Isaacson stays on the defensive for his clients

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When a juror cried during the plaintiff’s mother’s testimony in Timmerman v. Allstate Insurance, attorney Chet Isaacson thought his case was over.

But Isaacson, 34, kept fighting for the defendant driver, and the jury ultimately awarded the plaintiff less than $25,000 — about half of her attorney’s request.

It’s one of 10 cases Isaacson has tried since he earned his law degree in 2006 and joined Madison’s Corneille Law Group LLC.

Immediately after Timmerman, in February 2010, Isaacson mitigated his client’s exposure to just $214 in Evans v. American Family, an auto negligence case where the plaintiff sought $69,000.

Then in May, in Jackson v. Harris Ace Hardware, the jury awarded zero dollars to a customer alleging serious injuries from an altercation with a store employee.

This year’s off to great start for Isaacson, too.

In May, in Pearsall v. Bula, plaintiffs sought $108,000, alleging trespass, private nuisance and the unauthorized cutting of raw forest products. The jury awarded each plaintiff $200.

And in June, a jury found no negligence for Isaacson’s client, the driver in a one-vehicle rollover, in Lannefeld v. American Family. The plaintiff, the passenger, requested about $117,000.

Trying cases coincides well with Isaacson’s competitive nature, he said. He’s a triathlete who completed the 2007 Wisconsin Iron Man.

— Jane Pribek

What is the best part of being an attorney?

Literally every day, I have the opportunity to think critically and creatively. And I like having a clearly-defined goal in every case. I also love the competitive aspect. I won’t lie about that, although it might not be particularly noble.

How many countries have you visited? Which ones?

It’s a long list, because I love to travel. During my undergrad, I was going to graduate early, so I took a year off and bought an “around the world” ticket, where you could only fly in one direction over a period of time. I went to New Zealand and worked on a dairy farm and I moved office furniture in Australia. I went to South Africa to visit a friend in the Peace Corp, and then Egypt. Then on a different trip, I went to Europe: Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Switzerland and England. And I’ve been to Canada and Mexico.

If you could be a superhero, who would you be?

I watch a lot of Spiderman with my 3-year-old son, so I have to go with him.

What is your motto?

I say, “Just because something’s always been done a certain way, doesn’t mean it’s right” a lot. I’m lucky; from the get-go, I’ve been given the opportunity to try cases on my own, and I’m usually up against older and more experienced attorneys. I’ve discovered that to some extent, there’s a “system” out there for trying cases, because that’s the way somebody taught them how to try cases. I’m not saying I always know what the right way is. But the “standard” way isn’t always the “right” way — it’s good to be creative and try new strategies once in a while.

Which living person do you most admire?

My dad, Walter Isaacson, a criminal defense attorney in Rock County

How would your mother describe you in one word?

“Stubborn.” I would reluctantly have to agree with her.