OUR FIRM
Choosing the right law firm can be one of the most important decisions you will ever make. You hire a law firm because you have a legal problem, which will entail either money / property, custody of your children, or even possible jail time. The amount in dispute could be thousands or millions of dollars, or your entire life savings! A lot can be at stake when it comes to legal problems. With so much at stake, you want the best legal representation. That's why finding the right lawyers for you is so important.
The Lau & Lau Law Group was originally formed in 1973 by Edward C.Y. Lau, a prominent Chinese lawyer in San Francisco. He was one of the very first Chinese lawyers in the Bay Area and handled many high profile cases. His son, Steven Lau, joined the firm in 1994. In 2005, Steven became a partner of the firm. Edward Lau is now semi-retired and Steven has taken over most of the duties in the firm. In 2016, Steven changed the focus of the firm from a general pratice litigation firm to a divorce law firm. Divorce is the firm's primary focus today.
What makes the Lau & Lau Law Group stand out from the rest? Well, it is one of the few Chinese litigation law firms in the San Francisco Bay Area. Many of its clients want a law firm that understands the Chinese mentality, customs, and culture. Other clients want a law firm that is aggressive and experienced in litigation in a U.S. courtroom. Often times, these two characteristics are hard to find together -- many Chinese law firms have trouble litigating in an English-speaking U.S. courtroom whereas English-speaking U.S. litigation firms do know or understand the Chinese culture. The Lau & Lau Law Group brings together the "best of both worlds."
Approximately 90% of the Firm's clients are Chinese. The Firm does not discriminate and represents people of all races and beliefs. However, the Firm has found that Chinese people prefer to find a Chinese lawyer to help them with their legal problems. This is only natural because Chinese attorneys understand the language and culture. But if you have a complicated case, this may not be the best thing for you. It is difficult enough for any English-speaking attorney to appear before a U.S. judge and an English speaking jury and be able to think quickly and argue effectively in open court in the English language. But for those who grew up speaking Chinese and later learned English as a second language, it is even more difficult to think quickly and clearly "on your toes." Therefore, if you have a very difficult case with a difficult opposing attorney, it is very important that you have an attorney who is a native English speaker who knows the language completely fluently and can argue quickly and easily in court.
The Firm realizes that in this competitive marketplace, you have a choice of the attorney you choose. The Lau & Lau Law Group is successful because it is good at what it does -- litigation in the courtroom. The Firm has had many clients who asked it to take over their cases because their former attorneys spoke to them in Chinese and were able to communicate with them well, but when it came to arguing in court, they performed inadequately because English was not their native language.
Finding the right law firm is a very difficult task. Be sure you know how to choose your lawyers. What are the most important law firm qualities for you: experience, language, reputation, size, price? The Firm may not be the cheapest law firm around, but it is good at what it does. Please, take your time and choose wisely.
