Brandon Vaughn, Robins Kaplan LLP

What are the biggest challenges you currently see in personal injury law?

One of the biggest challenges in personal injury law is opportunity to timely achieve justice for the injured. Unfortunately, cases are taking longer to achieve resolution due to a number of factors including limited settlement authority from the insurance industry, lawyers’ availability to quickly work through discovery, and to some degree in some counties the availability of trial dates.

What advice would you give a client to avoid legal complications in a personal injury case?

I prefer a client to be as forthcoming as possible. Trying to only tell me the “good facts” or the things they believe make their case the best is less helpful. Knowing and understanding the challenges or “bad facts” is most important to me to successfully do my job and advocate on behalf of my client.

How do you manage work/life balance?

I prefer to find work/life synergy. I find balance in doing things I love, and I love both work and my hobbies. The synergy between work and life is found in spending time with family and friends and participating in competitive sports. I continue to play competitive tennis in a league and look forward to winning which gives me great satisfaction. Similarly, I play on a competitive softball team that travels the country playing generally one weekend a month. The time I spend seeking victories on the field and on the tennis court are just as satisfying as the victories I achieve for my clients. I find balance in giving 100% and being fully engaged in whatever I am doing.

What is one thing you would change about Minnesota if you could?

I would shorten the winters and lengthen the summers. I value have four distinct seasons, but winters can be long and gray.