Finerty flying solo in new practice

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After a decade spent working at two established law firms, Milwaukee attorney Daniel Finerty broke out on his own this fall.

Less than three months into the new venture, Finerty, 39, said it is still a work in progress. At some point, he said, he may want to form a partnership with other lawyers, but for now he is content as a solo.

The labor and employment lawyer spent seven years with Krukowski & Costello SC and three years with Godfrey & Kahn SC. He decided to hang out his own shingle, Finerty said, to restore personal contact with clients that can be difficult to maintain in a firm setting.

Finerty said he misses the administrative and technical support provided by his former employers, but the freedom to pick his clients and also his children up from school is worth it.

He had some guidance on how to start a firm, as his father, John Finerty, founded the Milwaukee firm Friebert, Finerty & St. John SC in 1966. Running a firm was a frequent topic of discussion in his Wauwatosa household growing up, he said, and he knew at some point in his career he wanted to try it solo, as well.

Finerty took a few minutes to reflect on his career thus far in this week’s Asked & Answered.

Wisconsin Law Journal: If you could develop one CLE course for credit, what would it be about?

Daniel Finerty: I would develop a course that teaches attorneys how to get all their work done, meet client needs, get home and play with the kids and still have time to do what you want. I think Tony Robbins should figure out how to sell that course to law schools.

WLJ: What was your least favorite course in law school and why?

Finerty: Administrative law was my least favorite course. I thought the book and the material were very dry, and they were. Ironically, 10-plus years later, I regularly represent clients in front of federal and state agencies and advise clients on compliance with employment-related organizations.

WLJ: What do you consider your biggest achievement to date and why?

Finerty: Professionally, I had my greatest achievement taken away from me by the Court of Appeals. I won a restorative covenant action in circuit court after having a blast working on the case for four or five months. It was reversed by the Court of Appeals per curiam, which was a bitter pill to swallow.

WLJ: What is the one luxury item you cannot live without?

Finerty: My coffeemaker and my traveling coffee mug, if I could choose a second item.

WLJ: What is one thing attorneys should know that they won’t learn in law school?

Finerty: Law school does not teach attorneys how to effectively manage personality conflicts. I think it is critical to develop and refine skills in this area, especially as the public relies more heavily on electronic communication, which does not emphasize one-to-one communication.

WLJ: What is the first concert you went to?

Finerty: Bruce Hornsby and the Range at the Marcus Amphitheater in 1987. We had tickets instead of grass seats, which was pretty cool.

WLJ: If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would it be and why?

Finerty: My grandfather: An Irish Catholic father of four kids in Chicago and an electrician, policeman and bodyguard to Chicago Mayor Edward Kelly. I would love to see things through his eyes and experience a day in his life.

WLJ: What is your motto?

Finerty: Never miss an opportunity.

WLJ: What is your favorite movie about lawyers or the law and why?

Finerty: “Midnight Run” is my favorite movie – period. My wife and I both love Robert DeNiro, so I love the way his character took a bad situation and made it work for him and others. I think we can all take a lesson from that. “Michael Clayton” also really shined a light on our profession and what we do.

WLJ: If you hadn’t become a lawyer, what career would you have chosen?

Finerty: Something involving fishing or being outdoors like a fishing guide or charter captain on Lake Michigan