Lightner: Merrie Turner Lightner and I met studying for the California Bar Exam in 1980 and married in 1983. By 1984, we’d formed Lightner Property Group our San Francisco-based real estate investment and management firm. Since then we’ve formed a number of investment partnerships, renovated and managed commercial properties and rent-controlled apartment buildings, developed for-sale residential projects, mediated disputes, educated fellow professionals. We’ve both helped write real estate legislation at the local and state levels. About 15 years ago, Merrie became a forensic consultant. In time, requests for real estate expertise outside our personal qualifications revealed a startling fact: There was no one firm focused on providing real estate experts.

We are bridging this gap with our own expertise and the help of other top-notch specialists we’ve met over these three decades. There being only six degrees of separation, we can find experts in ridiculously specialized areas of the real estate industry really fast. The fact is, we’ve been putting experts together with those who need them for years. We recently decided to make a business of it.

GlobeSt.com: How do clients engage with Opine Experts?

Lightner: Lawyers need experts who not only know their stuff but can quickly teach judges and juries. Opine represents a variety of experts with that level of talent. For instance, a lawyer will hear about us and call seeking help from a forensic consultant. They’ll explain the facts of their case and their objectives. By the way, clever attorneys call early in their case, knowing we can help them with fact-finding and developing legal theories. If we don’t have the right person in our existing talent pool, I’ll go to my Rolodex.

Opine screens and arranges an interview with one or more qualified experts. Opine then contracts with the attorney on behalf of the expert. Opine stays on top of billing and administrative matters. It can go very quickly and saves our clients a ton of time. Opine does not charge its clients search fees. Opine’s compensation is built into the expert’s fees.

GlobeSt.com: Wait, Bill, I know there are expert providers out there. Why should lawyers pay attention to your offering? Tell me a bit more about why an expert would want to sign on with Opine Experts and tell me more about the experts’ point of view.

Lightner: I have a personal story that answers your question. I needed back surgery last year. That’s a big deal. I didn’t choose a surgeon until a trusted friend, who’s also a doctor, confided that she was going to have a neurosurgeon named Peter Weber operate on her son’s broken neck. That was a good start, but not enough. I met with Dr. Weber and grilled him. I wasn’t about to let just anyone root around in my spinal canal. We screen real estate experts the same way—like we’ve got skin in the game. I don’t think you can say that about the competition. Just look who owns them.

We attract qualified experts by featuring them on a well-designed, professionally managed website, by providing them a forum to publish on the Opine Journal and by providing the sort of backup they’d get in a law firm. We offer them interesting work and handle fee collections. We free experts from the drudgery so they can enjoy their work.

Imagine capping off a long career by sharing your wisdom and experience with others as a consultant—and making a good income from it to boot. Now imagine having to go through the trouble of promoting yourself, negotiating contracts with lawyer, collecting fees. Sort of takes the fun out of it, no? Now imagine instead being associated with an organization that marries the professionalism of a law firm with the collaborative spirit of a college faculty. That’s Opine. It enables consulting to be fun.

GlobeSt.com: What’s different about Opine Experts? Why do you say it’s the “first of its kind?”

Lightner: Opine can be distinguished on many levels. There are many expert witness directories and a few “providers,” but none specializing in real estate. We’re much more than some adjunct to a conglomerate or a mere advertising service. Opine is a boutique operation for real estate experts run by real estate experts who also happen to be licensed attorneys. More than a glorified phone book, we offer full-service representation. We lift all promotional and administrative burdens from its experts. We’ve got great documents, rock solid admin and accounting procedures, and a great staff.

What’s more, Opine’s experts enjoy esprit de corps. We find that experts who are good enough for our clients tend to like being associated with other experts we’ve added to the talent pool. While it can get lonely being a sole practitioner, working among peers is fun.

GlobeSt.com: How many experts are currently involved with Opine Experts and how are you spreading the word? How’s the feedback?

Lightner: Merrie and I conceived of Opine Experts in late 2010. We rounded up a dozen of our favorite experts, hired a web designer and just announced our existence. To date, growth has been word-of-mouth. One lawyer heard about us at a softball game. That led to three cases, which required me to recruit a new expert. So, let’s talk about this again in a year and see what’s happened. But I’ll tell you this, client satisfaction is job one. So even though feedback has been great, we do not want to grow any no faster than excellence allows.

At the risk of sounding immodest, our clients and experts love us. But let me share an experience that says a lot about how much care needs to be taken to keep them happy: A lawyer called regarding a wrongful death case in an office building. She was under a looming disclosure deadline and needed an expert lickety-split. Though Merrie was well qualified to handle the matter, we had a conflict. So, we needed to find another property management expert. We suggested a fellow who has a long resume and a good reputation. The lawyer refused him, exclaiming, “Bill! Don’t you realize your wife wiped the floor with that guy in a case for us last year?” Perfection is a pretty high standard to maintain, but that’s our goal.