Book Review: Litigation

Reviewed by Joseph Jaksa, Ph.D., CPP

01 February 2017

Print Issue: February 2017

Butterworth-Heinemann; Available from ASIS; #2305; 202 pages; $51 (members); $56 (nonmembers).

Contract security organizations are in the business of protecting lives and property, yet they must also have a solid working knowledge of the legal system. In the book Security Litigation: Best Practices for Managing and Preventing Security-Related Lawsuits, author Eddie Sorrells provides a well-organized guide to the basic legal issues facing contract security companies. Sorrells has 25 years of experience serving as a general counsel and chief operating officer in the industry.

The book presents readers with an overview of areas of concern and potential perils for the security industry. Topics include legal aspects of contracts, sales proposals, marketing materials, security surveys, and social media, as well as employee manuals, post orders, and training programs. In addition, Sorrells offers an accurate overview of the litigation process. The book concludes with multiple appendixes, including sample contractual agreements, a security survey template, and checklists to help with legal organization.

Sorrells writes in a caring manner, as if he is a trusted member of your organization. He shares numerous examples from his years working in the industry. Because it is based upon experiences within the contract security officer industry, the book might seem irrelevant to professionals in other segments of the industry. Many of the legal situations in the book may be applied to various aspects of all security organizations. The author regularly informs the reader to use the information only as a guide and to seek legal advice that will pertain to the company’s geographic location in addition to the specific situation in which the reader may be involved.

Because the threat of litigation is ever present, this timely and accurate book will be a useful addition to any security organization.

Reviewer: Joseph Jaksa, Ph.D., CPP, is an associate professor of criminal justice and coordinator of the Masters of Public Administration program at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan. He is a member of ASIS International.