Resolving to be more productive, be a better provider, save more or give more – those are all great resolutions. But what if everything good you do this year is at risk because of an enemy, a hidden enemy? And what if that hidden enemy is in your camp – your office or even your home?¹

Ever Know Anyone With a Spouse that Got Caught Cheating? My first reaction was probably similar to yours, “you may be at risk, but not me.”

Then I remember my friend whose wife announced one night that she didn’t love him anymore. She found someone else. He never saw it coming. Sure, she had been acting a little different, but there was a lot going on in their lives: they both worked all the time, the children had busy schedules, church on Sundays …. Of course my friend demanded to know who the “someone else” was. Turns out, it was his best friend.

Again, my reaction was probably similar to yours, “how could you not see that? How could you not know?” I get it now. He didn’t know because he loved and trusted his wife. He trusted his friend.

I too had a hidden enemy. Not at home but at work. I met him when he left being a state trooper so that he could go to law school. He started as an office administrator and ultimately was a member in the firm. I trusted him. By the time I realized what he was really doing, millions of dollars were missing, I was defending numerous lawsuits and bar grievances. He was on his way to federal prison.

Learn from the mistakes of others

I’m sure that a lot of work goes into every continuing legal course, some more than others. But when I started filing away all of the investigation, research, responses and defense work, it seemed wrong not to share it. Consider these numbers:

54+ months of investigating, researching, responding and defending
Over $200,000 of legal fees incurred
Thousands upon thousands of documents reviewed
$6,000,000 missing (maybe more)
Two forensic accounting
Legal pleadings, memos and briefs drafted

This CLE is an opportunity to learn from what we went through. Like my friend who lost his wife to his best friend … he never saw it coming. You might not either. Benefit from our experience and safeguard the integrity of your practice. Protect your lifetime investment.

Basic Outline – Enemy in the Camp
(a continuing legal education course)

*Treating Your Practice Like Your Client
*When You Are a Defendant
*Life – Work Balance
*Bad Facts to Best Practice

Click here to sign up for updates and follow us as we travel to 18 cities this year and tell the story of the chaos that came from an enemy in our camp and his extravagant lifestyle that ultimately brought him to ruin. Discover how we overcame and rebuilt and learn to protect your practice.

### Brandon L. Blankenship