Attorneys often market themselves as either "transactional" in their focus or as "litigators," meaning that some prefer to sit across the bargaining table, negotiating a workable deal for their clients while others prefer to work in dispute resolution, taking on an opponent at trial or in arbitration. Those aren't distinctions we've ever been quick to make, however, because when it comes down to it, we've always believed we can best serve our clients by making sure we understand the big picture and apply that perspective at every stage of the process. Ted Donner is the author of two national treatises for Thomson Reuters, the Attorneys Practice Guide to Negotiation and Jury Selection: Strategy & Science. Why develop such disparate works in legal authority? Because it should always be clear that we're ready to talk or, if that doesn't work, we're ready for trial. Our clients count on us to prepare contracts, manuals, and other documents that will both serve their immediate needs and anticipate the possibility of trouble - of someone bringing a claim or lawsuit which makes how their documents were crafted particularly important. They expect us to bring the skills to bear that are necessary to handle such lawsuits, and they expect us to advise them whenever there are choices to be made. We do what we can to ensure they get our best effort in every case.