Akerman Bankruptcy and Reorganization Practice Partner John H. Thompson was quoted in Law360's article "Mastering The Bankruptcy Practice: Communication Tips," offering insight into how bankruptcy and restructuring attorneys build trust with clients.
The article explores skills bankruptcy attorneys often pick up on the job rather than in law school, including how to manage client expectations and earn the confidence of a debtor's employees during a stressful restructuring process.
For John, developing a good "bedside manner" is key to learning as much as possible about a client, particularly a debtor. "People really start looking and thinking, 'am I contributing to the restructuring or am I looking for another job?'" John said, describing the pressure employees can feel during a company's restructuring.
To build that relationship, John suggested spending time outside the office on nonbusiness matters and acknowledging individual contributions. He added that trust also depends on how a lead attorney treats their own team. "Trust gets formed with the client when the client watches the partner listen to the junior associate or mid-level associate who is a subject-matter expert," John said.