Latte With a Lawyer

Welcome back to Latte with a Lawyer—the essential podcast for attorneys seeking entrepreneurial inspiration. In this episode, Tim Hansen, founding partner of Hansen Reynolds, shares the incredible story of leaving a stable Big Law job to launch a litigation boutique with no cases and no clients. Tim explains how he and his partner leveraged the 2008 recession to attract top-tier talent, growing their firm from just two founders in 2011 to 27 litigators across four cities today. He offers a candid look at their 'barrister model' and the strategic bet on a cloud-first infrastructure that made them nimble from day one.

But the journey wasn't a straight line. Tim unpacks the surprising 'alternative fee paradox'—why clients often resist the innovative pricing models they claim to want—and demystifies the world of high-stakes litigation finance. He also reveals an unlikely source of inspiration for his firm's collaborative culture: the 80s TV show *L.A. Law*. From a career-defining 'garbage bag epiphany' as a young waiter to building a practice that handles complex shareholder oppression and investment fraud cases, Tim provides a masterclass in grit, gratitude, and what it truly means to 'think like a lawyer'.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-hansen-24ab4928/
FIRM Website: https://hansenreynolds.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 lawyers exploring the industry's most unconventional career paths. In this episode, we meet Shawn Stottlemyer, a partner at Mooney Law whose journey to the courtroom included eleven years delivering pizzas and a detour to professional baseball umpire school. Shawn explains how this non-traditional background shaped his powerful work ethic and his approach to criminal defense, embodying his motto: "I haven't came across anybody that cannot work me."

Shawn provides a fascinating look inside one of his most memorable cases: a man charged with homicide who became incompetent to stand trial after a self-inflicted traumatic brain injury. He details the complex legal "gray area" that resulted in his client living at home while the charges remain pending in perpetuity. Shawn also shares his unique trial preparation tactics, including bringing in other attorneys to run mock cross-examinations on his clients, and explains why he views captivating a jury as similar to how a comedian commands an audience.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-stottlemyer-0ba05863/
FIRM Website: https://www.mooney4law.com/

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

Welcome to Latte with a Lawyer—the essential podcast for attorneys who want to master a high-value niche. This episode features Richard W. Brown, a partner at Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C., who has carved out a powerhouse practice representing policyholders against their insurance companies. With a practice that is 65% focused on the construction industry, Rich details how his firm secures coverage for some of the largest builders in the world, including Gilbane and Turner Construction. He also reveals how his background as a college football linebacker and his JD/MBA from Quinnipiac shaped his team-first approach to hiring and litigation.

Rich pulls back the curtain on the massive numbers at stake in his cases, from a $20 million claim on a Boston seaport high-rise to a billion-dollar loss in Manhattan. He shares the story of arguing a $33 million property damage case before New York’s highest court and explains the tactical genius behind threatening a jury trial—a strategy he used to corner an insurer into settling after a sports dome collapsed under the weight of snow. He also discusses his firm's growing use of contingency fees to help clients who can't otherwise afford to fight for the coverage they paid for.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-w-brown-1979b3a/
FIRM Website:

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

Welcome back to Latte with a Lawyer—an insightful podcast for attorneys exploring the frontiers of legal practice. In this episode, we meet Kathleen Rigaut, a partner at Howson & Howson who took one of the most unconventional paths into law. Kathleen shares her journey from a PhD scientist at the NIH developing immunotoxins to cure cancer, to a chance meeting at Philadelphia's Union League that pivoted her entire career. She gives a candid look at her determination, from working full-time while attending law school at night to building a premier biotech patent practice over 23 years, all while fueled by a 10-cup pot of Folgers coffee every morning.

Kathleen pulls back the curtain on the high-stakes world of biotech IP, revealing her strategy for writing patents as 'packages that big Pharma wants to buy'—a method that has secured major licensing deals with Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb. She breaks down the creative tension of drafting patents to block competitors without stifling future innovation, and dives into cutting-edge examples from her practice, including a revolutionary 'covid gum' that traps viruses and the 'brave new world' of in-utero gene editing. Kathleen also recounts the cautionary tale of a 'therapeutic sponge' patent that earned $100 million a year, only to be embroiled in a decade of litigation that put the patent attorneys themselves in the crosshairs.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-rigaut-635156/
FIRM Website: https://www.howsoniplaw.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 seeking an authentic edge in a crowded market. Our guest, Hunter Garnett, is a first-generation lawyer who grew up on a family farm and was the first in his family to graduate from a university. Hunter explains how his blue-collar background is a superpower, giving him an innate ability to connect with the conservative juries of North Alabama. He shares why his ideal client is someone hesitant to call a lawyer—and why he sees calls from the crash scene as a major red flag and a potential "lottery ticket" mentality he wants to avoid.

Hunter also pulls back the curtain on the unconventional marketing and management strategies fueling his firm's growth. He breaks down his "horse trailer" social media approach, detailing how a selfie video taken in his pickup truck before a mediation generated immediate client calls. He also reveals his counterintuitive hiring philosophy: building a robust team of in-person and virtual assistants from the Philippines and Mexico to systematize everything from medical records to client follow-up, ensuring his tenth employee will be a lawyer, not his second. Hunter details how this leverage allows him to focus on what he loves—trying cases and winning in the courtroom.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunter-garnett-56895876/
FIRM Website: https://huntsvilleinjurylawyers.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 who want to master the art of proactive counsel. In this episode, Brandon L. Morrow, a partner at Kramer Rayson, reveals why the most critical moment in employment law happens before a lawsuit is ever filed. As a first-generation lawyer who has spent his entire career at one firm, Brandon explains his philosophy of getting involved early to help clients navigate complex terminations, using tools like performance improvement plans to shape the facts and mitigate risk, proving that an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure.

But when litigation is unavoidable, Brandon’s strategy shifts to systematically dismantling the plaintiff's case. He walks through how he recently used a motion for partial summary judgment to slash a potential half-million-dollar claim down to a fraction of its original value. Brandon also shares the story of a high-profile case where he defended one of Knoxville's oldest African-American churches, winning on First Amendment grounds by arguing the court had no jurisdiction over an internal religious dispute. Plus, he gives a surprising take on where to find the most up-to-date legal analysis, citing Twitter as his go-to source during the SCOTUS vaccine mandate debate.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-l-morrow-995b9621/
FIRM Website: https://www.kramer-rayson.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 exploring the industry's most dynamic career paths. This week, host Jonathan Brickman sits down with Patrick Hammon, a partner at McManis Faulkner, who shares his journey from the mega-firm world of Skadden to a nimble 20-attorney boutique. Born into a family where his father and three brothers are all lawyers, Patrick explains how he embraced a generalist practice, taking on everything from Fortune 50 corporate defense and Silicon Valley trade secret litigation to the deeply personal—including family law and an unforgettable case involving a dispute over a decedent's remains.

But a broader practice requires a sharper strategy. Patrick pulls back the curtain on the critical difference between court litigation and the new reality of arbitration, where he warns that treating the two identically is a fatal mistake. He explains why your discovery tactics matter more than ever, as the arbitrator who rules on your motions is the same person who decides the final outcome. Patrick breaks down how this single fact should fundamentally change your approach to transparency and conflict, sharing insights from his firm's 'trial lawyer' DNA to help you win in any forum.

Linkedin:
FIRM Website: https://www.mcmanislaw.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 lawyers who want to build a smarter practice. In this episode, host Jonathan Brickman sits down with James Grant, a founding partner who has radically re-engineered the personal injury law firm model. James reveals how his firm operates on a purely B2B basis, acting exclusively as the litigation department for other PI firms. This unique focus allows his attorneys to handle a staggering 180 to 250 cases each—more than double the industry average—by eliminating pre-litigation work and perfecting their processes.

James shares the unlikely journey that led him from being a civil engineer at Georgia Tech to a high-efficiency trial attorney, and explains why hiring a business coach was the "single best thing" he ever did for his firm. He pulls back the curtain on the specific systems that fuel their growth, from leveraging Microsoft Power Automate and a global team of virtual assistants to deploying a multi-wave discovery strategy designed to "5x the pre-litigation offer." For any attorney looking to scale their operations and run their practice like a true business, this conversation is a masterclass in process, delegation, and strategic focus.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-grant-ba0b5328/
FIRM Website: https://www.gtakg.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 tracking the high-stakes world of litigation. This week, host Jonathan Brickman sits down with Eric Frisch, a veteran trial lawyer who has spent over two decades defending professionals against malpractice claims. With Georgia seeing a recent, staggering $75 million medical malpractice verdict, Eric explains how he manages risk in a state with virtually no tort reform caps. He details the intense preparation required to be a practitioner's shield, from deep dives into complex medicine with experts to mastering the art of educating a jury on concepts they've never encountered.

But what happens when the client refuses to settle, even when the case seems unwinnable? Eric pulls back the curtain on the unique 'consent to settle' clause in professional liability policies, which puts the client in the driver's seat. He shares the surprisingly 'liberating' experience of trying a case he was certain to lose, and the freedom that comes from free-wheeling it in the courtroom. Eric also recounts his fascinating career journey, from choosing his law school to be in Atlanta for the '96 Olympics to starting his career on the plaintiff's side, where he won a sizable verdict in a landmark race discrimination case against a Waffle House before switching to defense.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billy-f-jones/
FIRM Website: https://www.moyewhite.com/

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

Welcome to Latte with a Lawyer—the essential podcast for attorneys navigating the modern legal landscape. In this episode, we sit down with Dafney Dubuisson Stokes, a partner at Wong Fleming who made the remarkable leap from social work to high-stakes commercial litigation. Dafney shares her unique career path, from teaching life skills to inner-city kids in Boston and working with children in specialized foster care, to deciding to pursue law. She gives a candid account of why she pivoted away from her initial plan of family law to instead represent the "big bad guy"—the banks and financial institutions on the defense side of the table.

Dafney pulls back the curtain on her practice, detailing her work in commercial collection and defending auto finance companies in federal court. She explains the crucial distinction she learned at Temple Law School between a theoretical education and a practical one that teaches you to "actually know what to do"—a philosophy that now guides her own recruiting. Dafney also offers a sharp take on why a reasonable settlement means "no one walks away actually happy" and shares her ambition to argue her first case in front of a jury, revealing the realities of a practice where most of the job is drafting documents, not delivering courtroom speeches.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dafney-dubuisson-stokes-esq-5224ba57/
FIRM Website: https://www.wongfleming.com/

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