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The Family Practice with Big Bob Simon · Justice Team Podcast

• 0:00
  Bob:
• 0:01
  Welcome to this episode of the Justice Team Podcast on the Justice Team Network where we give practical advice to lawyers, law firms, all those types of things. We have a little bit of fun on this show, and today we have a very, very special guest. He is actually, I have been the apple of his eye. I've been, he's giving, he's rolling his eyes, but we have Big Bob Simon on. Big Bob, what's up?
• 0:02
  Big Bob:
• 0:03
  Glad to be here.
• 0:04
  Bob:
• 0:05
  Are you?
• 0:06
  Big Bob:
• 0:07
  Yeah. You have Cheez-Its so that's a good thing. Cheez-Its and whiskey.
• 0:08
  Bob:
• 0:09
  Cheez-Its, and we're going to get to whiskey. So some of the stuff we're going to talk about on this show is having a family run law firm. You being here, we're going to talk about some things you see lawyers make mistakes about. You drove for UPS, trucker for 35 years. We're going to talk a little bit about some helpful tips for truckers and then we'll just talk about whiskey at the end.
• 0:10
  Big Bob:
• 0:11
  Okay?
• 0:12
  Bob:
• 0:13
  You got it.
• 0:14
  Big Bob:
• 0:15
  Go for it.
• 0:16
  Bob:
• 0:17
  All right, so what attracted you to my mother? See, I knew, I knew, I knew I could get him. All right, you don't have to answer that one. Got him right away. So those of you who don't know, my dad has five kids, my brother and I are the twins. And then our sister Nicole's right after that, five years after that. Two years after that is Brandon who's a partner in our law firm. Well, 12 years separate me and my youngest sister, but they run Justice HQ and Word Merchant. So Dad, first of all, let's talk about having a family run company. So at the firm we have not only my mom, who's your ex-wife, we have your current wife, we have your current wife's, one of her daughters. We have three of your sons. Who else am I missing?
• 0:18
  Big Bob:
• 0:19
  Well, Nicole and Julie, they're in the JHQ program. So that's basically involved, The Simon Law Group. So yeah, it's a good thing, I get to keep an eye on them and see the grandchildren and stuff. And you pay me for doing nothing and...
• 0:20
  Bob:
• 0:21
  It's a good life.
• 0:22
  Big Bob:
• 0:23
  It is a good life.
• 0:24
  Bob:
• 0:25
  No, we're in a Torrance office here, Justice HQ, and I just saw my dad pop in because he was checking on things literally. So dad, can you tell everybody what you do at the firm and how you don't step on everybody's toes or you kind of do?
• 0:26
  Big Bob:
• 0:27
  Oh yeah, yeah. Well you got to tell people when they make a mistake or they'll just keeping the same mistake. So anyways, I run the accounts payables. So I pay all the bills basically. And there's probably about, believe it or not, 30,000 invoices a year, but sometimes there's 25, 30 invoices on one statement. So I just write the one check. I think I'm writing checks. When I first got here, I used to do that and then one day Brandon said that it was a fake account and they were just having me write checks to keep me busy. So I'm not sure what's true or not.
• 0:28
  Bob:
• 0:29
  Well that's true checks and balances right there.
• 0:30
  Big Bob:
• 0:31
  Yes, definitely.
• 0:32
  Bob:
• 0:33
  The mental gymnastics to keep you going. But because you work mostly remotely with Mary, who's your wife and she works at the firm. I mean, how does that go working in the same house with your wife?
• 0:34
  Big Bob:
• 0:35
  Oh, it's fantastic. She goes in one room. I go in the other room, I've got a bathroom in my room, she got a bathroom in her room. It's perfect.
• 0:36
  Bob:
• 0:37
  Do they have Cheez-Its?
• 0:38
  Big Bob:
• 0:39
  I'm not allowed to have Cheez-Its at home.
• 0:40
  Bob:
• 0:41
  So he gets the Cheez-Its at Dora's. Oh, I love it. But you've been a mediator at times for the family whenever there's intra-fighting between the kids. I mean, because we all have our say about stuff and everybody seems to work well together. I mean, what do you credit that to? Because people always say, "Oh my God, you work with your family. That must be crazy." I'm like, "Well that's actually a lot of fun." We do have times though.
• 0:42
  Big Bob:
• 0:43
  Well, the thing that I am amazed at is the kids and their five spouses. There are 10 people, they're very unique and very intelligent, which is they all bring something to the table, which is pretty crazy. And that's why it all works out because somebody got a good idea and then they expand on it and then someone comes up with, "Well that's not going to work." Nicole. But they figure it all out and it just works.
• 0:44
  Bob:
• 0:45
  And so I mean for those of you who've never met my dad before. He's my best friend. We hang out a lot, but my dad drove for UPS for years, but he was always there to coach our teams. We literally showing up for the Browns as the kids would say, to coach basketball and get there and get in the mix. But how were you able to, you had five kids all have been very successful, all very, very close. What do you credit that to? Just to give some family advice to folks?
• 0:46
  Big Bob:
• 0:47
  Well, number one thing you got to do is-
• 0:48
  Bob:
• 0:49
  Drink whiskey.
• 0:50
  Big Bob:
• 0:51
  Drink whiskey. No. When you come home from work, even though you're exhausted, spend time with your kids, it doesn't matter what you're doing. If you're out there drawing with chalk on the sidewalks or go down and shoot some baskets with them or just hop scotch, teach them to ride a bike. Spend time with them, it doesn't matter what you're doing, just talk to them like a normal person. That's where a lot of people get in trouble. They want to talk to their kids like they're kids. You got to talk to them like a normal adult, young adult. You just got to respect their intelligence. I think if you do not talk to them like that they'll keep in that same sense, like they're a five-year-old. Where if you talk to a five-year old about things, scientific things and everything, they pick that up and they think to themselves that they're getting smarter and people appreciate that. So they want to get smarter.
• 0:52
  Bob:
• 0:53
  Is that where you're talking quantum physics with my older daughter the other day?
• 0:54
  Big Bob:
• 0:55
  Yeah, I shouldn't have done that.
• 0:56
  Bob:
• 0:57
  No, she's going off on tangents right now. One thing, funny story about my dad is we were always very close, but he would literally talk to us like adults, like we were his friends, but we respect. So I always said my dad didn't ever have to discipline us too much because we respected you so much that that's just how we ran our relationship. But one time we were kids, my twin brother Brad and I were like, "Hey dad, you know how the F word is the worst word you could say right now. During your time, what was the worst swear word?" My dad thinks. He's like, "Jag off." That was the worst word you could say. And we believed it for years. He's just always messing with us about... But your kids do learn. We are like social sponges at that time. So we've got the family dynamic and there's, people are remote, but we're in chats all the time and talking. What are some things, two of your sons are lawyers? Three. Three of us. Well, three of us are lawyers. What are some of the things that you see lawyers, you've observed a lot of trials, a lot of ones that I've done, other trial lawyers here. What are some mistakes you see trial lawyers make?
• 0:58
  Big Bob:
• 0:59
  Well, when I've been in the courtroom, I've been actually put on the stand.
• 1:00
  Bob:
• 1:01
  Oh yeah, that's right.
• 1:02
  Big Bob:
• 1:03
  That's another story for another day. But some of the things I see, we have super smart attorneys and sometimes they're coming across like that and they're talking above the jury.
• 1:04
  Bob:
• 1:05
  Can you say rural juror three times?
• 1:06
  Big Bob:
• 1:07
  Rural juror?
• 1:08
  Bob:
• 1:09
  You can't say that.
• 1:10
  Big Bob:
• 1:11
  [inaudible 00:07:52] my words. But anyways, you're talking to somebody like me in a jury box and you just can't talk above me and use too many specific sophisticated words, you got to come down to where we're at and explain to us in common sense. Common sense goes a long way instead of just trying to overthink everything.
• 1:12
  Bob:
• 1:13
  And a lot of lawyers do overthink it. They over expert it. They think experts have to tell you what to do and just usually it's common sense.
• 1:14
  Big Bob:
• 1:15
  Yeah, I mean somebody like me sitting in the box and you're in there talking to an expert for three hours. I remember the first 10 minutes of it, but after that, it's ridiculous. You got to get it out right away and you can't stretch it out.
• 1:16
  Bob:
• 1:17
  You do an expert. And that's what I do. You should do it in no more than 20 to 30 minutes on your direct and get out, hit your high points that you can meet your burden, move on. Because the jury doesn't really care so much about all that stuff. They hang their hat on some of it, but that's all you got to do. So any other mistakes that you see lawyers make other than trying to complicate things or trying to speak too high above jurors?
• 1:18
  Big Bob:
• 1:19
  Well, they tend to sometimes get into it with the defense attorney instead of concentrate on the task at hand. But I got to say that our trial attorneys have learned from each other. And of course you've tried trials with Brian Panish and Gary Dordick, I've seen those. And I think Mike Alder maybe too, I'm not sure if you had one with him. But you learn from them and then you pick up your own thing and then you bring trial attorneys on and they have their own thing, what they learned from you, what you learned from other people. And it just keeps snowballing. And we have, I don't know, six or seven people that can try a trial.
• 1:20
  Bob:
• 1:21
  Oh, yeah.
• 1:22
  Big Bob:
• 1:23
  I don't know how many firms can do that.
• 1:24
  Bob:
• 1:25
  Not a lot. I mean, but that's kind of what we do and bill. But everybody that's listening, if you want to be a better trial lawyer, just go talk to regular human beings in a social setting that are not lawyers. Talk about your case. Go to the bar and just talk to the bartender about this case.
• 1:26
  Big Bob:
• 1:27
  Learn the art of bullshit.
• 1:28
  Bob:
• 1:29
  The art of bull. The art of bullshit. Speaking of bullshit, why don't you tell us about your favorite whiskeys these days?
• 1:30
  Big Bob:
• 1:31
  Oh, well I am still doing the Whistle Pig 10. I still have probably 13 or 14 Bobs we got from our private barrel.
• 1:32
  Bob:
• 1:33
  Yeah, we did buy a private barrel Whistle Pig and his is called Bob. It says Bob on it.
• 1:34
  Big Bob:
• 1:35
  Then Outrageous, found this place on Facebook, believe it or not, where we could get Weller Antique 107. So every once in a while me and Sebi will stumble upon a case and we'll split it. That's what I'm into right now.
• 1:36
  Bob:
• 1:37
  How many bottles of whiskey do you think you have at your house?
• 1:38
  Big Bob:
• 1:39
  I want to say about 187.
• 1:40
  Bob:
• 1:41
  That's pretty specific. You keeping track?
• 1:42
  Big Bob:
• 1:43
  Well how do you count if I have five open and-
• 1:44
  Bob:
• 1:45
  Oh, that's true.
• 1:46
  Big Bob:
• 1:47
  ... a half in each one.
• 1:48
  Bob:
• 1:49
  I think you count the whole bottle.
• 1:50
  Big Bob:
• 1:51
  That's where I got to round up.
• 1:52
  Bob:
• 1:53
  Yeah, you got to round up to the whole bottle. Just round up to the whole bottle.
• 1:54
  Big Bob:
• 1:55
  But that's true. I really do. And I got some in a closet too, that's just out open.
• 1:56
  Bob:
• 1:57
  Oh, those just open bottles. 187 marinating in the room.
• 1:58
  Big Bob:
• 1:59
  It doesn't go bad, I hope.
• 2:00
  Bob:
• 2:01
  I don't think it does.
• 2:02
  Big Bob:
• 2:03
  But if that place ever catches on fire-
• 2:04
  Bob:
• 2:05
  Oh, boy. It'll be an explosion to say the least.
• 2:06
  Big Bob:
• 2:07
  A little accelerant.
• 2:08
  Bob:
• 2:09
  All right, well dad, thank you for coming on this episode of the Justice Team podcast. We just want to do a quick hit to show some people some of the fun side of stuff that we do. How often do you think that the kids, well, your kids, us are talking shop whenever we're at Christmas dinner or Thanksgiving or birthday parties or Father's Day that we were last weekend?
• 2:10
  Big Bob:
• 2:11
  They say a little bit, but mostly they're enjoying their families. So you got to separate that. I mean, there's a time for talking shop and there's a time for family and family time is quality time. That's what you got to do.
• 2:12
  Bob:
• 2:13
  Yeah. So yeah, we talked probably 5%, 10% business at those.
• 2:14
  Big Bob:
• 2:15
  That's about it.
• 2:16
  Bob:
• 2:17
  But I always pull Brad aside. "Hey, let me talk you about these quick six issues before we all meet today."
• 2:18
  Big Bob:
• 2:19
  And Nicole will say, "I don't want to talk about work today." So then we have to quit.
• 2:20
  Bob:
• 2:21
  All right, well thank you for listening to this episode of the Justice Team podcast. If you're going to reach Bob, Bob Big Bob, you got to go bob@justiceteam.com.
• 2:22
  Big Bob:
• 2:23
  Yes.
• 2:24
  Bob:
• 2:25
  People mistakenly email me, but use Bob instead of Robert and it goes to my dad. So if you want to reach me, it's robert@justiceteam. Bob is Bob and there's a reason they call him Big Bob and me Little Bob. But if you want to see that clip, you got to go to Planet Fun Bob, because we released that from the roast, You Asshole.
• 2:26
  Big Bob:
• 2:27
  Yeah, if you accidentally send me his stuff, I just flush it so he's not even going to see it.
• 2:28
  Bob:
• 2:29
  And people also mistakenly send bottles of whiskey to the wrong Bob Simon.
• 2:30
  Big Bob:
• 2:31
  That I keep.
• 2:32
  Bob:
• 2:33
  That he keeps. Actually I just-
• 2:34
  Big Bob:
• 2:35
  He doesn't even see that.
• 2:36
  Bob:
• 2:37
  No. Your wife just actually shot me a bottle.
• 2:38
  Big Bob:
• 2:39
  Yes, I saw that and it wasn't... I have a rating system of whiskey. It's like, "Oh man, I really like that." That means I'm going to buy it and drink it. It's like, "That's okay." That means I'll mix it and it'll be the third one is the best. "My wife told me I'm not allowed to drink no more." That's just out of there, I ain't drinking that.
• 2:40
  Bob:
• 2:41
  That's a regift situation. Well, go to justiceteamnetwork.com if you have any questions, concerns, want to be a guest on the show or just if you want to reach me, reach out to bob@justiceteam.com. Include a lot of pictures. He loves to correspond. You can call him at any time. He loves to talk at any hour of the day. bob@justiceteam.com. Thank you.