Effective Advocacy Always, in all ways

Our Philosophy

The greatest trust between man and man is the trust to give counsel. – Francis Bacon

We believe the practice of law is about people, not problems. We strive to take care of our clients, which ultimately results in the best possible outcome for any problem or issue they may face. It is the people who surround us, including family, clients, staff, and colleagues who make our practice successful. Since founding Tindal Law, LLC, we have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of plaintiffs, defended millions of dollars of claims on behalf of defendants, and closed millions of dollars of transactions for our business clients. Diversity in our clients is the life of our practice.

We believe clients are best served where unyielding preparation, tireless work ethic, unwavering ethics, and dogged determination meet flexibility, not only in our approach to each issue in each case, but also in our fee arrangements, methods of client communication, and every other material aspect. We utilize the latest in technology both in the office and in the courtroom. Our people and our work product are second to none. We focus on your legal issues so you can focus on yourself, your family, your business, and your other priorities in life.

Many law firms continue to focus on billable hours. We believe that model has become outdated and stagnant for many individuals and cases, and often encourages inefficiency and micro-billing. Most of our personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, employment litigation, and similar cases are handled on contingency arrangements such that there is never a fee paid unless we successfully collect on your claim. In other cases, we consider alternative fee arrangements, such as blended fees (a reduced hourly fee in connection with a contingency stake in the litigation), flat fees, monthly retainer agreements, caps on total fees and expenses, and any other reasonable arrangement within our ethical constraints that are fair to all involved. Regardless of the fee arrangement, we strive to ensure that there is never a surprise in our billing by maintaining great communication and transparency in fees and expenses.

In short, we believe in results, not billable hours.

Clay

I consider trial by jury as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution. – Thomas Jefferson

Clay grew up on a family farm in Greenville, Alabama, the seventh generation to do so.  Being the middle of three boys, advocating, negotiating, and striving for sensible resolutions became second nature.   It is the family farm that instilled the focus, determination, and work ethic that drives his practice of law today.  Clay’s approach to his practice has led to many awards and accolades.  Clay was awarded the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible rating for professional excellence in legal knowledge, analytical capabilities, judgment, communication skills, and ethical standards.  He is also a charter member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, organizations with membership limited to those who have served as lead counsel in cases that led to a jury verdict, arbitration award, or confirmed settlement in excess of a million dollars and those in excess of two million dollars, respectively.  Clay is also a member of America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators.  This organization restricts membership to those who, among other things, have litigated matters as lead counsel with at least $2,000,000.00 in damages at stake, or with the fate of a business worth at least $2,000,000.00 at stake.  Less than one-half percent (0.5%) of active attorneys in the United States receive this honor. Most recently, the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys named Clay on its 10 Best List for High Verdict/Settlement Winners.

After graduating from Greenville High School 1994, Clay attended the University of Southern Mississippi where he attained a Bachelor of Science, Management in 1997 and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance in 1998. Clay was very active on campus at USM, holding various leadership positions in several academic societies, clubs, and organizations, as well as in his chosen social fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon.  Clay continued his education at the University of Alabama where he attained a Juris Doctor in December of 2000 while serving on the Dean’s Committee and receiving the best paper for Conflict of Laws.  He sat for the Alabama Bar Exam in February of 2001.

Clay began the practice of law with Phelps, Jenkins, Gibson & Fowler, LLP in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on March 12, 2001.  In 2008, he became a managing partner of Phelps, Jenkins, a position he held until leaving to start Tindal Law, LLC in September of 2014.  Clay is admitted to practice before all state courts in Alabama, the United State District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama, the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the United States Tax Court. During the course of his practice, Clay has been granted pro hac vice admission to, and tried cases in, state and federal courts in Texas, been registered as a mediator with the Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution, and been certified as a contract advisor with the National Football League Player’s Association.

When not doing legal work, Clay spends as much time as possible in the great outdoors with his wife and soulmate, Amy, their three boys, Grant, Brett and Bryce, and other family and friends, often back on the family farm.

Litigation

The jury system has come to stand for all we mean by English justice. The scrutiny of 12 honest jurors provides defendants and plaintiffs alike a safeguard from arbitrary perversion of the law. – Winston Churchill

The US Supreme Court Building columns with the words Equal Justice Under Law on the building.Litigation is the backbone of our practice.  No two clients are alike, no two problems are alike, and no two cases are alike.  Consequently, while our approach to case workup and trial preparation never waivers or lessens, no two case strategies are exactly alike.  The one constant in our practice is keeping our clients first.  By focusing on our clients, really listening and becoming vested in their story and struggles, and fully understanding their desired outcome, we are able to tailor a litigation strategy for their specific needs and situation.  Our approach to litigation has resulted in outstanding results for our clients – recovering millions of dollars for claimants and defending millions of dollars for defendants.  While we are proud of our litigation results, the greatest satisfaction we receive from our litigation practice is knowing we attained the greatest possible outcome for our clients given their particular set of facts and circumstances.

Our litigation work is a varied as our client base.  Among other areas, we handle cases involving general insurance defense, insurance coverage, personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home and long-term care abuse, product liability, employment, environmental, healthcare, commercial disputes, and business litigation.

Business Services

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. – Henry David Thoreau

Compliance Concept with Related KeywordsStarting, growing, and just running a business is difficult.  In today’s business climate, that work can be substantially more challenging given the possibility, if not likelihood, of litigation during some point over the life of your business.  Our educational backgrounds provide us with a theoretical basis for understanding the challenges faced by businesses, as well as with a foundation for seeking creative solutions to meet those challenges.  Our personal experiences owning small businesses, counseling businesses of all sizes along with the people who run them, and successfully litigating cases on behalf of and involving businesses provides us with a practical approach of how things work in the “real world.”  Strategic planning, carefully negotiated and artfully worded contracts, and proactive management can save you and your company a lot of money, headache, heartache, and in the most extreme cases, your business in its entirety.

If you are looking to start a business and need help with entity selection, formation, and organization, we can help you.  If you find you and your business in litigation, or if you want to proactively engage in risk avoidance strategies in an effort to avoid litigation, we can help you.  If you are looking to sell your business, expand your business, acquire additional businesses, structure and plan an exit strategy, or if you are in need of any other business-related assistance, we can help you.

Ultimately, when it comes to our corporate and company services, our business is all about yours.

Mediation

In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity. – Albert Einstein

Often times, parties reach what seems like an insurmountable impasse during their negotiations.  That impasse can generate more stress, hard feelings, heartache, and expense than the entire dispute did leading up to the impasse.  Without question, getting past that impasse as effectively and efficiently as possible is in everyone’s best interest.  That is where mediation often comes into play.

Mediation is a completely confidential process where an independent, neutral party, the mediator, listens to all sides of a dispute.  The parties are free to share the strengths and weaknesses of their positions with the mediator without fear that their discussions will be discovered by or shared with anyone else.  Everything that occurs during a mediation is held in strict confidence. The mediator’s role is simply to help the parties find a solution to the impasse. While the mediator controls the process and the actual mediation session, the parties always remain in control of the outcome.  In our experience, mediation is one of the most powerful tools available to the parties to end the uncertainty and expense of any dispute or litigation.

Clay’s experience with handling many types of cases for both plaintiffs and defendants enables him to see and appreciate the critical issues from every angle.  He has been on both sides of the table on many occasions.  In addition to his training as a general civil mediator, Clay has completed the mediation training necessary to accept court appointments to mediate domestic cases, including those involving allegations of domestic violence.

The Albert Einstein quote above is not just a unique or inspirational saying – it is our mediation mantra.  We look forward to helping you find the best opportunity that lies within whatever difficulty you are facing.

Domestic

It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters. – Epictetus

Divorce word cloud

Few issues in the law are as emotionally charged as those in the domestic arena.  First and foremost, they often involve the health, safety, and welfare of children.  Domestic cases can also have many other aspects requiring specialized counsel, from the division or valuation of family businesses to domestic abuse.  While we focus on protecting and preserving you and your family’s future, we have the knowledge, skill, and experience to handle all of the tangential issues that may accompany your domestic case.  We handle everything from highly contested, high asset divorces to the simplest, uncontested, little-to-no asset divorce.  We also handle other family law issues, including adoptions, termination of parental rights, post-judgment issues and modifications, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, child relocation and parental moves, and the like.  We take on complex domestic issues that extend beyond the trial court, such as a recent custody and paternity case we successfully handled from the initial filing to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals through affirmance by the Alabama Supreme Court.

Let our family help yours.

Contact Us

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    Tindal Law, LLC 1490 Northbank Pkwy., Ste. 208
    Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35406
    Telephone: (205) 650-7500
    Facsimile: (205) 650-7500
    Email: clay@tindallaw.com

    http://www.tindallaw.com