Board members of condominiums, HOAs / subdivisions, and cooperatives are at a major disadvantage when searching for legal counsel to represent their community association. They may not know which factors to consider or where to even begin. Many simply start by googling “condo attorney” or some similar phrase.
Unfortunately, directors who are new to this process are susceptible to deception, and some attorneys in our field are all too willing to engage in it. For example, the last ten years have seen a proliferation of “awards” for attorneys and other professionals, many of which are given out by shady organizations that know nothing about a lawyer’s area of practice. These have been commonly referred to as “vanity awards” as the vetting process is minimal, and just about anyone who wants to receive an award can get one with minimal effort. The true purpose of these awards is to sell advertising and marketing services to the award recipient, or even sell them plaques and trophies, many of which line the walls of our competitors. Beware if an attorney advertises their awards as the top/best/number one (insert superlative here) lawyer for the year (and probably many prior years). They plaster these logos all over their websites, but they only deserve an eyeroll from anyone with enough curiosity to actually investigate who is behind these “awards” and their methodology. Some state bar associations have gone so far as to issue guidance to attorneys regarding how they should ethically communicate to the public about these “awards” when they are received.
So, what really counts? First, Robert Meisner was Michigan’s first fellow of Community Association Institute’s College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL), an achievement that can only be gained after many years of practice in community association law. Fellows must also exhibit a long track record of commitment to educating the public about community association issues and advocacy for their residents. Right now, there are only about 200 members of CCAL in the United States.
Also, experience and recognition as a leader in the industry means that we can often get the job done faster in a shorter amount of time. Even though another firm may try to look less expensive and offer a lower rate, they may bill in quarters of an hour instead of tenths of an hour, and lack of experience means it takes them longer to complete the job, which means a higher total cost for the client. When you trust The Meisner Law Group as your community association attorneys, you know that you have a dedicated team of experienced professionals fighting for you. Whether you are an individual owner, non-owner resident, or a board member, you have rights, and we know how to make people listen.
