Terry Leiden has been in the game for a long time.

The law game, that is, and if you don't find him at the office, most likely he's on the softball field.

Terry Leiden started his law firm 36 years ago at 330 Telfair St. Today, Leiden and Leiden PC specializes in bankruptcy and consumer law at the same location.

Terry Leiden and his son, Zane Leiden, are 50 percent owners in the professional corporation. The firm became Leiden and Leiden PC in 2000. Zane Leiden was named president four years ago, and his father serves as vice-president.

"I'm trying to slow down, but I've been impeded by our economic conditions," Terry said.

Business has been busy since the recession began, Zane said. The firm serves a 14-county area.

"Whenever you do consumer law, the majority of that consumer-type practice, especially the way the economy is now, is going to be in bankruptcy," Zane said.

The attorneys attend court three to four times a week for creditors' meetings during which their client is interviewed by a bankruptcy trustee concerning their income, assets and liabilities. They also attend hearings to prevent home foreclosures and repossession of automobiles.

The law office now has four attorneys, including L.E. Maioriello and Myrna Serrano, who joined the firm three months ago.

One of the most important things they can do is put clients at ease, Zane said, which he learned from his father.

"A lot of times when people come in, there's a sense of embarrassment, shame or frustration. Many times, it's not their fault despite their best efforts of planning and prevention," he said. "Sitting down with a complete stranger and having to go through your finances can be fairly distressing."

The father-son duo have been working together since Zane graduated from law school. Their offices in the 200-year-old renovated home are right next to each other. Zane said that he has benefited from his father's experience.

"A good thing about working with him is he's almost unflappable. There is nothing that really gets him upset," Zane said.

He attributes this to his father's experiences in the Vietnam War and with prostate cancer. His father wants to do a good job, but if things don't work out, he doesn't dwell on it, he said.

"Anything that happens in court is not going to be anything compared to that," he said.

When the Leidens aren't in the office, they're on the softball field. Terry is the manager and coach of the Triumph 65s, a senior softball team. Zane often practices with the team because he has inherited his father's love of the game.

Terry wrote about his love for softball in his first novel, Get Back in the Game, which is a story about prostate cancer survivors.

Local attorney Jim Overstreet has known the Leiden family for 20 years. He works with Leiden and Leiden PC on a weekly basis.

Terry is "the consummate gentleman, slightly offbeat and a pleasure to work with." Zane is affable, dependable and well-versed in his area of expertise, he added.

"He is quite a sport. There's certainly no one else like him," Mr. Overstreet said about Terry. "There's nothing like a Monday morning greeting from Terry Leiden. It's better than a cup of coffee."

Most people return to work on Monday with some reluctance, but not Terry , he said.

"There's Terry Leiden with a smile on his face and a song in his heart," Mr. Overstreet said.

Getting started

Terry Leiden was born in Cleveland in 1940, the fourth of five sons for Leo and Esther Leiden.

His father owned Leiden Cabinet Co. His mother was a homemaker.

As a child, Terry delivered Cleveland's newspaper, The Plain Dealer. His route had 75 to 100 homes per day, and he earned two cents per paper during the week. On Sunday, he made five cents per paper.

At 15, he started working in his father's shipping and receiving department during his summer breaks from school. He worked at the company through high school and college.

He grew up loving baseball. The family frequently attended the Cleveland Indians' games. He worked part-time on the ground crews for the Indians and Cleveland Browns.

He attended John Carroll University, where he earned a degree in sociology. He pursued a master's degree in sociology at Northwestern University, but he wanted to become a lawyer.

He applied to law school, but was drafted into the Army in 1963. He served in Korea for one year and then attended airborne school at Fort Bragg , N.C. In October 1965, he began a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam.

When he left the Army, he used the G.I. Bill to attend Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

"I'm a great supporter of the G.I. Bill. I'm not sure we've implemented it as much as we should for our veterans since 1990," he said.

After graduation, he practiced law in Ohio for about two years. After serving overseas in warm climates, he realized that he no longer liked snow, so he headed south.

In 1972, he moved his family to Augusta and started working for an insurance defense firm. Then the senior partner died and he was laid off.

"The senior partner attracted all the clients, so I walked in one day and they said, 'We don't have enough work for everyone,' " he said.

Since he needed a job, Terry decided to start his own business. He had an offer to buy the house at 330 Telfair St. He didn't have any money, but he was told he had 80 percent financing. The seller would give him 20 percent if he could come up with $100.

He and his wife, Sara, found the money, and he opened the law firm on March 3, 1973.

In practice

Terry started his practice in criminal defense and personal injury. He had a few partners over the years, five attorneys at its peak.

Business wasn't booming in the early years ; he saw clients only about 30 hours a week.

"My law practice didn't really take off until about 1987. I struggled and I did other things. I used my skills as a blue-collar worker," he said.

He relied on his carpentry skills and did renovations to help make ends meet. The tough time turned out to be a blessing in disguise, he said. He was able to watch his children grow up.

"At that time, I probably didn't make much money as a lawyer, so I had time to do that. Looking back, that's one of the things I most enjoyed. I had other lawyers who were billing 60 hours a week... but as a result, I had a chance to see my kids and coach my kids in some sports. I do not regret that," he said.

Terry ran for superior court judge in 1978, but didn't win the seat. From 1978 to 1980, he served as a juvenile judge in Augusta.

He became interested in bankruptcy law when Congress revised bankruptcy laws in 1978.

"Prior to that, bankruptcy was only used by corporations," he explained.

Balancing a law practice and business operation isn't easy. In the early years, Terry relied on his wife and accountants for assistance.

"I think you need accountants to keep track of everything. Don't try to do it all yourself," he said. "Zane has been a tremendous assistance. If you find that you have someone who can do something better than you, let them do it."

Just like Dad

Zane Leiden was 4 when the family moved to Augusta. He said that he admires his father because he always made time for his family.

As a young boy, Zane sat on the stone wall at the end of the driveway with his baseball glove and baseball in hand around the time his father was scheduled to come home.

"No matter how tired he was, we would play catch," Zane said. "I think I was amazed because my brothers and I all played high school sports, and as busy as dad always was, he rarely missed a game, no matter where we played.

"Working in the firm now and realizing how hectic it is, I really have an appreciation for the sacrifices that he made to be able to do that," he said.

His mother emphasized having good manners.

"I still say 'yes, sir' and 'yes, ma'am' to people even though they might be 10 years younger than me," Zane said. "There's a special place in heaven for her because she had three teenage boys all at one time. I think we're responsible for all her gray hairs."

His mother still works part-time at the law firm as bookkeeper. She also manages rental properties.

Zane attended Furman University where he majored in business administration. He considered earning an MBA, but his father suggested law school instead. He took his father's advice and caught "the law bug."

"I like the satisfaction of doing a good job for the client and the gratitude that we receive from clients for a job well done," he said.

During law school, he worked as a clerk in a law office in Charleston, S.C. He planned to work there after graduation, but the firm didn't have any positions available. So he went to work for his father.

"No matter where I had gone out of law school, I would have returned to Augusta," Zane said. "Starting out with him was good because his experience, especially in dealing with clients, was invaluable."

Bankruptcy attorneys can often predict financial trends, Zane said.

"Being in the consumer arena, we kind of have the advantage of seeing a lot of problems come up before they reach national consciousness. Five or six years ago, any bankruptcy attorney could have told you we were going to have a problem with subprime mortgages," he said. "An acquaintance of mine calls me Nostradamus. I told him two years ago there was going to be a student loan problem. Sometimes (bankruptcy attorneys) feel like we're on the Titanic, and we're the only one that sees the iceberg."

At present, the firm is seeing a trend of middle- and upper-middle-class clients who are having financial difficulties. Many small business owners are coming in to see them.

"Companies like GM and Chrysler don't do the majority of the hiring, it's the small businesses. When you see a small business fail, it's going to be five to 10 people who are out of work. That's something that's starting to become very alarming," he said.

In the game

Terry has been playing senior softball for 18 years. He is manager and coach for the Triumph 65s.

A team has been named in his honor: Leiden Legends. Members are 70 and older.

Dr. Rene Cormier met Terry on the softball field 11 years ago.

"He really is Mr. Softball in the Augusta area. If it weren't for him, most of us wouldn't be out there playing," he said.

Many coaches would put themselves in the game, but Terry probably plays the least of all. He likes to manage and give everyone a chance to play, Dr. Cormier said.

One night per week, the senior team plays a double header at Diamond Lakes with players 50 and older. The team travels throughout the Southeast and has played as far away as Dallas and Las Vegas. Each fall, the team participates in a tournament in Utah.

Terry also seems to be a "magnet" for the game, Dr. Cormier said. The traveling team has players from Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Charleston , S.C., and other cities. The players don't practice together, but they meet for tournaments.

The coach has been inducted into the Softball Players Association Hall of Fame. The game is a big part of the novel Terry wrote, which was published last year.

Dr. Cormier said that some of the team's players are mentioned in the novel. The book discusses five men from different walks of life who are diagnosed with prostate cancer and end up in the same cancer specialist's waiting room, where they decide to organize a softball team.

Terry was diagnosed with prostate cancer 10 years ago.

Dr. Cormier said that Terry wrote the book to let "people know that life doesn't end when you get a diagnosis of cancer."

"When Terry first approached me, I knew he had a winner there because of the concept," publisher Randall Floyd said. "His book has been well received, very good reviews. It's sold fairly well, and I think it's going to continue to build up as we go down the road."

Terry is working on a nonfiction book that explores the wars in Korea, Iraq and Vietnam.

In addition to softball, Zane said that his father has always been active in politics and community work. He played a key role in renovating the 200 and 300 blocks of Telfair Street and in founding the Old Towne Neighborhood Association in 1973. Terry also helped to start the Pinch Gut Puffer road race, which is celebrating 31 years in Augusta.

Zane doesn't think retirement is in his father's immediate plans.

"He has such a passion for it. He loves dealing with clients and other members of the bar. He derives so much joy out of it, I don't think he would ever fully retire." he said. "His day isn't going to be complete unless he comes to the office at some point."

Reach LaTina Emerson at (706) 823-3227 or latina.emerson@augustachronicle.com.