Scott Pecher sits down and answers some questions about his job, what he loves doing in his spare time, and what Olympic sport he’d like to invent! Have any questions you’d like to have answered by Scott? Reach out to info@marlerschurm.com today or leave us a comment below.
What made you want to pursue a career in law?
Well, I graduated from the University of Missouri with a marketing/communications degree in 2005, looked out at my career options and thought: “What can I do with this?!?” The answer was “maybe not a lot.” I grew up in St. Louis and have lots of family (30+ cousins!) and I have an uncle who’s been a lawyer for 40 years – he does a lot of domestic and estate planning work. It seemed like he enjoyed what he did, was successful and he was a good influence, so I figured I’d follow his path and try to become an attorney.
What in particular got you interested in practicing personal injury and worker’s compensation cases?
I remember talking to a family friend when I first became licensed as an attorney. His advice to me when looking for my first job was to not underestimate the impact of your first job on how your career will develop down the line. I had a few different opportunities after passing the bar exam in 2008. I chose to work for a large personal injury law firm in St. Louis when I graduated in 2008. Their model was a high-volume practice, I was handling 150+ cases at a time. It was trial by fire and great for learning on the fly and getting a lot of experience, but not great for dedicating the time and effort that personal injury and workers’ compensation cases need. There just wasn’t enough time. But the experience opened my eyes to the work and world of trial lawyers and injury cases, which began my passion for helping others.
After getting my feet wet, I received an opportunity to work on the other side of these cases. I started work as a Claims Attorney and Claims Supervisor for a trucking insurance company for 4 ½ years. Again, the experience was eye-opening. On a daily basis, I was handling really complex and tragic injury cases where people were killed or badly injured and millions of dollars were at stake. In the process, I learned a lot about the science of the accidents and reconstruction and how insurance carriers value cases and how insurance companies balance the financial and liability side of things.
That sounds like valuable experience to have now that you’re on the other side negotiating with those same insurance companies you used to work for.
Exactly. Prior to working for an insurance carrier, I had no idea how these companies evaluate their claims, how they decide fault and how they decide how much to pay on each case. Being on the inside gives me an advantage today. I also learned a lot about trucking and highway safety regulations for cars and trucks. It’s fascinating how technology has changed the accuracy crash investigation through the use of cameras, black boxes and other data sources.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
At the end of the day, my job is about helping people get through a tough situation. For example, there’s little more rewarding in my line of work than turning a client’s case around and getting it resolved for them for what they deserve.
What is your ideal day off of work?
My ideal day of work would be to be outside and completely disconnected from electronics. I enjoy playing sports, enjoy coaching sports and have three kids that keep me busy.
I particularly enjoy playing and coaching soccer. My family’s soccer history here runs pretty deep and I really love the game. I have extended family members who have been involved in soccer in St. Louis and nationally for a long time. Personally, I grew up playing soccer, I coach my kids’ soccer and still play as often as I can. I can’t wait to see Major League Soccer in St. Louis in a few years.
If you could be a celebrity for one day, who would you be?
Any retired U.S. President. I feel like ex-Presidents have it good! Once a President is out of office and a few years have passed, I think people start softening their opinions of them. Ex-Presidents also know all of the crazy inside secrets. Even if folks didn’t like you when you were president, once you are out of office you become like a goofy uncle or grandpa to everyone. I wouldn’t want to be an athlete or movie star; people would just want to run up and take pictures with you and not respect your space. Ex-President’s still have Secret Service for that.
If you weren’t a lawyer, what would want to be?
If money were no object and living in the middle of nowhere weren’t an issue, I’d probably want to be a national park ranger or something where I could be outdoors. I’d still get to talk and interact with people and be outside in beautiful places.
What is your favorite thing about your coworkers at Marler Law Partners?
Marler Law is different. We have freedom to pursue our legal interests and focus on what my strengths and specialties are. But there’s also a diversity amongst the lawyers here and the staff members where if something pops up, we will listen to each other, break it down and give feedback from different viewpoints, even if we don’t agree. It’s good to have that perspective in a law firm.
If Marler Law were to compete in an Olympic Sport, what would it be and why?
I think we’d invent a new sport and call it the group decathlon. Everyone would do what they do best.
Where’s your favorite place to grab happy hour?
A cold beer on my back deck after a day of work is probably my favorite spot.
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