Nicole Giantonio - Podcast Details

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Careers and the Business of LawEp.34 From Private Equity to Legal Tech Revolution: Insights with Nicole Giantonio of EpiqIn this episode, David Cowen sits down with Nicole Giantonio, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer at Epiq, to explore how cutting-edge AI technology, bold investments, and strategic talent development are revolutionizing the legal industry. From Epiq’s game-changing AI Labs to Nicole’s private equity perspective on innovation, this conversation is a masterclass for anyone navigating the evolving world of legal services. If you’re ready to future-proof your career and understand the forces shaping the next decade of law, this episode is your roadmap. What’s Inside? The Talent Shift: Nicole shares how AI i...2025-01-2425 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law122: Innovators Behaviors with Michele DeStefanoThis month the LeftFoot Podcast features Michele DeStefano; her recent book Legal Upheaval provides the backdrop for a conversation focused on innovation in today’s legal environment. Through her work and research for her book, Michele confirmed that clients are looking for a new type of collaborative service disguised in their request for innovation. Along with lawyers that know their practice area, can guide and have a point of view; using business language to convey it; clients want lawyers that express the behaviors of innovators – asking different questions, listening and applying a different approach to pr...2019-04-0900 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawEpisode 121: Beyond the Big Bang with Jeff Pfeifer of LexisNexisCapitalizing on Incremental Improvements On Episode 121 we talk with LexisNexis, VP and Chief Product Officer, Jeff Pfeifer. Jeff is responsible for product strategy having established his organization as a leader in legal analytics and data-driven law. Jeff begins our discussion by noting that access to big data and incremental tech development is resolving legacy problems within the legal industry. That in-house counsel is increasingly forward-thinking, using data to inform their responses, and looking to firms to use data in their recommendations. This data is validating a path forward and supporting what is likely to happen. 2019-03-0500 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law120: Diversity Lab's OnRamp Fellowship and Mansfield Rule 2.0Diversity Embraced It’s 2019 and the Diversity Lab remains front and center in the conversation on Law Firm and In-house Legal department diversity. Late last summer we sat down with On-Ramp Fellowship Managing Director, Jennifer Winslow and the Mansfield Rule initiative leader, Director, Lisa Kirby. The Mansfield rule supports the diversification of law firm leadership, and the OnRamp Fellowship is the largest re-entry platform for female lawyers and other professionals. An outcome of Diversity Lab’s 2016, Women in Law Hackathon, the Mansfield Rule has been moving the needle increasing awareness around diverse candidates for leadership and the...2019-01-2200 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law119: Creating Conditions for ChangeEnabling Collaboration Through Tools On episode 119 we talk with Mo Zain Ajaz, the 2018 Legal 500 Individual of the Year for Legal Operations. Mo is accountable for operational excellence across National Grid’s Global Legal Function. Having understood what is important to its business (including a 25% efficiency goal), the legal operations team at National Grid helped build a 3-year strategic program. They started by gaining visibility to their external spends. The introduction of an e-billing system and a new panel of outside counsel provided an opportunity for improved scoping of work, matter budgeting and stronger alignment w...2018-12-1100 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law118: Necessity is Bringing Change to In-house Legal, with Walmart’s Alan BryanMove Beyond Being Risk-Averse As part of our Executing Change series, focusing on in-house legal award winners and the changes they’ve implemented within their departments, we welcome back Alan Bryan, Wal-Mart’s Senior Associate General Counsel. Alan was also a guest on LeftFoot Episode 68. Walmart had an opportunity to change; to centralize, to change firm engagement, and increase legal dollar spend value through leverage – and it worked. Walmart saw immediate value through the implementation of uniform engagement letters with uniform terms and rates; eliminating tens of thousands of agreements including agreements with different terms and rate...2018-11-2700 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law117: Replacing the Abstract with Data We chat with Matt Galvin of Anheuser-Busch Over the last three years, Matt Galvin has executed change and embraced the use of data in decision making as the Global Vice President for Ethics and Compliance at Anheuser-Busch InBev. Following a significant global acquisition, Matt talks with us about both the volume of compliance matters and the risk factors associated with the newly combined organization. To fulfill their compliance mission, Matt and his team created a living-breathing model to access risk quickly and educate the business about future risk. Focusing on the data associat...2018-11-0600 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law116: The Iceberg Effect with Cameron Findlay of Archer Daniels Midland Creating an In-house Legal Department of Value Cameron Findlay is the SVP General Counsel and Secretary at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), the largest food processor in the world. The legal department Cam leads has been recognized as one of ‘Corporate Counsel’s 2018 Best’ for executing change; notably firm convergence, upgraded matter management and insourcing. Wanting the legal department to be a value center for ADM, Cam and his team set out to preserve and affect value where they could. At the outset current spend and therefore savings goals weren’t clear, but ADM knew th...2018-10-0900 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law115: Authenticity with Cara Hale Alter of SpeechskillsAdjectives that Describe You, Like You Describe You Today’s guest a deep understanding of nonverbal communication and the perception of leadership presence. She’s worked extensively with lawyers and legal professionals, as they look to project the image of how they’d like to be perceived while remaining authentic. Today’s guest Cara Hale Alter has a deep understanding of nonverbal communication and the perception of leadership presence. She’s worked extensively with lawyers and legal professionals, as they look to project the image of how they’d like to be perceived while remaini...2018-09-1100 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law114: In-house Legal in a Digital Age with General Counsel, Bill Deckelman of DXC Technology Investment Pressure Will Continue EVP, General Counsel and Secretary of DXC Technology, Bill Deckelman is one of the most innovative General Counsels in the market today, we’re excited to feature him as our first GC in our Executing Change Series. Bill Deckelman had a clear understanding of both the mission and execution that lead to the well-publicized rebadging of 225 of DXCs 525 lawyers. Redundancy brought on by the merger that created DXC and the need to reduce legal spend sent Bill and his team searching for a solution that also met long-term goals of impr...2018-08-2100 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law113: Story Telling Lawyers on Video with Mitch Jackson Newsjacking With Style Out of the gate, our conversation with Mitch Jackson focused on the use of social media to enhance human-to-human behavior. Connecting with 100s if not 1000s of people to create relationships and move your referral base beyond local to global. We’re all in media publishing, and how you use social media makes a difference. The market is moving fast to video and storytelling, and today’s news is the most relevant to the social media viewer. Newsjackingallows you to capitalize on breaking news by sharing comments and offering a uniq...2018-08-0700 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law112: The Duty of Technology Competence with Ivy Grey And the Tools we Use Each Day In Episode 112 we talk with Ivy Grey, lawyer, Legal Tech Designer and Legal Tech author. For Ivy, the transition from lawyer to legal tech designer wasn’t difficult; growing up in Silicon Valley she naturally uses technology for efficiency. Similarly, she’s embraced writing about technology with the goal of making the duty of technology competence accessible to all lawyers by focusing on the technology lawyers use every day; tools like Microsoft Word and the Microsoft suite of products. Implementing legal technology shouldn’t be total upheaval; it’s about palatable chang...2018-07-2400 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law111: The Value of Efficiency and Effectiveness with Goodwin Procter's Brooks BrownIn Today’s Legal Market On Episode 111 Brooks Brown of Goodwin Procter talks about the initiative and energy required for consistent business development success; that building relationships that lead to new clients and additional work with current clients should be part of each day. Reviewing a single page business development strategy document weekly and prioritizing tactical business development objectives is an important and enjoyable part of legal work and a priority within his practice. For Brooks, repeat success comes from understanding the goals of his clients and their organizations. Asking early what success looks like, be...2018-07-1000 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law110: Human-Centered Design and Business Development with Cat MoonA Mindset of Curiosity and Empathy Today’s guest is Cat Moon a practicing lawyer, educator and business leader with more than 20 years of experience in human-centered design, agile project management, strategic communication, and the practice of law. Human-centered design is a process, a set of tools, a mindset of curiosity and empathy. It’s putting you in the shoes of the client; asking excellent questions and listening intently before offering solutions. Human-centered design is reorienting how you work and delivery service by putting the client in the center. Along with human-centered design, Cat an...2018-06-1200 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law109: Listening to Understand with Sarah Cave of Hughes Hubbard & ReedBuilding client Trust and Confidence A partner since 2007, Sarah Cave kicks off our conversation talking about digging in on tough problems, being highly organized, and listening to understand a client’s wants and concerns. She then shares her three-pronged growth strategy: Show Up: be thoughtful about determining events and situations to participate in that allow you to meet potential clients and make connections with people who are good to know Put Up: keeps your skills toned and ready to assist clients and potential clients Shut Up: focus on listening, observing, and being keenly aware of the nee...2018-05-2900 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawEpisode 108: Joy On Both Sides of the TableToday’s episode features Perkins Coie intellectual property practice leader, Judy Jennison, in addition to her time in private practice, she spent 8 years as an in-house lawyer with Microsoft in intellectual property, product development, and antitrust compliance roles. Judy Jennison Bio As a former in-house lawyer within a big organization, Judy understands the path to success requires an understanding of the client’s culture and the goals of their legal department for the next several years. With this understanding, she focuses her efforts on projects that align with both the long-term strategy of her firm and the strateg...2018-05-1500 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law107: Doing Legal Differently with Adobe’s Lisa Konie I’m a peer, not a ‘snowflake’ In this week’s episode, we talk with Lisa Konie, Senior Director of Legal Operations at Adobe Systems, and a CLOC board member. Legal Operations and Efficiency When defining legal operations it’s helpful to look at all the things that naturally fall on the shoulders of lawyers but don’t have anything to do with the delivery of advice. Legal Operations is focused on making in-house legal and their relationships with outside counsel and other legal services organizations more efficient. Outside Counsel relationships and partnerships are built on a f...2018-05-0100 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law106: Leading with VisionThe Essence of Vision In this week’s episode, we talk with James Libson, Executive Partner at Mishcon de Reya, about his practice and setting up the Mishcon Academy to help lawyers develop the skills needed in today’s modern legal environment. Reflecting on his career; his success as a firm leader; and cultivating business, James talks about continuously servicing clients, guarding their interests while constantly being on the hunt for new clients; many of which will come through good service in the form of referrals. He encourages his legal team to take advantage of both...2018-04-2400 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law105: The Power of Alternative Law Firms with Javier Fernandez-SamaniegoDelivering Solutions to Clients with Javier Fernandez-Samaniego The following highlights points from our discussion with Javier Fernandez-Samaniego, the Managing Director of Samaniego Law; an alternative Iberoamerican law firm. Firms as Aggregators Alternative firms offer a different structure for the delivery of legal solutions focusing on delivery as an aggregator of solutions. This includes specialties not typically part of a traditional firm; non-legal services, technology, and outsourced solutions. Offering overall consultancy and technology solutions within a firm often appeals to the General Counsel who doesn’t trust the disparate pieces but trusts the judgment of the...2018-04-1700 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law104: Listening and Efficiency with Travers Smith’s, David Patient Innovation By Press Release On episode 104 we talk with Travers Smith, Managing Partner, David Patient. David is clear on the approach he’s personally employed while growing Travers Smith in Europe. Noting the importance of being front-of-mind with clients, the tireless pursuit of targets, and thinking about clients even when they may not be thinking about you. Personal service and developing relationships – knowing as many people as possible – is important, and when given the opportunity to work with clients deliver the best service possible. The practice of law is about people, and the people you’ll meet du...2018-04-1000 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law103: Outside Counsel That Cares with Lisa Howlett of Hunter Roberts Let’s Not ‘Do’ Lunch In episode 103 we featured Lisa Howlett, General Counsel, SVP and Secretary of Hunter Roberts Construction Group. Lisa ensures her organization has effective advice and representation working on legal issues related to construction, contracts, corporate transactions, real estate, labor/employment law as well as strategic business consulting and intellectual property matters. Lisa Howlett on LinkedIn Lisa learned early that the two key skills of in-house and outside counsel are listening and being responsive to the businessperson you’re assisting; learning what they’re trying to accomplish. Today, she hires outside counsel that cares an...2018-04-0300 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law102: Technology Isn’t Making Legal Decisions with Lucy BassliLaw Firms Are Poised to Offer Broad Solutions Lucy Bassli’s new adventure allows her to have a broad impact on the legal industry. Through her work at LawGeex and the organization she founded, InnoLegal Services, she provides both the ‘what’ of legal advice and the ‘how’ of a consultancy; advising on the effective delivery and receipt of legal services. We summarize our LeftFoot Podcast, Episode 102, below. Today’s in-house legal departments shouldn’t have to pick a law firm and an alternative service provider. They shouldn’t have to piece together service efficiencies and legal tech. Toda...2018-03-2700 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law101: Becoming Sought-After with Kirkland’s Dale CendaliExpertise and Reputation A lawyer labeled as ‘commercial’ is a good thing. Commercial lawyers are interested in quickly and cheaply resolving the client’s business problems as emphasized in a recent interview with Kirkland Partner, Dale Cendali. Dale leads her firm’s Copyright, Trademark, Internet and Advertising practice group. It’s the age of competition and expertise. Even with the growing addition of professional marketing and business development resources within firms, there’s an expectation that partners manage their business; bringing in new clients; staying current, and important to clients. Being aware and accessible. Seek out opportunities...2018-03-2000 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawOperationalizing Legal Advice with Katie DeBord of Bryan Cave Think Dynamically About Your Clients In the 100th episode of LeftFoot our guest Katie DeBord, Chief Innovation Officer at Bryan Cave highlights the substantive changes taking place in today’s legal environment and how it’s changing the lawyer-client relationship at every level. That the firms, practices, lawyers and legal service providers who are doing things differently investing in innovation and that have a culture of innovation from the top down are making an impact. Today outside legal providers are differentiating themselves by presenting tools to help clients operationalize their legal advice. There’...2018-03-0600 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawYou Can’t Win if You Don’t PlayLegal Tender Strategy Our guest on podcast episode 99, John de Forte has been advising law firms and other professional services organizations around proposals for over 30 years. He authored ‘Winning Proposals the Essential Guide for Law Firms and Legal Service Providers’ in 2017. Legal Purchasing We begin our conversation talking about the growth and influence of professional purchasing within in-house legal. Not yet the final decision makers these professionals are influencing the process and are focused on getting value for money spent while creating a more objective buying process. Value In today’...2018-02-2700 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law4 Realities of In-House LegalWith David Pashman of Meetup For LeftFoot episode 98 we interviewed David Pashman, a former big law transaction lawyer turned startup general counsel and educator. David is currently the Head of Integration following the WeWork / Meetup transaction. Reality #1: Going In-House is a Transition A big part of David’s transition was learning to work effectively with business people, presenting complex legal issues with an emphasis on ‘why his business partner should care’. He also gained a comfort level working with risk and uncertainty, a necessity when delivering timely advice. His approach is to rely on what he k...2018-02-2000 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawIt’s About the Client with Miller Canfield, CEO, Michael McGeeService is Personal Our discussion with Michael McGee, starts off with a point we can’t emphasize enough; it’s about the client. A client’s needs come first. Go beyond the legal deliverable and ease the concerns of the client. Get to know your clients, see them in person; get to know their businesses. Listen and continue to ask (and earn) their business. Others are asking you should be too. Mike’s firm has a yearly strategy for growth including a specific plan and targets for the year. The plan reflects known clients activities in the co...2018-02-1300 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawReframe Your Thinking with Aliza HerzbergLegal Services Cost Money and that’s OK! We had the pleasure of interviewing Aliza Herzberg on LeftFoot. Aliza started her own employment law firm in 2017 after a successful 24-year career working for others. Aliza’s key to business development success is making sure she understands and meets the business objectives of her clients. She gets to know her clients and presents them with solutions versus communicating solely about the law. She values a personal touch and makes time to get to know the people she works with at her clients. As a success story, Aliz...2018-02-0600 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawBreaking the Mold with Abdi Shayesteh Strategies and Tactics for Today The CEO and Founder of AltaClaro, Abdi Shayesteh is a corporate, bank regulatory, and finance attorney. He worked for a global law firm – a boutique firm – a powerful central bank – and a groundbreaking fintech company before starting the company he now leads. Abdi Shayesteh Bio A proponent of experiential learning, Abdi implements what he’s learning from his network of advisors and mentors, going back to those advisors, with updates on outcomes after executing their advice and counsel. This process and the willingness to take risks and tr...2018-01-2300 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawDelivery Capacity, Data, and Differentiation The Business of Law with Mark Cohen of Legal Mosaic and Elevate Legal Services In Episode 94 we talk with Mark Cohen, former civil trial lawyer, big law Partner, national litigation boutique firm founder, and insurance industry outside general counsel. An early mover on Legal Tech and Legal process outsourcing, today Mark is the CEO of Legal Mosaic and Chair of the Advisory Board and Chief Strategy Officer at Elevate Legal Services. Mark Cohen Bio Mark attributes his success as a lawyer and businessperson to being relentless, authentic, persuasive, and relating to people as people – telling...2018-01-1600 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawResiliency and Business DevelopmentSkills You Can Learn to Grow Your Practice Paula Davis-Laack, is the Founder and CEO of Davis-Laack Stress and Resilience Institute. A former practicing lawyer, Paula is a stress and resilience expert and has taught stress and resiliency skills to thousands of professionals around the world. Paula Davis Laack Bio For those not excited about executing tactical business development responsibilities; networking; pitching on business without success, and generally taking time to grow your practice when you prefer to practice law– this episode is for you. In LeftFoot episode 93 we talk with Pa...2018-01-0900 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawThe Associate PerspectiveFor our first episode of 2018 LeftFoot is featuring 4 women associates from the Goodwin Private Equity and Mergers & Acquisitions business. We share their perspective on business development and taking on business development responsibilities at the firm. First up was 2nd-year associate Serena Shi. Serena’s strategy for business development and client retention is ‘spot on’ noting that responsiveness, the ability to engage with others as a team player, and consistency in execution are differentiators. She also notes the value of adding a personal touch without compromising your professional image in this very competitive space. When it comes to the futur...2018-01-0200 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawLeftFoot Holiday Message and Gift 2017A thank you to our audience and supporters… We’re sharing the 3rd of our 12 Business Development Challenges in this episode. This Challenge is the first of three challenges in our Business Development Grit category related to networking. The LeftFoot 12-SESSION Challenge is divided into 3 categories: Business Development Grit: Tactical habits that lead to BD success – including networking Nailing Your Niche: How to focus and develop an expert reputation Commercial Savoir Faire: a discussion on business and the revenue side of law We believe: 20% of people are natural at business development 10% say ‘no’ t...2017-12-1900 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawUpgrade Your Pitch Data-Driven Outcomes Today’s guest is Brendan McInerney, Manager of Legal Project Management at Dorsey chats with LeftFoot about applying diligent matter planning practices understanding the necessity of transparency and clear communication with clients on legal matters. Brendan McInerney Bio More than software: Legal Project Management (LPM) is about execution and communicating value to clients More LPM: means less administration for lawyers Matter data: Making client billing and scope change discussions easier Boost Client Communication: show value by sharing Legal Project Management data ...2017-12-1200 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawMatter Fee Negotiation and Your High School PromA Conversation with Olga Mack of Clearslide Olga Mack started her career as an IP litigator before going in-house and working for several start-ups. Today she is active in the startup world, is on the board of two early-stage starts and is the General Counsel and Assistant Secretary for the San Francisco headquartered, sales and marketing engagement platform ClearsSlide. Olga Mack Bio Contracting with Outside Resources: Referrals are important and powerful. Quality Expectations: Be explicit about what quality looks like. Communication is key. Legal Tech: It’s an expectation that providers embrace technology – including law firms...2017-12-0500 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawPersistence and ValueSteptoe & Johnson, Partner, Lucinda Low is a widely recognized authority in the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Her practice focuses on the US and international anti-corruption laws. She is a member of her firm’s management committee and head of the Compliance Investigations, Trade, and Enforcement Departments. Lucinda Low Bio Habits: Put yourself out there, it takes a certain kind of energy and willingness to engage with people and open yourself up to possible rejection. Referrals: Listen and being alert to opportunities. Events: Identifying key opportunities in your field. Time is our...2017-11-2800 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawAdd Value and Be PatientAndrew Spielman is the Chair of Wilmer Hale’s Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Practice, and the ‘partner-in-charge’ of the Denver office. Prior to working at two top firms, he served in senior positions at the US Environmental Protection Agency. Andrew Spielman Bio Adopt a client service approach Be a team player Regularly evaluate your business development investment and adjust Have a plan and execute the plan – in a deliberate manner Show value before the client is a client through knowledge sharing Today’s in-house council is under pressure to be efficient It’s a busine...2017-11-2100 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawA Plan Executed David Douglass is the Managing Partner of the Washington, D.C. office of Sheppard Mullin and a partner in the Government Contracts, Investigations & International Trade Practice Group. He’s represented companies and individuals in criminal and civil, False Claims Act (whistleblower), investigations and litigation. He draws on this experience to strengthen his clients’ compliance and risk management programs. David Douglass Bio If you want to have a practice, if you want to represent clients, you have to ask people to hire you Have a goal, have a plan, and execute against the plan ...2017-11-1400 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawListening, Hearing - and Hunter ThompsonSteven Zager is a partner in the NY office of Akin Gump. He’s been recognized by Chambers; Best Lawyers in America – and as a Law 360 Trial Ace for his significant record of trial victories for clients nationwide. He serves as the global head of his firm’s intellectual property practice. Steve Zager Bio Clients look for lawyers who listen, who internalize what their hearing in a meaningful way and are prepared to act upon it. Involve your Millennial team members at the beginning, get them involved in discussions on case strategy, introduce them t...2017-11-0700 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawHard-work; Homework and HuddlesWe talk with the Zenefits, GC, Joshua Stein Joshua Stein, is the General Counsel and VP of External Affairs at Zenefits. He leads his company’s legal, compliance, regulatory affairs and government relation’s efforts. He brings a variety of experience to his current role having served as a Sr. Associate at Quinn Emanuel; an Asst. US Attorney; a federal judicial court clerk; and an Intelligence Officer for the US Army – a 4-year period which included leadership with a U.S. Army company deployed to Bosnia. Joshua Stein Bio In-house: the pace is relentless and you...2017-10-3100 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law83: Legal Services are Purchased Not Sold Andrew Sherman is a Partner and Chair of the Washington, D.C. Corporate Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP. He focuses his practice on issues affecting business growth for companies at all stages, including licensing and leveraging intellectual property and technology assets. He has served as a legal and strategic advisor to dozens of Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of emerging growth companies. Andrew has written nearly 30 books on the legal and strategic aspects of business growth. He has appeared as a guest commentator on CNN, NPR, and CBS News Radio, among others, and has been interviewed on legal...2017-10-2400 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law82: Forget the Ball Game and Golf … Drive Meaningful Sustainable Value to Our OrganizationA conversation with Mark Smolik of DHL Mark Smolik, Vice President General Counsel & Secretary, Chief Compliance Officer, DHL Supply Chain Americas, leads his company’s legal, commercial contracts management, compliance, and economic development teams. He’s a proponent of establishing strong operational disciplines and working closely with the business in support of their shared interests. He’s been in his current role for 8 years following successive in-house roles at three name organizations since 1990. Mark Smolik Bio Corporate Lawyers: take a business approach to the practice of law; your demeanor should be that of a busine...2017-10-1700 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law81: Understanding Client Ethos with David Yawman of PepsiCoWhile Leaving the Hubris at Home David Yawman is the SVP & Deputy General Counsel of PepsiCo, and General Counsel North American Beverages and Quaker Foods NA. He has 18 years of in-house public company operating division and global markets experience. He works extensively with his organizations C-Suite executives and the audit committee of the company’s board of directors. David Yawman Bio Keys to In-house Success: Know the business, how the company makes money. Translate your knowledge of the law and the business to influence the decisions being made. Expertise, Value, and Div...2017-10-1000 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawLawyering and Globality with Citibank’s Anjli GargA Full-Service Approach Anjli Garg, is the Director, Associate General Counsel, Citibank, NA. She works with her organizations largest global institutional clients providing counsel on global B2B cash and card payment businesses. She practices in a variety of legal disciplines including privacy and data security, internet/e-commerce, IP, bank regulatory, securities and bankruptcy. Anjli Garg Bio Keys to Practicing In-house: Flexibility; adaptability; listening and hearing the goals of the organization, and being strategic when advising the business. Outside Counsel Selection: Is based on legal expertise, cost, and whether the lawyer has a b...2017-10-0300 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawJudgment is CriticalThe Need for Blended Legal and Business Advice. Mackenzie Phillips is an Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Counsel at JLL. Prior to assuming this role formally, she was in the same role as a member of the Axiom Legal team. She also advised Orbitz Worldwide on governance and security matters while at Axiom. With additional experience at both Winston & Strawn and Mayer Brown as a Corporate Associate – and as an intern to the Deputy Counsel to the President during the Clinton administration, she’s able to draw from a variety of legal environments as we discuss l...2017-09-2700 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law78: Going, Going, Gone with MetLife’s General Counsel, Ricardo Anzaldua Lawyer to Lawyer Selection and Fee Negotiation is History Ricardo Anzaldua served as EVP and General Counsel to MetLife until June 30th of this year. He is currently serving as special counsel to MetLife’s CEO. Prior to joining MetLife he was an SVP and Associate General Counsel at The Hartford Financial Services Group, following a partnership at Cleary Gottlieb. Ricardo Anzaldua Bio Episode Highlights Law Firm Business Development: The days when an in-house lawyer chooses an outside lawyer and pays what the lawyer is asking are gone. Legal Tech and Legal...2017-09-1900 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law77: Drop the Resentment with Harvard Law School’s Scott WestfahlBridging the Law Firm Generation Gap Professor, Scott Westfahl, is the Director of Harvard Law School Executive Education. He leads his organization in their mission to support and develop lawyers across the arc of their careers as they advance to new levels of leadership and responsibility. He teaches law firm leaders, partners, associates and general counsel – collaborating with his colleagues and other school faculty. Prior to his current position, he was the Director of Professional Development at Goodwin Proctor. Scott Westfahl Bio Generations experience the same motivations It’s the context in which each gener...2017-09-1200 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law76: Creativity and the Legal Ecosystem with CLOC Leaders Connie Brenton (NetApp) and Mary O’Carroll (Google)Putting An End to the Mundane Today’s guests are not only leaders in the field of legal operations – but are on the forefront of transforming the legal ecosystem – through their leadership within CLOC – the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium. The first of two guests on Episode 76 is the Chief of Staff and Senior Director of Legal Operations at NetApp and CEO of CLOC, Connie Brenton. Connie has a JD and MBA, starting off her career in operations and subsequently legal operations at Sun Microsystems, Oracle and now NetApp. She’s passionate about the need for transformation...2017-08-2900 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law75: The Business of Law with Goodwin’s COO Mike CaplanAnd the Practice of Law COO of Goodwin, Michael Caplan manages his firm’s business, financial and administrative operations – focusing on growth strategy and execution. He’s worked with over 30 different General Counsel during his career – many while running a legal operations consulting business. Michael Caplan Bio Today’s law firm environment is more competitive and relies on preferred panels making differentiation throughout the entire business development process more important. Firms and lawyers benefit when they talk about the business of law AND the practice of law. Professional staff today has...2017-08-2200 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law74: Mind-Boggling Data Mining Opportunities with Mike Haven of Gap, Inc.Driving In-House Legal Strategic Decision Making The Head of Legal operations at The Gap, Mike Haven is on the cutting edge of legal department management, creating, implementing and developing some of the industries most innovative policies, procedures, and tools. He came to his role from NetApp where he managed legal operations and litigation across the enterprise. Prior to joining NetApp, he was a partner at K&L Gates. Mike Haven Bio Today the legal eco system is a fundamental part of an effective legal department strategy. Looking for flexibility and crea...2017-08-1500 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law73: AFAs and Law Firm ‘Sales People’? Checking In with Geoff Frost of BundurantBoth Offer Advantages for Litigators Geoff Frost is the Director of Client Development at Bondurant Mixson & Elmore. He’s responsible for directing his firms business and professional development activities including structuring and pricing alternative fee arrangements and managing the firm’s corporate recoveries program. Geoff Frost Bio Instead of teaching lawyers to sell – educate business developers on representing the firm. Sales people unencumbered by the billable hour. Can confidently and competently represent the firm in the market. Today business development is one of many other profess...2017-08-0100 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law72: Solving Real Law Department Problems with Dan Yi of the DOJUsing Design Thinking with Dan Yi Daniel Yi is Senior Counsel for Innovation, at the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. His work helps attorneys explore new approaches to persistent operational and mission-delivery challenges using innovation and creativity. He also leads an incubator program called Concept Lab where legal professionals use design thinking and lean methodologies to make improvements. Dan Yi on LinkedIn Dan has an intense curiosity and fascination for learning how smart people see and engage with the world. Even with 11K attorneys, resource allocation at the DOJ requires on g...2017-07-2500 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law71: Have a Power Niche with Managing Partner, Bruce StachenfeldStrive to be Different … Not Better Bruce Stachenfeld is the Managing Partner of his firm, Duval & Stachenfeld.He’s known for being one of the most ‘connected’ real estate lawyers throughout the worldwide real estate community. He’s specialized and adapted his area of focus to meet the needs of the market over a 30-year legal career. Bruce Stachenfeld Bio Habits that have lead to Bruce’s success: – Being relentless – Being open minded – Experiencing and evaluating failure – Ruthlessly analyzing his and his team’s performance Ask clients and pro...2017-07-1800 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law70: Integrity, Partnership… and Coffee with Marriott’s Michael MartinezBe Smart About Business Development Michael Martinez on LinkedIn Marriott has a budget for litigation and looks at the cost-benefit of settling versus litigating. They often select cases to litigate that advance the longer-term goals of the company that drive broader principals. Marriott looks for partners when evaluating outside counsel, firms that understand their business and can be viewed as a partner. Marriott works with firms and lawyers that show a high level of integrity and are easy to work with. Mike shares a success story involving Jenner & Block and Sheppard Mullins noting successful partnering...2017-07-1100 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law69: Patience, Persistence, and Grit with Goodwin, Partner, Jane GreyfHow Legal Biz Dev. is Like Fitness Jane Greyf is a partner in Goodwin’s Private Equity Group and a member of the firm’s Impact and Responsible Investing Practice. She advises private equity funds, companies, and management in leveraged buyouts and growth equity investment transactions. Jane Greyf Bio Business development is like fitness – you have to keep at it. A little has to be done every day. It can take years – keep at it – many interactions will result in business. You can’t take rejection personally in terms of business development...2017-06-2700 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law68: Walmart Stores’ Alan Bryan on Team Diversity and Earning New BusinessWalmart Stores – A Culture of Being Respectful to All Alan Bryan is the leader of the Office of Outside Counsel Management & Legal Operations for Walmart Stores. He transitioned from law firm partnership to in-house counsel managing litigation for the world’s largest retailer. Today his office oversees his company’s relationships with all outside counsel measuring performance, cost and diversity. Alan Bryan Bio 4 personal strengths that can lead to success in a changing environment: 1 – Patience with yourself as you transition. Give yourself time. Know that others will give you time. 2 – Hon...2017-06-2000 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law67: The Accidental Entrepreneur – Managing Partner, Suzi Scanlon of SRD LawyersAnd the Virtual Lawyers She Leads Suzie Scanlon Rabinowitz, is the Managing Partner of SRD Legal Group. Suzie is a virtual law firm legal pioneer having been in the space for more than 10 years. Her firm’s specialty is legal process management and high volume workflows for financial services companies. Suzie Scanlon Rabinowitz Bio Hear why Suzie is excited to lead a mission-driven business Life Long Learners – Educating clients can be the key to biz dev success A silver lining to not winning business you bid on – listen in AFAs and relationship building Yes it’s...2017-06-1300 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law66: The Introvert and Business Development with Greenberg’s Frank Citera Knowledge and Experience Equal Success Frank Citera is the co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Product Liability & Mass Torts Litigation Group and Co-Chair of the Chicago Litigation Practice. He is ‘renowned for his toxic tort and product liability work’ and other complex litigation in both federal and state courts. He defends class actions for companies from all industries and business sectors. Frank Citera Bio Advice: ‘Get on the train when it’s leaving and worry about which seat you’re sitting in later’ Work hard: rarely miss an opportunity to work on a matter, n...2017-06-0600 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law65: Really? Yes, Really with Doug Johnson of CatapultGood Work is Table Stakes… Managing Partner and CEO of Catapult Growth Partners, Doug Johnson, recently hosted a group of top business development and marketing leaders from the legal, private equity and professional services industries for a day-long roundtable to discuss the latest trends in business development and marketing. Doug leads Catapult, a US consultancy with an emphasis on accelerating profitable growth within professional services firms. Doug Johnson Bio Tune in to hear how clients are choosing to allocate their legal fees–think outcomes and ROI When it comes to brand and creating a niche...2017-05-3000 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law57: Legal Tech – The Equalizer with Bill SamuelsToday’s Boutiques Offer Quality and Value This is the first episode of our ‘Boutique’ series. Today’s guest advises clients on protecting, enforcing and leveraging their intellectual property, the Founder of WR Samuels Law, Bill Samuels. Bill Samuels Bio Listen in as Bill and Nicole talk about: – Seeing what people need and providing it to them – Being a resource – Client’s niche specific needs driving expansion – Never stop building relationships – Following-up Episode Mentions: ALT Legal and TradeMarkNow 2017-04-0500 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law50: Adopt a Commercial Approach with Fabrizio Carpanini of DorseyMeet the Client’s Objective On Episode 50, Nicole talks with the head of Dorsey’s UK and Continental European Private Equity Group, Partner, Fabrizio Carpanini. Fabrizio Carpanini Bio Know your stuff – the law and your practice. Learn what do to and what not to do. You can waste time and money chasing business. Be realistic, do research, go after prospective clients with the right amount and type of matters that align with the specialties within your practice. Make sure you have a valid reason to compete against the incumbent. ...2017-02-0700 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law47- It’s About the Client with Pierre GentinPracticing Law is Problem Solving Pierre Gentin Bio Nicole talks with 20 year Credit Suisse veteran; Cahill, Partner, Pierre Gentin. Pierre keeps a guitar and keyboard in his office. He feels music can be helpful in thinking through ideas. Solve client problems as a low-key provider of practical solutions. Be careful not to pester clients or make suggestions that will be perceived as chasing business. Show your client something if it’s clearly in their interest and has urgency. Visibility is important and can be achieved in different ways...2017-01-1700 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law46: Smart Collaboration with Harvard Law School Fellow Dr. Heidi GardnerCombing Specialized Talent to Solve Client Business Problems Dr. Heidi Gardner Bio Nicole talks with Dr. Heidi Gardner a distinguished fellow in the center for the legal profession at Harvard Law School. Our conversation highlights Dr. Gardner’s recently published book ‘Smart Collaboration: How Professionals and Their Firms Succeed by Breaking Down Silos’. Evidence shows that strong collaboration leads to higher profits and more dedicated and committed employees and that clients are more loyal when served by multiple partners. Competence trust is the highest barrier to collaboration amongst partners. Professional skills are mo...2017-01-1000 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law39: Listen Digitally with partner Steven Weisbrot of the Angeion GroupRelationships and Competency Trump Rates. Nicole talks with Steven Weisbrot, EVP – Notice & Strategy Partner at Angeion Group. Steven is nationally recognized as a class action notice expert. He is a leading proponent for the use of digital and social media in the class action notification industry. Prior to Angeion he was the Director of Class Action services at a leading class action claims administration company; following a decade in a private law practice. Bio Steven Weisbrot Establish differentiation – break with the mold of the traditional market. Put out content, if you...2016-11-0100 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law37: Wow! with Hitendra PatilThe Impact You Have On Clients. Nicole talks with Hitendra Patil the author of the recently published book Accountaneur. Hitendra has worked in the Outsourcing, IT, Finance and Accounting industries during including leadership roles in India, Thailand and the US. Hitendra Patil Bio Link to special purchase opportunity for the Accountaneur Create measurable value for your clients. It’s not about the ‘work you deliver’ but the impact you have on the clients you secure (the human being). 4 Kinds of Buyers: 1 – Commodity Buyer – pr...2016-10-1800 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law35: Fast Forward with Jill Weber of Stinson … out of the ‘Valley of Despair’ Nicole talks with Jill Weber, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Stinson Leonard Street; and the creator Fast Forward their Business Development Coaching and Professional Services Training Program. Jill Weber Bio It’s important to understand a clients business, culture, business philosophy, and the industry in which they operate. The Fast Forward program works well with partners in ‘the valley of despair’. Second and third year Partners, who’ve gone from being an incredibly successful associate with high billable hours, loved by clients and partners, to no longer...2016-10-0400 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law34: An Explosion of Change with Catherine Zinn of OrrickIn Who Is Doing Legal Work. Nicole talks with Catherine Zinn the Chief Client Officer at Orrick. Catherine’s role is to ensure the firm is a steward of their clients’ businesses. Bio Catherine Zinn. Put the client first and acknowledge the clients interests in what you do. If you ask for feedback, act on that feedback. Does this make good use of my client or prospects time? If yes – go for it. If you don’t know ask. Most firms ask gating questions, they qualify for fit and...2016-09-2700 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law33: Connect – Communicate – Coach with Deana Calvelli of LocktonHave the Courage to Ask the Hard Questions Nicole talks with Deana Calvelli, Consultant and Vice President at the Lockton Companies in the Northeast. Bio Deana Calvelli 3 Cs – Connect with the right people; Communicate in a concise and credible way; Coach prospects authentically. More interesting selling experiences occur in the situations that are not ‘an easy ride’. It’s OK to feel discomfort in the room – that may be the opportunity with your prospect to discuss a solution they haven’t thought of. 60% of the buying decision has been made before...2016-09-2000 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law32: What’s the Point? A conversation with Aric PressDon’t Waste People’s Time Aric Press Bio Nicole talks with Aric Press a name partner at Bernero & Press. Read the situation and meet the client where they want to be met. ‘Take your Plaintiff as he comes.’ Get beyond the legal matter and talk about the client’s business. You don’t want to be a mid-career lawyer who doesn’t know how to develop business. Successful rainmakers are obsessive about keeping relationships going. For god’s sake don’t do anything you’re not comforta...2016-09-1300 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law31: Advise Proactively…with Melissa CroteauIf Not Predictively Nicole talks with Melissa Croteau, Senior Director of Strategy & Marketing at Catapult Growth Partners Bio Melissa Croteau Set the strategy for your practice then operationalize it. Effectively communicate what you do and explain why a client should work with you versus another firm, another lawyer. Meet with the business people versus the legal team at your clients. Communicate with your clients and jointly discuss a fee that the client is comfortable with. Pricing czars and other business people are now critical ad...2016-09-0600 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law30: Non-work Passions with Janet Markoff of Major, Lindsey & AfricaAnd How They Help Your Business Development: Nicole chats with Janet Markoff a partner in the NY office of Major, Lindsey & Africa. Janet Markoff Bio Strengths/habits that have led to success: Persistence, resilience, responsiveness and not taking things personally. Growth strategy: Having a work spouse. The most significant benefit is emotional. It’s having someone in your corner in a competitive industry. Tactical best practices: Gain the tools to be able to ask for business in a way that is part of your authentic self. Chang...2016-08-3000 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law28: Zen Networking with Vivia ChenIt’s like Speed Dating Vivia Chen Bio Nicole chats with Vivia Chen, a lawyer; Senior Columnist at The American Lawyer; and writer of the monthly column and blog ‘The Careerist’. It’s about being persistent. Don’t pester but stay on radar. Anticipate client needs, stay a step ahead. Don’t forget the personal side people want to work with people they like and have rapport with. It builds trust. Networking taps into primal fears. Entering a room of strangers and looking to make a connection. You immediately...2016-08-1800 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law27: Stay Top of Mind with Legal Social Media Expert, Adrian DaytonDon’t Sell, Create and Share Content Nicole talks with Adrian Dayton the Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at ClearView Social. Adrian Dayton Bio Adrian is an attorney and a top social media consultant within the legal industry. There is a significant difference in the ability, mindset and personality of rainmakers versus the average lawyer when it involves social media for content delivery and networking. People you know today will lead you to who will buy tomorrow. You have to stay top of mind. Best place for lawy...2016-08-1600 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law26: Curious and Caring with author Karen Kahn– Focus Your Time, Effort and Interest – Nicole chats with Karen Kahn – Psychologist, Strategic Coach to Lawyers, and author of Daunting to Doable: You can make it rain! In exploratory conversations find the questions that feel good to you: What occupies your time? How did you get into that? Comfortably use personal relationships for business by not selling: Offer to assist. Be aware, curious and helpful. Growth strategy: Pick an area that you’re interested in. Become the best in the business. Find a group that represents potential clients, can pay your rates and ‘g...2016-08-0400 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law25: Responsiveness with Basha Rubin of Priori LegalLaw is a Customer Service Business: Nicole chats with Basha Rubin, CEO and Co-Founder of Priori Legal. Technology is changing access to legal services: Priori is working to remove aspects of finding and working with lawyers that impede efficiency. How did you come up with the idea for Priori: We felt a marketplace solution would help businesses: identify high quality lawyers, understand pricing, get a transparent look at what their purchasing; while using technology to make managing the relationship easier. Clients’ value that Priori seriously vets their lawyers: Improving on the le...2016-08-0200 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law24: Value Pricing with Ron BakerFocus on Effectiveness vs. Efficiency Nicole chats with Ron Baker, author and VeraSage Institute – Think Tank Founder Ron Baker Bio Value Pricing: Setting a price commensurate with the value you’ll create for the customer before you do the work. Value Pricing: Is pricing certainty and reduced risk. When you offer a fixed price with options – customers love it. Value pricing: Is NOT using an estimate of costs calculated out to a fixed price. Repetitive tasks have been replaced by technology: More can be done in less time. Bu...2016-07-2800 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law23: Have An Identity – a conversation with Peter Aziz– So You Know How to Sell Your Services. Nicole chats with Peter Aziz, Founder and Managing Partner, Peter Aziz Associates. Strengths/habits that have led to success: If you don’t know the answer ask, people want to help. Growth strategy: Best form of advertising is a client you already represented, treat clients right so they will refer you. Tactical best practices: Peter introduces himself, gives out cards and does an email follow-up. The Internet and social media have made the world smaller. Success story: Gave a driver in Te...2016-07-2600 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law22: Seize the Kairotic Moment with Ajay Raju of Dilworth PaxsonLaw Firms Have to Think Like Businesses Nicole chats with Ajay Raju, Executive Chairman/CEO, Dilworth Paxson, LLP Ajay talks about how all great law firms are built at the intersection of relationship, value and judgement. Strengths/habits that lead to success: Provide counsel vs. focusing on the delivery of legal work. Growth strategy: Technology is changing the way law is practiced. Clients want value. Act offensively – create profit while embracing an environment of disruption. Tactical best practices: Quality starts with the finest lawyers doing the best work possible then...2016-07-2100 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law21: Nail Your Niche with best selling author Aaron RossWe’re Talking to You Professionals Nicole chats with Aaron Ross, best selling author and founder of Predictable Revenue.com. Check out his latest book, From Impossible to Inevitable. All growth uses the same principals: including professional services. Nailing a niche: where you’re truly unique from others. Become a specialist: approach the market with a specialty. It’s about focus: who needs you and will pay for your services. Real growth: comes when you get business from people who’ve never heard of you. They have a need in your...2016-07-1900 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law20: BATNA as defined and taught by Danny ErtelBATNA – Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement: Nicole chats with Danny Ertel, lawyer; founding partner of Vantage Partners; and Senior Researcher at the Harvard Negotiation Project. Learn what we’re solving for what’s important to both parties – what each is trying to accomplish or avoid. Negotiation frustration: games and false fronts meant to throw off a negotiation. When a negotiator is a messenger with a demand vs. a party with a vested interest. Avoid the haggle: Pricing high and leaving ‘room’ for a concession. It teaches the client not to trust th...2016-07-1400 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law19: Intellectually Flexible with Steven Horowitz of Cleary GottliebFind Clients That Would Benefit From Your Strengths: Nicole chats with (name, title, company): Steven Horowitz, a partner at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. Strengths/habits that have led to success: Listen and be aware that clients with similar business issues may have different interpretations of a successful outcome. Growth strategy: There is a great deal of randomness in acquiring clients including being in the right place at the right time. Tactical best practices: Build on the strengths of your firm and use them as an entree for cross selling. 2016-07-1200 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law18: Show Up with Paige Zandri of Priori LegalProvide Value and Help Others: Nicole chats with Paige Zandri, Attorney Network Director at Priori Legal Paige Zandri Bio Being prepared and practicing: is Paige’s personal success habit. Tactical best practice is logging notes: Remembering the small details that make a difference and build trust. Do quarterly 360s: In a high growth business; look at your own work as if you’re evaluating a team member. Legal tech has influenced significant change: Ethics rules and the rules of professional conduct require that lawyers know how to use techn...2016-07-0700 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law17: Work For The Room – with author Mark MaraiaDouble Your Listening and You’ll Double Your Revenue: Nicole chats with Mark Maraia, author of Rainmaking Made Simple and Relationships Are Everything! Brief intro: A pioneer in combining coaching with training in the legal profession, Mark has worked with thousands of lawyers field-testing his ideas. Technology’s role in networking: Approach meetings thoughtfully – use the tools you have to gain insight and ask interesting high-energy questions. Invoices advertise: Invoices create an opportunity for a business discussion on value. Be genuinely interested: Lawyers who think like entrepreneurs provide...2016-07-0500 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law16: Target and Tailor – we chat with Ian Turvill of Freeborn & PetersControl Business Development and You Control Your Career: Nicole chats with Ian Turvill, CMO, Freeborn & Peters, LLP. Brief intro: You’re not selling to people, you’re not selling yourself, you’re demonstrating your capabilities. Habits that lead to success: Persistence – without being overbearing. Growth strategy: Understand your client as a business person and understand the challenges within their business. Tactical best practices: Niche and get the business for which you’re best suited. Millennial, Mobile, Global: Do great work; maintain the connections you made in law school...2016-06-3000 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law15: Persevere – with Dave Kaprielian of MercerYou’ll Hear ‘No’ a lot! Nicole chats with David Kaprielian, a Principal, with Mercer. Growth strategy: Ensure current clients are solid. You want to grow not just fill gaps with new business. Tactical best practices: With strong technical skills you can rely on yourself to look at information and make decisions. It’s important to have a client team with separate and distinct skills. Less than Success Story: Assigned to an unhappy client David used focus and effort to turn negative feedback positive. Then it wasn’t, he had become complacent...2016-06-2800 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law14: Survival – with Marcia Wagner of The Wagner Law GroupDon’t Recreate the Wheel Nicole chats with Marcia Wagner, President and Founder, The Wagner Law Group. Strengths/habits that have led to success: Boldness – not being afraid to succeed; and subject matter expertise – being detail oriented. Growth strategy: It’s about being a thought leader, being on the cutting edge of trends – reaching out and having people reach out to hear how to proceed. Tactical best practices: A lawyer will always have his or her own way of growing their business. It’s more art than science. Success story: S...2016-06-2300 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law13: Patience Required – we chat with Jeff Berardi of K&L GatesIt’s Said Law Firms Move at Glacial Speed. Nicole chats with Jeff Berardi, the Chief Marketing Officer of K&L Gates. Strengths/habits that have led to success: Looking outside of the legal industry for ideas and information. Growth strategy: K&L Gates is communicating to specific industry groups. Clients don’t care how the law firm is structured they are focused on whether the firm understands their business, their industry. Tactical best practices: Not solely focused on the largest accounts – they look for opportunities and potential across all th...2016-06-2100 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law12: Be a Connector with Nick Araco of Drinker Biddle and the CFO AllianceLearn the Power of Listening: Nicole chats with Nick Araco Sr. Director of Growth Strategies and Business Development at Drinker Biddle, and CEO of the CFO Alliance. Strengths/habits that have led to success: In this ever-changing noisy environment where time is the asset everyone is managing – be a qualified connector and break through the noise the C suite operates in. Growth strategy: Position yourself as a trusted connector and your clients and prospective clients will come to you for advice and counsel – even outside your area of expertise and technical background. T...2016-06-1600 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law10: Get Creative a conversation with Brian Miske the CMO of KPMG MSLPBreak Through Convention Nicole chats with Brian Miske the CMO of KPMG MSLP. Strengths/habits that have led to success: Creativity, curiosity and strategy, drive what Brian does on a daily basis. Creativity: is the capability he’s used in professional services on a consistent basis. Use creativity to accelerate something fantastic. Connect disparate pieces of information that break through convention. Predictive analytics: Get creative in trying to understand the story behind the data. Confirm what you expected to see and note the interesting things that deserve another look. 3 to 4 different gener...2016-06-0200 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law09: Poster Child for Networking – with Michael Schwamm of Duane MorrisYou Can Teach Yourself to Be a Better Networker Nicole chats with Michael Schwamm a Partner at Duane Morris in NYC. Brief Into: Get to know your clients, spend time with them. Make sure your billing practices aren’t pushing them away. Strengths/habits that have led to success: Responsiveness, preparedness, persistent consistent follow-up that provides value. Growth strategy: Become a trusted advisor and they’ll come to you and want your opinion beyond legal matters. Tactical best practices: Before the first meeting gain an understanding of th...2016-05-3100 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law08: Kicking it Old School – we chat with Rania Sedhom, Sedhom Law GroupProviding Proactive Counsel: Nicole chats with Rania Sedhom, Managing Partner, Sedhom Law Group, PLLC. Rania and her team take pride providing practical and efficient solutions to complex problems. Strengths/habits that have led to success: Perseverance and being friendly. Growth strategy: Provide value, be cost effective, show your client you’re economizing. Demonstrate your strong business sense and knowledge of their industry, their business. Tactical best practices: Have a plan, calendar business development activities. Success story: 90% of our clients are on retainer. We act as...2016-05-2600 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law07: Own Your Career – A conversation with Terri Combs of FaegreSelling is Part of Everything: Nicole chats with Terri Combs, a Partner at Faegre Baker Daniels. Strengths/habits that have led to success: Having success helps grow your business. Deliver expertise and value. Align the business you go after with what you’re good at. Growth strategy: Show both credibility and professionalism by being 100% clear. You’re contacting them because you’re looking for clients. Tactical best practices: Market flexibility – adapt to changes, show you’re willing to adapt. Success story: Called out the client on what was turning into an adver...2016-05-2400 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law06: Don’t Be Afraid – We chat with Sigalle Barness of LawlineStop Networking with Other Lawyers: Nicole chats with Sigalle Barness – Lawyer, Faculty Member, and VP of Programming at Lawline. Whole new areas of law have developed in response to changes in technology; innovation; and the law itself. Share your knowledge and expertise in a helpful way that will resonate. Business education where practitioners talk specifically about their practice area as it applies to an industry, i.e. drones and the legal issues surrounding drones. Shared services economy clients are buying time and lawyers are looking to effi...2016-05-1900 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law05: No Fear – We chat with Jennifer Kennedy Park of Cleary GottliebThink Long Term: Nicole chats with Jennifer Kennedy Park, a partner and leading securities litigation lawyer at Cleary Gottlieb. Strengths and habits that have led to your success: No fear; not being afraid to take risks – ask questions; ask for work opportunities. Growth strategy: Focus on 10 or less clients from a wide spectrum of industries; get to know the businessperson and specific issues they are trying to solve. Tactical best practices: Look for areas where you can make suggestions on how to do something better, more effectively, with...2016-05-1700 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law04: Don’t Be A Jerk – We chat with Jennifer Newman Sharpe an Entertainment, IP and Media LawyerYou can’t practice in a bubble: Nicole chats with Jennifer Newman Sharpe, an Entertainment, IP and Media Lawyer. Take a genuine interest: clients want their attorney to know who they are, what their interests are so you represent those interests when you represent them. Be a connector: connect people with each other, with opportunities, think about others and help generate business for others through introductions and connections. Narrow in on the clients in your niche: be where they are as a speaker or by contributing content – when th...2016-05-1200 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law03: Be Curious – We chat with Alexis Diaz from the G100 Network and G100 CompaniesExperiment and Try New Things: Nicole chats with Alexis Diaz, Managing Director of the G100 network and General Counsel of the G100 Companies. Tactical best practices: Develop a process and track your progress. Use technology to develop a pipeline and support a disciplined approach to cultivating clients. Success story: Attending a conference, Alexis focused on what she thought she should do. When she altered her approach – and pursued the sessions that interested her, she connected more easily with others. As a GC evaluating legal services: Be curious about the pr...2016-05-1000 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law02: Find Your Comfort Zone – We chat with John Ho of BondThere are many ways to grow your business! Nicole talks with John Ho; a Management Labor and Employment Partner at Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC. Strengths/habits that have led to success: John likes meeting people and hearing their stories. Growth strategy: Leadership suggests and John prepares a business plan yearly. He’s found writing down objectives can make them more real. Tactical best practices: Let clients know you’re there and accessible, and make it a point to thank referral sources. Success story: Become known as an expert on 1 or...2016-05-0500 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of LawALM SPECIAL EDITION: Higher Volume Leads to Fewer Individual Judgments – We chat with Bryan Caplin of AxiomNicole chats with Bryan Caplin – VP, General Manager and Head of Sales for Axiom Law. Strengths/habits that have led to success: Learned to navigate the highs and lows. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Transparency is key – with the team members and clients. Growth strategy: Axiom uses aspects of Challenger Selling specifically: to teach and add value in every conversation; while subscribing to all tenets within the Predictive Revenue model including funnel specialization – a critical factor in their success. Tactical best practices: Clients value the Axiom view that contracts are more than paperwork. That the dat...2016-05-0400 min

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law00: Introduction – Why Podcasting/Why Lawyers – We hear from Nicole GiantonioThis episode summarizes Nicole Giantonio’s background and credentials her as the host and curator of LeftFoot. Nicole has held global senior executive roles at ADP, Buck Consultants (now Conduent)– a Xerox Company, and Ceridian Benefits Services. At Buck Consultants working with credentialed actuaries, retirement, health and compensation consultants; Nicole and her team developed and executed a winning and repeatable growth strategy – new revenue increased from $15M to $89M during the years 2008 – 2012, not the easiest economic period to make a difference. In early 2015 Nicole began her mission to bring resources and business development confiden...2016-04-2300 min