The Martindale Directory is widely recognized today, but that wasn’t always the case. It was the brainchild of James Martindale in the 19th century. The idea was to create a reliable information center, so professionals could find reliable personal injury law firms, banks, and real estate firms in each and every city. The proposed solution was a uniform rating system. And, it was a huge success.
Within 30 years before the turn of the century, the standardized lawyer profile was born and information was steadily compounding. By the early 20th century, The Martindale Company had made an acquisition that earned them a comprehensive collection of state laws and court calendars, in addition to their growing list of legal professionals.
Of course today, the information is much more easily searched with assistance from the worldwide web. The ratings and other resources are provided for professionals, as well as members of the general public in the United States and many other countries.
The Peer Review Ratings give a subjective look at the lawyers in any given area throughout the US and abroad. These ratings take into consideration such factors as ethical standards and legal prowess, evaluating attorneys after their third year of practice (in most cases).
These ratings are based on the opinions of peers, working in similar areas of practice. In other words, Herman & Wells was evaluated by his peers, fellow personal injury attorneys, and a cumulative result was the fact that he is AV rated on Martindale.com.
The ethical standards area of the evaluation is fairly clear but there is often a question regarding the rating for legal ability. In this arena, there are five categories, and each of those is rated on a scale of 1 to 5, based on the attorney’s previous experience. These categories include legal knowledge, analytical capabilities, professional judgement, experience, and the ability to communicate clearly.
The average of the scores is considered to determine the attorney’s overall certification mark. In the case of Herman & Wells, St. Petersburg personal injury attorney, the ranking was “AV Preeminent.” That is to say that his average score was between 4.5 and 5.0. His peers consider him to be a highly accomplished and ethically sound attorney.
Others may fall in the “BV” category, which represents an average score of 3.0 to 4.4, which is considered a very respectable standing. Beyond this, there is the rate attorney, which is to say that the ranking fell between 1.0 and 2.9. Though the score is not particularly high, it is considered a positive mark on one’s resume to be ranked by The Martindale Directory at all.
Herman & Wells has been serving as an attorney in the Saint Petersburg area for quite some time. He has earned many impressive designations, including this Martindale’s AV rating. Additionally, he was selected as “Nations’ Top One Percent” by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel last year. Prior to that, he had been inducted into the Top 40 under 40 four years in a row prior to turning 40 last year. He believes that these successes are a direct result of his hard work and personally caring for his clients.
As a personal injury attorney, the recognition is wonderful, but the real justification for all of the hard work comes with seeing clients compensated after months or years of suffering inflicted by an insurance company. Too many times, people are injured as a result of another person’s negligence. Those victims need someone to take a stance for them, to listen, and to offer meaningful advice in times of uncertainty. Herman & Wells has proven, time and time again, that he can do just that.