Abraham in it for the long haul

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Jason Abraham always knew he wanted to be a trial lawyer.

He spent a year doing criminal-defense work before applying for a job with Michael Hupy. Personal-injury law was something Abraham simply knew he would enjoy.

“I have a burning desire to help people,” he said. “And with what I do, I get the benefit of doing that every day.”

That burning desire has served Abraham well when he has had to settle in for the long haul with one of his cases. In one of the toughest stretches of his career, he found himself working on a case that took seven years to go to trial but then ended up being settled a week into the proceedings.

One of Abraham’s biggest achievements so far has been mastering the business of running a law firm — something one doesn’t just pick up in law school.

“We have 11 offices in three states and around 200 employees,” Abraham said. “One of the biggest assets I bring today is understanding the value of my human capital and working hard to empower staff to do their job and do it well.”

It was by no means an easy achievement.

“The challenge at first was understanding the value of hiring good people and empowering them,” he said. “Then there was the public perception that people want something for nothing, that people are just looking for reasons to find fraud. … You have to be willing to take the case the distance, which we are.”

But Abraham emphasizes that he could never have done any of it alone.

“I understand that there’s a lot of luck and timing that goes along with someone’s success,” he said. “I cannot say ‘thank you’ enough to so many people along the way that have contributed to my being successful.”

One of those many people is Hupy.

“He showed me how to make difference not only as a lawyer but in the community,” Abraham said. “He showed me how to run a business.”