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OUR HISTORY AND BACKGROUND  (Top of Page)

Sherman, Taff & Bangert, P.C., was originally founded by Joseph A. Sherman 30 years ago. The firm's president and managing shareholder, E. Wayne Taff, left a distinguished career in plaintiff s practice to join the firm 20 years ago. Vice-president, Jack Bangert, is an accomplished trial lawyer with over 20 years of practice experience.  We are primarily a defense trial firm, proficient in the areas of product liability, aviation law, premises liability, governmental liability, retailer liability, transportation law, employment law, commercial litigation, environmental law, toxic tort liability and insurance defense and coverage.

CASE MANAGEMENT  (Top of Page)

We take great pride in our ability to staff and handle cases in an effective and economical manner.  Our primary goal is to achieve the best result on a given case, whether by early settlement or disposition by trial, at the lowest possible overall cost.  Upon accepting the defense of a claim, we immediately confer with the client and jointly identify those individuals within the firm best suited to handle the matter.  The individuals selected are then designated to handle the case from start to finish.  We are mindful that claims do not arise in a vacuum. For that reason, we work with our clients to minimize the impact of any claim on their business interests, and avoid unnecessary interruptions of their daily and long-term objectives.

EXPERIENCED TRIAL LAWYERS, NOT "LITIGATORS"  (Top of Page)

Although recent surveys indicate that approximately 95 percent of all cases settle, our trial lawyers have collective experience in over 500 jury trials.  Nevertheless, we do not consider ourselves "litigators."  It has been our experience that those individuals or firms who promote themselves as "litigators" are quick to squander client resources in pursuit of pre-trial motion practice and discovery, while they are reluctant to proceed with a jury trial when a given case cannot be settled to the client's advantage.  Although we recognize that many cases will be best resolved by early evaluation and settlement, we also believe it important that claims and cases be developed by attorneys who have the ability and willingness to enter the courtroom if required.  Furthermore, recognizing that our clients generally "hire lawyers and not law firms," the attorney selected by the client as the primary lawyer on a given case serves as lead counsel.  Where our clients agree to involve other members of the firm, the lead counsel is responsible for supervising all activity taken in pursuit of the defense.

PROACTIVE APPROACH  (Top of Page)

When dealing with adverse parties we believe in taking an aggressive approach, endeavoring to initiate action rather than reacting to the developments of a case.  However, we recognize the distinction between strategic aggressiveness and wasteful belligerence.  We believe the filing of unnecessary and unwarranted motions, the unilateral scheduling of depositions without efforts of cooperation, and the unwillingness to be flexible, where appropriate, ultimately leads to a "war" among counsel, which substantially increases the client's costs with little or no offsetting gain.

CLAIMS AVOIDANCE  (Top of Page)

We firmly believe the best claims handling consists of claim avoidance.  Accordingly, we offer "Preventive maintenance" advice and service to numerous clients on a local, regional and national basis, assisting them in implementing procedures and techniques to avoid claims in the areas of employment practices, retailer and mercantile liability, premises liability, governmental (civil rights) liability, environmental liability and product liability.

CURRENT SERVICE  (Top of Page)

We place a strong emphasis on tailoring our services to meet the goals and objectives of the client.  We strive to deliver those services our clients actually want, as opposed to providing those services we think they want.  We understand that a good working relationship with a client requires excellent service, compliance with reporting guidelines, prompt attention, responsiveness and accessibility.  For example, we do not screen our telephone calls, and whenever possible, it is our policy to return all calls on the same day.

COMPUTER SUPPORT SERVICES  (Top of Page)

The attorneys and support staff at Sherman, Taff & Bangert, P.C., are equipped with state-of-the-art computers with internal and external desktop communication capabilities via the Internet, Westlaw, and facsimile.

LARGE CASE-MANAGEMENT HANDLING  (Top of Page)

With an experienced paralegal staff and computerized filing system, we are capable of handling mass tort litigation claims including class action lawsuits.

CUSTOMIZED INDIVIDUALIZED BILLING  (Top of Page)

We understand the importance of providing our clients with detailed, customized bills.  Our billing department will tailor the bills so they contain the information each client needs in a comprehensive, yet understandable, format.  Realizing the volatile nature of your business we strive to understand and cater to the specific needs of our clients.  We are committed to facilitating the difficult responsibilities undertaken by the business managers, claims professionals and in-house counsel served by our firm.  We believe that by following a "team concept" our clients' cases can be handled on an economical, professional, and even enjoyable basis.  We look forward to the opportunity of associating with your company and demonstrating the quality of our legal representation.