The author of Third-Party Ownership Of Football Players, Marcelo is partner of a Brazilian Law firm "Robalinho Alves Advogados" and partner in "Think Ball & Sports Consulting," one of the biggest football players' agencies in South America and Denmark, with clients around the world.

For more about Marcelo's book, visit this online bookstore, and see the book's Facebook page.

1. For those who may not have heard the term before, what is Third Party Ownership?

In soccer, this term means that one party, or more than one, hold a percentage of economic rights of a football player. The economic rights means the right to receive some percentage of money that club will earn when transferring the player to another club.

2. Why did you decide to write a book about this topic?

To try put more light over the topic.

This topic now creates big discussions in the "football world." The UEFA started one campaign to ban TPO, and some national associations of football (in England, France, etc) already ban TPO. On the other hand, a lot of clubs around the world use the TPO tool to survive and increase their competition level.

It's important to highlight that in transfer of many football stars, the use of TPO was involved; as a few examples, Neymar now in Barcelona; Falcão now in Monaco; Hulk now in Zenit Saint Petesburg; Tevez now in Juventus; etc. This puts the matter of TPO in newspapers every day, and sometimes the journalists write articles which convey big mistakes about the rules. My book attempts to try give more information to everybody.

3. What is your own experience regarding transfer involving TPO?

I worked as a lawyer or adviser in hundreds of transfers involving TPO, sometimes working with the selling part, sometimes with the buying part, and sometimes for the player. I have experience, too, with how to build investment funds in TPO.

4. What are some of the financial demands on football clubs that casual observers aren't aware of?

The casual observers think that the cost of football is only the players' salaries and transfers. This is a big mistake; each day the clubs are forced to improve the front office with specialists in several areas such as lawyers, social media, press, scouting, medicine, etc. The costs add up for the clubs from all sides, and for small and medium clubs it isn't easy to find sponsors and fans to buy products.

The possibility to allow to a third party to buy one share of the economic rights for a player gives small and medium clubs the chance to keep better players, make money and share the risk, because the big majority of players aren't sold.

5. Is your book intended for lawyers, or can all readers understand the subject matter you're covering? In other words, who is your intended audience for your book?

This book was written in easy language, not lawyer "language." One of my targets is to help the market to better understand this tool that is very common in south America and Iberian countries, and with this understanding, TPO could become more easy and allow fast transfers around the world.

I believe that the book can be very helpful to lawyers, journalists, advisors in investment funds, managers of clubs, agents, players, members of football associations and federations, etc. For sure a soccer fan will enjoy the book to understand better what happens with his favorite club.

Thanks, Marcelo!