You might already know the Christensen & Hymas attorneys: Russ Hymas, Ken Christensen, Matt Hansen, and Jake Lee. But you might not know firsthand our passion for cycling. Cycling is one of the many things that unifies us as lawyers and that gives us insights into your experiences as we help you. Here are some ways our cycling stories help us relate to you and can help you relate to us.
Our Cycling Roots
Cycling is contagious—or at least, its effects are. Ken has been cycling for years, but it was Russ’s love for cycling that first got Ken interested in the sport. Ken saw how much Russ enjoyed it, so he bought a bike and joined him.
Ken discovered that the effects go beyond enjoyment. Cycling has helped him get in the best shape of his life as he approaches his 40s. It’s also been one of the best forms of exercise for his knees after having to undergo serious surgery in the past.
Matt has been riding for as long as he can remember, but it was only within the last year or so that he started cycling more often. Before he started, cycling appealed to him as a form of exercise. But when he started working at the firm and saw the other attorneys’ cycling passion, it was easy for him to get hooked. Matt’s passion for cycling has grown along with the others’. The long distances and different landscapes appeal to him the most. He loves that cycling lets you see more and travel further than you could just by running. It’s the perfect form of exercise if you have a sense of adventure and a love for the outdoors.
Strengthening Attorney Relationships
Some of the lawyers’ favorite rides include the Alpine Loop in American Fork Canyon, Butterfield Canyon, Rose Canyon, the Murdock Canal Trail, Emigration Canyon, Wasatch Boulevard, and Hobble Creek.
You can always enjoy these trails and others on your own. But riding them as a team, however unofficial it is, can bring you closer to your fellow athletes. The cyclists at our firm have discovered that for themselves. They and other staff members have lunch rides that leave from the office a couple times each week. They use apps like Strava to track each other’s progress and help each other set personal records on certain parts of the rides.
Cycling together also enriches the attorneys’ family relationships. Russ’s and Ken’s families enjoy doing things together. Their kids, who are the same ages, like to play together often. It also allows them unique opportunities to be involved in their communities and their church.
Strengthening Attorney-Client Relationships
Our cycling enthusiasm helps us understand the cycling community, the laws that affect it, and your safety in it. We know what it’s like to be a cyclist. We know what it’s like to be in an accident. And we know what it’s like to protect cyclists’ rights.
Cycling five to six days a week helps Ken see some of the gaps between the law and the reality of the roads. The attorneys use that knowledge to write legislation to close some of those gaps. Before 2013, for example, it was illegal for cyclists to pass cars on the right before an intersection to wait for the light to turn red. Ken and Russ knew this was common practice for cyclists, so they wrote, and the governor passed, legislation that allowed cyclists to do so.
Being a cyclist helps Matt better understand and represent clients with property damage claims. He’s knows what bicycles are worth and has represented people who have lost theirs. He knows how high bicycle replacement costs and parts can be. This information is invaluable as our attorneys fight to give you the compensation you deserve.
Not many non-cyclists, including insurance adjusters, can relate to the stresses and realities cyclists face after an accident. We do. We practice law and we have lived through the good and hard times faced by every cyclists. We take pleasure in sharing those times with other lawyers, athletes, and especially our clients.