In the last two weeks Lin Wood has been busy; “writing the book on starting a law firm in two weeks.” With two attorneys he has mentored over the years, Katherine V. Hernacki and Stacey G. Evans Wood has created the “boutique lawfirm” of Wood, Hernacki & Evans on May 9, 2011.

A major break-up you ask? No Wood moved his firm across the street and will continue to share previous cases with Bryan Cave attorneys. (I. E. the Estate of Anna Nicole Smith, the Estate of Richard Jewels and the defamation case of Jeff Greene). Both firms hope to share future cases as well.

So why did Lin Wood leave? “I spent most of my life as a plaintiffs’ lawyer. I don’t know that I ever got that out of my heart and soul, I’m not sure I’m the kind of trial lawyer that is comfortable in a 1,000-person law firm. I spent 28 years making compensation decisions in five seconds or less. It was a big learning curve to join Powell Goldstein and more so when the firm combined with Bryan Cave.” Wood went on to tell the Fulton Daily Report in an interview “Is Bryan Cave losing the person I believe is the best trial lawyer they have? Of course, but there are some great trial lawyers there who are aggressive and I want to continue working with them. I will call them when I have a significant matter and need a significant support team—and I hope they will call me.”

So what propel this to happen in just two weeks? A big whistleblower case that posed conflicts at at Bryan Cave which presented “actual and strategic conflicts”.

Wood is joining qui tam lawyers Marlan B. Wilbanks and Ty M. Bridges on a suit alleging fraud against DaVita Inc., the largest kidney dialysis chain in the U.S., which Wilbanks said could potentially be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Wood said Wilbanks and Bridges needed “a first-class trial lawyer” to help them with the case. “It was the case that broke the camel’s back,” he said. “I had to leave the law firm to do it.”

When asked if Bryan Cave would recruit another high-profile trial lawyer to replace Wood? “Lin is one of a kind,” said Thomas R. McNeill, the firm’s Atlanta managing partner.

When Wood, 58, gave up his own firm to join Powell Goldstein in 2006, he told the Daily Report that he expected to end his law career as a partner there. “I wanted to. But life is an adventure,” he said. How very true isn’t it?

We agree with L. Lin Wood and are glad it was an amicable parting because there really is just one L. Lin Wood, and it is good to see him return to his roots as a plaintiff’s attorney. We will continue to highlight cases that Wood is part of, he is simply the best at what he does.

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©Rose Turner
May 26, 2011
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