Darryl Isaacs

Last updated

Darryl Lee Isaacs (born February 18, 1964), is an American author, personal injury attorney, and internet personality. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] He is the co-founder of Isaacs & Isaacs [1] [6] and Brain Trust Legal Group, a think tank for attorneys and entrepreneurs to network and share legal and business strategies. Also known as The Kentucky Hammer [1] [7] [8] and Heavy Hitter, [9] [1] [8] he rose to national prominence in 2020 due to a widely viewed Super Bowl ad for his firm. In 2023, he published his debut book, Build Your Billion-Dollar Law Firm!: I Did It, and You Can, Too, co-authored with Chris Vander Kaay.

Contents

Career

In 1993, Isaacs, along with his father, [10] founded Isaacs & Isaacs, [1] [6] a personal injury law firm. [11]

Isaacs and his firm are known throughout Kentucky for their more than 500 different television, radio, and print ads. [10] As a result of his prolific advertising and having been the subject of numerous viral videos, he has been called the most famous person in Kentucky. [12]

Isaacs rose to national prominence in the 2010s when his firm began producing a series of elaborate Super Bowl commercials, [6] [13] one of which went viral and received over 12 million views on YouTube in 2020. [14] The The A.V. Club called the firm's 2020 advertisement one of the best ads of Super Bowl LIV. [15]

Isaacs created and managed several attorney associations called Mastermind Groups throughout the United States for the purposes of networking and developing legal strategies. [9] [16] This led to Isaacs founding the Brain Trust Legal Group, which brings law firm owners, CEOs, and marketing professionals together to share information and grow their firms. [17] [18] His live marketing and management summit in Las Vegas [9] features celebrity attorneys such as Ben Crump, Rex Parris, Mike Morse, and Andrew Finkelstein. [17]

In 2023, Isaacs signed an endorsement deal with the University of Minnesota for the Golden Gophers soccer team to use his name, image, and likeness for publicity purposes. [19] [20]

Personal life

In 2015, Isaacs was in a life-threatening accident when he was struck by a motorist while on his bicycle. [21] [22] [7] [8] He suffered a broken neck and brain swelling, in addition to lower back, shoulder, and knees injuries. [23] [24] [1] [4] Following the accident, Isaacs became involved in bicycle safety related campaigns and philanthropy programs.

In 2022, Isaacs went viral on TikTok for videos he posted documenting his attempts to lose weight following his accident. As a result, Green District, a chain of salad restaurants in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio named the "Hammer Time" salad after him, with a percentage of the proceeds benefiting special needs charities. [25]

Philanthropy

Isaacs is a patron of The Salvation Army's Angel Tree Foundation, which provides toys and clothes to impoverished families at Christmas. [26] [27] [28] He is also a supporter of the American Red Cross' donations program Louisville. [29] Following a bicycling accident, he began giving away free bike helmets in his Helmets for Kids campaign. [30]

In 2007, Isaacs established the Betty and Shelly Isaacs Scholarship at Louisville's Trinity High School in honor of his parents. The scholarship is renewable and is awarded to sophomores on a need base. It is one of the largest scholarships at Trinity funded by a single individual. [31]

Jack Harlow, who grew up seeing Isaacs' commercials, wrote a song called "Heavy Hitter", inspired by Isaacs. [32] [33]

Works

Related Research Articles

William Charles Wolford is an American former professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Buffalo Bills, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Jim "The Hammer" Shapiro is an American attorney and author who was known in the Rochester and Florida areas for his aggressive television commercials, as well as for a letter of solicitation he sent to a comatose accident victim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">500 West Jefferson</span> Skyscraper in Downtown, Louisville, Kentucky

500 West Jefferson, previously known as PNC Plaza for several decades until renamed in 2020, and now also called 500W or 500 West by its owners, is a skyscraper in Downtown, Louisville, Kentucky and located at 500 West Jefferson Street. Previously owned by Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank and currently owned by SomeraRoad Inc, the 31-story, 420-foot (128 m) high structure was designed by architect Welton Becket and was completed in 1971. A notable feature of the building is the pattern of pre-cast concrete panels on the exterior of its windows. The building, originally named Citizens Fidelity Plaza, was named after Citizens Fidelity Bank and renamed PNC Plaza when Citizens Fidelity was acquired by PNC Bank.

Stanley M. Chesley is a disbarred former Ohio trial lawyer. He is the husband of federal judge Susan J. Dlott.

Alexander & Catalano was an Upstate New York based law firm practicing in the area of personal injury and worker's compensation related cases. The firm was headquartered in Syracuse, but also had offices in Rochester and Binghamton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Kentuckiana flash flood</span> U.S. natural disaster in 2009

On August 4, 2009, a flash flood occurred and impacted Louisville and portions of the surrounding Kentuckiana region as a cold front and mesoscale convective system moved across the Midwestern United States. The National Weather Service estimated that between three and six inches of rain fell across the city in less than one hour, breaking all previous one-hour rainfall records in the area. Most of the downtown area was underwater, with the deluge reaching four feet (1.2 m) deep in places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan McGarvey</span> American politician (born 1979)

John Morgan McGarvey is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Kentucky's 3rd congressional district since 2023. A Democrat, he represented the 19th district in the Kentucky Senate from 2013 to 2023. In 2018, he was elected minority leader, becoming one of the youngest members of a general assembly in the nation to serve in a leadership role. He is currently the only Democrat in Kentucky's congressional delegation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Kentucky elections</span> General election in the state of Kentucky

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Kentucky on November 3, 2015. All of Kentucky's executive officers were up for election. Primary elections were held on May 19, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Beshear</span> Governor of Kentucky since 2019

Andrew Graham Beshear is an American attorney and politician who has served as the 63rd governor of Kentucky since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the son of former Governor Steve Beshear.

John Bryan Morgan is an American attorney. He is best known as founder of personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John K. Bush</span> American judge (born 1964)

John Kenneth Bush is an American attorney and United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Bush graduated from Harvard Law School and practiced in Washington, D.C., and Louisville, Kentucky, where he served as president of the local branch of the Federalist Society. In 2017, he was nominated to a seat on the Sixth Circuit by President Donald Trump.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Harlow</span> American rapper (born 1998)

Jackman Thomas Harlow is an American rapper. He has received several award nominations from various institutions, including Top New Artist at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. In the same year, he was named Variety’s "Hitmaker of the Year" and was included in Forbes 30 Under 30. Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, his career started in 2015 with the release of several EPs and mixtapes before he was signed to Don Cannon and DJ Drama's record label Generation Now in 2018, an imprint of Atlantic Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Odell Jones</span>

Alberta Odell Jones was an African-American attorney and civil rights icon. She was one of the first African-American women to pass the Kentucky bar and the first woman appointed city attorney in Jefferson County. She was murdered by an unknown person.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Cameron (American politician)</span> Attorney General of Kentucky since 2019

Daniel Jay Cameron is an American attorney and politician who has served as the attorney general of Kentucky since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Cameron was the first African American, and the first Republican since 1943, to be elected to the office. He was the Republican nominee in the 2023 Kentucky gubernatorial election, losing to incumbent Democrat Andy Beshear.

On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black American woman, was fatally shot in her Louisville, Kentucky apartment when at least seven police officers forced entry into the apartment as part of an investigation into drug dealing operations. Three Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers—Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove—were involved in the shooting. Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, was inside the apartment with her when the plainclothes officers knocked on the door and then forced entry. The officers said that they announced themselves as police before forcing entry, but Walker said he did not hear any announcement, thought the officers were intruders, and fired a warning shot at them. The shot hit Mattingly in the leg, and the officers fired 32 shots in return. Walker was unhurt but Taylor, who was behind Walker, was hit by six bullets and died. During the incident, Hankison moved to the side of the apartment and shot 10 bullets through a covered window and glass door. According to police, Taylor's home was never searched.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breonna Taylor protests</span> 2020–22 protests after the police shooting of Breonna Taylor

The Breonna Taylor protests were a series of police brutality protests surrounding the killing of Breonna Taylor. Taylor was a 26-year-old African-American woman who was fatally shot by plainclothes officers of the Louisville Metro Police Department on March 13, 2020. Police were initially given "no-knock" search warrant, but orders were changed to "knock and announce" before the raid. Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who was inside the apartment with her during the raid, said he thought the officers were intruders. He fired one shot, hitting officer Mattingly in the leg, and the officers fired 32 shots in return, killing Taylor.

Jim S. Adler, also known by the nickname of The Texas Hammer, is an American trial attorney and businessman. He is the founder of Houston, Texas-based law firm Jim Adler & Associates. Adler has been practicing law in Texas in the area of personal injury for 54 years. Some of his T.V. advertisements have been a subject of controversy.

Craig Greenberg is an American businessman, lawyer, and politician serving as the third mayor of Louisville Metro. During his mayoral campaign, he was the subject of an assassination attempt at his campaign headquarters, but emerged unscathed.

Eric Christopher Conn is an American former attorney and convicted felon who is best known for his role in orchestrating the largest Social Security fraud scheme in United States history. The Social Security Administration estimated that Conn's fraud scheme cost the government around $550 million. He was captured in December 2017 after six months on the run and was subsequently sentenced to 27 years in prison.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Courier-Journal, Andrew Wolfson, The Louisville. "Personal injury lawyer Darryl 'The Hammer' Isaacs vows recovery from broken neck". The Indianapolis Star.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ Graves, Will. "Charismatic Calipari winning over Bluegrass". Cape Cod Times. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  3. ↑ "Charismatic Calipari winning over Bluegrass". New York Daily News. January 14, 2010. Archived from the original on 2023-01-13.
  4. 1 2 Wolfson, Andrew. "'The Hammer' Darryl Isaacs seeks $4.5M in bike accident". The Indianapolis Star.
  5. ↑ Chinn, Valerie (April 15, 2021). "Louisville attorney makes generous donation to help youth program that had thousands of dollars stolen". WDRB .
  6. 1 2 3 "How lawyers' TV ads became a billion-dollar industry - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. February 13, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "'Kentucky Hammer' attorney back at work after serious accident". WDRB. February 23, 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 Wolfson, Andrew. "Darryl Isaacs struck by motorist while biking". The Courier-Journal.
  9. 1 2 3 "Darryl Isaacs aka "The Hammer" on the Best of Louisville". Louisville Business Review. February 18, 2022.
  10. 1 2 "How "The Hammer" Cares For Clients, Works Hard, And Employs Smart Marketing, with Darryl Isaacs – PILMMA". PILMMA. September 13, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Darryl Isaacs - MoxieTalk with Kirt Jacobs". MoxieTalk.
  12. ↑ "The Million Job Mission: A Conversation with Entrepreneur Dennis Yu". Australian Business Journal. 21 February 2023.
  13. ↑ Mann, David A. (2018-02-06). "Let's talk about Darryl Isaacs' 'very, very expensive' Super Bowl ad". Louisville Business First.
  14. ↑ Bard, Jessica (January 29, 2020). "Darryl Isaacs launches preview of new Super Bowl commercial". WDRB.
  15. ↑ All Other Super Bowl Commercials Pale in Comparison to this Lawyer's Insurance Based Space Opera
  16. ↑ "Mastermind Groups Approach Education Through Alternative Learning Models". Forbes . January 6, 2023.
  17. 1 2 "Brain Trust Legal Group Comes to Las Vegas". 24-7 Press Release Newswire.
  18. ↑ Hennessey, Jason (June 1, 2022). "The Billion-Dollar Legal Mastermind with Darryl Isaacs". Hennessey Digital.
  19. ↑ "University of Minnesota Soccer Student-Athletes Sign Historic Endorsement With Legal Industry Icon Darryl "The Hammer" Isaacs". gophersports.com. September 19, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Minnesota soccer players land teamwide NIL deal with legal icon, YouTube star Darryl Isaacs". www.on3.com. September 20, 2023.
  21. ↑ Wolfson, Andrew. "'Heavy Hitter' Darryl Isaacs seeks $4.5M in bike accident". The Courier-Journal.
  22. ↑ "Personal injury attorney Darryl Isaacs no longer suing driver who hit him in River Road crash". WDRB. March 8, 2016.
  23. ↑ Dolan, Julie (May 21, 2019). "4 years later, 'The Hammer' feels fortunate after surviving near-fatal bike accident". WLKY.
  24. ↑ Jackson, Sarah (January 29, 2015). "Attorney Darryl Isaacs listed in fair condition after being hit by vehicle". wave3.com.
  25. ↑ Sutter, Chris (22 November 2022). "Restaurant Chain Names Salad After 'The Hammer'". WDRB.
  26. ↑ "Darryl Isaacs trades in "The Hammer" for a Santa bag". whas11.com. December 20, 2017.
  27. ↑ "2015 Crusade for Children - Eleven Days of Giving". Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  28. ↑ "Darryl Isaacs Attorney Louisville". distinguishedjusticeadvocates.com.
  29. ↑ "Isaacs & Isaacs Host American Red Cross Blood Drive Event". Archived from the original on 2023-02-14. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  30. ↑ "WDRB teams up with 'The Hammer' for bike helmet giveaway". WDRB. July 16, 2019.
  31. ↑ "6 inducted into Trinity High School Hall of Fame". whas11.com. October 27, 2013.
  32. ↑ Adams, Kirby. "Jack Harlow to headline 2022 Forecastle, he says at first of 5 sold-out Louisville shows". The Courier-Journal.
  33. ↑ Daniels, C.J. (17 September 2019). "Louisville rapper Jack Harlow debuts new single 'Heavy Hitter' ahead of mixtape release". WHAS11.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.