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6
T H E P R I M E R U S P A R A D I G M
continuing legal education, civility and
community service.
And those fit perfectly with the
top three things Woody looks for in an
attorney: honesty, diligence and judicial
skills. "As [Primerus President and
Founder Jack Buchanan] would say, `good
old fashioned lawyering,' and that is a
trait that sometimes is lost."
"My company has very high
standards," Woody said. "I once had an
attorney that was not a Primerus attorney
tell me that my employees are too honest.
There's honest and there's not honest.
There's no in between. I didn't use that
attorney again."
Personal Connections
Around the World
Woody welcomes the opportunities
Primerus provides to meet member
attorneys, because having a personal
connection with an attorney he hires is
very important to him.
"We go into litigation trying to find
the right answer and resolution," Woody
said. "That personal relationship with an
attorney is critical to me. I need to know
this attorney is going to represent us well,
and in the end we're going to have as good
a resolution as we possibly can."
He also relies on Primerus attorneys in
states where he does not do business as a
resource for legal advice and/or referrals.
"To me, it's a win-win working with a
group like Primerus," he said.
Woody likes the size of Primerus
firms. Called small to mid-sized, Primerus
firms generally have between 20 and 40
attorneys. While he works with both small
and much larger firms, he finds that small
firms are often more personal.
He's impressed by the quality he has
seen among Primerus attorneys ­ both
in the United States and internationally.
"The consistency is what really attracts
me, in knowing that if I select a Primerus
attorney in Michigan, I will be treated
the same way as if I work with a Primerus
attorney in Louisiana," he said. "I have
been amazed by the number of Primerus
attorneys who know I will never have any
cases in their area, but they still call me
when they're in the area and want to come
to see me. It makes me, as a client, want
to give back."
Getting Up Close and Personal
In 2016, Primerus is holding more events
than ever before to allow clients such as
Woody to meet Primerus attorneys around
the world. In the first three months of
2016, Primerus held client outreach
events in Madrid, Spain; Mumbai,
India; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Zurich,
Switzerland. In April, Primerus will
hold the 13th Annual Primerus Defense
Institute (PDI) Convocation in Napa,
California. The rest of 2016 includes
client events in Rome, Italy; Mexico
City, Mexico; Hamburg, Germany; and
London, England.
Members and clients from around
the world will also attend the Primerus
Global Conference October 13-16, 2016,
in Washington, D.C.
Primerus President and Founder Jack
Buchanan said Primerus began inviting
clients to events in 2004 with its first
"We go into litigation trying
to find the right answer and
resolution. That personal
relationship with an attorney
is critical to me. I need to
know this attorney is going
to represent us well, and in
the end we're going to have
as good a resolution as we
possibly can."
-- Jim Woody,
Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated