In the premiere episode of Lawsuits & Lessons, co-hosts John Fagerholm, employment defense attorney and business advocate, and Steve Cooper, comedian and veteran podcaster, sit down to share John’s story — from Navy firebrand and serial entrepreneur to entertainment lawyer, and ultimately, a defender of business owners in California’s high-stakes legal climate.

Steve and John dive into how lawsuits shaped John’s career path, the hustle of starting a law firm from scratch, landing Curtis Blow as his first client, and why he left the music industry to champion employers against California’s ever-growing wave of employee lawsuits. Along the way, they explore what makes a good litigator, the role of creativity in defense strategy, and why John believes entrepreneurship is more “wolf” than “dog.”

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How repeated lawsuits inspired John to become a lawyer himself
• The surprising story of how Curtis Blow became his first client
• Why John shifted from entertainment law to employment defense
• How California law stacks the deck against business owners — and what that means for employers
• The mindset and creativity it takes to be an effective litigator
• John’s entrepreneurial philosophy, from living on credit cards to building a thriving practice
• Why social media can be both a weapon and a liability in modern lawsuits
• What to expect from upcoming Lawsuits & Lessons episodes

Hosts:

• John Fagerholm: defendmybiz.com
• Steve Cooper: coopertalk.net