THE PRACTICE OF LAW

McPherson & Associates, PC
Plano and Dallas, Texas
March, 1995 to present

Mankoff, Hill, Held & Goldburg, PC
Dallas, Texas
September, 1990 to March, 1995

ADMITTANCES TO COURTS

Supreme Court of the State of Texas and all other Texas state, county and local courts, 1990

United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, 1990

United States District Courts for the Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, 1992

LAW SCHOOL

Washington & Lee University School of Law, Lexington, Virginia, 1990 (Doctor of Jurisprudence)

COLLEGE

Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee, 1987 (Bachelor of Science, Cum Laude)

Major in Political Science
Minor in Information Systems Management

PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Mr. McPherson is or has been a member of the following professional and community organizations:

PRACTICE PHILOSOPHY

Quotes from Mr. McPherson:

On How I was Taught

At Mankoff, Hill, my mentor was my boss, and he taught me business and corporate law first from the standpoint of what can go wrong. So I represented creditors and debtors in bankruptcy. I learned commercial real estate by starting with foreclosures and workouts. I learned contracts by trying lawsuits over deals gone bad. He wanted me to know what to do on the front end of a transaction to prevent these results, or to at least be as prepared for them as possible. It was invaluable experience. Of course, the Texas economy in the early 90's helped give me plenty of these 'opportunities' as well. Then I moved into the positive aspects of these transactions and estate planning for our business owners.

On Representing Business Owners

I own my own business, so I know firsthand the challenges business owners face and how different they are from what I faced in my days as an employee of a law firm.

On The Value of Written Documents

A deal is rarely better than the people involved. If you do business with the wrong people, no amount of paperwork will help you. Litigation and the remedies you can get in the courtroom are usually no justice at all due to timing and expense. If you do business with the right people, a good, comprehensive, well written agreement helps all parties remember the original deal. This prevents future arguments and helps preserve the good will built between the parties. That good will may come in handy further down the road.

On the Lawyer's Value

Lawyers should enhance the value of a deal, whether it's quantifying liabilities so the owner knows better what to expect, limiting the chance of an unexpected liability, or helping to structure a deal so that the owner pays less in taxes. All of these things sooner or later affect the bottom line in a positive way. I look for ways to save business owners money. Long terms relationships are best because the lawyer gets to know more of the client's business and the client's particular style. The lawyer's style of, for example, negotiating, should reasonably match the client's style.

Who's On First

A deal or estate is the client's matter, and the client certainly has the last word. As a lawyer I have certain expertises and experience that clients do not have. I bring that to bear without usurping the client's position as the ultimate decision maker, but at the same time I try not to leave my clients in a lurch with a bunch of not-completely-understood legal options. Sometimes the law is so technical that it can't fully be described to any non-lawyer. This is where trust in a professional relationship, and knowledge of the client's business, built over time is invaluable.

On Client Relationships

I want to develop long term relationships with clients who are fun to work with and whom I respect. In the beginning of a relationship, more time is spent learning about each other and learning the client's business. As the relationship grows it is easier to spot ways in which I can enhance the client's bottom line. Clients who build long term relationships with their attorneys generally get more bang for their buck.

On the Big Picture

Deals are "big picture" matters. You can't get lost in the forest, lose the forest in the trees, etc. Lawyers by nature have to focus on details and make sure they are each dealt with appropriately, but my education and experience taught me to never lose sight of the big picture. And a big part of the big picture is to close the deal. I know how to move deals along and get them closed.

There is no such thing as a perfect deal. Each one involves compromises of some sort. Success is not in the science of perfection, but rather in the art of compromises.

On the Adversarial System

In America the legal system is built on the adversary system. Each party hires a lawyer, and the lawyers work 'adverse' to each other. Each looks out for the client to the exclusion of the other. Even some transactional lawyers can get somewhat hostile towards each other. In a transaction, though, there is a third party present, and that is the deal itself. The way to get a deal done isn't to win an adversarial contest, but rather to build understanding about issues of concern, and work in a collaborative way to build a win-win solution. I am a big proponent of crafting win-win deals as much as possible.

MORE PERSONAL TIDBITS

Hometown: Crossville, Tennessee
Favorite Book: The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas
Favorite Musician: Elvis. By age 9, my kids had been to Graceland twice.
Favorite Type of Music: Blues and Classic Soul (Stax/Volt)
Favorite Movie: Casablanca
Favorite Actor: Humphrey Bogart
Favorite Actress: Changes from time to time; all-time, though, Audrey Hepburn
Favorite Sports to follow: Auto Racing, SEC College Football (Tennessee Vols)
Favorite Participatory Activities: Cycling, Hunting, Fishing, Snorkeling
Favorite Vacation Spot: St. John, USVI (where I was married in 2000)
Favorite Food: Texas Barbeque and all the traditional sides
Favorite Holiday: Memorial Day (F1 Monte Carlo, Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in one day)
Church: Fellowship Church

PERSONAL WEBSITE

Mr. McPherson's personal website is web2.airmail.net/mctexlaw

DISCLAIMER

Mr. McPherson is Not Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.