Do you put any stock in those attorney rankings, honors, and badges when you shop for your attorney?
Do you put any stock in those attorney rankings, honors, and badges when you shop for your attorney? Do you have any idea how easy it is to get those “distinctions”? The companies (yes, companies) that bestow these honors (for a price) know that people are drawn in to believe that the badge identifies lawyer as one of the “elite.”
What do these “rent a reputation” schemes say about the attorneys who proudly display them to you?
Here is a verbatim example of an e-mail I received yesterday (and I get an email like this at least monthly) from americastop100attorneys.com (I have disabled the hyperlinks, however):
From: America’s Top 100 Attorneys® <membership@americastop100attorneys.com>
Date: Tue, Jan 30, 2018 at 9:29 AM
Subject: Join America’s Top 100 Attorneys® in 2018
To: eric@divorceutah.com
Due to the exceptional caliber of attorneys featured on our website, it now ranks on the FIRST PAGE OF GOOGLE for many coveted search phrases and provides a valuable source for back-linking to law firm websites. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.
Dear Attorney Eric K. Johnson:
As indicated last week, we have re-opened your selection window for America’s Top 100 Attorneys®, but we have yet to receive your Acceptance Form and membership dues. Only 100 attorneys will ever be selected for this Lifetime Achievement award in Utah and many of your state’s most esteemed attorneys have already accepted this honor, including:
Richard Burbidge, John Lund, Alan Sullivan, George Haley, Julianne Blanch, Jefferson Gross, Francis Wilkstrom, Andrew Deiss, Perrin Love, Heidi Goebel, Thomas Seiler, Brian Arnold, Herbert Livsey, Matthew Driggs, Edward Havas, John Zarian, Peggy Tomsic, Ronald Truman, Glen Cook, Lance Milne, Dustin Lance, Brad Bearnson, Joseph Wrona, Duane Gillman, Matthew Grimmer, Penrod Keith, Jessica Andrew, Herm Olsen, Paul Durham, Gregory Hoole, Joseph Alamilla, Carson Pearson, Todd Hinkins, Gregory Hawkins, Samuel Adams, Darren Davis, Jeffrey Thompson, Randy Kester, Harold Verhaaren, Miles Jensen, Gregory Sanders, Nick Colessides, Charles Conrad, Kevin Sutterfield, Jeffery Adair, Grant Foster, Rodney Snow, Mickell Jimenez, and Donald Winder.
We encourage you to explore the features of our new, redesigned website and the impressive Lifetime Achievement Recipients in your region at www.AmericasTop100Attorneys.com. This site now ranks on the first page of Google organically for many related search terms due to the high caliber of recipients, and has become a coveted back-linking source to improve the search rankings of law firm websites. You may wish to consult your marketing and website specialists to verify the considerable value that a listing on our website might add to your own website rankings.
As more than 2400 exceptional attorneys have already joined America’s Top 100 Attorneys® in their respective states, the elite recipients of this award throughout the nation now include various past and/or current ABA Presidents, state Bar Association Presidents, National ABOTA Presidents, ABOTA Masters in Trial, International Academy of Trial Lawyers Presidents, AAJ Presidents, and other nationally recognized and revered honorees, including:
Mark Robinson (Southern California)
Tom Girardi (Southern California)
Brian Panish (Southern California)
Mark Lanier (Southern Texas)
Lewis Sifford (Northern Texas)
Lisa Blue (Southern Texas)
William Callaham (Northern California)
Edward Nevin (Northern California)
Cynthia McGuinn (Northern California)
Joseph Cotchett (Northern California)
Gary Naftalis (New York)
James Quinn (New York)
James Scime (New York)
Carol Forte (New Jersey)
Irvin Cantor (Virginia)
Carolyn Lamm (Washington DC)
Gerald Richman (Southern Florida)
Aaron Podhurst (Southern Florida)
Christian Searcy (Southern Florida)
Larry Ottaway (Oklahoma)
Stephen Quattlebaum (Arkansas)
John Phelps (Arkansas)
Joel Collins (South Carolina)
Reece Williams (South Carolina)
Scott Welch (Mississippi)
Katherine McArthur (Georgia)
Joseph Shea (Ohio)
Kathleen Peterson (Minnesota)
Daniel Polsenberg (Nevada)
Thomas Tongue (Oregon)
Dan Webb (Illinois)
Richard Burbidge (Utah)
We believe you certainly deserve to be among this elite group of attorneys. Ultimately, less than one-half percent (0.5%) of attorneys in the United States will receive this prestigious award.
You may complete the Acceptance Form and pay your $1,000 one-time membership dues by credit card online here — It will take less than 5 minutes to complete online. If you prefer to submit your Acceptance Form and membership dues in the mail with a check, then please respond to this email indicating such intent and a fresh PDF Acceptance Form can be provided to assist you.
If you have any further questions regarding your selection or require any assistance with the acceptance process, please do not hesitate to contact us. Congratulations again on this singular, well-deserved honor.
Our mailing address is:
AMERICA’S TOP 100 LLC
650 Town Center Drive, Suite 855
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
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