Brady McAninch

Brady McAnich …

I have been a practicing attorney for almost eight years. In that time I have thoroughly enjoyed my career. I started off working for civil defense firms. While I enjoyed the challenge of the work, it was not very emotionally fulfilling. One can only save Ford or Georgia Pacific so much money. As a result, a friend of mine and I decided to leave our big law jobs and start our own practice, HIPSKIND & MCANINCH.

It didn’t take long for a heartbreaking case to come in. A woman had lost her husband, the family’s provider, in a drunk driving accident. Not to mention, she was getting collection calls from medical billers who had provided care to her husband. However, due to some unique dram shop laws in Illinois, she could not find an attorney to take her case. She went thru 7 attorneys before she found us. Each of them had turned her down. We met with her, asked to do some research, and told her we would get back in touch with her.

We did the research and found a narrow exception that may apply to her. We let her know that we would take the case but that it would take a long time because we anticipated the other side fighting us tooth and nail. Sadly, we were right. We spent hours with opposing counsel arguing the case. We won a motion to dismiss only to have them appeal it immediately. But, after two years, we were able to resolve the case, pay off the medical bills, and give our client some relief. It was not enough, it rarely is, but she was beyond grateful that we were able to help her move forward.

My Advice

For law students, I think finding your passion is the most important thing you can do. Most law students graduate without really knowing what they want to do. They have heard the horror stories of family law, but maybe they would find it rewarding. They seek high paying big law jobs, as I did, because you are more concerned with the dollar sign than the mission. The money will come, so find out your passion. Volunteer for different organizations, seek internships with firms in different areas of law, speak with young lawyers in the area/city you want to practice in. The law community is small and cares for those in it. Law students have the resources available, they just do not know how to use them. Reach out, reach out, reach out.
When should you leave the corporate world? This is a hard thing to say because it can vary from person to person. But I began to know it wasn’t for me when we won a defense verdict on a case and I felt somewhat hollow about it. I saved a big corporation some money. Truthfully, I saved the Koch brothers some money. Just did not feel right. While I had enjoyed the intellectual battling up to that point, the lack of emotional reward was striking to me. That began my path of starting my own practice. It also helped me find my passion and readjust.
The other beautiful thing of starting your own practice is that you can have varied interests. I help run a comedy festival in St. Louis and have helped various startup companies, all pro bono. Something that the big law firms do not allow you to do. It allows you to be a member of your community in ways that big law prevents.

About Hipskind & McAninch

Hipskind & McAninch, LLC is a St. Louis area firm dedicated to personal injury claims. The firm’s trial attorneys offer personalized service backed by local experience with some of the preeminent firms in St. Louis. As a result, they have earned a 5-star reputation on prominent review sites.

Bert Martinez