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★★★★★

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45 reviews

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The Founding Partner Podcast follows host Jonathan Hawkins as he interviews the founders of successful law firms across the country. Get the inside scoop on how these legal trailblazers built their firms from the ground up. Learn about their origin stories, the challenges they faced, and the lessons they learned along the way. Whether you're an aspiring lawyer looking to start your own firm someday or just interested in the behind-the-scenes world of law firm entrepreneurship, the Founding Partner Podcast offers an educational, insightful, and entertaining look at what it takes to establish and grow a successful law practice in today's competitive legal market.

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Podcast episodes

Check latest episodes from Founding Partner Podcast podcast

Build Expertise, Then Build Visibility with David Craig

2026/10/06

What does it take to build a law firm that stands out without chasing volume or spending millions on advertising? In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Jonathan Hawkins sits down with David Craig of Craig, Kelley & Faultless to explore how creativity, specialization, team development, and consistent content helped shape his practice. From an ingenious Yellow Pages strategy to building a rapid response team and creating consumer-focused books and podcasts, David shares why lasting growth starts with becoming genuinely valuable to the people you serve.

Starting a Law Firm Fast with Jonathan Hawkins

2026/09/29

What happens when you suddenly find yourself without a firm and need to build one almost overnight? In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Jonathan Hawkins lays out a practical triage plan for attorneys who unexpectedly need to start a law firm. From forming the entity and opening bank accounts to protecting client relationships and building your public presence, he explains what needs attention first, what can wait, and why you do not have to solve everything at once.

Leaving a Law Firm Carefully with Jonathan Hawkins

2026/09/22

Leaving a law firm can create tension for everyone involved, and the decisions made before and during that departure matter. In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Jonathan Hawkins walks through three issues lawyers and law firms need to think about when someone makes a move: notice to the firm, communication with clients, and handling client files. The goal is simple, understand the potential trouble spots before you step on a landmine.

Your Hit By a Bus Plan with Jonathan Hawkins

2026/09/15

What happens to your law firm if you suddenly cannot run it? In this solo episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Jonathan Hawkins breaks down what he calls the “Hit By a Bus Plan,” a practical approach for protecting your clients, family, employees, and firm if death or disability takes you away from the practice unexpectedly.

The Truth About Law Firm Growth with David Vicknair

2026/09/08

Does every law firm really need to scale? In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Jonathan Hawkins sits down with New Orleans personal injury attorney David Vicknair to talk about building a firm on your own terms. David shares how intentional growth, memorable client hospitality, bold marketing, and investing in the right people helped shape his firm, and why growth only works when you know what you actually want to build.

Build the Firm You Actually Want with Michelle Dellino

2026/09/01

What does it take to grow from a new law firm owner hiring an attorney off Craigslist to leading one of Washington’s largest family law practices? In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Michelle Dellino shares how confidence, calculated risk, hard-earned lessons, and a willingness to let go helped her build Dellino Family Law Group. She also opens up about the difficult seasons behind the growth, why founders need a clear vision, and what it really means to build a firm around the life you want.

Four Essentials Every Law Firm Partnership Needs with Jonathan Hawkins

2026/08/25

A law firm partnership can work on trust and a handshake, until it doesn’t. In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Jonathan Hawkins breaks down four essential issues every law firm partnership agreement should address before disagreements, departures, or unexpected changes put that partnership to the test. He also shares a practical bonus tip for structuring partner compensation so it can evolve without reopening the entire partnership agreement.

Building a Brand That Lasts with Erik Pelton

2026/08/18

What happens when a young lawyer combines an entrepreneurial instinct with an early fascination for technology? Erik Pelton turned that combination into a trademark practice that has continued evolving for more than 25 years. In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Erik shares how flat fees, technology, education, content, and a willingness to learn from failure helped him build a distinctive firm. We also explore why lawyers need to advocate for themselves, how delegation changes a founder's role, and why Erik believes some of his greatest successes began with mistakes.

How to Grow a Law Firm From 1 Attorney to 12 in 3 Years with Bart Denham

2026/08/11

What happens when a lawyer sees an underserved market and decides to build something bigger around it? In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, I sit down with Bart Denham, founder and principal attorney of Denham Property and Injury Law Firm, to talk about growing from one attorney to twelve in less than three years, expanding into new markets, building a custom case management system with AI, and learning how relationships can fuel explosive growth.

Building a National Niche Firm with Steven Nassi

2026/08/04

What does it take to walk away from more than two decades of legal experience and build something completely different? In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Jonathan Hawkins sits down with Steven Nassi, founder of Rock Point Law, to talk about his move from representing insurance companies to advocating for consumers, why he chose lemon law, and how intentional decisions around client service, culture, technology, and hiring are helping him build a firm designed for long-term growth.

Designing Fair Partner Compensation with Jonathan Hawkins

2026/07/28

How should equity partners be paid, and why do so many compensation systems create unintended problems? In this solo episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Jonathan Hawkins explores the strengths and weaknesses of common equity partner compensation models, explains why no system is perfect, and shares a practical framework for creating a compensation plan that rewards both ownership and performance.

Coming Full Circle with Jason DeSouza

2026/07/21

What does success really look like for a law firm founder? For Jason DeSouza, it is not measured by having the biggest office or the largest headcount. It is about building a firm that delivers exceptional results for clients while protecting the people who make the work possible, including himself. In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Jonathan Hawkins sits down with Jason DeSouza, founder of DeSouza Injury Lawyers, to discuss entrepreneurship, intentional growth, community relationships, and why knowing your definition of "enough" may be the most important business decision you ever make.

It's All About the People with Vivek Tata

2026/07/14

What does it really take to launch a law firm from scratch, grow it from six lawyers to thirty in just two years, and still keep your culture intact? In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Jonathan Hawkins sits down with Vivek Tata, founding partner and General Counsel of Elsberg Baker & Maruri, to discuss why the best firms are built around people first, not growth targets. From leaving Big Law to launching a litigation boutique that's already earning national recognition, Vivek shares the mindset, systems, and leadership lessons behind building a firm designed to last.

Making it Happen By Going Above and Beyond with Dwayne Pennant

2026/07/07

What does it take to build a successful law firm when your path isn't the traditional one? In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Jonathan Hawkins sits down with attorney Dwayne Pennant to explore how persistence, service, and genuine relationships helped him build a thriving practice across North Carolina and Massachusetts. From failing the bar exam more than once to earning the trust of clients, judges, and court staff, Dwayne shares why success is less about having the perfect résumé and more about showing up with humility and determination.

Growing a Firm Through Relationships with Bryan Knight

2026/06/30

What does it take to leave a comfortable law firm job and build something of your own? In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Jonathan Hawkins sits down with trial lawyer Bryan Knight, founder of Knight Palmer, to discuss the realities of starting a law firm, developing business through relationships, building a trial practice, and growing a firm without losing its identity. From licking stamps in a one-office startup to handling nationwide class actions, Bryan shares the lessons he's learned over nearly fifteen years of law firm ownership.

Podcast reviews

Read Founding Partner Podcast podcast reviews

5 out of 5

45 reviews

★★★★★

anon94117 2026/07/15

Managing a firm? Listen to this.

A great series on perspectives from lawyers who’ve struck out on their own. If you’ve started a firm—or are thinking about it—you should definitely ch...

★★★★★

Lenore Horton 2025/06/07

Every Episode is Worth the Time

Easy to listen to. Memorable advice. I love learning about each of these people and what they are doing with their law firm. You always have a colleag...

★★★★★

There’s more than the law 2025/05/02

Inspired guest & listener

I was a listener well before becoming a guest of The Founding Partner podcast. I always enjoyed how guests were encouraged to share more of themselves...

★★★★★

CharlesScottLaw.com 2025/03/19

Inspiring stories!

I enjoy the podcast. I love to hear how others have been successful starting and running their law practices.

★★★★★

DClaw202 2024/11/29

Practical, Must-Listen for Serious Law Firm Owners

The Founding Partner Podcast is a must-listen for any law firm owner (solo to multi-partner) who’s serious about growing and protecting their business...

★★★★★

fourfingers 2024/11/08

Where else can lawyers get this kind of insight?

What an amazing resource for lawyers everywhere to learn about different ways to practice law! I wish I’d had this podcast 20 years ago… oh the things...

★★★★★

Tim Semelroth 2024/10/25

Jonathan knows what makes lawyers and law firms tick

Jonathan Hawkins gets his guests to give an insider’s view of their legal journey, their law firm and what it takes to succeed in the business of law....

★★★★★

David Jaffer 2024/08/30

Content Review

Great guests and practical advice for any lawyer.

★★★★★

Ludwig van Bayblade 2024/05/06

Brilliantly done!

I have been binging the episodes of the podcast, and I’ve noted several to listen to again. It has introduced me to several new perspectives on key as...

★★★★★

JessDavisIII 2024/04/05

Essential listening for any lawyer

For any lawyer who's seriously interested in growing a practice or a firm, this podcast is required listening. Every episode provides something intere...

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