To prospective clients of Venardi Elam Law Firm
The Venardi Elam firm represented our company in what I describe as a "Bet the Farm" case against a large publicly traded company. Time, resources, and one of the largest US law firms was on their side. The relentless pursuit of the truth and Venardi Elam were on our side.
The statistics tell part of the story.
- 100,000 plus documents reviewed,
- 1,000 + hours of review of documents
- 300 + hours of trial preparation
- 100 + hours of trial
The real story was Venardi Elam involving us in every part of the process. We were asked by Mark Venardi at the beginning "Are you guys ready and willing to work?" What proceeded from that point were intense sessions of getting at the truth. My concern was how could a firm of this size take on and beat one of the biggest law firms in the country representing a company that was 100 times bigger than our company. When I approached Mark about this he stated that he had to personally acquire a full understanding of the case and that adding additional resources would detract from that.
During the two and one half years of proceedings I observed certain traits of the Venardi Elam firm that I believe makes them unique and successful litigators.
- Communications....they knew what to say and did not hesitate to say it such as "You guys need to get this done by this date".
- Team Work....I watched and participated in many late night sessions all in the interest of getting to the best strategy and tactics.
- Attention to Details...the case turned on several of these details but only after a second and third review by Venardi Elam of each document.
I have a new found respect for trial attorneys. Preparation for trial is arduous and changes from day to day as the trial proceeds. What impressed me was Venardi Elam's propensity to listen to witness responses and adjust their approach on the spot to get at the truth.
The trial days were long and intense. Nothing was taken for granted by Venardi Elam and that attitude continued until 10:00 PM on the last day of the trial. I remember being back in my hotel room at midnight reflecting on everything that had transpired over the past two years. We did not have any indication as to which way the arbitrator would rule but I had this feeling that we had just concluded the greatest fight of our corporate lives and we had done it the right way. I called Mark that night and told him "I don't know if we are going to win but your dedication, caring, believing and execution are the best that I have ever seen. It was worth the fight just to experience that."
Our experience and efforts with Venardi Elam were rewarded. The arbitrator found overwhelmingly in Phoenix Logistics favor and awarded approximately $4,800,000 in damages. The farm is alive and well thanks to a never to be forgotten experience with a unique law firm, Venardi Elam.
Sincerely
Ray Bellefeuille
Phoenix Logistics Inc.
President
