Welcome to 2022! This episode is all about the LawFlip referral platform. Believe it or not, LawFlip is more than just the name of a podcast—it's also the hottest new app in the legal tech space. It's already helping lawyers refer and find new business without ever having to leave the comfort of their phones and computers. The way it works is simple:  Lawyers with business to refer post leads to the platform, lawyers looking for business apply for said leads on the platform (which helps lawyers find the right matches for their clients), and clients get high quality work done for them when there's a successful match.

The LawFlip referral platform is a story of old friends becoming partners in executing a vision. I started my career at an internet marketing company doing legal work and business development, and quickly recognized the future potential impact of technology in the legal industry. I spent a few years advising tech companies, moved in other directions, and had the vision for the LawFlip platform a few years ago. I have known Aric Haut for 25 years. Aric is a successful serial entrepreneur who got in on the ground floor of this idea. Over 15 years ago, he introduced me to Louis Benowitz a few days before we started law school together. Louis is a truly revolutionary legal thinker who is behind some of the biggest developments in California wage and hour law.  Jordan Rothstein has become a fast friend who has helped with the technology side of launching the platform.

We have all worked together to bring the Alpha version of the LawFlip platform to life. We believe the platform will be revolutionary in helping lawyers be less miserable. It will do so by assisting them in making more money, getting more cases, ethically helping their clients and friends, and saving them hours of avoidable misery. This episode embodies everything the LawFlip podcast has been about these past few years.

I’m fascinated by different legal marketing and litigation tactics. Last month we talked to the King of Billboards, Jacob “Call Jacob” Emrani. This month, I interviewed Lisa Bloom, the Princess of Press Conferences(her mother, Gloria Allred, is the queen, of course).  In this Episode of LawFlip, Lisa and I discuss what is common among sexual misconduct defendants she’s faced (Trump, Epstein, O’Reilly, and Cosby, etc.), why press conferences are effective, her “colossal mistake” representing Harvey Weinstein at the beginning of the “me too” era, confidentiality agreements in sex abuse cases and so much more.  Check out the episode on YouTube.

Also, if you’re an attorney interested in learning how to earn referral fees or generate new leads, your new lawyer to lawyer platform (also named LawFlip) is something you should try immediately. The great part is that it is absolutely free to join and use as we are still operating in “alpha mode,” working out the kinks.  If you’re interested, please email me at [email protected] or sign up at www.lawflip.com

If you live in Los Angeles, you have seen Jacob Emrani's "Call Jacob" billboard advertisements. He is arguably the OG of eye-popping lawyer billboards.  In his first-ever podcast appearance, Jacob sets the record straight on how he operates as both a marketer/advertiser and attorney.  We speak about perhaps his most notorious billboard which was deliberately hung upside down, his 2018 billboard campaign imploring Lebron James to sign with the Lakers, what a day in his life looks like, and so much more.  This is an instant classic LawFlip episode that is both entertaining and informative. Check it out!

In 2008/2009, I obsessively studied for and passed the two hardest bar exams in the country- New York and California.  That brutal year of tests, combined with the stress of extremely high stakes litigation and the ups and downs of life, exacerbated an existing eating disorder to the point where I knew I needed help. Life coach Mike Bayer was the one who I reached out to to help me find treatment. Fast forward to 2021, Coach Mike and I have both evolved a lot! It was so great to catch up with Mike and reflect on how things were back then, his rising stardom and success (2x NY Times bestselling author, a Dr. Phil regular, recovery expert and Tik Tok star), and all things law, life, victimhood and so much more.  Check out this episode to hear about all this, and how he got over 4M likes on Tik Tok by giving out advice while wearing Speedos.

Issues surrounding the Trans community have become a part of the mainstream media in recent years, and yet, for some reason, I’ve have a hard time talking about this subject. In fact, I’ve written and rewritten this summary five times. Why is it so tough? Maybe it’s because I don’t want to offend anyone?  But as a lawyer whose practice centers around fighting for the oppressed, including the LGBTIA community, I know my heart is in the right place.  So that is precisely why I feel so lucky to have Cadyn Cathers(PsyD) on Lawflip this month. He is an entrepreneur, professor of psychology, who happens to be a trans man.  Cadyn and I discuss his childhood, how he came out (he actually came out multiple times), common trans misconceptions, how to combat transphobia, why over 80 percent of us do not know a Trans Person, and if Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox adequately represent the Trans community.

Divorce is one of the most challenging events one can experience. I know because I’ve gone through it myself. It’s also possible to go through it and have everyone come out stronger on the other side. I’m still in the early stages of this chapter of my life, but I couldn’t think of a better person with whom to discuss this subject than Laura Wasser.  She just so happens to be the most famous divorce attorney in the world.

On this week’s episode of lawflip, we speak about how famous people deal with divorce, prenuptial agreements, how information is power and much more. Laura represents a who’s who of “A Listers”, including Kim Kardashian, Johnny Depp, Britney Spears and many others. She’s also dealt with divorce herself and has not one, but two baby daddies.  Laura discusses the balance of being a top lawyer, a startup founder of It’s Over Easy and mother of 2 and has great advice for those considering marriage or divorce.  Somehow, we still managed to make the conversation light and fun.  For the full episode, please click the link in the bio.

There can be no doubt that Los Angeles is one of the greatest cities in the world.  It’s also deeply fraught with corruption, nepotism, and insider politics. 

In this episode of LawFlip, Yale educated (smarty pants) Sam Yebri Joins us for an entertaining and informative discussion.  We discuss the biggest issues facing Los Angeles: homelessness, crime, Black Lives Matter, Newsom/Garcetti, anti-semitism, Persian food/culture and so much more.  Sam, a dedicated husband and father of four, describes what might seem like a mind-boggling decision (particularly for a Persian in LA)  to give up his private law practice to work for the City of Los Angeles.  By the end of the episode, that decision starts to make sense.

How to Get Successful as an Entrepreneur: At a Glance

➢ Have a solid business plan
➢ Have a futuristic and realistic mindset
➢ Have a business strategy in place
➢ Make sure that you have a talented, loyal, and reliable team
➢ Hold everyone accountable for their actions
➢ Take risks when necessary for what you believe in
➢ Keep it consistent, and don’t try to do everything by yourself
➢ Communicate to get past stuff that’s stopping you from exploding as a business

Read on for insights and a better understanding.

In this episode of LawFlip, Benjy Smith discusses entrepreneurship mindset, strategies, partnerships, and family support with our guest, Brett Marz. Brett is the co-founder of now 200 million dollar company BAMKO—one of the leading branding platforms that help manufacturers make real-time, informed business decisions.

Brett started the company 20 years ago in a dorm room with a childhood friend. Brett and his team took a disruptive approach towards a more rewarding, long-term problem-solving business model.

BAMKO team had a relentless mindset as they were hungry for success. It’s a story of struggle, betrayal, hardships, and some early failures.

What got Brett through tough times was the trust that he had in his partners, the support that he got from his loving friends and family, and the ideals of business that he inherited from his parents.

If you are an aspiring or struggling entrepreneur, watch this episode to refresh your lost or newly found entrepreneurship spirit again!

Before telling you about this month’s episode of Lawflip, I’m going to share something very personal about what’s been going on with me:  It’s been 55 days since I began experiencing what turned out to be a combination of partial hearing loss and tinnitus. 

For those of you who don’t know about tinnitus, it’s a miserable condition that causes you to hear sounds in your ear (like ringing, clicking, and other crazy sounds that make the voice that’s ordinarily inside your head sound chill). Aside from dealing with these terrible symptoms, I’ve had a series of treatments in hopes of resolving them (including, among other things, several steroid injections in my eardrum and spending time in a hyperbaric chamber). While things aren’t as bad as they were at their worst, these conditions and treatments are definitely NOT fun and the unknown can be scary. 

Because life does sometimes imitates art, it’s worth noting that just six months ago I had the amazing Ronen Nazarian (a board-certified otolaryngologist in Los Angeles) on Lawflip to talk about his amazing work to restore people’s hearing. During these past 55 days, Dr. Nazarian has been incredible for me (to say the least)! 

In light of these recent experiences, Dr. Kaveh Navab (an incredible anesthesiologist and deep philosophical thinker) and I spend this episode of Lawflip discussing various setbacks and challenges (including health, business, financial, and others). I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I always enjoy conversing with him. 

When going through tough times, it’s critical to remember that you have to hold on tight to special friends who will be there for you (like Ronen and Kaveh)! With these thoughts in mind, please give this month’s episode a listen!

After working in law, then restaurant management, Gabriel Halimi took an idea for a water leak detection system that his father (an engineer) came up with in his garage and built a successful start-up company (which he then sold for a substantial, but undisclosed, sum to a publicly-traded company). 

This episode follows Gabriel's entrepreneurial journey from startup to acquisition. Benjy and Gabriel discuss an array of topics including the role of a startup company's CEO as a storyteller for potential investors, time management and optimizing productivity for entrepreneurs and startups, the challenges of fundraising (including some fundraising strategies that actually worked), and finding mutually beneficial working relationships with employees while recognizing that people change companies at various points during their careers. The episode closes with the Legal Tip of the Month sponsored by Smith & Benowitz!