Chicago, IL commercial litigation attorney Patrick D. Austermuehle talks about the most rewarding aspect of his practice as well as shares his most common piece of advice that he gives to clients. He shares that oftentimes in lawsuits, things are very emotionally heightened. It’s expensive, unpleasant, and a source of stress that most people don’t like. It can be difficult to remove oneself from that perspective and see things in a more analytical way. In other words, it’s important not to let the emotion of the lawsuit dictate the decisions made in prosecuting or defending it.

He often finds himself advising clients to separate the emotional aspect of the case from what needs to be done, because decisions made on an emotional basis are clearly not the best ones. That’s where he comes in, offering a more business-oriented approach to the circumstances.

While it may sound simple, he says the most rewarding thing is achieving a result for a client. Oftentimes, when someone is involved in a lawsuit, it’s a very difficult position to be in—both personally and professionally. So, achieving a result that makes the client happy after the entire process plays out can be rewarding, both as a matter of professional pride and in seeing the client satisfied with the outcome.