Latte With a Lawyer

Welcome to Latte with a Lawyer—the ultimate podcast for attorneys looking to blend legal expertise with sharp business acumen. This episode features Rochelle Walk, an M&A lawyer who took an unconventional path from running a P&L at Sherwin-Williams and restructuring a 150-year-old mining company to building a global, virtual-first law practice. Rochelle details how she carved out a powerful niche advising on the sale of e-commerce and Amazon-based businesses for clients from Bali to Tel Aviv, and how she grew her firm from a solo venture to a 35-attorney team after merging with Aegis Law.

Beyond the deal sheet, Rochelle shares the unique perspective she brings to the table as a mediator and arbitrator—a role she believes most litigators are ill-equipped for. She explains why a neutral with substantive business experience can better understand the true costs of a dispute, from reputational harm to operational distraction. Rochelle also offers her forecast for the "wonky" economy, predicting a rise in litigation over earn-outs and a resurgence of M&A activity, and shares her number one rule for predicting legal fees: it all comes down to the personality of the lawyer on the other side.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochellewalk/
FIRM Website: https://www.walklawfirm.com/

Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://legal.emotiontrac.com/

Welcome back to Latte with a Lawyer—a leading podcast for attorneys exploring the tactics of the industry's sharpest litigators. In this episode, we're joined by Jeffrey Oster, a partner at Vaughan Baio, who explains his philosophy as an "aggressive litigator" who refuses to handle cases in a "vanilla" or cookie-cutter fashion. Jeffrey shares how his firm, launched in June 2020, thrived during the pandemic by recruiting a powerhouse team and embracing a client-first approach so accessible he puts his personal cell phone number in his email signature.

Jeffrey pulls back the curtain on his detail-oriented methodology with a stunning case study: a slip-and-fall where the plaintiff’s demand was several hundred thousand dollars after she "broke her fall with her face." He reveals how he debunked the claim not with expensive experts, but by visiting the scene, discovering hidden video footage, and using Microsoft Paint to prove the plaintiff simply tripped over a curb. Jeffrey also discusses when to deploy high-tech tools, from drone-based accident reconstructions to iPhone apps that can scan wrecked vehicles, and breaks down how he makes the business case to clients for investing tens of thousands of dollars in a mock trial.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyoster/
Firm Website: https://www.vaughanbaio.com/

Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://legal.emotiontrac.com/

Welcome back to Latte with a Lawyer, the podcast for attorneys discovering the most unique and profitable legal niches. In this episode, Kareem Hajjar of Hajjar Peters, LLP, reveals how he built a powerhouse practice representing over 5,000 bars, restaurants, and hospitality venues nationwide. Kareem shares how he branded himself as 'the bar restaurant lawyer' after realizing his niche was recession-proof during the 2008 financial crisis, when his desk was 'snowing paper' while other firms were laying off staff. He explains how that branding led to explosive growth, with his firm now fielding calls from three new hospitality clients a day.

Kareem pulls back the curtain on the surprising legal complexity of the restaurant world, from navigating multi-million dollar build-outs to avoiding obscure lease traps—like clauses that require tenants to maintain rooftop HVAC units while simultaneously prohibiting them from accessing the roof. He discusses his own unconventional path to the profession, from wanting to be an investment banker until the dot-com bubble burst, to discovering that transactional law fit his mind perfectly. Kareem shares his fascinating analogy for contract drafting, explaining how it mirrors computer coding with its 'if-then' logic, and details his philosophy of selfless leadership and team empowerment that has allowed his firm to scale 5x in just seven years.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kareem-hajjar-5a16592b/
FIRM Website: https://legalstrategy.com/

Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://legal.emotiontrac.com/

Welcome back to Latte with a Lawyer—the essential podcast for attorneys navigating the future of the legal profession. This week, host Jonathan Brickman sits down with Sid Rao, a litigation partner at Romano Law, who is on the front lines of the digital wild west: cryptocurrency disputes. Sid explains how he litigates cases with virtually no modern precedent, forcing him to build arguments from the ground up by citing everything from Civil War-era payment laws to the collapse of the Russian Ruble. He unpacks the central challenge of a recent arbitration: a contract dispute where the core issue was whether payment should be in fluctuating crypto tokens or stable U.S. dollars, and who gets to decide.

But winning in this new frontier requires more than just creative legal research. Sid gives a behind-the-scenes look at a grueling two-day arbitration where he delivered a one-hour closing argument entirely from memory, demonstrating the deep immersion required to master these complex cases. He also shares his paradoxical philosophy on what makes a great litigator: a mastery of bureaucratic rules combined with the creative wisdom to know which of the ten problems in a case will simply disappear on their own. From his unusual path from math major to commercial litigator to his insights on the future of AI in law, Sid provides a masterclass in adapting to and winning in an ever-changing legal landscape.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddartharao/
FIRM Website: https://www.romanolaw.com/

Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://legal.emotiontrac.com/

Welcome back to Latte with a Lawyer—the essential podcast for attorneys seeking a masterclass in trial strategy. In this episode, legendary trial specialist Keith Mitnik of Morgan & Morgan unpacks a career built on one simple principle: he hates bullies. Keith explains his unique role as the firm's go-to trial counsel, stepping into high-stakes cases to live in the courtroom. He reveals why he believes unwavering integrity is a trial lawyer's greatest asset and how his commitment to "shooting straight" with juries forms the bedrock of his courtroom success.

But how does he consistently win against the toughest defenses? Keith shares the secrets behind his famous reproducible systems, including his method for neutralizing the "defense's favorite facts" before they can even present them. He breaks down his powerful reframing technique—swapping a weak "but" for a dominant "to make matters worse"—to transform a case weakness into an indictment of the defendant's conduct. From his books "Don't Eat the Bruises" and "Deeper Cuts" to his mission to teach his process to lawyers everywhere, Keith provides a playbook for commandeering the narrative and ensuring justice prevails.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-mitnik-b1a89313b/
FIRM Website: https://www.forthepeople.com/

Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://legal.emotiontrac.com/

Welcome back to Latte with a Lawyer—a must-listen podcast for attorneys exploring what makes the industry's top players tick. This episode features Alexander Tuttle, founder of Tuttle Yick LLP, who pulls back the curtain on one of New York City's most challenging legal niches: negotiating construction access with adjacent property owners. Alex breaks down the high-stakes process of getting a neighbor from "no" to "yes" and reveals the bizarre legal quirk where the winning developer is forced to pay the losing neighbor's attorney's fees. He also shares the story of launching his firm as a solo practitioner in 2012 and scaling it to a 15-person boutique by building a team of close friends and family.

But the practice isn't just about neighborly disputes. Alex gives us an inside look at his firm's high-stakes litigation, including a current battle against Boies Schiller over a staggering $45 million development deal gone wrong. He recounts his unconventional path to law—from a psychology major who "threw a dart at the board" to earning a Master's in Real Estate from NYU, a move that became the bedrock of his network and business acumen. Alex discusses how he balances running the firm, supervising a team of five litigators, and even co-founding a separate development company building senior affordable housing in Washington Heights.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adtuttle/
FIRM Website: https://www.tuttleyick.com/

Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://legal.emotiontrac.com/

Welcome back to Latte with a Lawyer—a leading podcast for attorneys charting unique paths to success. In this episode, we sit down with Matthew Foster, who turned a 1991 college internship into a three-decade career culminating as Managing Shareholder at Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney & Hobbs. Matthew shares how the discipline he learned as a scholarship athlete on the Florida State University swimming and diving team translated directly into the focus and determination required to build a premier personal injury practice from the ground up within a single firm.

Matthew pulls back the curtain on his work representing victims in some of the most challenging and sensitive cases, including catastrophic auto and trucking accidents, sexual abuse, and negligent security claims. He explains the strategic mindset required to secure justice for the injured and hold powerful entities accountable. Listen in to learn how steadfast loyalty, a competitive spirit, and a deep commitment to client advocacy can forge a remarkable and rewarding legal career.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-foster-1a01098/
Firm Website: https://www.toomuchatstake.com/

Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://legal.emotiontrac.com/

Welcome back to Latte with a Lawyer—a leading podcast for lawyers charting their own career paths. In this episode, host Jonathan Brickman sits down with Clinton Turley, a partner at McCausland Barrett & Bartalos P.C., who shares his remarkable story of rising through the ranks. Clinton details his journey from joining the firm as a law clerk in 2012 to becoming an associate in a different city just two years later, laying the groundwork for his biggest move yet.

In 2020, after eight years of dedicated work, Clinton was entrusted with a massive responsibility: opening the firm’s third office in St. Louis. He pulls back the curtain on the strategic decisions and practical steps involved in launching a new branch from scratch in a competitive market. For any attorney looking to prove their value and transition from associate to leader, Clinton provides a powerful blueprint for earning trust, seizing opportunity, and driving firm expansion from within.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clinton-turley-1702ab28/
FIRM Website: https://www.mbb-lawfirm.com/

Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://legal.emotiontrac.com/

Welcome to Latte with a Lawyer—the podcast for attorneys exploring unique and often-overlooked legal niches. In this episode, host Jonathan Brickman sits down with Brendan Bunn, a name partner at the D.C.-area firm Chadwick, Washington, Moriarty, Elmore & Bunn, P.C., to unpack the surprisingly complex world of condominium and HOA law. As the rising president of the College of Community Association Lawyers, Brendan offers an insider's perspective on why this specialized field is about far more than just collecting dues or enforcing parking rules.

Brendan explains his approach to counseling volunteer boards—community leaders who are often navigating high-stakes legal issues for the first time—and reveals how to build a thriving practice by becoming an indispensable advisor to these unique organizations. He provides a masterclass on guiding well-meaning but inexperienced clients through legally treacherous waters, transforming potential neighborhood conflicts into well-managed outcomes and securing his reputation as a go-to expert in his field.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-bunn-055757/
FIRM Website: https://www.chadwickwashington.com/

Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://legal.emotiontrac.com/

Welcome back to Latte with a Lawyer—an essential podcast for attorneys seeking career-defining insights. In this episode, we sit down with John Karpousis, a partner at Freehill Hogan & Mahar who has spent over two decades mastering the complex field of workers' compensation defense. John shares his journey from joining the firm in 1996 to becoming a partner in 2002 and eventually heading its entire workers' comp practice, offering a rare look into what it takes to build a long-term, successful career within a single specialized area of law.

John pulls back the curtain on the strategies and mindset required to effectively defend employers and insurers in high-stakes workers' compensation claims. He discusses the critical importance of specialization and how dedicating a career to one niche can lead to becoming a leader in the field. Drawing on his path from Fordham University School of Law to his current leadership role, John provides a blueprint for younger attorneys on how to navigate firm life, achieve partnership, and build a respected and durable practice from the ground up.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-karpousis-42a4634/
FIRM Website: https://www.freehill.com/

Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://legal.emotiontrac.com/