Mark Hayes, a Durham-based attorney whose practice focuses on appeals, is a firm believer that part of a lawyer’s ethical responsibility is to deliver affordable representation.
Hayes understands that attorneys have a duty to help those most in need of assistance, and this duty includes respecting the fact that clients do not have infinite financial resources. For Hayes, on one occasion this meant returning most of a client’s initial retainer for a case that he found to be a dead end. Hayes, reflecting on the matter, said, “The client hired me and, after receiving the case, I came to the conclusion that we didn’t have a winning argument. After the client and I discussed the long odds, we agreed that the best decision would be to terminate the representation.”
Mark Hayes has also demonstrated a commitment to pro bono work, often working with individuals who, because of economic difficulties, cannot afford his regular rate. If not for this commitment, Hayes knows that many of these individuals would have to fight their legal battles alone.