The Future Is Bright Podcast

Marty Cohn, the National Director of Client Engagement at Sheppard Mullin, has a diverse background with significant experience in both consulting and legal sectors in the U.S. Initially steering clear of sales in favor of marketing, Marty's perspective shifted as he recognized the importance of accountability and return on investment (ROI) in marketing, sparking a newfound enthusiasm for sales. In this episode of The Future Is Bright podcast, he sits down with host Chris Batz to delve into the nuances of selling professional services, emphasizing the foundational role of relationships, people, and trust.

During his tenure as the marketing director for the national sports sector at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Marty played a pivotal role in elevating the firm to a leading position among the Big Four's sports practices. He also shares insights from a survey he conducted at Sheppard Mullin, where he gathered opinions from 31 marketing professionals on the current state of sales. Marty discusses his method for identifying potential clients and the criticality of adhering to the American Bar Association's (ABA) best practices.

Join today’s discussion to hear his thoughts on the difference between the worlds of accounting/consulting and the law business, the infinite value of LinkedIn and how he manages to mentor others without actually acting as a mentor.

Quotes

• “In our business, we’re talking about relationships and respect and trust and every interaction is different and every marketing and sales opportunity is different because you’re dealing with a person, not an inanimate object.” (2:06 | Marty Cohn)

• “It’s a matter of respect and best practices. This is a relationship business, our opportunity to bring in a new client is going to be based on our ability to build a trusted relationship with transparency.” (16:54 | Marty Cohn)

• “My day is a mix of always looking for potential new clients, following up on existing sales opportunities, following up and being involved in active sales opportunities, working with my partners and our internal teams on all of these pursuits. It’s a big mix.” (18:15 | Marty Cohn)

• “I think there’s so much potential here in our business. It’s tremendously rewarding. I find it to be challenging, fun, every adjective that you can give it is probably in my vocabulary of what goes on day-to-day.” (21:55 | Marty Cohn)

Links

Connect with Marty Cohn:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marty-cohn-b890363/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“It’s culture through and through,” says Micheal Pierson about Pierson Ferdinand LLC, which he co-chairs with Joel Ferdinand and which recently launched one of the largest law firm launches in U.S. history, counting over 130 partners. The two men join host Chris Batz to discuss the firm, why it’s both ahead of its time and bolstered by timeless principles. Pierson Ferdinand, they say, is about people, happiness and freedom. Where many firms, particularly older ones, are hesitant to embrace technology, theirs thrives on it and the two co-chairs have been practicing the post-COVID-style work model for years now. Having witnessed bosses and supervisors do all the wrong things, they strive to create an open-door environment, where every employee can make their concerns known. They know the importance of listening more than they speak, of admitting they’re wrong—neither of which is easy for lawyers—and putting family first. It’s a mission of service, Joel says, that borders on the biblical.

In this episode, he and Michael discuss the changing legal landscape in a post-COVID world and in a current climate which includes the war in Ukraine, a potential uncoupling with China, issues with the U.S.’s membership in NATO. What opportunities does all this present for lawyers in the U.S., the largest legal market in the world? Since COVID accelerated profitability of so many Adlaw’s Top 100 and 200 firms, what does this mean for billable time? What do clients and lawyers want?

On this episode of The Future is Bright, Michael Pierson and Joel Ferdinand explore these issues as well as surprising new developments in the last two years which, they say, could push us into a whole new world.

Quotes

• “We’ve started to see a large uptick in lawyers who are looking for better options who are looking for better alternatives than just practicing at a very large law firm environment. And that’s in large part what Pierson Ferdinand aims to do, which is to redefine the notion of what an elite law firm can be.” (4:45 | Michael Pierson)

• “Law firms are very resistant to change, being as old as many of them are. And I completely understand that, Michael completely understands that. Clients want change.” (5:48 | Joel Ferdinand)

• “It’s a pretty turbulent time and it’s one of these times where we can be a very steady hand for our clients in their business affairs, but fundamentally it’s a tumultuous time to be on this planet.” (12:34 | Michael Pierson)

• “This is one of the core tenets of Pierson Ferdinand: it’s culture through and through.” (13:32 | Michael Pierson)

• “Lawyers typically are so antagonistic to tech.” (23:56 | Joel Ferdinand)

• “To me, this is biblical. When Michael said we believe in service and leadership, we do. That comes from something very specific for me, and much like Michael said, I watched for close to 20 years of a career, would-be bosses or supervisors even in my early stages, be awful. They’d yell at you, they’d cuss at you, they’d haze you. Because they thought that was the cultural environment of a law firm, or of a business. And I watched it from a distance before I got into C-suites and once I got into C-suites, I watched it closely and tried to do something different.” (31:39 | Joel Ferdinand)

Links

Connect with Michael Pierson | Co-Chairman & Corporate:

Website: https://pierferd.com/michael-pierson

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amichaelpierson/

Joel Ferdinand | Co-Chairman & Litigation:

Website: https://pierferd.com/joel-m-ferdinand

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-ferdinand-a7518519/

https://pierferd.com/news/pierson-ferdinand-debuts

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“You can only divvy up the pie so much and distribute it so much before it starts eating into the profitability,” says Dan Binstock who, with Gary Miles, returns to the podcast to discuss the latest trends in corporate law partnership. More and more major law firms are shortening the length of time it takes for their associates to make partner, or bestowing the title of partner to those who are, in practice, really senior associates. This allows firms to to charge partner-level prices while clients receiving associate-level prices. This raises issues about quality,integrity, transparency. How long can such a practice continue before firms’ integrity and performance are sacrificed for short-term profitability? What happens when firms over-leverage themselves?

By misrepresenting their statistics, Gary explains, more and more firms are robbing valuable players of their due recognition and compensation, and the profits are split among a larger pool of people. Part of the problem is the psychological pressure on both sides–firms don’t want to look like they’re not expanding (and therefore falling behind), and so they offer partnerships to candidates who want to feel like they have a seat at the table.

Part of a recruiter’s job, Dan explains, is to help partners understand what equity means at different firms. He, Gary, and Chris discuss what will happen when, with inflation, rates continue to go up and the inevitable pullback comes. They also explain why firms should think in terms of categories and not tiers.

Quotes

• “There are a whole bunch of other reasons, like recruiting benefits and profitabilities increasing and going so much higher, you can only divvy up the pie so much and distribute it so much before it starts eating into the profitability. And as we’ve got groups and groups of people who are really skilled but may not have the business development chops to bring in as much business, putting them into equity may dilute the profits.” (11:23 | Dan)

• “More firms are increasingly needing a home for the people whom they don’t want to lose, who are very, very valuable but who aren’t yet equity-ready, for one reason or another. They’re losing these people to other firms who are saying, ‘Come over here, we’ll make you an equity partner.’ And it’s an ego and a marketing thing–well, calling it an ego thing is not fair. It’s not just ego, it’s marketing and feeling like even if you’ve got a small seat at the table, it’s still some type of seat.” (12:04 | Dan)

• “You could be a partner that’s on the lower end, or in the middle, and you did what you were supposed to do but you didn't receive any overrun. It has nothing to do with the firm’s performance. The firm took that money, put it into their bonus pool that all equity partners share in, but then disperses it very unevenly.” (18:19 | Gary)

• “I think, really, the whole term of equity, at a lot of firms, is just that: it’s just nomenclature. We all know, at most firms, you have as much equity as the contribution you make to the firm, usually in the form of business. That’s generally where the equity lies.” (20:04 | Gary)

• “One thing we don’t talk enough about–and this plays at the associate level but plays even more at the partner level of recruiting–is how much psychological and political stuff is baked into the cake already. How important it is for law firm leaders, or the pressure law firm leaders feel, to stay consistent in where they are or rising in the ‘outward presentation of a hierarchical ecosystem of firms.’” (35:06 | Gary)

Links

Bloomberg Law Article: One Tiny Number Shows Why More Firms Want Non Equity Partners

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/one-tiny-number-shows-why-more-firms-want-nonequity-partners

Connect with Dan Binstock:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/legalrecruiter/

Garrison: https://g-s.com

Lateral Partners: https://lateralpartners.com/

Connect with Gary Miles:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-miles-aa7b28103/

Miles Partner Placement: https://milespartnerplacement.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“Why do we have this problem with such smart people, the brightest of the brights, attorneys at such top firms, getting wrapped up with shady people?” asks Dan Binstock, who returns, with Gary Miles, to the podcast to discuss the less-than-ethical practices employed by legal recruiters that potential candidates need to watch out for. Part of the problem, they explain, is that for all of their advanced education, most candidates are woefully uneducated in this area of recruiting, not to mention many firms fall for the fallacy that if they’re not actively growing they’re shrinking. So, a fast-talking, sales-focused recruiter who’s willing to cut ethical corners and appeal to a candidates’ healthy ego, can convince the candidate to make a decision that could alter the course of their career.

The answer, they agree, is doing the same due diligence as a candidate that one does as a lawyer. Ask the right questions, many examples of which are provided in today’s discussion. Take your time; listen to what is said and what is not said. Don’t fall for fast answers or, as Gary says, give the recruiter an inch of rope and let them think they’re a cowboy.

Dan and Chris act out a series of role plays to give you a better idea of how to remain in control of the conversation with deceptive legal recruiters. They’ll also go over the importance of expressed consent when closing out a conversation.

Quotes

• “A lot of people who are drawn to recruiting or sales in general tend to be people that, maybe are really good talkers, and may not have the highest ethical barometers and may fudge the corners a little bit.” (7:32 | Dan)

• “A lot of firms think that if they do the deal with the “unethical recruiter” at least, for some period of time, according to their fee agreement, the person will not call in their lawyers to try to move someone out of their firm. So it gets to be a cost/benefit analysis.” (14:12 | Gary)

• “You do so much diligence, so much preparation, so much finding out what is going to impact your clients’ situation in any given context or business that they’re involved in. Yet, when it comes to a partner’s career, and making one of the most important decisions they’re going to make if I’m going to move from my firm, if so, where? What will be the best fit for me and my practice? What is the potential for long term success? A lot of partners won’t do any diligence.” (20:25 | Gary)

• “If they can’t speak about the search for at least 60 seconds, they don’t know. They’re just going off, you can hear them looking at a website. ‘Oh, this is a firm that has offices in Washington, DC, New York, Charlotte, Chicago, Boston, yeah, nine offices in…’ And if it looks like they’re reading through a script? Bulls**t.” (29:42 | Dan)

Links

Connect with Dan Binstock:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/legalrecruiter/

Garrison: https://g-s.com

Lateral Partners: https://lateralpartners.com/

Connect with Gary Miles:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-miles-aa7b28103/

Miles Partner Placement: https://milespartnerplacement.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

What does it take to be a rainmaker? Scott Love is here to tell you. An award-winning legal recruiter, keynote speaker, author and podcast host, he’s also a former Naval officer, professional card-counting black jack player and currently a passionate painter. All of these varied experiences have taught him invaluable lessons about leadership, business development, sales and growth, and he joins Chris today to share some of these lessons.

People are always observing and firms will find any reason to disqualify people, he explains. You must give them a reason to trust you and see you as a leader. This means being humble enough to recognize what you don’t know, and be willing to learn–for the rest of your life. This develops an unshakeable sense of self and authenticity that will naturally encourage people to follow you.

He’ll share what works and doesn’t work for getting hired by law firms, especially when many are hesitant to want to grow. Cultivating yourself and being well-rounded help you define your core values and life purpose, which will set you apart as a rainmaker.

Quotes

• “Most of it was taking my lunch hour, and instead of watching Matlock reruns, I would watch Tony Burn training tapes. Okay, VHS tape, Steve Finkel. And I, anytime I would make a placement when I started my own thing, I would say, ‘I'm going to take 10% of my fees and invest it in coaching, seminars, books, CDs.’ Anytime there's a motivational speaker coming to town, I would go to it. Whatever they're selling, I'm buying. So that was my whole philosophy, and still to this day, there is more that I don't know than what I do know, and until that changes, I'm always going to consider myself a student.” (3:36 | Scott)

• “One thing that I learned was that if I put 100% into something, I'm gonna get 100% return. If I put 80% into something I'm gonna get about a 20% return.” (5:26 | Scott)

• “Trust me on this. When you know exactly who you are, what motivates you and where you're going, that becomes incredibly attractive to other people. People don't want to be pushed, but they're OK following someone. So you have to become someone who is followable.” (14:20 | Scott)

• If you follow certain principles of game theory in client development, that helps you to number one, make effective decisions; number two, be effective in your execution; and number three, take the sting out of disappointment. And in business development, there is disappointment every day. That's 80% of it.” (21:04 | Scott)

• “I look for people that have leadership skills. I don't care how much time you spent in the library. Tell me what you did before. Tell me about where you were. Did you play sports? Were you a musician? You’ve got to practice three or four hours a day as a kid without your mom telling you to do it, and you’ve got to take direction, and realize it's not all about you in a symphony. So those are the things that I think make a richer experience in life and also add to the zest of an organization.” (24:47 | Scott)

Links

Connect with Scott Love:

Podcast: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/

Website: https://attorneysearchgroup.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Stepping into the complex world of 'magic circle' law firms, Dan Binstock from Garrison, a DC-based attorney search firm, joins forces with Gary Miles, President and CEO of Miles Partner Placement. They're back on the podcast to shed light on the strategic growth challenges and opportunities for these elite law firms. They tackle the critical need for firms to differentiate themselves in a competitive market, cautioning against unnecessary changes. The conversation also covers the recent Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling merger, illustrating the struggles magic circle firms face when trying to expand beyond New York.

The episode takes an intriguing turn with a discussion on the closure of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan after nearly 150 years. Dan shares an insightful story that might have signaled early signs of trouble for the firm. Gary points out that ups and downs are part of a firm's life cycle, highlighting the importance of strong leadership and strategic planning.

Throughout the discussion, the respect these industry experts have for each other is clear. Tune in to gain valuable insights into what lies ahead for corporate law firms.

Quotes

• “I think some of the magic circle firms may not have anticipated some of the challenges in getting US partners to buy into the global platform. I think there are benefits to certain practice areas, but as a whole, it's not always the easiest sell, despite having a lot of positive elements.” (4:00 | Dan Binstock)

• “There's one theme that usually runs through most firms: crashes. We're talking big and even small, and one thing that you can always look to is, ‘Does the firm have a succession plan for leadership? Does the firm have leadership, that is, the old terms of where they want to take the firm and grow it from the base of where it is, or is the firm leadership reacting to situations that the firm is constantly faced with in a competitive market?” (11:12 | Gary Miles)

• “I think the lesson learned is that firms shouldn't wait until things on a scale of one to 10 are at an eight and till they're being reactive, like Gary's saying, when things get to like a five or six in any situation is when the rumbling starts, you almost have to be a little bit more paranoid about the rumbling to be proactive.” (13:57 | Dan Binstock)

• “I think firms that want to be strategic and impactful in their growth really do need to figure out how they are distinguishing themselves from the herd in the marketplace. What is it about them, their infrastructure, their culture, their platform, how they internally do things that makes them different from firms XYZ?” (21:52 | Gary Miles) Audiogram

• “You never know what slogan or statement or principle that gets pulled out. If it's emphasized the right way, in the right story context, by a talented, experienced recruiter, you can never measure the impact of that.” (26:17 | Gary Miles)

Links

Connect with Dan Binstock:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/legalrecruiter/

Garrison: https://g-s.com

Lateral Partners: https://lateralpartners.com/

Connect with Gary Miles:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-miles-aa7b28103/

Miles Partner Placement: https://milespartnerplacement.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“We are both keeper-in-touchers,” says Jason Levin, author of the book Relationships to Infinity, which studies the art and science of keeping in touch. He and his wife Lori Mihalich-Levin first met on September 11, 2001 in France and stayed in contact as Lori built her law career and Jason built a career which includes his current role as a keynote speaker, trainer and business development coach at Ready, Set, Launch. This practice of keeping in touch has carried over into their married life as well. In a conversation at the kitchen sink, having put their two young sons to bed, Lori asked why there wasn’t a program to help new parents navigate their personal and professional lives. After Jason asked her what she could do to solve the problem, she began in earnest what would become Mindful Returns, a program which guides new parents transition back to work after parental leave.

The two touch base each Saturday night by consolidating what they call the “daily detritus” into one basket in order to tackle the duties of parenthood together. This idea was inspired by Atul Gawande’s “Checklist Manifesto. The two have also been inspired by Eve Rodsky’s book “Fair Play,” and they discuss the importance of a balanced division of labor in a household.

Lori and Jason’s support for one another is obvious. Join today’s discussion to hear their advice on how to write a book or make a speech in public and find out how Jason earned the name The TicTac Guy!

Quotes

• “The foundation of Relationships to Infinity is the social science behind networks, and how we think about our approach to connection and reconnection. Lori was just talking about the fact that we both are ‘keeper-in-touchers.’ There's actually a lot of social science behind that.” (8:44 | Jason)

• “I said to my dear husband, ‘There should be a program out there, a class I can take about how to transition into working parenthood. I can take a class on how to massage my baby, puree baby food, make a birth plan. I can't take a class on how to navigate the personal and professional identity crisis I'm having as I become a working parent. And Jason said, ‘Well, what are you going to do about it?’ And thus, the program that I created, Mindful Return, was born.” (10:53 | Lori)

• “Too often when we think about building something entrepreneurial, it has to be in the garage, venture funded, all these things. But what if you take little bite sized pieces with mind numbing detail on a weekly basis and you build something?” (14:26 | Jason)

• “There are so many dual career working couples these days, that this is an issue and it spills into the workplace too. Because if you have if you're doing 90% of the mental work of your household, you're just not able to focus on your job as much as someone who is doing 10% of the mental work of a household.” (21:52 | Lori)

• “Parenthood made me so much of a better public speaker, because before we had kids, I would stew about the slides. And I would sit there and analyze them, and I'd memorize my script. And then we had kids, and I said, ‘I don’t have time for any of that. And I just showed up as who I was, and I was much more spontaneous, and I hadn't over prepared anything, and people liked that better.” (33:14 | Lori)

Links

The Checklist Manifesto - Atul Gawal https://a.co/d/hppObRx

Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do

By Eve Rodsky https://a.co/d/6ZoaX2O

Parents at Work Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parents-at-work/id1239258343

Connect with Lori Mihalich-Levin:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorimihalichlevin/

Mindful Return https://www.mindfulreturn.com/

Lori's book - Back to Work After Baby - https://www.mindfulreturn.com/back-work-after-baby-book/

Connect with Jason Levin:

READY, SET, LAUNCH readysetlaunch.net

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlevinspeakertrainercoach/

Jason's book - Relationships to Infinity

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hilary Gerzhoy has devoted her career to maintaining the highest standards of ethics in legal practice. As a seasoned litigator, she boasts an impressive array of accomplishments, including her pivotal role on the ethics and compliance team during the Biden/Harris transition to the White House in 2020. Presently, she holds the positions of partner and Vice Chair of the Legal Ethics Group at HWG LLP. In addition to her practice, she enriches minds as an adjunct professor of Law and Legal Ethics at Georgetown University and serves diligently as the Vice Chair of the D.C. Bar’s Rules of Professional Conduct Committee. With such a rich background in legal ethics, who could be better suited to join “The Future is Bright” podcast? Hilary is here to share crucial advice on navigating the nuanced, yet critically important, aspects of making a lateral move to a new law firm, and to guide listeners in creating a comprehensive plan for a smooth, ethically sound transition.

For U.S. lawyers, adherence to the Rules of Professional Conduct is paramount, and this commitment extends to the specific codes of their firms and the stipulations of their employment contracts—no matter how long ago they were signed. Even the smallest misstep by a partner can give their current firm grounds to meticulously scrutinize the lawyer’s entire tenure with the organization. Hilary has witnessed firms initiate formidable attacks against individuals attempting to make a move.

Hilary asserts that nearly all the potential pitfalls associated with transitioning between firms are avoidable. By participating in today’s discussion, she is here to share strategies and precautions necessary to sidestep these challenges, paving the way for a seamless transition.

Quotes

• “There's a number of loopholes that somebody can fall into if they're not cognizant of it. And usually, it’s not because they're trying to purposely not follow the rules, just because they're not thinking about how to navigate this process.” (23:39 | Hilary)

• “What I have seen is, the bigger the book of business, the more contentious the fight can be.” (24:37 | Hilary)

• “If you're thinking about making a move, you want to think about what you need to do at your existing firm and where you want to go. And there are two stages of this.” (25:27 | Hilary)

• “You essentially give a blueprint of what your practice will look like, if the firm were to hire you. What you want to be able to do is deliver on that. There are certain things that are beyond your control in delivering on that, and you want to try to get everything squared away to the extent that you can ahead of time.” (32:05 | Hilary)

Links

Connect with Hilary Gerzhoy:

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilary-gerzhoy/

Law firm website bio: https://hwglaw.com/members/hilary-p-gerzhoy/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“When people think of Warren Buffet they think investor and business icon, but he is an expert in corporate governance.”

On today’s episode of “The Future is Bright,” Larry Cunningham, special counsel at Mayer Brown, tells the story of his organizing and hosting a two-day symposium with business magnate Warren Buffett at Cardozo Law School in 1996. The intellectual traction and gains produced therein–a rare occurrence for such high-level discussions–were aided by the moderation of Charlie Munger, who has been called Warren Buffet’s closest partner at Buffett's holding firm Berkshire Hathaway. Given Buffett’s valuable insights into corporate governance, Larry wanted to call greater attention to Buffet’s largely scattered and isolated writings, and used them as the basis for the panel discussions. The results became the best-selling book “The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America.” Larry recalls his efforts to almost single-handedly print and distribute the book in response to the almost immediate demand for it.

The foundational feature at Berkshire Hathaway is trust, Larry says, in contrast to the American business model standard of policies, controls and procedures. Buffett operates under the assumption that most people are not trustworthy, but that a much smaller number of people are infinitely so. He surrounds himself with select members of the latter. Even when organizing the symposium, Buffett was very hands-off, never second-guessing his proposals and leaving all decisions in Larry’s hands.

Recently Larry has pivoted away from academia and toward the practice of law. He raises a new pressing issue regarding corporate governance: the extremes to which some groups have taken the Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) considerations for corporations as initiated by the UN. Hear his thoughts on this and more in today’s discussion.

Quotes

• “He was exactly as you perceive him in his public persona, and exactly as he behaves in his businesses, to wit: totally hands off, delegated everything to me, didn't second guess anything that I proposed…His management philosophy is to put decision-making power in the hands of the people closest to the issue.” (6:47 | Larry)

• “We had 200 seats. You couldn't do a conference with Warren Buffet with 200 seats today. You could try to do, say, 40,000.” (7:55 | Larry)

• “We had traction. Sometimes you get these gatherings together, and people just talk past each other and they leave in the same position in which they came. Here we had real engagement, identification of overlaps and reinterpretations of positions and some wonderful intellectual gains.” (10:16 | Larry)

• “I then went into marketing and letting everyone know, through direct mail. Again, this is pre- internet really, but some direct mailings. I created leaflets and I rode my bicycle over Manhattan dropping them off to all of the quality firms who would care about this, and word of mouth started to build.” (18:23 | Larry)

• “Warren's relationship with all those people and with me which I saw firsthand was trust. Trust in all of those features, you see, a desire and a will, to trust.” (22:52 | Larry)

Links

Connect with Larry Cunningham:

LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-cunningham-68b7574b/

Mayer Brown web bio https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/people/c/lawrence-cunningham?tab=overview

Amazon Author website and Books for sale:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001IYVE0M

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"Most people thinking about performance think about managers, products, and research. But it's also valuable to have a certain kind of shareholder," says Larry Cunningham.

Larry Cunningham, special counsel at Mayer Brown, has had a truly extraordinary career, rubbing shoulders with billionaires, sitting on the boards of large public companies, and writing 20 books. Larry recently joined Mayer Brown, a top law firm known for its strategic business model and commitment to sustainability and growth. In his role, Larry advises boards of public companies on corporate governance, leveraging his extensive experience and expertise in the field. His focus on long-term and quality shareholders aligns perfectly with Mayer Brown's philosophy, making it a natural fit. In addition to his work at Mayer Brown, Larry sits on the boards of several prestigious companies, including Constellation, Markel, and Kelly Plus Partners. These companies, known for their exceptional returns and commitment to autonomy, embody the values that Larry has championed throughout his career. His involvement in these boards allows him to contribute his wealth of knowledge and insights, further enhancing their success.

Throughout the episode, Larry's dedication to finding the right fit and adding value is evident in his approach to board service and his advice to others considering similar roles. Larry's journey serves as a reminder that with the right mindset and a commitment to excellence, one can achieve great success and make a meaningful impact in their chosen field.

Quotes:

• "What I liked about university life was exploring ideas and debating ideas and being able to write basically on any topic that I wanted. And all three of those schools, BC, GW & Cardozo, supported that. It was very important to me." (20:59 | Larry Cunningham)

• "We said, let's try to relate shareholder quality to, I think we ended up looking at 25 different important features of corporate life. Stock price volatility, we looked at brand strength, we looked at market share, we looked at stability of earnings, a variety of other things. We looked at very specific things like and from sort of the shareholder side, like board composition, attendance at shareholder meetings, quality of the shareholder letters that the CEO writes. And again, all that stuff is we ended up putting it all in pretty much one book called Quality Shareholders. And it's fascinating stuff. And it's more appreciated now than it used to be. But it's still a kind of a niche area." (29:33 | Larry Cunningham)

• "I feel like I add value. I feel like I'm contributing something positive." (40:35 | Larry Cunningham)

Links

Connect with Larry Cunningham:

LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-cunningham-68b7574b/

Mayer Brown web bio https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/people/c/lawrence-cunningham?tab=overview

Amazon Author website and Books for sale:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001IYVE0M

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Sandra Cohen returns to “The Future is Bright” podcast for part two of her interview with Chris and to tell the story of how she became an executive compensation attorney at Cohen & Buckmann pc. Her journey was a steady upward trajectory where her fierce sense of independence and ambition served her well at every step. A Midwestern girl, she moved to New York City right out of college, looking for a more cosmopolitan experience. Within five days, she secured a job in HR at Manufacturers Hanover thanks to an informational interview with a Washington University alumnae.

Much of her business still comes from relationships she formed years ago, and Sandra advises young lawyers on long-term business development, taking initiative to form groups, and establishing yourself early on as a thought leader. Those with more experience should individuate themselves so that they aren’t as reliant on their boss’s view of their work. She explains what her job is and is not, what she still loves about it years later, and the unique challenges of the position.

Recognizing that most executives in HR were lawyers, she enrolled in Yale law and upon graduating got a job with the Canadian branch of Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt. Though she saw prime examples of female leaders at this firm who were able to admirably balance work and life, sometimes, Sandra confesses, it’s not balanced at all. As she tells her students at NYU, for the sake of both your personal and professional success, choose your spouse wisely.

In between family and work, it’s important to make time for fun. Hear Sandra discuss her hobbies– including a dedicated equestrian practice–and how she makes the best of New York’s incomparable nightlife.

Quotes

• “I'm still fascinated by the psychology of it, how groups work and how office politics work. And that still informs part of my job as an executive comp, attorney, helping organizations find what's the right incentive for their company, and why are they pursuing the stock option plan, do they have the other pieces other than money also in place?” (7:31 | Sandra)

• “Find something that interests you enough to write about and talk about, so that you have shown thought leadership, create your own blog, if your law firm doesn't have one, it doesn't matter. Write on LinkedIn, you don't have to get published by a major publisher to show that you know what you're talking about.” (22:11 | Sandra)

• “It's not who you know, it's who knows you.” (23:00 | Sandra)

• “I think business development is really like watering a tree…And if you want to be sort of strategic and calculating about it, it's like, okay, how do I get more people to have known me a long time.” (23:34 | Sandra)
  

Links

Connect with Sandra Cohen:

Website Bio https://cohenbuckmann.com/sandra-w-cohen

LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandracohenesq/

Top Seven Questions Executives Should Ask About Private Company Stock Options

https://cohenbuckmann.com/insights/2020/7/13/top-seven-questions-executives-should-ask-about-private-company-stock-options

Profits Interests 101: A Crash Course in Profits Interests

https://cohenbuckmann.com/insights/2022/7/27/profits-interests-101-a-crash-course-in-profits-interests

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"The most common thing I hear nearly every day on negotiations is, I hate negotiating my compensation. I usually ignore it, and now I've got this new offer or I'm getting a promotion." says executive compensation expert and attorney at Cohen and Buckmann, Sandra Cohen.

Sandra boasts over 30 years of hands-on experience, guiding top-tier professionals through pivotal moments in their careers. Listeners will gain an invaluable education as Sandra breaks down a job offer. Key components are highlighted including short-term and long-term compensation, sign-on bonuses, restrictive covenants, and the all-important severance protection. Sandra provides guidance on which questions to ask and when to broach specific topics.

For those with an eye on equity as part of their compensation package, Sandra delves deeper into its complexities. She touches on the unique advantages and potential pitfalls between the equity offerings of public and private companies. Sandra offers key insights on navigating these differences, including how to evaluate the true value of such equity, understanding vesting schedules, and the implications of liquidity events such as an IPO or acquisition. Armed with this knowledge, listeners can better assess the weight and worth of equity in their compensation negotiations.

A standout segment in this episode tackles termination and severance clauses. Rather than shying away, Sandra advises listeners to approach this head-on during the hiring process, positioning it as an essential part of risk management and job security. She offers strategies for handling potential challenges such as changes in company leadership or shifts in job roles, and points out crucial considerations for options in private companies.

This episode is an essential guide for anyone stepping into a C-suite negotiation. With Sandra's advice, you'll be better able to advocate for yourself or partner with an executive negotiation attorney to secure the best compensation package possible on your behalf.

Quotes:

• “The number one thing you need to do is to find your original employment offer and save it at home, the signed one, because that is when somebody is already fired, it's hard to know where the starting place is. Please save your documents. (7:00 | Sandra Cohen)

• "You can gain confidence going into a compensation negotiation with some data, with good data about what should the market range for this job be. There's always a range. It's a little easier to negotiate by talking about ranges, but make sure you're comfortable with the bottom of your range because as soon as you give a range, that's going to be the place that they start." (28:51 | Sandra Cohen)

• An arbitration clause can be from three sentences to a page or two about how the arbitration is going to go. But the one thing that I might add on behalf of an executive is, okay, we'll do arbitration but the employer is going to pay the arbitrator's fee. That's actually more expensive than you would have thought paying an arbitrator. (48:15 | Sandra Cohen)

• I think banning non-competes is kind of a mistake but I'm of two minds on it because at the executive level it's something you can offer to contract for more money. If you are one of those key people with key secrets that is a legitimate business interest to keep you from working for our competitor, that could be a valuable thing that you can get paid for and if they're banned, it's value that should be contracted for that's sort of disappearing. (50:23 | Sandra Cohen)

Links:

Connect with Sandra Cohen:

Website Bio https://cohenbuckmann.com/sandra-w-cohen

LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandracohenesq/

Top Seven Questions Executives Should Ask About Private Company Stock Options

https://cohenbuckmann.com/insights/2020/7/13/top-seven-questions-executives-should-ask-about-private-company-stock-options

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"According to Dan Binstock, successful partnerships rely on key factors such as people, practice, compensation, and confidence."

Join Chris Batz and Dan Binstock, a partner at Garrison & Sisson in Washington, DC, as they discuss the reasons why law partners decide to leave their current law firms. Dan outlines the top four reasons behind partner transitions, including concerns about firm leadership, inadequate practice support, compensation and profitability issues, and a lack of confidence in the current firm. Chris and Dan provide an in-depth analysis of each of these factors, offering valuable insights for partners who are contemplating a change.

During the conversation, Dan draws from his extensive experience to shed light on the complexities of these issues. He also shares advice for those interested in acquiring law firms and emphasizes the importance of thorough due diligence when selecting a recruiter. With his background as a legal recruiter and his past role as the president of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants, Dan brings a wealth of insights into the intricate dynamics of law firm partnerships.

This episode offers a comprehensive exploration of the driving forces that lead partners to explore new opportunities and suggests strategies for firms to address these concerns more effectively. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the motivations behind partner transitions and to learn how firms can create an environment that addresses these factors constructively.

Quotes:

• "The four reasons I think partners move come down to people, practice, economics, and lack of confidence." (02:34 | Dan)

• "90% of the problems that partners are facing boil down to people problems that are disguised as other things." (03:28 | Dan)

• "The bigger the firm, the more complex the leadership issues become." (07:40 | Dan)

• "Compromising on values to keep high-earning partners can create tension within the firm." (08:41 | Dan)

• "Partners need to be cautious about recruiters who may submit their information without permission to multiple firms." (37:50 | Dan)

Links:

Connect with Dan Binstock:

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/legalrecruiter/

Company Website: https://g-s.com/dc-legal-recruiters/dan-binstock.php

Lateral Partners: https://lateralpartners.com

National Association of Legal Search Consultants: https://nalsc.org/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“For mergers to be successful, there really has to be a strategic reason on both sides that is well thought out by both parties, regardless of who makes the approach to whom,” explains Gary Miles, President and CEO of Miles Partner Placement, an elite partner placement group movement and merger boutique. Today, Gary speaks with host Chris Batz about recent law firm merger activity, future trends for corporate law firms, and the ABA rule 5.2.

Gary explains that in his opinion a successful merger is one which has a high level of retention over the time the partnership was brought on along with increased metrics from the combined entity over time. In order to achieve this success, there needs to be a very strategic reason for the merger on both sides that is fully thought out prior to even letting the public know. Recently mergers have been being made more public, hitting the media well before details are truly ironed out. This is surprising as in the past firms were much more careful about stopping the leak of information. As for the future, Gary believes that with the client market heading more toward globalization, that smaller entities will need to consider merging or allowing themselves to be acquired in order to achieve rapid growth. Consolidation happens in businesses every day and the same is beginning to be seen with law firms.

Law firm mergers tend to get a lot of attention and it can be useful to have the details completely ironed out before word hits the press. When judging whether a merger is successful or not, it is important to look at least 5 years down the road to really understand where the metrics sit for the combined entity. With a market push toward globalization, law firm mergers are likely to be more and more common in the coming years.

Quotes

• “For mergers to be successful, there really has to be a strategic reason on both sides that is well thought out by both parties, regardless of who makes the approach to whom.” (7:33 | Gary)

• “I term a successful merger, from my perspective, I'm not using some sort of, you know, defined industry standard, but a high level of retention over time of the firm partnership that was brought on. Increased metrics from the combined entity over time.” (11:59 | Gary)

• “There's consolidation happening every day, law firms depend upon it in terms of revenue.” (19:15 | Gary)

• “A lot of times what gets in the way most often of deals is either the outright adversity or the quote, unquote major client business conflict that often exists.” (37:20 | Gary)

• “In our country's history, money usually wins out. Capital will find a way to win out.” (38:51 | Gary)

Links

Connect with Gary Miles:

Miles Partner Placement: https://milespartnerplacement.com/

Gary Miles’ LinkedIn Profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-miles-aa7b28103/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“For too long DEI work has been focused on changing individual hearts and minds, versus the organization taking on responsibility and frankly, modifying behavior without the need for personal buy-in,” explains Alexis Robertson, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Foley & Lardner, as well as host of Foley’s Path & Practice Podcast. There has been great improvement in DEI at law firms regarding recruitment, but there is still a long way to go when it comes to employee retention and promotion. Today, Alexis discusses where current law firm DEI efforts are working and where improvements can still be made.

When people think about DEI, their first thought is often to diversify their recruiting pools. The issue with thinking about it this way is that it oversimplifies the problem. Diversity, equity and inclusion really need to be completely plugged into every people facing function within an organization. It cannot be just a one and done type of DEI training or a party for Black History Month. Those can help, but only when used as part of a larger systematic DEI implementation throughout the whole organization. If law firms want to enact real lasting change that creates a better, more inclusive work environment for all employees, they need to look beyond recruitment and into their overall systems and values.

Although there has been a lot of positive change in the DEI space within law firms, there is still a long way to go when it comes to creating inclusive workplaces. Organizations who are truly committed to DEI have to look closer at retention and employee development. Recruiting diverse employees is not enough because if the actual workplace culture is not aligned with DEI values, those diverse employees will not stay with the company.

Quotes

• “A lot of times with diversity, the first thing anyone thinks about is recruiting.” (24:49-24:52 | Alexis)

• “What I'm doing is figuring out how our organization can be great for all people. And I think it's important to start framing things that way because it can feel more inclusive.” (26:15-26:29 | Alexis)

• “What we really need to focus on as it relates to those historically underrepresented or even systematically excluded groups are the things that relate to retention.” (27:00-27:09 | Alexis)

• “We've seen change. The problem is, if you extrapolate it out over another 50 years, we're not going fast enough for it to get to where we'd like it all to get to within our lifetimes.” (28:56-29:06 | Alexis)

• “For too long DEI work has been focused on changing individual hearts and minds, versus the organization taking on responsibility and frankly, modifying behavior without the need for personal buy-in.” (31:04-31:15 | Alexis)

Links

Connect with Alexis Robertson:

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexisrobertson/

Her Foley page:

https://www.foley.com/en/people/r/robertson-alexis

The Path & Practice Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-path-the-practice/id1523076918

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

With the fast pace that Generative AI models like Chat GPT have been expanding and improving, it has become quite clear that major disruptions are on the way for every single industry. And the legal industry is likely to be the first to face major disruptions due to these technological advances. Today, Mary O’Carroll,Chief Community Officer at Ironclad, lnc., and Craig Katerber, Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer at Budweiser Brewing Company APAC, discuss generative AI and the impacts they expect it to have on the legal services industry. They also spend time talking about LegalOps, scaling teams, modernizing legal departments, and the benefits of LinkedIn.

The landscape of Generative AI already looks very different from how it looked six months ago, and even six weeks ago. It is a rapidly growing technology and is making its way into every industry. This is a very exciting opportunity, especially for creative people who are just beginning to play with the tools and seeing what could be possible. The legal industry is a relatively slow moving one with very outdated processes and an unchanging law school curriculum. Generative AI could bring much needed updates to these areas and propel legal professionals toward a better, more streamlined and efficient way of doing business. Although some people may be fearful of this new technology or worry that it will replace them, there are immeasurable benefits to keeping an open mind and embracing this new way of approaching business.

With Generative AI, the old way of doing things is no longer going to be acceptable. The legal services industry in particular is slow to change and many people are still working out of offices with old fashioned filing cabinets and outdated processes. This advanced technology is a great opportunity for people to re-evaluate their current systems and make much needed improvements.

Quotes

• “One of the biggest catalysts for hiring a legal operations person now is digital transformation.” (18:23-18:28 | Mary)

• “This is a much bigger moment than a lot of people realize. Generative AI and large language models are going to have a huge effect on every part of our economy in every part of our world.” (26:16-26:26 | Mary)

• “It's so much about empathy or trying to put yourself in the person's shoes about what they actually want or care about, and there's a huge amount of value there. And we'll see as AI goes, but that's a very human skill.” (33:15-33:29 | Craig)

• “AI and efficiency has always been at odds with the billable hour, but you can't avoid this now, you can't do business as usual.” (35:34-35:42 | Mary)

• “If there was ever a distinction of black and white between legal advice and non legal advice, it's going to be a lot more gray in the future.” (36:47-36:54 | Craig)

Links

Connect with Mary O’Carroll:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryshenocarroll/

Connect with Craig Katerberg:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-katerberg-70a6373/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“You have to be yourself, but you have to pay attention to the audience that you’re working with,” explains Stewart Hirsch, managing director and business development coach. The issue with talking broadly about concepts like executive presence is that everyone has a different definition for what executive presence entails. The initial ideas for executive presence applied primarily to white men, but today’s professional environments are much more multicultural and diverse. Today, Stewart Hirsch and Deanna Sheridan, Vice President and legal advisor, discuss executive presence and inner confidence.

Effective leaders exude executive presence and they do that by letting their inner confidence shine through by finding ways to be relatable to their target audience. They have to be open to being authentically themselves, yet tailor their approach to who they are interacting with. When people feel psychological safety at work, they are more likely to show up as their authentic selves. It’s really difficult to feel confident when you are trying to hide portions of yourself from your colleagues. And when leaders lead by example and are authentic with their team members, then the rest of the team feels more comfortable being authentic as well.

Inner confidence takes time to develop and it can still be scary to put your authentic self forward, even in a psychologically safe environment. When you can read the room and adjust your actions and words based on your audience, that can help to increase not only your confidence in yourself, but also your colleagues confidence in you as their leader.

Quotes

• “Executive presence is just a label to define somebody's perspective on power and influence.” (6:15-6:21 | Deanna)

• “It was crucial for me to learn from somebody else how to approach these conversations when I needed to adapt to what my audience needed to hear, because I couldn't put myself in their shoes.” (15:49-16:03 | Deanna)

• “You have to be yourself, but you have to pay attention to the audience that you’re working with.” (18:20-18:25 | Stewart)

• “The shift to get that confidence is helping the person recognize that they're absolutely capable, they've done it before.” (40:40-40:50 | Stewart)

Links

Connect with Deanna Sheridan and Stewart Hirsch:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dgsheridan/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewarthirsch/

https://strategicrelationships.com/

Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success By Sylvia Ann Hewlett

https://a.co/d/e773o0B

Talking from 9 to 5: Men and Women at Work by Deborah Tannen

https://a.co/d/hQJIY7c

Play like Man Win like a Woman: What Men Know About Success that Women Need to Learn by Gail Evans

https://a.co/d/2iP3Fjs

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“It was something that I had always wanted to do, because I always felt this inclination to stand up for folks who didn't have a voice,” explains Michelle Patterson Wimes, SVP Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. Michelle began her professional journey as a teacher and then as a lawyer, thinking that was the best route to being able to help people. Along the way, she gathered experiences that made her the perfect candidate for working in DEI. Today, Michelle discusses her journey to becoming a Chief DEI Officer.

Michelle never let fear of trying something new stop her and has made several challenging career transitions throughout her journey. Her foreign language experience and proficiency in Spanish made her an excellent candidate for working with an international community. Then, as a lawyer, she found herself working in immigration law. Transitioning into DEI was a very natural progression with her experiences and goals, especially because a position for Diversity Director opened up at one of the firms she had previously practiced at. Wanting to be able to have a greater impact, she transitioned again, moving to another firm where she’d be able to create a professional development program in addition to the diversity and inclusion work. Then, the pandemic hit and another opportunity came around, this time with Children’s Mercy in Kansas City. Attracted to the challenge and the opportunity to work in her local community, Michelle took a leap and began learning about equity and equality in healthcare.

Transitioning careers can be scary and very difficult, but also extremely rewarding. If you are in a position that no longer aligns with your values or does not offer opportunities for growth, it is useful to start planning an exit strategy. As Michelle says, life is too short to not enjoy what you are doing.

Quotes

• “It was something that I had always wanted to do because I always felt this inclination to stand up for folks who didn't have a voice.” (7:56-8:05 | Michelle)

• “If it's not meaningful, if it doesn't align with my values, and I'm just exhausted where I don't even have time or energy to do anything else, then to me, it’s time to start planning your exit strategy.” (29:40-29:52 | Michelle)

• “What they don't understand is that diversity should be interwoven into everything that you do.” (36:36-36:41 | Michelle)

• “What happens a lot of times is that the existing leaders that are there feel like their territory is being encroached upon.” (36:57-37:06 | Michelle)

• “What we're seeing in healthcare is a lot of accrediting bodies putting standards around health equity that before now did not exist.” (46:43-46:53 | Michelle)

Links

Connect with Michelle Patterson Wimes:

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellepattersonwimes/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“It takes time to build that psychological safety, but I think it's a more important area than ever before in the modern workplace,” explains Dennis Garcia, Assistant General Counsel of Microsoft. Today, Dennis and Kim Yapchai, former SVP, Chief Environmental, Social, and Governance Officer at Tenneco Inc., discuss their career advice for developing in-house talent.

Trust is something that needs to be earned over time, and creating a psychologically safe work environment is no different. With job turnover particularly high, it is especially important to find innovative ways to retain and nurture top talent within your organization. To develop your in-house talent, as a leader, it is important to be up front and open with your employees. This authenticity will help develop trust between leaders and teammates alike. Mentor the talent you have and give people opportunities to grow their skills. When employees feel understood, appreciated, and supported, they are less likely to look for outside career advancement.

Nowadays, employees, particularly those of the Gen Z and Millennial generations, are more likely to be attracted to jobs where they feel aligned with the company’s values. By being authentic and up front from the very start, leaders can foster relationships with those employees who are the right fit for the work culture they are looking to create. Instead of trying to fight over the top talent in the pool, look in-house and put time into helping your current employees flourish.

Quotes

• “If people don't feel safe enough to speak up and be heard, the company loses out. You lose out on new ideas, on diversity of thought, and people letting you know when things are going wrong.” (9:25-9:43 Kim)

• “It takes time to build that psychological safety, but I think it's a more important area than ever before in the modern workplace.” (10:47-10:57 | Dennis)

• “It is harder when you don't see people face to face in the office, you have to find other ways to connect.” (16:02-16:08 | Kim)

• “Build the network and your brand before you need it.” (25:39-25:42 | Kim)

• “When you reach out to people and you try to build those relationships, it's not all about how they can help you. It's how can you help them.” (29:10-29:18 | Kim)

Links

Connect with Kim Yapchai:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-yapchai/

Connect with Dennis Garcia:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denniscgarcia/

Buy a copy of Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson:
https://a.co/d/fP9z92s

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“Anyone that knows me throughout my career would see that it's really been about trying to push the boundaries. And in our part of the market, I think we really are driving and pushing the boundaries of what is possible and what clients want,” explains Matt Saur, strategic and institutional advisor, co-founder and partner of Woolery & Co. Today, Matt shares his career journey, the challenges he faced while opening Woolery & Co., and his desires to push boundaries and change the dynamics of client service.

The importance of connecting with other people has always been emphasized in Matt’s life. This belief has followed him into his professional life and even inspired his company’s values. When he teamed up with Jim, a constructive activist, they both agreed heavily on the value of the human side of business, choosing to keep the firm smaller in order to better serve their clients. Their company’s main purpose is on building deep relationships with every client and their business matters, even partnering up with the client’s pre-existing stakeholders, advisors, and larger firms as needed. They help see clients through challenging situations such as dealing with shareholder activists, mergers and acquisitions, and crisis management without the conflicts typically seen at larger firms.

Serving family backed companies and family offices requires a different approach from dealing with larger companies and corporations. These smaller companies face unique challenges that are best met by an advisor who is really able to take the time to do a deep dive into their business matters, their needs, and their goals. Instead of shying away from this challenge, Matt chose to push boundaries and change the way things are done in the industry in the interest of bettering opportunities for everyone involved from the clients themselves to their stakeholders.

Quotes

• “The one thing that I've always tried to do is really go out on a limb and do things that are a little uncomfortable.” (10:39-10:51 | Matt)

• “Anyone that knows me throughout my career would see that it's really been about trying to push the boundaries. And, I look at what we're doing in the legal world, and obviously, we have a small impact. We're not a mega firm or anything like that. But in our part of the market, I think we really are driving and pushing the boundaries of what is possible and what clients want.” (11:02-11:31 | Matt)

• “We value the human side of it, and you have to, I think, when you have a model like ours.” (13:19-13:24 | Matt)

• “A lot of what the industry has gone towards is being reactive, and what we're really talking about is shifting that to be proactive.” (39:32-39:42 | Matt)

• “You have to connect with people in life if you want to do anything and if you want to enjoy life.” (41:24-41:29 | Matt)

• “You have to develop that skill where the client trusts you when you're a second year associate out of law school. And they'll trust for part of the reason that they know the brand, and they know the firm, but at some point, it's gotta be you.” (42:18-42:35 | Matt)

Links

Connect with Matt Saur:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathew-saur-01303919b/

Woolery & Co: https://wooleryco.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“Hedge funds, if you do it right and you set up a really good compliance and operational structure, it's a scalable business,” explains Susanne Meline, co-founder of Francis Capital Management. Prior to going into hedge fund management and serving on several boards, she worked as an investment banker and as a lawyer. Today, Susanne shares how she first became involved with hedge funds, how a serendipitous meeting at a coffee shop landed her a seat on her first board, and board advice for those seeking their first seat.

Susanne took a huge risk going from a salaried employee to taking an ownership interest in a hedge fund. To her, it was a relatively easy decision to make after observing many other funds from the outside for years and knowing that they can be profitable right from the start. She focused on making sure the hedge fund was set up properly with good compliance and a strong operational structure so that it would be a scalable business. Her inside knowledge of finances, operations, and law from her prior work experience made her a perfect fit for this type of business venture. About 6 years ago, Susanne landed a position on her first board, a venture capital fund by women funding women-founded or led businesses. It was an incredibly challenging board going through a time of transition, but Susanne welcomed the opportunity.

Being willing to take risks really paid off for Susanne. You may think it is better to wait until the perfect board opportunity comes up, but you might be waiting forever. By being willing to challenge yourself, you can get more experience and learn from these more difficult positions, which will make you a more valuable board member going forward.

Quotes

• “Hedge funds, if you do it right and you set up a really good compliance and operational structure, it's a scalable business.” (18:41-18:48 | Susanne)

• “We have the same investment philosophy that we've had all the time, which is value with a catalyst.” (20:07-20:11 | Susanne)

• “Capital providers are a really important part of a company's success. But at the end of the day, the companies are the ones making the decisions.” (22:49-22:55 | Susanne)

• “Those traditional board searches, they really look for people that have operations experience.” (26:32-26:37 | Susanne)

• “In terms of figuring out how you're going to get in that board seat, it's like, ‘Do you know the capital providers, the VC people, or do you know the founder?’.” (28:44-28:51 | Susanne)

• “Being willing to go on a board where it's challenging is a really great way to get the opportunity.” (29:54-29:59 | Susanne)

• “Just because you're small doesn't mean you can't be excellent.” (35:49-35:51 | Susanne)

• “Look at the opportunity, not at the compensation. To me the compensation is the last piece.” (37:32-37:36 | Susanne)

Links

Connect with Susanne Meline:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanne-meline-712392134/

Francis Capital http://franciscapital.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“I always try to make sure I'm contextualizing what I do on a day-to-day basis. And my personal priority is my family all the time,” shares Bill Ryan, SVP. Bill is the Assistant GC of AT&T Services, Inc., but has held many roles from working as a bilingual educator to becoming an attorney and working in-house at DirectTV. Today, he shares his professional journey and how he has built a sustainable career through contextualizing work and family.

The divide between work and personal life can cause your job to become unsustainable. If your priority is your family, but your job keeps you away from them all the time, then eventually you will resent it. In order to be an authentic leader, it is important to show up to work in a way that honors your values. Bill comes from a multicultural family, with his wife being from Mexico and his children being adopted from Korea. So for him, diversity is inextricably linked to his family and is one of his largest priorities. By incorporating his values, being mindful of his obligations as a leader, and recognizing the privileges he has been afforded in life, Bill has made strides in his own professional development and in that of his team members.

It’s easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day that you forget to prioritize your values. If you don’t prioritize showing up and leading from a place of authenticity, you will be a less effective leader. By contextualizing your work in regard to your values, you will create a more sustainable work environment for everyone.

Quotes

• “Success all of a sudden pivoted and is now defined as the success of everyone else around you.” (9:23-9:29 | Bill)

• “It's really great to be able to connect people and at least make an effort to connect in the native of language and build relationships on a different level and help understand the culture and things of that nature.” (17:14-17:23 | Bill)

• “I always try to make sure I'm contextualizing what I do on a day-to-day basis. And my personal priority is my family all the time.” (25:43-25:51 | Bill)

• “My commitment to diversity is nothing more than my commitment to my family.” (37:22-37:26 | Bill)

• “What I try to bring is being mindful of the obligations that I have as a leader and as an ally and someone who's benefited from a lot of privileges, and not everyone has.” (39:57-40:05 | Bill)

Links

Connect with Bill Ryan:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-ryan-685b521/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“Not enjoying the day-to-day was what prompted me to think about what I was doing. I then really started to try to focus on what I did enjoy,” explains Amy Harris, EVP. Amy is the Chief Legal Officer at UMB Financial, the largest bank in Kansas City. Today, she shares her journey from starting college as a musical theater major to going into political science and becoming a lawyer, and ultimately to going in-house.

When Amy realized she wasn’t enjoying the day-to-day of her chosen musical theater major in college, she knew it was time to re-evaluate and reconnect with the things that brought her joy back in high school. She gave herself the permission to be creative with her emotional intelligence and follow her strengths. This led her into studying political science and onto the path of becoming a lawyer. After working for a few years at a private law firm, Amy was absolutely in love with the work, but was struggling to maintain healthy boundaries. She knew there had to be a better, healthier way to continue doing the litigation she loved. By choosing to go in-house, Amy was able to really get in touch with her strengths and capitalize on her skill-set in a way that energized her without risking burnout.

If you’re spending everyday doing something you don’t love, it will deplete your energy. It is okay to step back from whatever label has been imposed onto you, re-evaluate your strengths and interests, and even to switch careers. You are not just your job title, and by looking at yourself as your skills rather than that arbitrary title, you will have more freedom to pursue a role you are passionate about.

Quotes

• “Not enjoying the day-to-day was what prompted me to think about what I was doing. I really started to just try to focus on what I did enjoy.” (7:11-7:18 | Amy)

• “One of the things that an in-house litigator really, really brings to the table is an ability to translate legal ideas, issues, to a layman audience, which is going to be corporate executives.” (13:11-13:25 | Amy)

• “Stop putting yourself in that box. I'm a lawyer. I'm a litigator. I'm a transactional attorney. I'm a contract attorney. Yes, you are that. But what are the skills that you use everyday that make you good at that?” (23:19-23:33 | Amy)

• “Really start to think about yourself as a set of skills. Because until I did that, I think I had a really hard time seeing myself as anything other than the label I had given myself.” (23:45-23:55 | Amy)

• “When you start to line up what's giving you energy, you can also then inherently start to identify where your strengths are.” (26:34-26:43 | Amy)

Links

Connect with Amy Harris:

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-moore-harris-b9b3b725/

Emotional Intelligence 2.0: https://a.co/d/eWrZbFR

Mentoring is a Must UMB Article: https://blog.umb.com/umb-financial-meet-the-leadership-umb-amy-harris-legal/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“The law firms usually take their cues from their clients. If there's layoffs at the big banks and financial institutions, there's going to be a slowdown in the corporate work as well,” explains Sharon Mahn,CEO and Founder of Mahn Partners. Today, Sharon and Gary Miles, president and CEO at Miles Partner Placement, combine their experience to discuss the current legal market, predictions for the future, and the impact on legal recruiting and law partner compensation.

The market is cyclical and currently in a downturn. But that does not necessarily mean that law firms will no longer be recruiting. Top talent that brings in high revenue will always be desirable regardless of the state of the market. Firms will likely be more discerning about hiring during a downturn and may not offer as high of a compensation rate. It is important for law firms to be very transparent with recruiters and clients alike about how the market conditions may impact their practice.

During a recession it is important to be very smart about hiring. Larger law firms can handle more of a loss than smaller firms, but they will still likely offer a lower law partner compensation while the market is down. Whenever there are many layoffs at banks and financial institutions, that causes a slowdown in corporate work and the law firms tend to restructure around that.

Quotes

• “Law firms usually take their cues from their clients. If there's layoffs at the big banks and financial institutions, there's gonna be a slowdown in the corporate work as well.” (4:49-4:57 | Sharon)

• “You don't want to lay off too many people in your firm and then have to rehire them when the market is on the upswing again.” (7:49-7:54 | Sharon)

• “Be transparent in the process and understand how market conditions might impact your practice.” (10:25-10:36 | Gary)

• “You just have to learn to see around corners as best you can.” (16:52-16:55 | Gary)

• “The law firms are now more specifically focused on partners and their business regardless of credentials, regardless of anything else.” (23:17-23:24 | Sharon)

Links

Connect with Sharon Mahn:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonmahn/

Connect with Gary Miles:

Miles Partner Placement https://milespartnerplacement.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-miles-aa7b28103/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“If you're going to take a leap, you better at least like the people you're working with,” explains Fred Stein, Chief Legal Officer of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Today, Fred explores his extensive career journey, from law school to his private practice experience to his passion for writing. By reflecting on his experiences, Fred reveals how his time at Redbox was a rocket ship of growth, leading to being acquired by Chicken Soup for the Soul and an evolving career.

When Fred learned about Redbox, he boldly wrote a letter to the CEO, wanting to be their general counsel. During the lengthy hiring process, Fred put together a presentation with characters and movie themes, which proved successful. Excited to step into a new industry, Fred put himself out there and gained more perspective. When Chicken Soup for the Soul acquired Redbox, Fred felt excited by this opportunity and learned a new side of home entertainment. Outside of work, Fred is writing multiple books, including a book on general counseling, proving that he is always willing to expand his abilities and grow as an individual.

Throughout your life, incredible opportunities can pop up on your path. By taking on positions outside your comfort zone, you can expand your skill set and grow both personally and professionally. You may not always know how to achieve your target, but if you’re willing to stretch your goals, you’ll be surprised by the exciting places you’ll end up.

Quotes

• “Our value isn't in our lawyering per se, but weaving in the business ideas, softer skill set, and other things to help.” (14:22-14:33 | Fred)
• “If you're going to take a leap, you better at least like the people you're working with.” (26:51-26:55 | Fred)
• “Let no good crisis go untapped by you in terms of being able to show your value.” (32:19-32:26 | Fred)
• “There’s help to be had, but you're not going to get it unless you take the trouble to form these relationships and invest in them.” (36:52-37:00 | Fred)
• “It’s not a goal unless you tell people, so they can hold you accountable.” (51:53-51:58 | Fred)

Links

Connect with Fred Stein:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederick-stein/

Website: https://www.chickensoup.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Join Chris Batz on his second episode of The Future is Bright Podcast as he welcomes guest speaker Lloyd Johnson to learn more about how he has taken the hardships in life and turned them into motivation to be a legal industry leader, influencer, and advocate for women and attorneys of color.

Chris Batz spends this week’s episode talking to Lloyd Johnson, born and raised in Santa Rosa, CA, an all-American track and field athlete turned legal industry convener and influencer. Johnson speaks about his life being raised within a black-owned janitorial business and how the events he saw and the people he surrounded himself with motivated him to turn to the legal profession. His legal career started as Deputy District Attorney in San Francisco and in-house counsel for IBM and Hewlett-Packard. He was then founder and Executive Director for the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and Women In-House Counsel Leadership Association. He conducted numerous in-house counsel leadership development workshops and events. He also was the publisher of the Inside Counsel Magazine and created the Diversity and Bar Magazine. From there, Johnson founded Chief Legal Executive, where he continues his legacy of programs and career development initiatives for women and attorneys of color. Lloyd created the first DE&I best practices research for corporate legal departments back in 1999/2000. This September he is releasing an updated and new report bringing visibility and insights to the execution of DE&I within corporate legal departments.

Quote:
“The morale of the story is your most complex problems are going to be solved by your relationships with people not because you are smart.”

Click on the following links to subscribe to The Future is Bright Podcast and to watch or listen to the entire episode:

ChrisBatz.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQOXp7nOM9oj-BDHxwn2OAQ/featured

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-future-is-bright-podcast/id1645884673

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ljmN2aMnlMGeJ90HYD5jg

Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iNTNkNGUyOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

Join Chris Batz for the inaugural first episode of The Future is Bright Podcast as he brings on guest Dara Redler to learn about her legal career success at iconic brands and her passion for
transformation, authentic leadership, and giving back.

Chris Batz speaks to Dara Redler, born and raised in Pennsylvania and now resides in Atlanta, where she works remotely. She is the Chief Legal Officer at H&R Block, but before she got there, she had many other jobs that led her to this position. Redler reminisces that her love for learning and being challenged has helped open doors in her legal career. Her start began in Biglaw at Alston & Bird in Atlanta but quickly transitioned in-house to Coca-Cola for 17 years, where she held many leadership positions in its legal division. From there, Redler landed the chief legal role for Tilray, Inc., a leading global cannabis business. As she is now in H&R Block, Redler is excited to share her stories, successes, and contributions to these iconic corporate brands and the communities around her.

Quote:

“The morale of the story is your most complex problems are going to be solved by your relationships with people not because you are smart.”

To Subscribe to The Future is Bright Podcast and watch or listen to the entire episode, click on the following links:

ChrisBatz.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQOXp7nOM9oj-BDHxwn2OAQ/featured

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-future-is-bright-podcast/id1645884673

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ljmN2aMnlMGeJ90HYD5jg

Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iNTNkNGUyOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

“Put yourself out there before an opportunity arises,” explains Sahang-Hee Hahn, Head of Strategy & Planning at Haven Life Insurance Agency. Before her current position, Sahang-Hee started her career in singing and acting, big law, and got her MBA at Wharton. Reflecting on her varied experiences, she discusses taking risks and being playful with her career.

When you push away your fear of risk, you will be surprised by the exciting opportunities that can arise. Without encouragement from a colleague, Sahang-Hee would not have gone to business school, where she learned so much. Without the support of her network, she would never have been able to take professional risks and grow. By being open-minded while accepting help from the incredible leaders she met along the way, Sahang-Hee found fulfillment in her career and kept it interesting.

Don’t be afraid to get creative with your career. Learn more about Sahang-Hee’s professional journey, the benefits of business school, and how rejection makes you stronger.

Quotes

• “Put yourself out there before an opportunity arises.” (12:33-12:37 | Sahang-Hee)
• “It's one thing to get a credential and then get an opportunity because you have a degree on your resume. It's quite another to go into that role and say, Oh, I'm not speaking a foreign language because I understand what's being said in the room.” (15:13-15:24 | Sahang-Hee)
• “I'm willing to take on some risk every few years or so and do something completely out of the left field, but it's definitely made my career more exciting.” (24:36-24:46 | Sahang-Hee)
• “I have learned to take rejection well. And hearing “no” early on in your career actually strengthens you to keep pressing.” (28:02-28:10 | Sahang-Hee)
• “I wouldn't be here without the network that surrounded me and supported my growth.” (28:34-28:38 | Sahang-Hee)

Links

Connect with Sahang-Hee Hahn:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahanghee

Website: https://havenlife.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“When you help others, they have the desire to come back and help you,” explains Ori Solomon, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Resilience. During Covid, Ori joined Resilience, a transformative pharma manufacturing company. With this transition in mind, Ori shares what it means to add value to your company and the world.

Ori advises listeners to add value to every area of their lives, including work and professional relationships. We may be tempted to ask for bonuses or raises for personal reasons, but we must ensure we earn what we receive. The goal should always be to improve the lives of others in any capacity possible, and only then should we ask for what we deserve.

Whether at work or home, it’s a good idea to see how you can help. Learn more about Ori’s career journey, Resilience’s meaningful mission statement, and how to navigate the mentor/mentee relationship.

Quotes

• “There was such a need for a company like ours, and there still is.” (18:59-19:02 | Ori)
• “Think about the value you add to every situation and relationship you have. And only after you have added value, demonstrated your worth, and produced something, go back and unabashedly ask for what you've earned.” (25:24-21:51 | Ori)
• “There's just so many ways a career can evolve over time.” (27:22-27:28 | Ori)
• “When you help others, they have the desire to come back and help you.” (28:13-28:22 | Ori)
• “Leadership is what you do and the way you conduct yourself in the rough times.” (31:40-31:46 | Ori)

Links

Connect with Ori Solomon:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ori-solomon-4778bb

Website: https://resilience.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“With hard work and determination, you can really accomplish a lot” explains Meredith Ritchie, SVP GC, Chief Ethics & Government Affairs Officer. Starting her career as a paralegal, Meredith has developed an exciting career portfolio. Today, she shares the upcoming projects she has ahead and her dedication to volunteerism.

Through her position at Alliant Credit Union, Meredith has had an instrumental part in spearheading their foundation. Through their work, Meredith can help promote financial literacy, a cause dear to her heart. By focusing her talents on uplifting others around her, Meredith has had a fulfilling career and helped numerous people in the process.

Throughout your career, you can do extraordinary things. Learn more about Meredith’s rich career history, her role at Alliant, and why hiring the right candidates is essential.

Quotes

• “I do enjoy sharing my opinion. But more than that, I like helping other people and trying to help them realize their goals.” (8:55-9:03 | Meredith)
• “Word of mouth and referrals are always the best thing in the world, no matter what.” (12:10-12:15 | Meredith)
• “I do feel that everybody in the world has untapped potential. We use so little of it, but the sky's the limit.” (27:47-27:59 | Meredith)
• “With hard work and determination, you can really accomplish a lot.” (30:39-30:44 | Meredith)
• “I get a great deal of enjoyment in knowing that I'm helping to shape the future of the academic success of kids for forward to future generations.” (31:57-32:10 | Meredith)

Links

Connect with Meredith Ritchie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredith-emerson-ritchie-41256912/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“If you want to learn about an industry, the best thing to do is jump into it in some way, shape, or form,” explains Donna Rolf, Investor of New Era ADR. Today, Donna shares her legal career leap to the real estate industry and her critical executive role at an alternative energy company. Reflecting upon her experiences, Donna recognizes that she is hard-wired for risk, adventure, and as a result, success.

Donna has never let fear stop her from trying new things. Starting her career as a litigator, she was able to use her skills and expertise to pivot into various other roles, including serving boards in the start-up space and investing. Always willing to search for exciting new opportunities, Donna has organically utilized her network to find work she loves.

No matter what we do in life, we shouldn’t be afraid to take a risk. Learn more about Donna’s professional journey, transitioning to different industries, and her advice to others wanting a change.

Quotes

• “If you want to learn about an industry, the best thing to do is jump into it in some way, shape, or form.” (4:48-4:54) | Donna)
• “It's just about managing people and building a good team. I think you can do anything if you can build a good team.” (10:27-10:36) | Donna)
• “Be positive and continue to be on the lookout for new opportunities. There are a lot out there.” (16:54-17:02) | Donna)
• “Take that leap. Don't be afraid of taking the risk of making a change.” (17:36-17:40) |Donna)
• “I'm very grateful for all those folks who take the risk to come up with the technology and develop the ideas we need to move forward.” (21:41-21:51) | Donna)

Links

Connect with Donna Rolf:

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-rolf-b07a829/

Website | https://www.neweraadr.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“I think about the term “generalist” professionally as someone willing to go outside their core area,” explains Brian Salmo, Managing Director at Hermann Companies. Before joining Hermann, Brian started his career as a corporate attorney before transitioning into other roles, including VP of Human Resources and Business Unit Leader at LMI Aerospace. Now focusing on sourcing, underwriting, and supporting direct investments at Hermann, Brian shares his unique career journey and how his experiences led him to where he is today.

Brian recognizes that much of his success comes from being available to whatever his company needs and volunteering to take on additional responsibilities. If you are willing to go above and beyond, you will be able to build good relationships with your team and stand out to your bosses. Ultimately, you must maintain positive working relationships because you never know what opportunities could be available.

In the professional world, building meaningful relationships is critical. Learn more about Brian’s decision to attend law school, how to stick out at work, and the benefits of being a generalist.

Quotes

• “Whatever I'm getting paid to do, I tend to ensure I nail it. I don't typically raise my hand until that's well under control.” (13:45-13:56) | Brian)
• “Develop more emotional muscles because if you don't do that in your home, life gets too out of balance and affects you at work. It's not work-life balance. It's work-life integration.” (15:57-16:09) | Brian)
• “Get to know people doing interesting things and keep those relationships up. And who knows how the dots connect going forward.” (19:30-19:36 | Brian)
• “Be methodical, talk to a lot of people, and be honest with your motivations.” (25:02-25:07 | Brian)
• “I think about the term “generalist” professionally as someone willing to go outside their core area.” (28:06-28:12 | Brian)

Connect with Brian Salmo:

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansalmo/

Website | https://hermcos.com

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“Everything that you do as a leader you're doing through other people. You've got to make sure that you believe in them so they will trust you and do what needs to be done,” shares Francois Henriquez, EVP, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Today, Francois brings his 25 years of leadership experience to the table to discuss the role of leadership in financial institutions.

After being mesmerized by the Watergate hearings, Francois knew he wanted to be a lawyer. As he moved through his career and began to step into leadership roles, he learned that his true calling was to help bridge the gap between the lawyers and their clients. His unique experience made him the perfect person to help everything run smoothly because he was able to explain the law to the businessmen and explain the business imperatives to the lawyers. Francois has realized that being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean being the smartest person in the room, but rather having the ability to connect with others and build trust.

The most successful leaders are people who can earn the respect and trust of their team. Because once that is established, people will do what needs to be done. Tune into today’s episode of The Future is Bright to learn more about the importance of leadership and the role it plays in the organization of financial institutions.

Quotes

• “Sometimes it's easier to achieve things if you don't know that they're unattainable.” (5:20-5:25 | Francois)
• “I learned that no matter how dark it seems, there is always a way to get to the other side. It may be very, very painful. But there's life on the other side.” (15:14-15:28 | Francois)
• “Everything that you do as a leader you're doing through other people. So you've got to make sure that you believe in them and they know that you've got their back. And so they will believe in you and trust you and do what needs to be done.” (16:26-16:42 | Francois)

Connect with Francois Henriquez:

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/francoishenriquez/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“We'll have to see many low-cost energy options for people who cannot afford a Tesla to get out there and use those products,” explains Brady Long, EVP & General Counsel of Transocean. With an extensive career in the legal industry, Brady first became interested in the law because he was passionate about fairness and solving abstract issues. Today, Brady shares his impressive career journey and why he’s proud to work for Transocean.

As an energy company, Transocean is always looking for ways to improve bringing energy to the world. Although Brady believes there are ways to step away from oil and gas through solar and wind, he understands that we will always use hydrocarbons. Ultimately, he believes that hydrocarbons are too valuable to leave behind but knows that energy expansion is key to the balance we sorely need.

At the end of the day, the energy business is providing a meaningful service. Learn more about Brady’s transition into Transocean, the importance of team-building, and how the price of gas will factor into the midterms.

Quotes

“You just try to accumulate good relationships, and see the jobs as less of a transactional endeavor and more of a relationship building endeavor.” (8:35-8:47 | Brady)

“Leadership is a partnership. It's identifying the ways that you can serve others and that they can serve you. And collectively, you can move forward to advance the objectives of your organization.” (11:13-11:30 | Brady)

“There's nothing wrong with Transocean that couldn't be fixed with what's right about Transocean. They had great people, a great history, a great new management team, and some new board members. So, collectively, that made it a no-brainer.” (18:10-18:24 | Brady)

“We're never going to be able to completely leave hydrocarbons behind. Because they're simply too valuable, they're simply too useful. But you know, how can we expand, you know, energy into other areas, whether it's wind, solar, or nuclear? And those are things that our company is evaluating right now. And it's great to be on the leadership team as we're evaluating those opportunities. While at the same time recognizing, you know, at our heart, in our core, we are an offshore drilling company. And we're proud to do that. And we think that people should be comfortable with that, we do it the right way. And we do a great service for the world and bringing these resources to consumers.” (20:04-20:48 | Brady)

“People in the developing world have every right to expect the same modern conveniences that we enjoy in the developed world.” (25:45-24:54 | Brady)

“We'll have to see many low-cost energy options for people who cannot afford a Tesla to get out there and use those products.” (25:56-26:12 | Brady)

Connect with Brady Long:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brady-long-830b893/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“In this work, if it's not real and specific, it will not be able to advance the dialogue,” explains returning guest Lloyd Johnson, CEO of Chief Legal Executive. In part two of this two part-series, Lloyd and Chris discuss Lloyd’s exciting project, The Roadmap to Inclusion. Devoted to the DEI conversation inside corporate law departments, Lloyd reveals this project's scope and what is still missing from diversity discussions.

As one of the pioneering champions of DEI practices, Lloyd has seen our progress and how far we need to go. Although he acknowledges that our actual progress depends on who you ask, he celebrates that this is the golden age for Black general counsel. We can praise this as a success metric with 58 to 62 Black men and women on general counsel in billion-dollar companies. Although we should see this as a win, we still have much to do to solidify and expand these positive changes.

We can create more legal spaces with diversity and inclusion with the right tactics. Learn more about the details of the Roadmap to Inclusion project, Lloyd’s DEI best practices research, and protecting the progress that has been made.

Quotes

“We've identified five competencies: courageous leadership, intentionality, accountability, innovation/creativity, and tactical execution. And I think that in this report, you will find a degree of granularity about specific tactics and some specifics around processes that you normally don't see.” (6:46-7:13| Lloyd)

“In this work, if it's not real and specific, it will not be able to advance the dialogue.” (7:32-7:39| Lloyd)

“When you look at the money and time spent as it relates to advancing diversity, especially as it relates to people of color and law firms to have that level of investment and somewhat of a flatline, that demonstrates that there's a lot of progress to go.” (19:01-19:34| Lloyd)

“If people are very intentional and focused over the next two to three years, the gains that have been made throughout the last decades; we can not only protect them, we can grow them.” (19:48-20:05| Lloyd)

“Probably the most critical part of DEI work is change management, which has nothing to do with race, gender, or any of the other attributes of diversity.” (21:16-21:30| Lloyd)

Links

Chief Legal aExecutive

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Join Chris Batz on his second episode of The Future is Bright Podcast as he welcomes guest speaker Lloyd Johnson to learn more about how he has taken the hardships in life and turned them into motivation to be a legal industry leader, influencer, and advocate for women and attorneys of color. Chris Batz spends this week’s episode talking to Lloyd Johnson, born and raised in Santa Rosa, CA, an all-American track and field athlete turned legal industry convener and influencer. Johnson speaks about his life being raised within a black-owned janitorial business and how the events he saw and the people he surrounded himself with motivated him to turn to the legal profession. His legal career started as Deputy District Attorney in San Francisco and in-house counsel for IBM and Hewlett-Packard. He was then founder and Executive Director for the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and Women In-House Counsel Leadership Association. He conducted numerous in-house counsel leadership development workshops and events. He also was the publisher of the Inside Counsel Magazine and created the Diversity and Bar Magazine. From there, Johnson founded Chief Legal Executive, where he continues his legacy of programs and career development initiatives for women and attorneys of color. Lloyd created the first DE&I best practices research for corporate legal departments back in 1999/2000. This September he is releasing an updated and new report bringing visibility and insights to the execution of DE&I within corporate legal departments. Don’t miss amazing leaders and legal specialists like Lloyd Johnson on Chris Batz’s Podcast: The Future is Brigh

Join Chris Batz for the inaugural first episode of The Future is Bright Podcast as he brings on guest Dara Redler to learn about her legal career success at iconic brands and her passion for

transformation, authentic leadership, and giving back.

Chris Batz speaks to Dara Redler, born and raised in Pennsylvania and now resides in Atlanta, where she works remotely. She is the Chief Legal Officer at H&R Block, but before she got there, she had many other jobs that led her to this position. Redler reminisces that her love for learning and being challenged has helped open doors in her legal career. Her start began in Biglaw at Alston & Bird in Atlanta but quickly transitioned in-house to Coca-Cola for 17 years, where she held many leadership positions in its legal division. From there, Redler landed the chief legal role for Tilray, Inc., a leading global cannabis business. As she is now in H&R Block, Redler is excited to share her stories, successes, and contributions to these iconic corporate brands and the communities around her.

Don’t miss the amazing leaders and change-makers like Dara Redler on Chris Batz’s podcast; The Future is Bright.