Navigating Case Costs: Leeseberg Tuttle’s Path to Growth

In this blog, we feature insights from Ohio-based trial lawyer Craig Tuttle and how he discovered a more effective path to navigating case costs for his contingency fee law firm.

Watch the video above to take a deeper dive into Craig’s story.

Why Financial Strategy Matters for Plaintiffs Law Firms

For contingency fee law firms, growth is about far more than winning cases. It demands careful, forward-looking financial management—especially in the face of rising case costs. From medical malpractice to complex personal injury claims, the costs tied to experts, medical records, and litigation itself can eat into cash flow and strain even the most established firms.

Craig Tuttle, owner of Columbus-based Leeseberg Tuttle, knows this challenge well. “The challenges that a trial lawyer faces are growing every day and a lot of them are based on the costs of what we do,” he explains. “We deal with medical experts on every case… and the costs continue to go up.”

The Hidden Tradeoff of Self-Financing

For years, Leeseberg Tuttle financed its cases the traditional way—out of the partners’ own pockets. “Prior to working with Esquire Bank, we were what they would call self-funded,” says Craig. “Any time we were advancing case expenses for our clients, that was money we were just putting out there and it was gone until that case was over and we hopefully recovered.”

That business model, Craig notes, tied up capital that could have fueled bigger ambitions. “One of the important things as a business owner in a law firm is growth. When you’re self-financing, that is taking resources that you could be using to help grow that business or grow that staff and you’re putting it into the individual cases.”

A Turning Point: Choosing a Bank That Understands Contingency Fee Law Firms

The decision to switch banking partners was ultimately straightforward. “When we made the decision to switch to Esquire Bank, it was driven in large part by one simple question,” notes Craig. “And the question was, what do you like about your current bank? And I couldn’t come up with an answer.”

Craig points to the immediate practical advantages: “Whether that was no fees on the accounts, having the ability to scan checks here on site, not having to send someone down to the branch to deposit checks, having the ability to do free wire transfers… those were just things that were not available in our prior bank.”

Freeing Up Capital to Invest in Growth

With Esquire Bank’s case cost financing solution, Leeseberg Tuttle now deploys cash more strategically. “Being a contingency fee-based firm, we are spending a lot of money for our clients’ cases, and that money is at risk every time in every case,” Craig says. “But by using Esquire Bank, we’ve been able to work with the line of credit and allow that cash to be freed up for other purposes while the bank helps fund the litigation.”

That shift has empowered Leeseberg Tuttle to take bolder steps. “We’ve been able to direct those funds into more aggressive marketing to help bring in more cases,” he adds. “Ultimately, that’s our goal is to get more cases, to help more people, and to grow our business.”

Why It Pays to Rethink Self-financing or Traditional Banking

Craig’s advice to other trial lawyers is direct: “As a firm that self-financed its cases for many years, I would recommend any firm that’s doing contingent fee work for their clients consider working with Esquire Bank and use the case line of credit.”

For law firm leaders balancing the pressure to expand with the realities of financing long-duration cases, Craig’s experience offers a compelling blueprint for growth—without sacrificing stability or client experience.

Learn More

Watch the video above for more in-depth insights into how Leeseberg Tuttle discovered a more effective path to navigating case costs for his contingency fee law firm.