Lawton, Oklahoma attorney interviewed for USA Today article

FORMER INSURANCE DFENSE

ATTORNEY SCOTT RAY’S CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE

FUELS HIS DESIRE TO BECOME THE PEOPLE’S LAWYER

AS THE CORNERSTONE OF HIS OKLAHOMA BASED PRACTICE

            A veteran attorney who has been on both sides of the fence in the realm of injury law, defending big insurance companies for years before “switching teams” to help the little guy, Scott Ray boldly speaks out against the well-worn stereotype about hard working plaintiff injury lawyers.

            “I find it fascinating that so many people look down on us as ambulance chasers,” says the Oklahoma born and raised Ray, who currently lives and practices in Lawton. “From my unique perspective, I have found that as an overall group, the most ethical, decent and moral people are plaintiff’s lawyers. We’re the good guys. We work for the people.  Take it from someone who used to work for the big corporations, it’s the defense lawyers who create craziness in the court system in their unrelenting desire to crush the other side.”

            Since launching the Scott Ray Law Firm nine years ago, Ray has been what he likes to call a “blood and guts” lawyer, handling cases ranging from personal injury, product liability, nursing home abuse and medical malpractice to motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death and—because they are common needs in a small city with an Army post—consumer law issues. A major focus is insurance dispute claims, also known as “bad faith” claims. These are filed by people whose insurance companies are low-balling them or otherwise not treating them fairly.

            At one time, the University of Oklahoma graduate—who received his law degree from Oklahoma City University—also had his own firm in Edmond, where he did a large amount of insurance defense litigation. Because he was in the belly of the beast as an insurance defense lawyer for 17 years, he knows exactly how insurance companies think—and is thus an invaluable source of insider information for his current clients. The firm has consistently received an AV designation from the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory for quality and integrity in the legal profession. The AV designation is the highest rating awarded to law firms and lawyers by this internationally recognized organization and is based on the confidential opinions from other members of the Bar in the firm’s practice region.

            While Ray is proud of his designation as the “Benedict Arnold of the Insurance Industry,” he explains that his longtime representation of the Goliath-insurance companies was the result of a young attorney’s hunger to be admired, respected and well compensated. Being one of the top ranked Juris Doctorate graduates from Oklahoma City University as well as the head of the school’s Law Review, it was natural that the big firms representing those major clients came calling first. Working for several different firms before launching his own, Ray was a high achiever as a defense lawyer, never losing a jury trial (although he claims he should have lost a lot) as a powerful cog in the corporate machine.

            “Over the years, it just started getting to me that my job was essentially to deprive people of money that they were legally entitled to,” he says. “I had a crisis of conscience, and then, entering into a scenario where I was asked to do some things I knew would be illegal, I quit very abruptly and decided to switch sides. I was one of the soldiers doing excellent work for these insurance companies and suddenly I couldn’t do it anymore. I quit abruptly. One day I had a full insurance defense practice and the next I fired all my clients. To some, it looked like a switch just flipped one day, but I had clearly been moving towards that point for a long time.  

            One of the experiences that helped Ray confirm the validity of his change of heart was his encounter with Gerry Spence, the legendary Wyoming trial lawyer famous for his successful representation of Karen Silkwood, Randy Weaver and Imelda Marcos. A mutual friend introduced Ray to Spence when the latter was in Oklahoma City doing a signing of his book “The Making of a Country Lawyer.” Spence told Ray about his renowned Trial Lawyer’s College, and Ray was later accepted as a student. Ultimately, Ray was offered a position with Spence’s organization and worked for Spence doing injury law, before settling down in Lawton and starting his own firm.   

            Ray says, “What I discovered is that the people who have been to Trial Lawyer’s College, those who gravitate towards Gerry, are those who really want to know the difference between making an honest living as a lawyer and dealing in shadowy areas just to save corporations money they should actually be paying. Gerry has a reputation as a renegade, but that’s because he teaches honesty—something that seems to be missing in the insurance defense arena. His philosophies are based on being truthful with juries. And just look at how successful he has been practicing and teaching this kind of integrity.”

            Besides focusing his new practice on helping the little guys, Ray faced new challenges as he made the transformation from “big city lawyer” to the new kid in a small town. He liked his father’s advice: “It is better to be a bigwig in a little town than a little wig in a big town.” He liked the idea of less anonymity and the reality that if he was able to do something great for a client, people would know about it and the ripples would spread. He joined the County Bar Association, met people and networked and realized a distinct advantage: every firm in town (with the exception of the one his wife worked for) was a general practice law firm. His expertise in dealing with personal injury, bad faith and insurance cases would set him apart.

            “My goal was to represent the kind of people I had in essence been ripping off for years,” he says. “The thing I think people see in what I can offer was the fact that because I had been an insurance defense lawyer for years, I know how insurance companies think. Other lawyers without that specialty don’t have the kind of experience or knowledge I have.”

            Ray was determined from the start that he would not borrow any money to finance his business as it got up and running. Drawing on his savings to finance his ventures ensured that he would work harder. It may have meant a slower growth rate, but he was pleased to not have to pay interest to a bank. In the beginning, when he had large cases that he didn’t feel he had the financial ability to handle alone, he would seek out friends and colleagues he could partner/co-counsel with to split fees and expenses. Because he has always been a one man operation, he saved on overhead as well.

            Ray’s hard worked paid off and he has now represented thousands of clients. Most of them are based in the region, but he’s also handled cases in other states. He compares this work outside of Oklahoma to being like Paladin, the iconic character Richard Boone played on the classic TV Western “Have Gun, Will Travel.”             

            Ray has a unique take on the financial aspect of running a law firm that is based on integrity.  “In general, while I have represented what amounts now to thousands of clients, there has been less generated income than in the days when I worked for the big insurance companies. But I can sleep at night because I don’t feel bad about what I do. I am successful when I’ve done well for people and not cheated them out of what they deserve. It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to make life easier people who have been mistreated. I have to admit that being an insurance defense lawyer was easier than being the people’s lawyer. But there is much more fulfillment in helping people, and I like to say that it’s better to help them than to find ways to prevent them from getting what they deserve.”

            “I used to be the instrument insurance companies used to deny paying injured people the money they deserved,” he adds. “Now I make sure that insurance companies follow the rules and do what they are supposed to do. If they don’t, I call them out on it. Looking back, I was held in high esteem by people who didn’t understand that my job was to ruin people’s lives. I’m happy to be doing the right thing now.”