Our Firm

Tatum & Portie, PLLC

Tatum & Portie, PLLC, is a full-service law firm. Tatum & Portie was founded in Dallas, Texas, in 1996, relocating to Mississippi in 1999. Our attorneys have more than 60 years of combined experience handling a broad range of civil legal matters including drafting documents, negotiations, civil litigation of all types, up to multi-million dollar, complex litigation.

In addition to representing clients utilizing traditional hourly billing arrangements, we also offer the Concierge Legal Services concept. The fee arrangements for Concierge Legal Services are negotiated between the Firm and Client. Tatum & Portie, PLLC, continues to offer to represent clients utilizing traditional hourly billing where it is preferred and appropriate. The method of representation and the terms of billing are negotiated between the firm and client based on the desires of the client and the facts and circumstances of the issues to be addressed.

If you are among the increasing number of individuals and businesses that may benefit from utilizing the Concierge concept of legal representation, we invite you to contact Tatum & Portie, PLLC, to discuss.

What Differentiates Us from other firms

Tatum & Portie offers legal services for different levels of engagement to meet the wide range of needs and demands of Businesses, both large and small, as well as Individuals. We represent both Plaintiffs and Defendants. We are dedicated to fostering long-term relationships with our clients. Tatum & Portie is focused on the idea that a great law firm should provide exceptional customer service and solutions to its clients. We seek to provide our clients with superior legal representation and practical guidance. We understand the importance of making ourselves available and responsive to our clients’ needs, regardless of the day or time. Our goal is to help our clients avoid problems whenever possible and deal successfully with problems when they arise. In short, we are in the business of relationships and strategic alliances with our clients. You and your Business is unique, as is your situation.

The worst time to have to look for a lawyer is when you need one immediately. Whatever the pressing matter, you need someone you can trust, who understands the law, and who understands you and/or your business. We believe that knowledge is power and that every client can generally understand the laws, rules and legal principles that apply to their case. Understanding the law and relevant facts allows you to become an active and informed participant in decisions on how to proceed with your case or matter which, based on your level of participation, can help you control costs and expenses.

While we can offer clients the knowledge, insight and experience of attorneys at large law firms, we have made the decision to remain small and control overhead expenses. We do not employ a large staff or maintain expensive offices. We do, however, have access to whatever type of legal or administrative expertise the situation requires and can meet with you at your office or ours. This material reduction in ongoing overhead expenses translates into hourly rates and Concierge fees that are often well below those a traditional law firm would be required to charge.

Whether you are an individual or a business owner, we invite you to contact us to discuss how Tatum & Portie, PLLC, can best meet your legal needs. This may involve handling a single piece of litigation or other matter, managing outside attorneys you have engaged for a specific purpose, or acting as your retained Concierge attorney.

What is Concierge Representation

Concierge Legal Services, like concierge medicine, are a rapidly growing segment of the professional services industry. The Concierge approach to law emphasizes prompt, personal attention to clients’ varying needs, and allows you to quantify your attorneys’ fees.

In short, Concierge Legal Services involve a relationship between a client and a lawyer in which the client pays a negotiated monthly or annual retainer to the lawyer to consult with and advise them on a variety of legal matters.

A concierge lawyer is a trusted advisor who helps the client reach informed decisions, without having to be concerned about being billed by the minute or hour. Our experience shows that far too often Clients are brought into a lawsuit which could have been avoided had legal advice had been obtained early. We have found that Clients have often not obtained legal advice because they felt pressured to respond quickly. This time pressure kept them from first finding the right lawyer and getting them up to speed on their business and the specific situation, not to mention the valid concern over the cost to get a legal opinion. Tatum & Portie’s concierge approach to law emphasizes prompt, personal attention to its clients’ varying needs taking the billable minutes and hours out of the equation.

Is Concierge Representation Right for You

How can this form of representation help you? It insures you have things such as contracts reviewed, negotiated and revised when necessary before you enter into them. Likewise, you are fully aware of your obligations, the other party’s responsibilities and the remedies for breach, etc. When disagreements arise, your lawyer is there to resolve the matter where possible without litigation and, if litigation is unavoidable, has the knowledge and background on the matter and your business to promptly, efficiently, and more economically protect your interests.

Our concierge approach to legal services emphasizes prompt, personal attention to our clients’ needs, whenever you need us, whether day, night, work day or weekend. This allows you to address these matters at your convenience taking whatever time you need while eliminating the stress of how much time/fees you are accruing by taking the “billable hour” out of the equation. Why do we do this? Like you, we save the time and expense of billing and have recurring income we can rely on. We also enjoy long personal relationships with our clients. It’s just who we are and how we prefer to do business.

Concierge plans are flexible and costs vary depending on the client’s needs. Services provided can include phone calls, meetings, the creation, review, and/or negotiation of a specified type(s) and number(s) of legal documents, advice on various legal issues within our practice areas, up to and including litigation and, where necessary, finding an attorney to handle or assist us in the matter or portions of the matter outside our practice areas. If completely outside our practice areas or jurisdiction, we help locate qualified attorneys well versed in the legal issues involved and the jurisdiction, negotiate rates and provide assistance and/or supervision of litigation of the matter in order to insure that your interests are best protected and costs contained.

In summary, full-time legal services are crucial but prohibitively expensive for many small and mid-sized businesses as well as Individuals. If you or your business requires ongoing legal services but cannot justify a full-time legal team, contact us to discuss your needs. We can be your affordable, virtual in-house counsel. We will become intimately familiar with your business, its specific requirements, and be available and up-to-speed when it comes to your needs. This will provide you with rapid transaction guidance, immediate response and flexibility in emergency situations, as well as for your more routine legal matters, to effectively avoid litigation or aggressively represent you in the courtroom, depending on our Concierge Agreement.

Tatum & Portie, PLLC, offers concierge legal services for several levels of engagement to meet the needs and demands of our clients the terms of which are negotiated based on your needs. Please contact us to discuss your needs to help you decide if this form or representation is right for you.

Matters Outside Our Areas of Expertise or the Scope of the Agreement