Fond du Lac lawyer competes for PI cases

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Everybody wants a piece of the personal injury pie in a small town, from small firms trying to branch out to major firms with large marketing and advertising budgets.

Charles Averbeck, of Averbeck & Hammer SC, Fond du Lac, has managed to face that challenge with the help of his partner Ronald Hammer. The two began working together in 1981 when the local firm where Hammer was working merged with Averbeck’s firm to become Hauer, Averbeck & Hammer.

Today, Averbeck does plaintiff’s personal injury work while Hammer handles the transactional side, including estate planning and business transactions. Attorney Michael Gibbs, who joined the firm in 2005, bridges that gap, focusing on personal injury, while also taking on probate, business and real estate work.

“It works pretty well,” Averbeck said. “It’s hard for even one lawyer to be a purely personal injury lawyer in a smaller town like Fond du Lac.

“We’re in competition with not just the other firms in town that do personal injury work,” Averbeck added, “but also the Habushes, the Hupies and the Grubers, who have significant TV advertising budgets.”

Averbeck and his colleagues earn their keep by doing solid work that results in referrals, he said.

“I would say a good half of our cases come from referrals from clients we have served before,” he said.

Wisconsin Law Journal: What is the best part about being an attorney?
Charles Averbeck: It’s knowing that you are doing something that makes a difference and is worthwhile. Your work makes a real difference in people’s lives.

WLJ: What is the most important thing to keep in mind when appearing in court?
Averbeck: Remember that you are there to serve the interests of a client. Whenever I feel a little overwhelmed about what I’m going to do in court I remind myself that it’s not about me; it’s about serving my clients’ interests. That has a calming effect on me.

WLJ: If you hadn’t become a lawyer, what do you think you would have chosen as a career path?
Averbeck: I would have remained a high school teacher. I taught English before becoming a lawyer.

WLJ: What famous person would you most like to have a drink with?
Averbeck: Barack Obama

WLJ: What word in the English language do you wish you had invented?
Averbeck: Onomatopoeia

WLJ: What was your favorite toy as a child?
Averbeck: That’s pretty easy: my Lionel train set

WLJ: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Averbeck: I would be a little more outgoing.

WLJ: Finish this sentence: Happiness is …
Averbeck: Reaching a good outcome in a case. There is nothing more exhilarating than that.

WLJ: What is your most treasured possession?
Averbeck: I would say my family.

WLJ: Who are your favorite writers?
Averbeck: I like F. Scott Fitzgerald and William Faulkner.