In our latest TaftCast episode, Kathy Major, business development director in the Cleveland office, interviews business and litigation partner, Ron Holman, on his tried and true approach to business development. Ron succinctly and purposefully eloquently: 

• Shares his views on developing long-term relationships with potential clients;
• Explains how he has successfully bridged the gap with clients during COVID; and 
• Offers advice for younger attorneys on simple strategies for business development (hint: it’s all about the human connection). 

In the second collaboration with our business development newsletter The Buzz, Beth O’Mahoney, business development director in Taft’s Chicago office, speaks to Steve Fretzin, business development coach and the author of three books including Sales-Free Selling.

Steve shares insights into his book, some of the obstacles attorneys face in starting  — and sticking with — a business development program, ways to continue to bring in business when traditional networking is not an option, and building a referral network. Learn more about Steve on his website: fretzin.com.  

Dubbed by The New York Times Magazine as “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare” in an article published on Jan. 6, 2016, Taft partner Rob Bilott has represented a diverse array of clients, nationwide, who have been harmed by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “Forever Chemicals.” His work is the subject of the feature film, “Dark Waters,” and the documentary “The Devil We Know,” is detailed in his book, “Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer’s Twenty-year Battle Against DuPont.”

 In this episode of TaftCast, Taft Business Development Director Kelly Sharpe catches up with Rob to hear what he’s been busy with recently, get his thoughts on what it takes to persevere through a case of this duration, and the lessons learned along the way. Rob also provide some great insights into the book writing process and his involvement with the film.  

Resources for Episode Notes

• Exposure Book 
• Dark Waters Film 
• The New York Times Magazine Article (1/6/2016)
• Taft DuPont Settlement Release (2/13/2017)
• Taft Book and Movie Release (11/22/2019)
• Seize the Moment Podcast (2/28/2021)
• Press Release for Proposed Legislation to Create Access to Medical Monitoring for Victims of Significant PFAS Exposure (4/22/21)
• Video Clip of Press Conference with Mark Ruffalo (4/22/21) 
• Traverse City Eagle Article Covering the Press Conference (4/25/2021)

Marked annually on March 8, International Women's Day is a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. On this episode of TaftCast, listen in on a discussion between Taft’s Gender Advancement Committee (GAC) co-chairs, partners Tracy Betz and Sonya Jindal Tork; associates Nicollette Khuans and Allison Smith Newsome; and senior business development manager Megan Riley. Hear the advice Tracy and Sonya would give themselves as new college graduates and as mid-level associates, challenges they’ve faced in their careers, and more about GAC initiatives.

On this episode of TaftCast, Tiffany Moore, Business Development Director (Minneapolis), speaks to three of the 19 newly elected partners about their transition into partnership.

Hear from Amanda Juelson (Minneapolis), Philip Williamson (Cincinnati), and Ryan Hiler (Indianapolis) how they celebrated in pandemic times, what they’re looking forward to in their partnership, and how they will be elevating their business development efforts. Plus, get to know these new partners on a more personal level. Can you guess who is an avid strategy computer gamer? 

Content marketing is now more important than ever as our ways of interacting with clients and potential clients has been limited due to COVID.

Good writers and speakers know that adding personality to your content is key in keeping people watching and reading. When developing marketing content, it is critical to make it interesting in order to keep people engaged. 

In the first collaboration with our bi-weekly business development newsletter The Buzz, Beth O'Mahoney, director of business development in Taft's Chicago office,  takes a deeper dive into personalizing your content and offer additional tips.

As we continue to adapt to our new virtual and hybrid work environments, it is important to find new ways to connect with clients and continue building these important relationships.

In our timely new TaftCast episode, “Virtual but Not Forgotten: Connecting With Clients in a COVID World”, you'll hear strategies and ideas for creative client engagement. This episode features Kathryn Ferrell, event marketing manager (Chicago) and Kristine Migely, senior marketing and events specialist (Minneapolis), with special guest, Jing Jin, Taft Minneapolis partner, who will discuss the importance of virtual business development and how she is connecting with clients during this unusual time. 

Hosted by Taft’s Marketing and Business Development team, TaftCast is the new podcast and webcast series for Taft attorneys and staff to share helpful tips, trends, opportunities, and insights in an informal and conversational way. While this is currently an internal resource, we will add to this platform in the future with an external focus for prospects, clients, and referral sources.

The newest podcast in our TaftCast series features three Taft attorneys -- Rob McDonald, Janica Pierce Tucker, and Mick Terrell  -- who have all been very successful at building their own personal brands. Hear their stories and advice for simple ways you can build a stronger personal brand, how it can set you apart from others, and ultimately grow your business.

If you have any questions or need any support in developing or enhancing your personal brand, please reach out to Rob, Janica, Mick, or any member of the Marketing and Business Development team.

Additional Resources: Your Personal Brand Worksheet and Brand Onion

We hope you enjoy this resource, and we welcome your feedback and topic ideas for future episodes. To access the full list of episodes in the TaftCast series, please visit the internal TaftCast webpage.

Our next episode will feature Taft's Marketing experts Kelly Sharpe and Megan Riley who will help you prepare and make effective pitches and proposals. Stay tuned!

To Download Audio: hover over the bottom right of the audio toolbar with your cursor and click on the upload icon. On the next screen, click the download button. 

Taft’s Marketing and Business Development team is pleased to launch a new podcast and webcast series – TaftCast – for Taft attorneys and staff to share helpful tips, trends, opportunities, and insights in an informal and conversational way. While this is currently an internal resource, we will add to this platform in the future with an external focus for prospects, clients, and referral sources.

In our first episode, hear from Taft’s own experts – Kelly Sharpe, business development director (Indianapolis) and Michael Burger, competitive intelligence and rankings coordinator (Chicago) – demystify Chambers USA and offer advice on how to create a strong and successful submission. (Additional resource: Chambers Methodology)

We hope you enjoy this new resource, and we welcome your feedback and topic ideas for future episodes. Our next episode will feature three Taft attorneys regarding how they built their personal brands. 

To Download Audio: hover over the bottom right of the audio toolbar with your cursor and click on the upload icon. On the next screen, click the download button.