Houston partner Matthew Caligur authored an article, "Firms Using Case Assessments to Manage Litigation Costs," which was published in the February 27, 2009, edition of the Houston Business Journal. The article was subsequently published in numerous regional business journals, including those in: Boston, MA; Sacramento, CA, Denver, CO; Louisville, KY; Albany, NY; Columbus, OH; Wichita, KS; Raleigh/Durham Triangle, NC; Buffalo, NY; Pittsburgh, PA; Atlanta, GA; Milwaukee, WI; Austin, TX; San Francisco (East Bay), CA; Greensboro, NC (Triad); Washington, D.C.; Memphis, TN; South Florida, FL; Orlando, FL; Baltimore, MD; St. Louis, MS; Nashville, TN; Dallas, TX; Seattle, WA and Honolulu, HI.
According to Caligur, "A well-designed case assessment can help reduce litigation costs by identifying key aspects of a case, helping develop a plan to address them and contributing to effective budgeting and staffing decisions. After developing an understanding of the relevant law and key facts, a comprehensive case assessment should address other factors that may impact litigation outcomes, such as the parties' historical relationship, the venue, the judge, the jury pool and opposing counsel. An understanding of these issues can directly influence case staffing and budgeting."
Caligur goes on to outline the next steps in the process, including developing a shared understanding of expectations for the outcome of the lawsuit among all stakeholders. According to Caligur, "Candidly addressing different perspectives at the early stage of a case is invaluable to strategic planning and lays the groundwork for the preparation of a meaningful and accurate budget."
Caligur concludes: "Providing closure to the engagement is an important but often-overlooked aspect of litigation management. Revisiting the case assessment at the end of an engagement not only builds stronger relationships between clients and attorneys, but it also sets the stage for productive future engagements."