Robert S. Fakhouri is the founder and leading lawyer of The Fakhouri Firm. The Fakhouri Firm is a personal injury law firm dedicated to protecting the legal rights of victims who have sustained catastrophic injuries or were killed because the wrongful conduct of others.
Photo Credit: Stuart Matthews
Mr. Fakhouri sat down with Haute Lawyer to explain how he got his start in the industry and shared his vision for the future of his firm.
Haute Lawyer: Would you briefly explain what drove you to practice law and how you got your start in the industry?
Robert S. Fakhouri: I was convinced that I would be a doctor, actually. I applied to medical school, took the MCAT, and at the time, I was studying in France and thought, ‘there’s no way that I want to stay in school until I’m almost 40 years old.’ So, I pivoted to law and that’s actually how I ended up going into the field. On one of my first visits to Chicago-Kent [College of Law], I witnessed what was essentially a performance of a trial team doing one of their competition pieces. I instantly became obsessed. To me, it seemed like the courtroom was a gladiator’s arena for intellect and storytelling. I don’t think I would be practicing law if it wasn’t for that experience, witnessing that trial and litigation. To me, there is nothing better than using all that preparation and effectively executing accordingly in front of a jury trial.
HL: Considering how early on you found success in your field, were there any challenges or biases you faced?
RSF: So many thought that I opened my practice so early on because of ego, and they couldn’t have been more wrong. There were familial circumstances which placed my parents under financial strain and forced my hand into taking care of my family. I’ll never forget, my first year at a big law firm, I signed 37 personal cases. I approached my boss to see what were the chances of getting a raise in order to start helping my family. We came to find that since the inception of the firm, which was in the ’70s, I signed the most cases in year one.
Looking back on it, there was so much more to learn considering I was not just practicing law but opening a business of law, which is completely different. But I come form a strong, entrepreneurial family and when I was forced into this position, I knew what I had to do. I learned a lot from that process. At a time when most of my contemporaries were still fresh out of law school, I was running my own business.
Photo Credit: Stuart Matthews
HL: What do you feel sets your firm apart from the rest?
RSF: For starters, our attorneys speak multiple languages. From Spanish, to Arabic, to English, we have attorneys who are fluent in several languages, and this gives us the ability to work with certain demographics that are underrepresented. Secondly, we’re almost entirely electronic. This is extremely favorable to our clients as this allows for all pertinent information to be completely available to them. Should a client ever need to reference back to anything from an e-mail to a previous conversation, we have it all sorted electronically and linked to their case file.
We still go to the office every day and are more than willing to meet in person if that’s what the client prefers. Thankfully, we have been able to adapt to any situation post-pandemic.
HL: What is your vision for the future of Fakhouri Law?
RSF: I hope to bring together a truly high-quality firm that is able to manage a large caseload; a firm comprised of multiple attorneys working from locations which they see fit, in environments which are comfortable to them, whether that be virtual or in office. I want to establish a modern law firm that brings together clients, staff and lawyer in a smart and expedient manner in order to service the client as effectively as possible.
Our goal is to get out of the world of molasses that is the law industry. It’s a world where you sign a case today, and that case typically will not be resolved for another two years. We want to build a system which allows for us to move our clients’ case files effectively and competently. The Fakhouri Firm intends to expand into other jurisdictions and have competent lawyers assisting individuals that need proper representation after suffering injuries through no fault of their own.
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