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Charlie Jimerson is the founder and CEO of Jimerson Birr, a Florida-based business law firm with a national reputation for litigation, regulatory, and transactional work. He's also a U.S. Air Force veteran, a board-certified construction law attorney, and a widely recognized leader in the legal and business communities. Under his leadership, the firm has been repeatedly honored for its workplace culture, growth, and client service while representing various businesses of all sizes and scales as their go-to counsel for legal matters and comprehensive legal expertise, both inside and outside the courtroom.  From drafting and enforcing contracts, providing grounded executive-level advice, and collecting money owed, Charlie's extensive experience spans all phases of litigation, including alternative dispute resolution, settlement negotiations, and complex commercial cases. His career is distinguished by a rich tapestry of accomplishments that mirror his unwavering commitment to securing favorable outcomes for his clients and reflect a focus on service, quality, and results. Prior to founding Jimerson Birr, Charlie honed his skills and expertise at prominent  Jacksonville-based commercial litigation and construction law boutique law firms. He currently resides in Ortega with his wife, Ashley, their two children, and their Italian Greyhound dog, Olive. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT LAW FIRM GROWTH  As a young lawyer, Charlie Jimerson had his pick of opportunities and began his career at a traditional Biglaw firm. But it didn't take long for him to feel disenchanted with what he saw—an industry clinging to outdated models that didn't truly serve clients. Not even four years into practice, Charlie founded Jimerson Birr as a values-driven law firm committed to doing things differently. He believed law firms could grow by focusing on service, quality, and results instead of billable hours and burnout. That conviction shaped his approach to building a practice centered on client needs, predictable pricing, and strong culture. By replacing outdated habits with clear processes and accountability, Charlie set out to prove that sustainable growth is possible without sacrificing relationships or outcomes. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, Elise talks with Charlie about how rethinking the billable hour can fuel law firm growth. He shares how subscription pricing and disciplined processes create more value for clients, how AI can enhance efficiency without replacing human judgment, and why culture and leadership are essential to long-term success. Charlie also explains why he sees pressure as a privilege and why "the way it's always been done" is the most dangerous mindset holding firms back. 2:06 - The inspiration for Jimerson Birr's founding and identity 5:21 - Problems with the billable hours model of many legal organizations 9:12 - What's necessary for the legal industry to start retreating from the billable hour crutch 14:37 – Value-based and subscription pricing around four core areas and three package tiers 21:15 – Why there should still be room made for the billable hour when necessary 24:56 - Three biggest things learned from client surveys that impacted changes within the firm  27:43 - How Charlie uses AI to enhance his organization's practice  32:20 - Hiring principles and cultural philosophy of Jimerson Birr 34:45 – Why Charlie views pressure as a privilege and its impact on his choices 37:28 - Essentials to focus on and the mentality law firm leaders need to reject so the industry can evolve MENTIONED IN RETHINKING THE BILLABLE HOUR FOR SUSTAINABLE LAW FIRM GROWTH Jimerson Birr | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube Follow Charlie B. Jimerson on LinkedIn Process! How Discipline and Consistency Will Set You and Your Business Free by Mike Paton and Lisa González Books by Gino Wickman Get connected with the coaching team: [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

Damien Weinstein is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Weinstein + Klein, a Morristown, New Jersey law firm representing small and mid-sized businesses in corporate transactions and employment matters. He leads the firm's business and transaction group, where his work focuses on M&A, partnerships, and complex commercial agreements. Since founding Weinstein + Klein with Brian Klein in 2019, Damien has helped grow the firm from two people to approximately 25. The firm has appeared twice on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies, most recently ranking No. 622, and was named to the 2026 Inc. Best Workplaces list. As both a lawyer and business owner, Damien takes an "advisor first, lawyer second" approach to client work, bringing a practical business perspective to the legal issues his clients face. He has also been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star every year since 2018 and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and the New York Law Journal.  WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT RUNNING A LAW FIRM LIKE A BUSINESS Lawyers spend a lot of time helping clients grow, hire well, and build businesses that can last. Turning that same attention toward their own firms can be much harder. Once a practice starts growing, the work is no longer just about serving clients and practicing law well. Firm leaders also have to make decisions about people, capacity, profitability, culture, and business development, often without having been taught how to do any of it. Damien Weinstein learned that firsthand as the firm he started with his partner grew from two people to about 25. What began as two lawyers working side by side had to become a true business, which meant hiring sooner, building operational support, creating systems, and becoming much more intentional about culture and client relationships. That experience has also changed the way Damien advises clients by pushing him to look beyond the immediate legal issues and understand what the client is trying to accomplish with the business. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, Elise Holtzman talks with Damien Weinstein of Weinstein + Klein about what changes when lawyers start thinking like business owners. They discuss the decisions that supported his firm's growth, the role of hiring and operational support, how to protect culture as a team expands, and why a stronger understanding of business can make lawyers better advisors to their clients. 2:49 - Starting a law firm without knowing how to run one 5:18 - The mindset shift from practicing lawyer to business owner 8:45 - Learning from clients and other business owners 10:24 - Risk tolerance, hiring, and creating more capacity 11:53 - Hiring sooner and building the systems to support growth 13:26 - The role of non-lawyer professionals in running the firm 15:24 - Protecting culture as the team grows 19:42 - Screening for cultural fit during the hiring process 22:34 - Giving junior lawyers autonomy, feedback, and clear expectations 24:47 - Becoming an advisor first and a lawyer second 28:38 - Preparing business owners earlier for a successful sale 30:50 - Understanding the seller before negotiating the deal 34:04 - Surrounding yourself with the right people and advisors 35:18 - The difference between calling yourself a trusted advisor and actually being one MENTIONED IN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RUN YOUR LAW FIRM LIKE YOUR CLIENTS RUN THEIR BUSINESSES Weinstein + Klein | LinkedIn Damien Weinstein on LinkedIn Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara Radical Candor by Kim Scott Get connected with the coaching team: [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

Business development can often feel daunting. Even lawyers who recognize its importance frequently grapple with where to begin and how to execute effectively. Without a well-defined strategy, it's easy to become overwhelmed, discouraged, and ultimately disengage from the process. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, Elise Holtzman breaks down the process with her 3 Pillars of Business Development—a proven, straightforward framework that gives attorneys the clarity, tools, and focus necessary to build a thriving book of business. By applying these pillars, you'll be able to channel your time and energy into high-impact activities, making business development less intimidating and far more rewarding. Tune in to discover how you can make BD a manageable and achievable part of your practice—and start seeing the results you've been aiming for. This is an episode you won't want to miss! WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR LAWYERS 1:48 - Four reasons why I developed the three pillars of business development success and a quick rundown of what they are 10:30 - How to actively nurture and grow relationships with clients and prospects 13:12 - How to establish credibility and position yourself as an authority in your field 16:58 - The three Ts of leadership advancement and how they contribute to effective business development in legal 23:29 - How to use the pillars to grow and advance into a consistent business developer or rainmaker for your law firm 28:30 - The curse of knowledge about business development I have that I want to share with you   MENTIONED IN 3 ESSENTIAL PILLARS OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR LAWYERS Myers-Brigg | TypeCoach Verifier "How to Cultivate a Business Development Mindset" Get Connected with The Coaching Team at [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE… Today's episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm which has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008.  Each member of The Lawyer's Edge coaching team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach AND either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress.  To get connected with YOUR coach, just email the team at [email protected].

Dr. Larry Richard is recognized as a leading expert on the psychology of lawyer behavior and the use of behavioral science to improve performance in law firms and legal departments. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, he practiced as a litigator for 10 years before earning his PhD in psychology from Temple University. Since then, he has gathered and analyzed personality data on thousands of lawyers and consulted with hundreds of law firms and corporate legal departments on resilience, leadership development, change management, and lawyer well-being. He is the founder of LawyerBrain and co-author, with Dr. D'Arcy Lyness, of Thin Skinned: Why Lawyers Are So Low in Resilience and the New Science That Can Help. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT BUILDING RESILIENCE IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION Lawyers are trained to think critically about what could go wrong, and that mindset serves them well in practice. The challenge is that it does not always switch off when the immediate problem is solved or the workday ends. When pressure becomes constant, that way of thinking can make it harder to recover from setbacks and get back to a steadier place. Dr. Larry Richard has spent decades studying why resilience can be such a challenge for lawyers. His research shows that resilience is largely learned, which also means it can be strengthened. Understanding that opens the door to looking more closely at the habits and responses that wear resilience down and what lawyers can do differently over time. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, Elise Holtzman talks with Dr. Larry Richard of LawyerBrain about why lawyers tend to score low in resilience, how personality traits affect the way they respond to stress and change, what helps build resilience over time, and how lawyers can better manage the traits that make them effective at their work. 2:52 - What constant change does to the brain's threat response 6:09 - Why lawyer personality can make adapting to change harder 11:39 - Which lawyer traits are learned and which are largely genetic 14:35 - How legal training reinforces skepticism 16:49 - The difference between fixed traits and improvable resilience 18:58 - What resilience actually looks like in practice 21:02 - How low resilience changes the way criticism is experienced 24:06 - The connection between isolation and resilience 28:11 - When the traits that help lawyers succeed start working against them 30:46 - Four areas lawyers can focus on to strengthen resilience 31:26 - Replacing catastrophizing with realistic optimism 35:33 - Why positive emotions matter more than lawyers may think 41:03 - Building resilience through stronger relationships and presence 43:43 - How self-care supports the other resilience strategies 46:17 - Learning to use lawyer traits without letting them take over Mentioned In How Lawyers Can Build Greater Resilience LawyerBrain LLC  Dr. Larry Richard on LinkedIn Dr. Larry Richard | The "Lawyer Personality" and Becoming a Happier Lawyer Thin-Skinned: Why Lawyers Are So Low in Resilience and the New Science That Can Help Get connected with the coaching team: [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

Many lawyers dismiss conferences as a drain on time and money. And frankly, they're right—unless you know how to make the most of them. With the right approach, conferences can transform from missed opportunities into a cornerstone of your business development strategy. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, Elise Holtzman shares actionable insights on how to unlock the full potential of industry conferences. She provides a clear, step-by-step roadmap for maximizing every phase of the event, ensuring your efforts yield measurable results. Discover how to turn conference attendance into a powerful tool for rainmaking and client attraction. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT GETTING THE MOST ROI FROM CONFERENCES 2:29 - Two primary reasons why conferences are worth attending from a business development perspective 5:46 - Some of the potential downsides to attending industry conferences and why it's worth looking at this issue 7:53 - Intentional questions to ask yourself before going to your next conference so you can wring every bit of value possible out of attending 13:32 - How to create a timeline and take action before the conference (and how most approach this incorrectly) 18:28 - The importance of setting aside time to recharge (especially if you're an introvert) 20:38 - Timeline creation and actions to consider taking during your next conference (including how to exit uncomfortable conversations gracefully) 23:03 - How to handle the aftermath of a conference and why people lose a tremendous amount of opportunity at this stage 26:14 - A consideration once you determine a conference is a good fit for you and a brief word about raising your profile at conferences MENTIONED IN HOW TO GET THE MOST ROI FROM YOUR NEXT CONFERENCE 3 Essential Pillars of Business Development for Lawyers Managing Partner Forum John Remsen | Essential Characteristics of Effective Law Firm Leaders Legal Marketing Association Get connected with the coaching team: [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

Brenda A. Barnes, CPA, MBA, is the founder of Brenda Barnes Consulting, where she works with law firm leaders on compensation design, succession planning, and financial strategy. She brings more than 35 years of experience in law firm financial management to her role, including serving as a law firm administrator in Austin, Texas. Brenda previously founded B2 Legal Management, an outsourced accounting and billing firm serving solo to midsize law firms across the U.S., which she built and sold in 2021. She is a former president of the Austin Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators and co-author of RESPECT – An Insight to Attorney Compensation Plans, now in its second edition. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT LAW FIRM COMPENSATION AND RETENTION Compensation touches almost every challenge law firms are facing right now, from recruiting and retention to leadership development and succession planning. Yet many firms are still relying on systems that evolved internally over time, with younger lawyers expected to understand how they advance, what the firm values, and what opportunities are available to them without anyone clearly defining it. The firms being more intentional about compensation are putting structure around those decisions. They are writing down the criteria, defining what advancement looks like, creating more flexible career paths, and looking beyond billable hours when deciding what contributions should be rewarded. They are also treating compensation plans as systems that need to change as the firm's priorities change, rather than something to put in place once and leave alone. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, Elise Holtzman talks with Brenda Barnes of Brenda Barnes Consulting about why compensation has become such a critical issue for law firms, what younger lawyers are looking for when they ask for transparency, how associate and partner compensation systems are changing, and how compensation decisions shape retention and succession planning. 3:10 - Compensation as a strategic issue for law firms 5:30 - What transparency actually means to younger lawyers 7:40 - Clarity as a retention strategy 12:57 - The connection between compensation and respect 14:27 - Different approaches to associate and partner compensation 16:03 - Current compensation trends in small and midsize firms 17:23 - Flexible career paths for lawyers who do not want equity 20:06 - The compensation problems that bring law firms looking for help 24:16 - How level-based associate compensation systems work 29:06 - Customizing compensation to reward the behaviors a firm values 30:17 - Looking beyond billable hours to law firm economics and collections 32:58 - How origination credit affects succession planning 38:09 - Why firms eventually become what their compensation systems reward Mentioned In How Law Firm Compensation Shapes Retention and Succession Brenda Barnes Consulting Brenda Barnes on LinkedIn RESPECT – An Insight to Attorney Compensation Plans Get connected with the coaching team: [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

Shannon Lombardo is the Director of Business Development at Saul Ewing LLP, a national law firm with more than 400 attorneys. She leads strategic growth initiatives focused on attorney business development coaching, client relationship development, and revenue generation. With extensive experience in legal marketing and business development, Shannon partners with attorneys and law firms to build stronger relationships, identify growth opportunities, and achieve their business objectives. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOLLOW-THROUGH Lawyers may understand that business development matters and genuinely intend to make it a priority, but that intention often gets pushed aside by client work, billable-hour demands, and the discomfort of doing something that does not feel as familiar as practicing law. Even lawyers who want to build business can struggle with where to start, how to stay consistent, and how to keep going when the results take time. That means firms have to look beyond simply teaching lawyers what to do. More training will not solve a problem rooted in discomfort, lack of confidence, competing priorities, or a lawyer who is not ready to engage. The real opportunity is understanding what is actually getting in the way, then creating the right level of support and accountability to help lawyers take action in a way that fits them. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, Elise Holtzman talks with Shannon Lombardo of Saul Ewing LLP about why lawyers struggle to follow through on business development, what makes business development training more effective, how accountability supports consistency, and where responsibility lies between the firm and the individual lawyer. 2:12 - Why lawyers struggle to prioritize business development 5:34 - How unrealistic rainmaker examples can discourage lawyers 8:35 - How to assess whether a lawyer is ready for business development support 11:01 - Building a business development plan around the individual lawyer 14:58 - Why Saul Ewing moved away from one-off training programs 18:14 - Why one-time business development training rarely changes behavior 22:21 - Matching business development support to the individual lawyer 24:51 - The psychology behind business development resistance 27:28 - What internal business development teams can and cannot own 29:32 - Using accountability to help lawyers stay consistent 31:48 - Why small, consistent business development actions matter 32:56 - What disengagement from coaching may actually signal Mentioned In The Gap Between Wanting to Do Business Development and Actually Doing It Saul Ewing LLP | LinkedIn Shannon Lombardo on LinkedIn Get connected with the coaching team: [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

Michael Mellor is the President and Founder of 742 Advisors, a boutique consultancy focused on law firm revenue generation, pitch operations, and go-to-market strategy. He designs revenue operating models that help firms win more work with less friction, covering pitch infrastructure, business development operations, experience management systems, and governance frameworks. Before founding 742 Advisors, Mike served as Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Pryor Cashman, where he rebuilt the firm's marketing department and transformed the function from a cost center into a revenue-generating operation. He previously held senior roles at Paul Weiss and Katten and served on KPMG's "Big Deal" team, leading pursuit strategy for some of the firm's largest opportunities. Mike has been recognized by Lawdragon as a Top 100 Global Leader in Legal Strategy & Consulting and received the Legal Marketing Association New York Chapter's Member of the Year Award. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT USING BETTER DATA FOR LAW FIRM BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Law firms can have exactly the sort of experience a prospective client is looking for and still have trouble finding it or remembering it when they need it. The information may be sitting in an old pitch, missing from an attorney bio, coded incorrectly in a firm system, or known only to the lawyer who handled the work. That creates a very practical business development problem when it is time to show a prospect what the firm has actually done. Michael Mellor has spent his career inside law firms looking at why those gaps exist and how firms can close them. His approach starts with getting a clearer picture of the work lawyers have already done, then organizing that information in a way people can actually use. That can make business development easier without requiring another major technology investment and give firm leaders a more accurate view of where the firm has depth and where there may be room to grow. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge Podcast, Elise Holtzman talks with Michael Mellor of 742 Advisors about the information gaps that make business development harder, how law firm culture and incentives affect whether systems actually get used, why better data matters beyond individual pitches, and practical ways firms can start organizing what they already know without making another major technology investment. 3:27 - What the scramble for law firm experience looks like during a pitch 5:28 - Why centralized information matters beyond individual pitches 6:44 - How poor data hygiene affects law firm strategy 8:44 - Auditing lawyers' work to uncover business development opportunities 12:09 - Why business development plans often become a box-checking exercise 14:46 - Why law firm CRMs fail to solve the information problem 18:51 - How origination credit and compensation affect information sharing 22:39 - Starting small with attorney bios and existing matter information 24:27 - Building a useful database before investing in more technology 26:46 - Why lawyers need to document the work they have already done MENTIONED IN HOW BETTER DATA CAN HELP LAW FIRMS WIN MORE WORK 742 Advisors | LinkedIn Michael Mellor on LinkedIn Get connected with the coaching team: [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

Michelle Citrin is the owner of Michelle Citrin Studios, a personal branding and photography practice focused exclusively on women in law. She has more than 17 years of experience in photography and earned her degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Michelle also brings a background in fashion styling and design to her work, which she uses to help attorneys show up with the same authority they have earned in the courtroom or boardroom. She operates studios in Fort Lauderdale, Charlotte, and Asheville and works with clients around the world. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Ocean Drive Magazine, and NBC6, and she teaches continuing legal education programs across Florida on marketing, executive presence, and personal branding. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT HEADSHOTS AS A BUSINESS STRATEGY For many lawyers, professional photography is something to check off the list when it is time to update a website bio or LinkedIn profile. That approach misses how much your imagery shapes the perception people form when they look you up. If your headshot no longer reflects your current level of experience, authority, and success, there can be a disconnect between the reputation you have earned and the way you are showing up online. This is why Michelle Citrin approaches professional photography as an important part of a lawyer's larger marketing and visibility strategy. Your face is often the most recognizable part of your brand, and the images you use can help you stay memorable and top of mind while giving you more control over the narrative people encounter online. As AI changes how professionals market themselves, being human, using real imagery, and showing up as yourself become even more important to building trust. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge Podcast, Elise Holtzman talks with Michelle Citrin of Michelle Citrin Studios about using professional photography as a marketing strategy, matching your imagery to the authority you have earned, building visibility and trust online, and being human in a world of AI. 3:19 - What strong personal brands have in common 4:41 - Showing up consistently without being "loud" 6:31 - Treating professional photography as a marketing strategy 8:19 - Why your face is the most recognizable part of your brand 9:20 - Matching your imagery to your current level of authority 12:21 - Making your expertise more visible and staying top of mind 15:32 - Why accomplished lawyers can still feel uncomfortable in front of the camera 20:11 - Choosing a photographer who understands your audience and marketing goals 21:16 - Planning imagery around your target market and message 24:05 - Being human in a world of AI 26:36 - Building trust when clients are finding and vetting lawyers online 28:45 - Updating your photography regularly and continuing to show up Mentioned In Why Your Headshot Is a Business Strategy, Not a Vanity Project Michelle Citrin Studios Michelle Citrin on LinkedIn Get connected with the coaching team: [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

Michael Roch is the founder and principal advisor of MHPR Advisors, where he advises managing partners, boards, and remuneration committees on partner compensation and governance. For more than 25 years, he has worked with law firm leaders across Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States, as well as with accounting, consulting, and other professional partnerships. Originally trained as both an accountant and a lawyer, Michael brings a cross-disciplinary perspective to questions involving compensation, governance, finance, and tax. He is the co-author of The Partner Remuneration Handbook and co-leads a long-running global survey tracking how partners are paid across markets. Based in Zurich, Michael serves clients worldwide. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT PARTNER COMPENSATION AND LAW FIRM STRATEGY Law firm leaders often believe their compensation system reflects what they are trying to build. Yet the way partners are paid may still reward them for holding tightly to client relationships, prioritizing their own originations, and resisting the collaboration the partnership says it values. As the business grows across offices and practice areas, those old approaches can become increasingly disconnected from where the firm is going. Michael Roch explains that this often happens because partnerships fail to update compensation systems developed when they were much smaller. Changing the system requires leaders to be clear about what the business is trying to achieve and willing to let go of old paradigms that no longer support that direction. It also requires a closer look at what the partnership actually rewards, how partner contributions are evaluated, and whether the decision-making process reinforces the strategy or works against it. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge Podcast, Elise Holtzman talks with Michael Roch of MHPR Advisors about why compensation systems fall behind as firms grow, how origination credit can create conflict around client relationships, what firms should consider when compensating managing partners and other leaders, and why money is only one of the tools law firm leaders can use to influence behavior and retain talent. 3:45 - The three elements that shape a partner compensation system 5:20 - Why compensation systems fall behind as firms grow 10:19 - What a firm's compensation system reveals about its real values 14:58 - Why annual compensation memos cannot replace ongoing performance dialogue 20:13 - Origination credit, collaboration, and control of client relationships 24:23 - Putting rules and governance around origination disputes 28:38 - How firms should compensate managing partners and practice group leaders 35:16 - Why paying more rarely solves a retention problem 38:21 - The leadership responsibility partners have to associates and counsel 40:08 - Why reward involves more than compensation Mentioned In How Partner Compensation Can Undermine Your Firm's Strategy MHPR Advisors | LinkedIn Michael Roch on LinkedIn The Partner Remuneration Handbook by Michael Roch and Ray D'Cruz SmarterReward™ Dr. Heidi Gardner | How Law Firms Can Increase Revenues, Grow Client Loyalty, and Improve Diversity Get connected with the coaching team: [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

What do you think is one of the most powerful obstacles to business development success for lawyers? Despite their busy schedules, it isn't a lack of time. It's not about the lack of money, either. It's not even that you don't know how to do it, although law school certainly didn't teach it. Simply put, it's your mindset. It's the stories you tell yourself that stop you from taking (or fully committing to) consistent, targeted action. And it's the biggest impediment I've come across again and again with lawyers I meet. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, you'll learn 7 tips that will help you cultivate a successful business development mindset. I'll teach you a thought process that will inspire you to start taking action in the direction of your goals and stick with it consistently! WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT CULTIVATING A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MINDSET 2:57 - What business development success and that criminal law class you took in your first year have in common 5:27 - The first thing you can do to cultivate your business development mindset for success 8:14 - Two things you need to recognize about business development and one thing you shouldn't expect to see 11:26 - The people you shouldn't listen to and the responses you don't want to give to everyone else and yourself 14:12 - A change that'll make it more likely for you to focus on and engage with business development Mentioned In How to Cultivate a Business Development Mindset IGNITE Women's Business Development Accelerator  Get Connected with The Coaching Team at [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE… Today's episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm which has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008.  Each member of The Lawyer's Edge coaching team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach AND either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress.  To get connected with YOUR coach, just email the team at [email protected].

Joshua Wurtzel is a commercial and real estate litigation partner at Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP, a Manhattan boutique law firm that represents businesses, non-profits, and individuals in complex and corporate matters. He has successfully represented public and private companies and prominent individuals in both federal and state court. With his focus on aggressive litigation and his ability to develop creative and novel solutions to complex disputes, he brings a unique, out-of-the-box perspective to his clients' most pressing legal needs. Before joining Schlam Stone & Dolan, Josh was an associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in its Securities Litigation and Corporate Governance group. He also previously worked as an intern for the Honorable Kiyo A. Matsumoto of the Eastern District of New York. He's a regular contributor to several legal publications (such as the New York Law Journal) and lectures on cutting-edge legal issues in the commercial real estate sector. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT HOW TO GET STARTED AS A RAINMAKER - AND SUCCEED! Bringing new clients into a law firm not only drives a law firm's growth, but can also provide you with greater professional autonomy and an increased ability to call the shots in your own career. Despite the clear benefits to becoming a consistent business developer, many lawyers don't pursue business development success or struggle to achieve it. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, Elise Holtzman sits down with Joshua Wurtzel, a commercial and real estate litigation partner at Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP, to discuss his experience with building a book of business. Josh shares the challenges he faced on his journey to becoming a rainmaker and explains how networking and coaching have been instrumental in refining his approach to business development, team-building, and client relationships. 2:50 - Why Josh decided to start building his book of business and the early challenges and successes he encountered 6:22 - The impact of developing his book of business on Josh's approach to client relationships 9:18 - How Josh landed his first clients and honed his networking skills 11:42 - The importance of building trust over time and different strategies for developing lasting relationships 15:22 - The business development challenges that Josh continues to focus on overcoming 18:23 - How Josh has adapted his business development strategies over time and why he prioritizes business development 25:02 - How Josh maintains the momentum of his business development efforts when immediate results don't materialize 28:07 - The importance of building a team to support business development and manage client relationships 33:59 - Advice for associates, counsel, and junior partners looking to start building their own book of business and advance in their careers 38:29 - The role of self-confidence and belief in your success as a lawyer and aspiring rainmaker MENTIONED IN HOW TO GET STARTED AS A RAINMAKER - AND SUCCEED! Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP | Joshua's Profile Joshua Wurtzel on LinkedIn Joshua Wurtzel on Instagram Business Networking International (BNI) USA 500 Clubs Get Connected with The Coaching Team at [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

Tara Stingley is a Partner of Cline Williams and the Chair of its Labor and Employment Law section. Cline Williams, established in 1857, is Nebraska's oldest existing law firm and is a full-service firm with approximately 60 lawyers working in 5 offices located in Nebraska and Colorado. Tara is the firm's primary representative to the Employment Law Alliance, the largest international network of labor and employment lawyers. Tara focuses her practice on employment law, advising businesses in various industries on compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT BEING A VISIBILITY EXPERT AS A PRACTICING ATTORNEY Those first travelers making their way West did so without a roadmap. But in taking the opportunity, they paved the way for the nation's expansion. That spirit of the West is very much rooted in Tara Stingley and the Nebraska law firm of which she is a partner. As the first woman to serve on Cline Williams' executive committee, she challenged other members to think about how they defined issues and the impact of their decisions. She also established her niche as an employment law expert within the legal community. Laying down that foundation has paid dividends in affording her opportunities, as it can for you, too. And unlike that first wave of westward travelers, you don't have to go forward blindly; Tara has tips to help you build your roadmap to greater visibility. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, you'll hear about the payoff potential in raising your profile and building your brand as a subject-matter expert and how to start proactively doing it (even if you're still a young lawyer). Tara will also discuss the importance of representation, the need for professional women to stop underestimating their value, what plays into a client's decision to pick you over others, and so much more! 1:51 - How Tara became a lawyer and partner at Cline Williams and how the law firm differs from others 9:51 - The importance of Tara's role as the first woman on the firm's executive committee 13:22 - Why you should strive to increase your visibility as an expert in your field, even when you can't see an immediate payoff 20:58 - How lawyers can create branding opportunities for themselves rather than wait for them to appear 25:06 - The mindset you need for approaching opportunities to raise your profile and ultimately get clients you want to work with 29:40 - An essential piece of advice for professional women (especially those dealing with imposter syndrome) Mentioned In How to Become a Visible Expert in Your Practice Area Cline Williams Employment Law Alliance Tara Stingley on LinkedIn Get Connected with The Coaching Team at [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE… This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

Leslie D. Davis is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms, Inc. (NAMWOLF), a nonprofit trade association that connects preeminent minority and women-owned law firms with corporations and public entities hiring outside counsel. Before taking the helm at NAMWOLF in 2021, Leslie spent 25 years as a trial lawyer and rainmaker, made partner at three firms, and served as lead counsel in complex jury trials, bench trials, and arbitrations. She is also a certified transformational leadership coach, sought-after speaker, mentor, and longtime advocate for equity in the legal profession. Leslie earned her J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law and her M.A. and B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Iowa. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT HOW MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED FIRMS WIN CORPORATE WORK Minority and women-owned law firms have been fighting for a seat at the corporate table for decades. The barrier has not been a lack of talent or capability. Outside counsel decisions have historically been shaped by connections, relationships, and familiarity, making it harder for firms outside those established networks to compete for corporate work. NAMWOLF works to change that by connecting carefully vetted minority and women-owned firms with corporations and public entities hiring outside counsel. Its member firms are selected based on their reputation, experience, responsiveness, reliability, and ability to handle sophisticated legal work. The organization also creates opportunities for firms and in-house counsel to build real relationships while encouraging member firms to refer work to one another rather than compete for every opportunity. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, Elise Holtzman talks with Leslie Davis of NAMWOLF about how minority and women-owned firms win corporate work, why relationships remain central to outside counsel decisions, how NAMWOLF evaluates its member firms, and how the organization is responding to changing attitudes toward diversity. 2:51 - NAMWOLF's mission and the legal market it serves 4:30 - Why member firms collaborate instead of competing for every opportunity 6:50 - How NAMWOLF vets firms for sophisticated corporate legal work 9:06 - Creating relationships between member firms and corporate counsel 12:15 - Why Leslie left trial practice to lead NAMWOLF 14:21 - How litigation and rainmaking prepared Leslie for the CEO role  17:01 - Learning to lead professionals who are not lawyers 20:55 - Responding to the changing climate around DEI 25:04 - Staying focused when the conversation becomes a distraction 30:26 - Building real relationships that lead to business MENTIONED IN HOW MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED FIRMS ARE WINNING CORPORATE WORK NAMWOLF | LinkedIn Leslie Davis on LinkedIn Get connected with the coaching team: [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

Emily Stedman is a commercial litigation partner at Husch Blackwell LLP in Milwaukee, where she handles complex business disputes from pre-suit negotiation through trial and appeal. With more than a decade of experience in practice, Emily brings both Big Law credibility and a practical understanding of what it takes to build a successful legal career without burning out. In addition to her litigation work, she is a nationally recognized advocate for lawyer well-being, known for her candid speaking, writing, and thought leadership on the mental health realities of modern legal practice. She has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers Rising Stars, and Corporate Counsel for her influence and leadership in the profession, including a Women, Influence, and Power in Law Award in the Mental Health and Well-Being Initiative category. She has also served on the Wisconsin Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT LAW FIRM LEADERSHIP AND LAWYER WELL-BEING Lawyer well-being is often treated as something individual attorneys have to manage on their own. Lawyers are told to set boundaries, manage stress, ask for help, and keep going. That advice may be useful, but it only goes so far when lawyers are also making assumptions about availability, visibility, and what it really takes to succeed inside a demanding law firm. Emily Stedman is not arguing that Big Law should stop being demanding or that lawyers can build ambitious careers without working hard. Her point is more practical. If law firms want talented lawyers to stay, leaders need to be more honest about how sustainable careers are actually built, including the different ways lawyers can meet expectations, exercise autonomy, and model a life inside the profession that others can realistically imagine for themselves. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, Elise Holtzman talks with Emily Stedman of Husch Blackwell LLP about lawyer well-being as a leadership issue, the assumptions lawyers make about availability and visibility, the generational tensions around boundaries, and why leaders need to tell the truth about how they actually work. 3:22 - Why Emily started speaking openly about lawyer well-being 6:12 - Lateraling to Husch Blackwell and practicing more authentically 7:45 - What Emily changed about how she worked after joining a new firm 9:33 - Building a sustainable Big Law career while still meeting firm expectations 12:08 - The mindset shifts lawyers need before setting better boundaries 16:39 - What law firm leaders get right and wrong about well-being 19:43 - Why lawyer well-being does not mean avoiding hard work 21:23 - Why well-being requires better management conversations inside law firms 24:22 - The connection between everyday well-being, burnout, and mental health crises 29:07 - The one concrete thing law firm leaders can do to make a difference 34:14 - How leaders model autonomy, control, and sustainable careers for others MENTIONED IN  WHAT LAW FIRM LEADERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT LAWYER WELL-BEING Husch Blackwell LLP | LinkedIn Emily Stedman | LinkedIn Get connected with the coaching team: [email protected] The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.