Los Angeles, CA commercial litigation attorneys Steven Morris, Peyman Cohan, and Johnathan M. Deer talk about how they measure success, how they work together, and the cases that have made the biggest impact on them. They measure success not just by winning, but by recognizing that litigation and any type of dispute is a highly stressful situation for clients. It is essential to help clients manage that stress. They often tell clients that litigation is like cancer: even if you overcome it, you would rather not have gone through it. Their approach is to attempt to resolve disputes through amicable negotiation first, but when people are unreasonable—which they often are—they proceed aggressively with litigation. In that context, stress can affect clients whether they are plaintiffs or defendants, so they make it a priority to help manage it. Persevering through litigation is crucial for achieving a beneficial outcome, and true success comes when clients receive the results they want and reflect afterward that the process was worth it.

They collaborate closely with their partners behind the scenes. Having worked together for 20 years, they are not only good friends but also effective collaborators. This allows two or three of them to be involved in a client’s case, leveraging collective experience and insight to secure the most efficient outcomes.

The cases that leave the biggest impression are those where someone is clearly at a disadvantage, and they are able to change that person’s life. Often, these cases are challenging, and many attorneys might not succeed, but through experience and persistence, they turn the situation around and achieve results that may have seemed unlikely. Those moments stand out, bringing pride and the satisfaction of seeing someone’s life positively transformed.