Why Settling Too Often Puts You on the Carrier's Safe List Now ft. Ryan Wechsler | Ep. 101

Personal injury attorneys who treat settlement volume as a reputation strategy will find insurance carriers have already profiled them as safe bets.

Ryan Wechsler, co-founder of Wechsler & Wechsler, spent years on the defense side watching firms circulate internal emails rating plaintiff lawyers by how often and how quickly they settled, and he explains how those carrier metrics directly suppress case value. His defense-side origin story gives plaintiff attorneys a concrete look at what forces carriers to bring real money: a documented willingness to take cases to verdict, built case by case from intake forward, not from ad spend up.

In August 2025, Wechsler left his partnership to co-found Wechsler & Wechsler with his wife, also an attorney, who manages administrative operations while he handles litigation. Within under a year, the firm grew to 250 to 300 cases, 100 in active litigation, and nearly 10 employees. Wechsler credits that pace to a strict division of labor: his wife absorbed HR, software, billing, and firm infrastructure so he could remain a full-time litigator. He also describes a same-day all-hands meeting where he gathered intake specialists and trial paralegals together to reinforce that decisions made at step one directly affect outcomes at the end of a case.

Wechsler's experience officiating Division 1 men's college basketball runs parallel to how he handles courtroom pressure, and he explains why learning to communicate with Type A coaches trained him to hold his ground with demanding judges. He draws a clear line on AI use as well: after plugging it into too many parts of the firm too early, he pulled back and now applies it selectively to legal research, brief writing, and condensing complex multi-year medical record histories into usable chronologies. Both lessons, knowing where your discipline transfers and knowing where a tool stops adding value, connect back to his core argument that reputation is built through deliberate preparation, not volume.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-wechsler-07333b52/
Wechsler & Wechsler, P.A. : https://www.wexinjurylaw.com
Facebook (Wechsler & Wechsler, P.A.): https://www.facebook.com/wexinjurylaw/

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Ryan Wechsler 0:00

Emails would go out across the whole firm about XYZ plaintiff lawyer. And you would see for each of these plaintiff lawyers responses that were totally negative. He doesn't know how to handle a case. He won't try a case. When I was reading those emails as a young lawyer, I already knew I wanted to go to the plaintiff's side and I said, I want to be in that group.

Jason Lazarus 0:20

That's Ryan Wexler, co-founder of Wexler and Wexler, a law firm representing people injured in car, truck, motorcycle, boating, construction, and other serious accidents. He believes the best plaintiff lawyers earn their reputation by staying aggressive, maintaining pressure, and being fully prepared to take a case to trial.

Ryan Wechsler 0:38

They keep metrics on the plaintiff lawyers about the timing of how they settle and when they settle and for what amount and what kind of a case it is. And if you're falling on that weak side, they're gonna put up weak numbers because they think you're gonna fall.

Jason Lazarus 0:51

In this episode, you'll learn why your reputation with defense firms directly affects settlement offers, why your settlement history can weaken or strengthen your leverage, and how a proven willingness to take cases to trial can drive better outcomes for your clients. I'm Jason Lazarus, and this is Trial Law Review.

Why Ryan Wechsler walked away from partnership to start over

Jason Lazarus 1:12

In August of 2025, I think it is, you walked away from a partnership at a firm that you had helped to grow and started over now with Wexler and Wexler with your wife. What made you decide to make that jump? And what did the risk actually look like from the inside once you made it?

Ryan Wechsler 1:33

I think that in my former partnership, we kind of just ran our course. And I think in it from a mutual standpoint, um, we were ready to separate. Uh for me, I'm kind of an independent guy. I see the way things are supposed to go from my standpoint and the practice of law. Uh, and I have a certain standard that I want maintained. And I just think it was the right time for me to be my own boss and not necessarily have to delegate with partners. It's scary because you know, when you have partners, you have somewhat of a cushion, of course. You know, both of my uh former partners were able to generate business, and you know, I'd certainly generated a lot of business as well. But when you have a uh a partnership and your fellow partners are able to generate business, it takes pressure off of you to have to generate as much business as you otherwise might need to. So that was certainly a pressure point, you know, knowing that I'm gonna have to maintain the amount of business I've been bringing in over, you know, X amount of years to have my business sustain. And then the other part, of course, is administrative responsibilities uh are no longer divided up. It's a one-man show. And for sure, heavy lies the crown. So it that definitely created additional pressures. Whereas at my at my former firm, you know, I was kind of the litigator at the firm. I was the one that was taking cases to trial. I had the largest litigation caseload. And I was able to be a full-time pretty much 99% of my hours were spent litigating, whereas now I have to be able to uh assess my time and divide up my time with the other responsibilities throughout the company. And you know, a lot of that, you know, we can talk about, but you know, there's HR standpoints of the firm that I have to deal with. There's administrative components of the firm, there's the software in the firm, there's the hardware in the firm, there's the tech, there's the bills that have to be paid. So it's a big responsibility. There's a lot more on my plate. I would say there's a different assortment of dishes now on my plate, whereas before I was able to just focus on one thing.

Jason Lazarus 3:43

Hi, quick question for you. Does lean resolution administration feel like a quiet bottleneck inside your firm? Medical liens, Medicare compliance follow-ups, and documentation can drag on long after the case is resolved, tying up capital and attention your team can be using elsewhere. This is where Synergy can help. We partner with personal injury law firms to handle complex healthcare lien resolution and compliance work, helping firms move cases to resolution more efficiently without adding internal burden or more overhead. If that sounds like something your firm is dealing with, you can learn more by clicking the link in the show notes or scanning the QR code on the screen. Now back to the conversation.

The hidden challenges of running every part of a law firm yourself

Jason Lazarus 4:25

That's a a challenging issue that you've brought up and one that we've talked about a lot on the podcast, which is you know, what point do you get to a point in the practice where you need other people that have areas of expertise like a COO, a CFO, you know, C-suite. Obviously, you guys are are newer in starting out, but what challenges have you found within all of that that you may not have faced previously now that you've jumped with two feet into all the aspects of running a law firm?

Ryan Wechsler 5:05

I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and uh I have to be able to give certain things up that I otherwise would not want to and be comfortable with. I'm fortunate that my wife is uh a lot smarter than me, and she's also an attorney, so she is my partner. And I've been able to delegate to her a lot of administrative responsibilities that I simply can't deal with on my own while managing the caseload that I'm handling and preparing cases for trial and all that comes with that. Because I'm very much a hands-on practitioner, I'm not just a business owner, and I think that's what separates me from some of you know my colleagues is like I'm out here practicing. I'm not just running a law firm, and it's very hard to do both. But the fact that my wife is in my life uh has been a blessing because it's really accelerated um the progress of our firm in a very, very short time. Because it now at this point, you know, we have you know 250 to 300 cases, uh, we have a hundred in litigation, and um we have you know approaching 10 employees, and we've been able to do that all in under a year. Um, and so having my wife has made that possible. I can tell you very confidently, this firm would not even have 50% of the progress that it's made without her because her ability to handle those administrative components has enabled me to continue my forte, which is practicing law

How a husband and wife divide a law firm and still go home together

Ryan Wechsler 6:40

and pushing cases.

Jason Lazarus 6:41

How exactly did you guys go about when you formed the firm figuring out, well, what and it it is pretty cool that you get to practice with your wife, you know, how do you figure out, especially as a married couple, well, what are you gonna do? What are you gonna do? And how do we make this work inside the firm and also when you get home outside? Because you got that dynamic going on as well.

Ryan Wechsler 7:05

I think it started with babe, you're gonna need to help me. And uh, you know, my wife was like, okay, you know, let's roll. That that that's how she is. And you know, she and I are very similar. Uh, so it started with just that. And um from there, as the firm has very rapidly grown and become self-sustaining, her role has kind of morphed on its own. And she just knows that you know, as great of a litigator as my wife is, and she is, she's she's she was litigated her entire career. She's also an appellate lawyer. Um, with our young kids at home, it's harder for her to practice full time. Because to be a very good practitioner, you have to put in a lot of hours litigating. It just it just is what it is. Uh, and I don't think that that's something she really wanted to do right now because of the fact that we have two young daughters at home. We have a two-year-old and a four-year-old. And at the time you were starting the firm, uh, it was a three-year-old and a one-year-old. So um I think for her, we knew what she wanted, which is I need to step away from law for a little bit. I can do some special projects, which is where she's at her best. Um, and then Ryan, you handle all the litigation. And for me, I was like, great, that's what I love to do. I like to fight with people every single day of my life. So her role kind of morphed in the sense that the the bifurcation of the firm's responsibilities were administrative and case handling. And I've just taken over the case handling and she's taken over most of these administrative responsibilities to free me up.

Trial reputation as a business asset: can you compete without trying cases?

Jason Lazarus 8:45

So, yeah, in doing some prep work for the podcast, I saw a social post you did quoting Tony Soprano that you may not love me, but you'll respect me. And when saying an insurance company doesn't have to like you, but they've got to take a case seriously and bring real money, or you'll see them in court, insurance carriers know you will take a case to trial and ultimately to verdict. And that reputation can drive the right outcome for your injured client. How do you think about trial reputation as a business asset? And can a firm never try cases and really compete in terms of extracting case value?

Ryan Wechsler 9:26

I've got to be able to manage which cases I'm going to push to that limit. And I've got to be able to manage client expectations. So it's kind of about knowing your inventory and managing your client. I'm never going to put my interest before my clients. That that's just a rule of thumb for me. That's the way I practice. That's the way it's always going to be at this firm. Um, but you've got to, this again goes to time management. You have to know how to spend your time and where. Um and if you're going to take a case to trial, especially now as a solo practice, well, I'm not technically a solo practitioner because I do have my wife as my partner and I do have heavy staff. But um, I if I'm gonna push a case to trial, it's going to pull me away from a lot of the other things I have to do. So I have to manage that wisely. And I think really it just boils down to knowing your inventory and um managing your client and their expectations. And if you can do that across the board, I think usually things will work themselves out and cases will resolve. And there's going to be just that small percentage that end up going to

How to read a case early and know if it is headed to trial

Ryan Wechsler 10:34

trial.

Jason Lazarus 10:34

You've litigated thousands of cases across auto trucking, boating, premises, liability with million and multi-million dollar results. When a case comes through your door now, what tells you whether it is a case you think is very likely that will need to be tried versus one that ultimately should resolve short of the courthouse steps?

Ryan Wechsler 11:01

Early on, it's tough to say which ones will go to trial, but there's always some indicators. You know, when there's a big crash, big policy, big injuries, and a liability dispute, that's a case that um from the you know empirical data would suggest is more likely than others to go to trial because what we will be fighting over could be existential to my case, and what we're fighting over could be existential to their case. So, you know, when you have that kind of a divide on liability with these kinds of stakes, it certainly amplifies the likelihood that that case will go to trial. And most times when I've gone to trial, uh, those have been the ingredients big damages, big crash, uh liability disputed heavily

Building every case trial-ready from the very first intake call

Ryan Wechsler 11:56

by both sides.

Jason Lazarus 11:57

In terms of the way you prepare your cases, uh what do you do to make sure that your cases, regardless of what you know at the start, are prepared in such a way that if you do need to try it, it is put in the right position for success when you go to try that case.

Ryan Wechsler 12:20

I was just talking about this with my team today. I had a meeting with my entire firm. And it starts at the intake level. It it starts with handling the case the right way from the get-go. And uh, you know, that means from the initial intake call, you're taking down as much information as you possibly can relevant to the case. Uh launching the right kind of investigation into the case, you know, however might be necessary, depending on the facts of the case and and all that. Now, getting, for example, if you have a liability dispute early on, immediately get an expert out there to download you know the crash data from both vehicles and to do a full comprehensive site inspection, you know, things like that. And there's a myriad of things I could I could go all day. There's a laundry list of things you can do to create that foundation for each case, but that's what has to be done. You have to start the work from the get-go. And then from there, you can't stop. You know, you can't get lazy on a case because um those gaps can end up destroying a case. Those those those gaps in attention and care to the case can destroy it. So, what I was telling my team today, you know, I had everyone in there from my trial paralegals to my intake specialist. You know, the intake specialist is who uh really puts fingerprints on the case first. My trial paralegal is who's um prepare helping prepare my exhibits and present my exhibits and go over and present my arguments uh for trial. So you got the very beginning to the very end. And I had them all in the same meeting because all of them need to have the context that there's a fabric shared between them. All of them are is e are equally as important to this case, and what's done at step A is going to matter at step Z. So, you know, I think to wrap that in a bow, that was there's many ways of saying you've got to do your homework early and you can't take your pedal, you know, the your foot off the gas, so to speak.

What defense DNA reveals in a file that others miss

Jason Lazarus 14:22

So you started your career on the defense side, and your wife spent, I think, a decade defending insurance companies and handling appeals. What does that defense DNA let your firm see in a file that perhaps others might not see?

Ryan Wechsler 14:40

It definitely opens you up to the other side in the way they might be viewing things. So you can see where those pressure points are and then deal with them. You know, for me, uh having been a defense attorney, it inspired me to be a plaintiff lawyer because I realized early on as a defense lawyer that I had empathy and compassion for the plaintiffs that I was taking depositions of, uh, which I think it's it's nice on a human level, but as a defense attorney, you've got to kind of be cold-blooded. And I didn't have that kind of cold blood, at least on that side. Uh, but having that perspective as to what they deal with on the defense side opens doors for you in your mind as a plaintiff lawyer that you might not otherwise have. And another way that it's it's really helped accelerate me is I'm very aware of how the defense bar views plaintiff lawyers. And for example, when I started my career, I worked for the biggest defense firm in Florida. And, you know, this is a firm that has hundreds, if not thousands, of lawyers. And emails would go out across the whole firm about XYZ plaintiff lawyer. And the the real fundamental question in those emails would be hey, I have a case against, you know, John Smith. What's this guy's MO as a plaintiff lawyer? And you would see uh for each of these plaintiff lawyers responses that were totally negative, like, you know, he doesn't know how to handle a case, he won't try a case, he doesn't know how to litigate to, oh no, that guy's aggressive, that guy's not gonna uh take his foot off the gas, that guy's gonna take it to you, you gotta be ready. And I, when I was reading those emails as a young lawyer, I already knew I wanted to go to the plaintiff's side and I said, I want to be in that group. Like, I don't want to be one of the lawyers that they're laughing at and that they're making fun of, you know, because I got a big ego, and I think you need to have a big ego as a trial lawyer. Uh, so I don't know that all plaintiff lawyers truly appreciate how much that goes on, but it does. And it goes on with the insurance companies too. They know who you are, they know your track record. I saw a podcast with a pretty prominent defense lawyer, and he was talking about on that podcast how their law firm, which is this is another massive law firm, they keep metrics on the plaintiff lawyers about the timing of how they settle and when they settle and for what amount and what kind of a case it is. So they kind of get a feel for where you are on that spectrum as an attorney. And if you're falling on that weak side, they're gonna put up weak numbers because they think you're gonna fold. So, you know, to my to my credit, I've I've been one to push cases um, sometimes more than people around me wanted me to. But that's in my nature. I think in the long term, it's clearly paid dividends for my clients because these insurance companies know I'm a fight. You know, it's just that's just in my nature. And and if I if I think I have a good case and I think my client deserves more money, I'm gonna go for it. As long, of course, as my client's okay with that.

Jason Lazarus 17:50

Yeah, because getting the the right outcome for the client is first and foremost, but to your point, if you are able to build that reputation and the defense knows that you are not afraid to try the case and you are going to extract every dollar that benefits your client. That's that's what your client hires you for. I know, you know, I I had a personal injury case, and so I I know, and that's what I wanted. I wanted my lawyer to extract every dollar, you know, it's from my own UM in this instance carrier, because I suffered a pretty serious injury, you know, and that's that's what the system is here for. Yeah, well, you know, I mean, ultimately it taught me a lot of really, really great lessons for business and even personally. I it was it was a good reset. I was struck by a car while cycling, and you know one of the one of the many, many people that are unfortunately hit every single day here in Florida by distracted drivers. You know, I was in a bike bike lane and the guy hit me. And so, you know, but that's just you know, you you see it every day in your practice. It's just the realities and good reason why everybody needs a lot of underinsured motorist coverage because the guy who hit me had 10 grand in coverage. Thank God I had a lot of UM and now I have a UM umbrella on top of that all because there's so many people that drive around with such limited coverage. It's just sad.

Ryan Wechsler 19:23

Well, yeah, I mean, I have that conversation a lot about the underinsured motorist coverage, uh, and I think every plaintiff lawyer does because so many people are just not informed as to how important it is or even what it is. Yeah. You know, I've had many, many clients who are very well to do. They they they make more than enough money to have underinsured motorist coverage, and they don't have it. And it's not because they cheaped out, it's because they were never informed as to what it is and what its importance is, particularly in the state of Florida, which is sad because in cases like that, you know, where there's no bodily injury, sometimes there's just nothing I can do for that client. And it's not their fault because they were either misinformed or totally uninformed by their insurance agent. You know, and they, you know, what I have to tell these people is unfortunately you can't get this insurance coverage to work retroactively, but get that insurance right now, God forbid you're in this situation again.

Jason Lazarus 21:07

And make sure it's stacking. And if you can get an umbrella too, I mean, right. You know, again, it's just it's so critical when when something happens that, you know, you're you're unfortunately at the mercy of of someone that's underinsured or uninsured completely. So you uh you you are a boutique firm in a Florida market where some of the biggest firms are spending tens of millions

How a boutique firm wins in a market dominated by massive ad budgets

Jason Lazarus 21:32

on advertising. Where does a boutique firm actually win within that context? And where do you refuse to compete?

Ryan Wechsler 21:42

For me, what what's really worked is my reputation. You know, that's where I get most of my referrals is word of mouth through friends, family, former clients, et cetera, people that know me. And it's very flattering because these are people that are vouching for me. And it it really has become a snowball downhill because the more people I touch and I the more people I'm able to show what I'm capable of, the more referrals end up being generated. It a lot of times it's my former clients that are referring their loved ones and their friends to me. And also I'm fortunate and very flattered to receive uh a lot of referrals from my opponents, which that's probably the most flattering uh compliment I can ever get. In fact, uh a guy I tried a case against who I fought with for three years, I mean, we wanted to rip each other's throats out. Um literally. I mean, think I think he probably felt the same way about me as I did. About him because he's, you know, I'm him on the other end. He's a fighter. But he ended up referring um a relative to me. Like after we already went to trial and everything. And I was like, wow. That speaks volumes about the perception that they're having of me. And it was, it's, it's rewarding. And that kind of goes back to the Tony Soprano line, you know, you don't have to love me, but you will respect me. And I analogize it to, you know, a surgeon. You know, I want the best surgeon to do surgery on me. I don't necessarily want the nicest guy, but he's like a decent surgeon, right? And I think that should be true of your practitioner. Now, I I am a nice guy, believe it or not. I'm a tough litigator, but I am a nice guy, but I'm not necessarily giving concessions that hurt my client to the other side. I'm not going to do that. Why, why would I do that? Yes, you need to work in good faith with the other side. And I of course do that, but there there have to be limits here. Like you're you represent a client, I represent a client. Uh so I I digressed a bit, but you know, for me as a as a as a as a small boutique firm, um my reputation and our firm's reputation and my staff's reputation is what drives um referrals and and and business into this into the into this these walls. I'm never going to be able to compete with the budget of these these massive, massive firms. You know, the Morgan and Morgan is in a world of its own. And then there's a few cases, you know, there's a few firms that are several tiers below them, and then everybody else is way below, just cannot match those kinds of budgets. So I think for any uh solo practitioner, boutique law firm, the way your business is gonna thrive is off the quality of the work that you do. Uh, and if you put that kind of time in, that kind of effort in and achieve those kinds of results, people are gonna start to figure it out and they're gonna start hiring you.

Jason Lazarus 24:48

It is really impressive that someone that you litigated against asked you or referred a case with one of their relatives to you, it is the highest compliment you probably could get. So that that's a testament to the work that you do. Uh I'm curious, you know, with everything being so focused today on technology and how that can be

How AI is actually being used inside a personal injury firm today

Jason Lazarus 25:12

deployed in the personal injury space. I'm curious, being a boutique firm, a smaller firm, are you guys using AI now? And if so, how are you using it to make your firm better today than it was previously?

Ryan Wechsler 25:31

Well, I can tell you the answer is yes. And we use it in a variety of different ways. On my end, as a litigator, it's really, really helped me as a as a researcher, um, researching case law. I'm finding case law that I probably never would have found on my own. Uh, so you know, researching, it also can help you with your writing. You know, I as good of a writer as I always thought I was, I'll plug what I'm writing into into our AI software and I'll ask it to, you know, make this more persuasive and more concise. And then the AI will spit it out. And then I realize what a horrible writer I actually am. It's like, it's just so much better at it than a human could ever be. So that's that that's a way that I we are using it. Um we also can use it to learn information about our files. You know, when we have these very, very uh in uh medical record intense files where we have a client who has a 20-year spine history and then has a crash and then has five years of medical treatment after that, uh, being able to condense those medical records and figure out the big picture of what those medical records and that chronology is telling us uh is imperative. And the AI, you know, can do that within seconds. And that used to be work that I would spend weeks and months, you know, getting my arms around. So uh we do use the AI. I I do think that I've learned at least that there's a bit of an overuse of AI. At least I was experiencing it. I think I was starting to put AI into too many facets of my business. And I'm actually relieved to know that that isn't necessary. Uh, I've realized that it can create some issues and some headaches and certainly some additional expenses that you don't need. Um, so I'm glad that humans still have value. Uh, I think because AI is so new, those of us who are trying to be progressive are trying to plug it into our law firms in as many ways as possible to make our law firms better. And we're realizing along the way where it's appropriate and necessary, and where it isn't appropriate and necessary, and where it might even be harmful. So that that's kind of the process I'm going through right now because I started with the AI pretty early. Uh, I'm now figuring out where I don't want it in my business and where it is better suited. So uh, and I think that's kind of an interesting uh development on my end because I kind of just thought it's gonna be AI this, AI that, AI everything. And now we're starting to realize nope, nope, hold on, let's bump the brakes. Us humans still do have some value, and and AI isn't the solution for every single problem you have at a law firm.

Jason Lazarus 28:25

Well, and you raise a really important point, I think, which is the human in the loop part of it, because yeah, the AI is something that really should be used to accelerate what humans can do and improve upon what humans can do and offload anything that is repetitive, administrative, that AI can tackle. Like you said, you know, putting together a medical record chronology, you know, off of thousands of pages of medical records, AI can do that and save humans uh a lot of time by you know leveraging the technology. And we've used it exactly in that way where we use our human subrogation experts in the loop in identifying and verifying liens, but using technology built into all that process. Same thing on the resolution end as well. Because when you do that, that gets to the best outcome for the company, for the client, for everybody involved, which is really what the beauty of the technology is that kind of an outcome, right? That's what you're looking for.

Ryan Wechsler 29:40

Right. You want to make you want it to make things simpler, easier, easier, and better. And if it's not checking those boxes, maybe it's not right in that facet of your law firm. You know, I think that's what that's what some of us are learning along the way.

Jason Lazarus 29:54

So from doing my research, I I came across a tidbit, and uh I need to validate that

What officiating Division I basketball taught a trial lawyer about pressure

Jason Lazarus 30:00

you either used to or still officiate Division I Men's College?

Ryan Wechsler 30:05

I do. I I st I am still crazy enough to do that, yes.

Jason Lazarus 30:09

Well, so that's pretty high-stakes decision making in real time with people yelling at you. I I'm curious what has the whistle taught you about being better at what you do uh in your day job as a trial lawyer?

Ryan Wechsler 30:27

That's such a great question. And um, it's something I tell people a lot. The two are very, very analogous to one another, uh officiating uh men's college basketball and handling you know a case in front of a uh a jury uh or you know, just litigating litigating a case in general. If you want to find the most common denominator there, it's it's being able to perform under pressure. Uh, you know, people probably think that basketball referees just go out there with some pea whistle and they just kind of guess as they go. And I can assure you that is not the case. Uh there is a discipline, and uh there's a ton of pressure that is on these referees, and nobody wants to get the plays right more than the referees at both sides of the floor. And you've got to be able to perform under pressure. As a trial lawyer, you have to be able to perform under pressure too. You have to be able to think on your feet, and you have to be an effective communicator. These are things that are that that exist in the uh basketball officiating world, and they also exist, of course, in litigating or trying a case. And so for me early on, interestingly, I I started getting heavily into officiating basketball at the same time that I was learning how to practice law at the same exact time. So, number one, I I should be probably put in a straitjacket because that's insane to try to take both those things on at once, but I'm a psycho, as my wife will tell you. Uh, but number two, I was able, what was a good part of it is I got to learn lessons on this end, like in basketball, that ended up teaching me things in law, and then vice versa. And a a prime example I can tell you that that is so true is dealing with college coaches is intense, as you've probably seen on TV. They have a lot of power. Um, they act, they have the kind of power where they can potentially end your career. Uh that's how powerful basketball coaches are in in college. And we know that as referees, but at the same time, we have a job to do. And we also have to be able to communicate with these people who are, you know, by nature type A, loud, uh, probably have big egos. Um, and they're also informed and knowledgeable about what they're talking about. And you, as the referee, have to have the courage, balls as I'd call them, to look these people in the face and talk shop with them and do so, you know, in a way that shows that you know what you're talking about. Um, and you also have to have the right kind of disposition. Uh, and that's very similar to dealing with a judge who's coming after you, you know, so to speak. You know, they're they're drilling you about issues. So I really learned a lot early on how to deal with judges by at the same time learning how to deal with intense coaches. And that's just one example, but they complement one another. And while I think um getting better and better at each of those things might have been made a little more difficult because I was trying to do two things at once and occupy my time with two things at once. At the same time, I started to accelerate because even when I was dealing with my avocation and refereeing basketball, I was working on skills that uh translate well to practicing law. And even when I'm not on the floor um and it's the off season and I'm in court, I'm still working on things that I will then bring into uh the game of basketball.

Jason Lazarus 34:02

So yeah, it's a pretty cool thing to be able to be in that kind of a an environment and deploy your skills. I uh I volunteered as uh a flagging official for F1 Miami. And the things I learned through that whole process being part of the race logistics, I did race radio, I did a whole bunch of different things, which was just but there were things that I learned that I felt like were great transitions into business. The the amount of focus and attention that you have to do to do your job correctly and make sure you're not distracted by what's going on in the environment, because I'm sure, you know, in a college basketball game that there is action going on all around you in the stands, on the bench, on the court, and you really have to focus on what your job is and getting it done and you know, making sure that you get the calls right.

Ryan Wechsler 35:03

You've got to be locked in. You have all those external distractions, and then you have your own mental distractions. You know, you can't let your concentration float, you can't get fixated on a mixed, missed call. You can't get uh you can't let your anxieties take over your concentration. So, yeah, it it you build that that muscle in your brain through you know mistakes and through experience. And fortunately, I've been able to do that in you know both facets of my life. Now I just have to figure out how to do it as a husband and father. I'm still learning that one.

Jason Lazarus 35:31

Yeah, if you figure that out, let me know.

Ryan Wechsler 35:34

Exactly.

Jason Lazarus 35:35

Well, looking back across the defense years and the previous firms that you've practiced with, is there a

The hard lesson that shaped how Ryan leads his firm today

Jason Lazarus 35:43

mistake or a hard lesson that has most shaped how you have uh fashioned your practice today and how you lead today?

Ryan Wechsler 35:54

That's a great question. I want to think about that one because there's a lot of little lessons I've learned along the way. I would say that I've learned that you can't compromise your values. And um that's the hard part about a partnership and um, you know, or being an employee to um a higher up is sometimes you your values um are different, uh your philosophies are different than your superiors or your contemporaries or your partners or whatever. Um so I think as a leader, you have to have number one, a sound compass for what's right and wrong, and you have to have a clear vision for what you want uh from yourself, your team, and your law firm. And you cannot fracture those values. Um so that that's what I've learned, and that's what I've brought to my firm here. You know, my employees here are all hand selected by me. They are not people I pulled off the street. Uh, they are not random people who applied here. These are people that um I am blessed and fortunate and humbled by the fact that they wanted to continue to work with me. Um, and that I had that kind of relationship with them and I knew what kind of uh workers they were. And you know, big things that matter for me, my values. My values are working hard. It's a very important value in what we do as plaintiff lawyers. We are representing people. It's not about us, it's about them. And I'm big on that. So I don't have a much tolerance for laziness, I don't have much tolerance for inattentiveness. So that's a very important value for me. Other items that that that matter is teamwork. I'm not a fan of, well, that's their job, not mine. I don't like that. I don't like that approach. That doesn't work for me. That might work for other people. And I can understand why certain people feel that way. I don't like that. Yes, we need to have defined roles, defined responsibilities. But we all know what that gray looks like. And sometimes you just need to stick it up, you just need to suck it up and step up and get something done because you know it's for the better good of the firm and for the client. So I'm big on teamwork. I'm big on uh people that care about the quality of their work. And I'm big on people actually enjoying practicing law. And those are the kind of people that I have here, those are my values. Um, and I'm blessed again that I have had enough experience with people and have been able to develop enough relationships and that I guess I've done something right by them where they're willing to work with me. So I've been able to build my firm, and we're off to a great start of being one that's consistent with the culture that I want and for the uh product that I want to put out. So I think that would be the main lesson is um look, sometimes you're gonna have to adjust, you're gonna have to learn things about yourself that need improvement. And I'm no stranger to that for sure, as anyone in my life would tell you. Um, because I'm far from perfect. But there are core values that we have as human beings. And if they're true to you, you cannot fracture them, you cannot bend them, you cannot break them. And if you're in a position where you're having to do that, it's it's time to consider what the next phase of your life is going to look like, what the next firm is going to be, you know, what may have you, because you can't break those things.

Jason Lazarus 39:43

It's a great point. Yeah, we have really focused on our core values, which are our professionalism, respect, integrity, dedication, empathy in emphasizing what we do and the importance of who we serve. So every time we do our all hands, we do mission moments where we talk about what happened to the injured party, what we did to improve their net recovery by reducing a lien or getting a lien waived, so that the team understands, clearly understands their purpose and what's expected of them and how to get the results. Because without that, you know, people tend to then pull on whatever they feel like is important if they don't have that direction. So it's such a key thing that you hit on and crucial if you really want to build a team that is going to execute on what you as a visionary or business owner or leader want out of that team. Because it doesn't happen just magically. It happens with purpose and focus and attention to these sorts of little things and communicating those to the team clearly.

Ryan Wechsler 41:01

You've got to have that it factor. And as a lead, as a leader, you have to have that it factor. And um, you need to make sure as a leader that your team has that it factor. And I don't know, you know, one thing I've learned is I don't know if the it factor can necessarily be taught. I think there it's either there or it's not. It can definitely be amplified and nurtured, but some people just don't have that it factor. And and and that's okay. Uh, that's okay. There's a place for that. But for me, in the practice of law and what we do, it's important to have that it factor because people that are hurt and whose lives have been turned upside down, they hired you to have that it factor.

Jason Lazarus 41:43

So well, you've been uh very generous with your time. So last question, and it's very open-ended. You can answer it however you want. And the question is, what is your view as a trial lawyer, founder of a law firm, and leader of a law firm?

Ryan Wechsler 42:03

My view is that this is serious business. Uh, this is we're not selling cookies at the cookie stand. This is um a business where we are up against massive insurance companies and you know, a huge lobbying power that are doing everything they can to minimize what they pay out to injured victims. And we have to abide by our oath as lawyers uh to fight for our clients. And I'd like to see more of that amongst the entire state of Florida. You know, I I think that in a way uh plaintiff law firms have turned into more of a business than a law firm. And I don't know that that always serves the interests of the clients. I know listen, there's there's an amazing group of plaintiff lawyers throughout the state that I really look up to and I admire and I lean on and I get advice from and uh that I cherish relationships with. Um, that's the brand of lawyering that I want to be part of. I take a lot of pride in what we do here. Um, I enjoy the opportunity to fight against insurance companies, and I'm empowered and humbled, but anyone off the street is gonna hire me to fight for them. So I think that's sacred. And I think that plaintiff lawyers, you know, look, it's nice to have nice things, and we're all out to make some money, no doubt. I wouldn't do this for free. But there are some things that transcend um money and materiality. And I think that having pride in what you do and the work product that you put out and the lives that you're able to touch and help, that transcends money. Money will come with it. Um, if you do, if you put your heart into it and you fight your hardest to be the best at what you do. And my law firm is very much dedicated to that. I believe I'm very good, but I'm nowhere near as good as I want to be five years from now, and certainly nowhere near as to where I want to be 10 years from now. So um at this law firm, you're gonna get, you know, you get you're gonna get treated the right way as a plaintiff. Uh, you're gonna have a team that fights for you very hard. And uh I'm just really proud to have what I have now and very thankful for it. And we're just continuing to grow.

Jason Lazarus 44:24

Ryan, can you uh briefly describe your practice areas and what jurisdictions you're in? So if somebody's listening and has a case in your area that they mean to refer what your areas of specialization are.

Ryan Wechsler 44:40

Yeah, absolutely. Uh we we handle cases all throughout the state of Florida. You know, because of where we're located, most of our cases are in the South Florida area, but we handle cases all throughout the state. Some of my biggest cases have been in, you know, Central Florida, North Florida, and the panhandle. So we're certainly no stranger to those courtrooms either. Um, and we've definitely tried cases outside the South Florida area as well. Uh, but you know, primarily just based on statistics, motor vehicle collisions are the primary uh type of case that come through these doors. Uh, I do hold myself out as a trucking specialist. I've handled many, many trucking cases. I've got you know been blessed to have you know big results, big, big million-dollar numbers uh in those cases. And um I've done so by my knowledge in the trucking space and knowing how those cases need to be handled. So I would encourage anyone who is ever, you know, a victim to a trucking accident to hire uh a plaintiff lawyer that knows the trucking sector and knows how to handle those cases, because those cases cannot and should not be handled like a regular uh motor vehicle collision case because many times they are not. And if they're handled that way, it will be to the client's uh client's peril. So those uh those are really the the primary cases we take, and we take premises liability cases too. Any kind of case where there's been negligence and there's been an injury as a result.

Jason Lazarus 46:07

And what's the best way to uh reach you?

Ryan Wechsler 46:10

Our website is uh www.wexinjurylaw.com, WEX injury law.com. If you look my name up on the Florida bar, you'll see that uh uh you know our office is in Boca. I have an office line, I have a direct office line, and I even put my cell phone number in there because I'm as crazy as I am, and I always want my clients to be able to reach me. So you can reach me right on my cell anytime, even on the weekends.

Jason Lazarus 46:35

Awesome. Well, Ryan, thanks for joining me today on Tri Law Review, and we'll see everybody on the next episode. Thanks for having me. If today's episode gave you a new perspective on how your firm operates or sparked a useful idea, consider sharing it with a colleague and be sure to follow the show so you don't miss future conversations with leaders across the personal injury space. Tri Law Review is brought to you by Synergy, a strategic operations partner helping personal injury law firms resolve healthcare liens more efficiently. If you're looking to accelerate case flow and allow your team to focus on high-level legal work that moves cases faster, consider partnering with Synergy. I'm Jason Lazarus, and I'll see you in the next episode.