These core principles guide our firm. To our Founders, they have become second nature—but client stories about prior attorney experiences confirm our approach is distinctive. This is the culmination of years in the trenches, listening to clients, and asking: "What would I want from my law firm?”

1. Be more than the client’s lawyer, be a partner. Learn the client’s business deeply; the better informed you are, the more value you bring.

2. Remember first principles. Break down complicated issues to their fundamentals.

3. Be creative and see the big picture. Become an expert in the client's business and always consider their underlying goals. Give hard truths when necessary, but apply creativity in finding alternatives. In health law, “No” is the easy way out—explore every possible “Yes” before turning to “No,” and always provide alternatives where possible.

4. Remember second-order effects. Consider not only whether a proposed action is legal; consider also whether the second-order effects are consistent with a client’s ethos and roadmap.

5. Advance the ball. Advice should be targeted to the client’s specific goals and should be considered through the lens of “Am I moving the ball forward with this advice?”

6. Be efficient, specific, and precise. Written advice should have a concise summary of the issue and conclusion at the top; detailed analysis follows. “Any damn fool can make something complex; it takes a genius to make something simple.” —Pete Seeger.

7. Play the long game. Never bill a .1 or .2— it erodes trust and signals a transactional mindset. Treat every client as a long-term relationship.

8. (Over-)Communicate with clients. Be transparent and don't avoid hard conversations. Devise clear budgets for projects, make reasonable efforts to stick to them, and keep clients informed of any changes.

9. No surprise billing. Get sign-off on scope and budget for material projects. Every professional has this responsibility. Few things damage client relationships more than unexpected bills—even for quality work.

10. Keep clients updated. A simple “We haven't forgotten you—expect that document Tuesday” email goes almost as far as delivering the document itself.

11. Be measured. When encountering complicated or risky matters, approach with composure. Alarmist responses are almost universally unhelpful.

12. Be open-minded. Avoid groupthink and respect others' views. Experience is critical but can create bias. Allow others to change your mind—seeing both sides leads to the best answers.

13. Leave your comfort zone. Our foundation is deep expertise in a niche area, but don't close off other opportunities. Trust your ability to learn, while knowing when outside expertise is needed.

14. Build deep relationships—with clients and each other. Our culture of relationship building is a great strength. Our people have strong bonds; our clients appreciate us as partners. This comes person-to-person, but also from incorporating these other principles.

15. Don't be complacent. Cutting-edge today is tomorrow’s old news. Constantly evaluate technology and anticipate what clients will need next.

16. Make things happen. You know a client’s businesses and see many others in the market; you'll spot complementary opportunities. Preserve confidences, but make suggestions beyond the legal realm. Key introductions can be worth more than 100 hours of legal work. When you see patterns, consider new solutions and make them a reality.

17. Bring it to the finish line. We hire stars. Be confident in making tough calls. Confer with colleagues, but do the hard work first—map out a proposed course, then collaborate and pressure test. If colleagues have already addressed an issue, incorporate that knowledge.

18. Be curious. Become an expert in niche areas that excite you. Intellectual curiosity drives better client outcomes—the deeper your knowledge, the more creative and effective your counsel. Never stop learning; it is the thread that ties all of these principles together. These principles are not aspirational—they are the standard to which we hold ourselves every day. We internalize them and challenge ourselves against them.
 
-Goldsand Friedberg LLP
Updated March 16, 2026
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