Dore Law - April 2021

Dore Law - April 2021

THE D or É R eport

D ore L aw . com

APRIL 2021

NEW TALENT AND ENERGY

ATTORNEYS JOINING OUR FIRM IN THE PAST YEAR

Jeannie Andresen

Victoria "Tori" Daywalt

Brent Doré

Vianey Garza

Drew Konetzke

Connor Smith

The past year has been challenging for almost every business. At Doré Rothberg McKay, we were busy assisting our clients with collection and other problems caused by the pandemic- induced O&G industry depression. Our firm responded to your needs by adding a record number of attorneys to our ranks. Six great individuals joined the legal teams working in our liens, transactions, litigation, and bankruptcy practice areas. Jeannie Andresen has a strong background in bankruptcy after clerking for one of the federal bankruptcy judges and then working for a bankruptcy firm in Houston. She has a business degree and is our first lawyer who graduated from St. Mary’s School of Law in San Antonio. A champion bodybuilder with two young children, Jeannie stays busy. Victoria “Tori” Daywalt interned for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and worked as a consultant for one of the big four accounting firms in Houston. She has a finance degree and her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. Originally from the Rio Grande Valley, Tori lives in Houston with her husband and dog, Cash.

experienced business lawyer and litigator, he leads our new office in Fort Worth, where he lives with his wife and three children. Brent discovered the North Texas area when he went to school at Texas Christian University and then later law school at Texas A&M University School of Law. Leaving the firm of Harris, Finley & Bogle to join the “family business,” he is excited to work with our many clients who are located in Oklahoma and Texas (north and west). Brent is deeply involved in community organizations in addition to being the President-Elect of the Texas Aggie Bar Association. Vianey Garza worked for years as a bankruptcy attorney for two law firms in Texas before joining our litigation and bankruptcy section. She completed her J.D. at South Texas College of Law after earning dual degrees from the University of Texas. Raised in Edinburg in South Texas, Vianey has been a Houstonian long enough to qualify as a “native.” Drew Konetzke brought extensive experience in oil and gas law and mineral property issues from another Houston law firm to ours. He also clerked for two different judges in Texas. With a finance degree and a South Texas College of Law degree, Drew works in the

firm’s liens and transactions section. He is a born and bred Houston native who enjoys sporting clays and cooking BBQ. Connor Smith clerked with us while in law school and joined our team after graduating. With a degree from Texas A&M University, he captained the National Bankruptcy Moot Court team at Thurgood Marshall School of Law, setting school records against competition from around the country. Conner represents trade creditors in litigation and bankruptcy. He enjoys kayaking and playing golf in his free time. Growing our law firm while most people are still working remotely has been a new experience for our entire team. We want to acknowledge the efforts of the entire firm in welcoming, training, and learning to work together while blending new faces with those that have been helping our clients for years. Our “new blood” will undoubtedly have ideas of how Doré Rothberg McKay can better serve you in the future.

-Carl Doré Jr.

Brent Doré joined the firm that his father started more than 30 years ago. Already an

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DON’T WRITE OFF CLIENTS WHO HAVE LEFT

THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE STILL VALUABLE!

TAKE CONTROL OF THE SITUATION.

We’ve all had clients ghost us before. Without warning, they stop responding to calls and emails. Eventually, you learn the truth: They no longer need your services. While it’s certainly not an ideal end to a client relationship, it happens. But, in the wake of their departure, what can you do?

When a client leaves, you may feel powerless. Always remember, however, that you have control over several things. It’s up to you to build trust with your clients, fix mistakes when you make them, and offer competitive prices and customer service to prevent them from going to a competitor. You should always track the reasons for client departures to discover harmful trends that could be driving clients away from your business; that way, you can correct them.

WHY DO CLIENTS LEAVE?

Before answering that question, we have to first understand the reasons clients change their minds about doing business with you:

MAKE A CLIENT DEPARTURE AMICABLE.

• Your product or service isn’t in the budget anymore. They’ve crunched the numbers, and there’s just no room. This reason is pretty common in the first quarter of the year when businesses are evaluating their books. • They no longer find your product or service valuable. Your client has determined they don’t get a good return on investment (ROI) from doing business with you.

When your product isn’t in your client’s budget anymore, or they’re no longer in need of your product, admittedly, you can’t do much to prevent that from happening. However, even when clients leave, you can still do everything you can to make the departure amicable. • Don’t burn the bridge. Sometimes, messy departures (such as firing a client) are inevitable. In most cases, however, you should leave the door open and prepare to welcome your departing client back, in case their situation changes. • Respect their decision to leave. Don’t make it hard for the client to leave. If they have a contract with you, follow the terms laid out in the contract. A split where mutual respect is involved will make them more willing to return if they need your product or service again. Even if a client leaves, it’s still worth fostering a relationship with them. One day, they might need your services again and come back. And, even if they never come back, they could be a great referral source.

• They’ve moved on. It’s possible they’ve reached a point in their business where they no longer need your product or service.

• Their trust in you has waned. Maybe you made a mistake, like forgetting to add them to a mailing list or not informing them about a promotion. Maybe you never created a solid relationship with the client in the first place. • Your competition stole them away. If one of your competitors was offering a better deal, whether it was a better price, better service, or better marketing, then maybe your client took notice and jumped ship.

A client’s departure is rarely the end of a relationship — in fact, it could just as easily be a new beginning.

So, what can you do about it?

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HOW TO HIRE EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT EMPLOYEES

AND WHY YOUR EQ MATTERS, TOO!

It’s not news to anyone that you can’t have a successful business without having a great team, and that starts with hiring the right people. Resumes are useful tools in helping hiring managers evaluate a candidate’s education, skill set, and experience, but as you likely know, that’s only part of what makes for a valuable employee. There’s increasing evidence showing that employees with high emotional intelligence (also known as EQ or emotional quotient) are more productive team members who are better at handling conflict and stress and avoiding burnout. This not only makes for a more pleasant work environment, but it’s also good for your bottom line. Maybe you’re like the 71% of hiring managers who said in a recent study with CareerBuilder that they value EQ more than IQ, or the 75% who said they are more likely to promote candidates with high EQs over those with high IQs. But how do you move from valuing EQ to assessing it? When it comes to hiring, how can you get beyond the bullet points of a resume to really understand a candidate’s emotional intelligence? How do you hire for a high EQ? According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “the average cost of a bad hire is up to 30% of the employee’s first-year earnings.” So hiring well

pays, and making poor hiring decisions will cost you. You probably already have a great repertoire of interview questions, so Justin Bariso of Inc. Magazine suggests keeping those and looking for five things from prospective employee’s answers. 1. Are they a know-it-all or a ‘learn-it-all’? Bariso notes that you want to have confidence in an employee’s knowledge, but even more importantly, you need to know they are willing and able to learn. As Bariso succinctly says, “A great team can accomplish much more than a single person, no matter how talented.”

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WORD SEARCH

VEGAN POTATO SALAD Inspired by ThisSavoryVegan.com

Prep for barbecue season by perfecting this delicious vegan- friendly side dish!

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lbs potatoes, any type 1 cup plant-based mayonnaise

3/4 cup celery, chopped 3 green onions, chopped 1 kosher dill pickle, chopped Salt and pepper to taste

• • • •

• • • •

2 tbsp white vinegar 1 tbsp yellow mustard

DIRECTIONS 1. In a large pot, add the potatoes and cover with water. On high heat, bring potatoes to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook until tender. 2. Drain the water and let potatoes sit for 15 minutes. 3. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, celery, green onions, pickle, salt, and pepper. Place in the refrigerator until ready for use. 4. Once the potatoes cool, slice them into 1-inch pieces. 5. Add the potatoes to the dressing and mix gently to avoid mashing the potatoes.

ARBOR ARIES

CHOCOLATE DAISY DIAMOND ENVIRONMENT

GARDEN KITE RAINBOW SHOWERS

BASEBALL CHERRIES

6. Add more salt and pepper to taste. 7. Cool the dish for 1 hour before serving.

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

17171 PARK ROW, SUITE 160 HOUSTON, TEXAS 77084 281.829.1555 • DORELAW.COM INSIDE

1 2 3

New Talent and Energy

The Value of Relationships With Past Clients

How to Hire Emotionally Intelligent Employees

Vegan Potato Salad

... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

2. Are they growth-oriented? Learn-it-alls and those with high EQs are not only willing to learn, but they also value this as part of their overall growth. 3. Do they think before they speak? Look for candidates who are willing to pause and consider their response. As Bariso says, “Most job candidates try to answer every interview question right away. They're afraid that if they pause before answering, they'll appear unqualified or stupid. But you know what's really stupid? Trying to answer a difficult question without thinking it through.” 4. Are they relationship builders? Those who are will mention how others have helped them in their past achievements and are likely to stand out by writing a thank-you letter after the interview. 5. Do they ask you questions? Interviews should not be a one- way street. Look for candidates who are eager to learn about your company, values, and current team members. By asking questions, they are showing you that they are looking for the right fit and have reflected on what that entails. If you aren’t already doing so, follow this final tip from Forbes Magazine: “Use open-ended scenario questions to help identify candidates who already demonstrate the four core competencies

of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, social management.”

Hiring right is a great place to start, but don’t write off your existing staff, either! Remember that emotional intelligence can be learned and cultivated, and much of that starts at the top when you model and value emotional intelligence.

Until next month, happy hiring!

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