The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 222 features Jay Kobak, CEO & Co-Founder at 5 Star Legal Funding, LLC based out of New York.  Jay shares with us that he spent many years in the financial industry offering investment advice to attorneys.  While getting to know these attorneys he heard their frustrations and disappointments regarding their clients’ legal funding issues.  Jay recounts the story of sitting down for a meal with twenty of the top trial attorneys in New York City to figure out how he could make a different in the legal funding industry.  He later went on to assist those attorneys’ clients with their funding needs!  5 Star Legal Funding offers a non-compounding, low cost and lawyer friendly product.  Jay is a passionate and affable individual and tells us that regarding the employees at 5 Star Legal Funding, “Everybody is somebody.”  Jay will go above and beyond to help friends, family, or someone in need. 

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 221 features April Miller Boise, EVP, Chief Legal Officer (Corporate Affairs, Policy, Integrity, Trade & Legal) at Intel Corporation. April shares her story growing up in the Detroit area and having had the opportunity to intern with Saturn for two summers and then General Motors legal staff.  April has a love for the automotive industry and for all things manufacturing, (and even before receiving her JD she worked in manufacturing).  Her experiences from GM, to Honeywell, and to Ford shaped her interest in business law and ultimately capital markets and M&A. April spent time in private practice on Wall Street and later moved back to the Midwest; there, she joined a law firm, where she started the Private Equity Group and became Partner, Managing Partner, and a member of the Executive Committee. In 2011, after 15+ years of private practice, April moved in-house to a GC role in manufacturing, and has never looked back. Intel is a global technology company with an iconic brand, known for being one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies and the only company that researches, designs, and manufactures leading node semiconductors in America. April has the breadth of experience and skills necessary to lead the team forward. 

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 220 features Michael Kopsick, Owner and Attorney at The Law Offices of Michael W. Kopsick, focusing on personal injury in the Chicagoland area of Illinois.  We discuss Michael’s journey to the practice of law from his days Clemson University to attending John Marshall Law School where Michael could pivot from school to providing legal counsel to his hometown community.  Michael has also represented family members and loved ones in wrongful death cases and has a proven track record of success and has achieved excellent results for his clients.  Michael connects well displaying empathy to his clients and aims to maintain working relationships with his adversaries but will increase his fierce advocacy and competitiveness as needed. 

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 219 features Brad and Zach Baber, a father-son team with over thirty years combined legal experience in criminal defense located in Whitley County, IN.  Zach is an active member of the community as a high school football coach, and Brad is a former Navy JAG.  Zach is dedicated to helping attorneys build sustainable, client-focused law practices through his program “Build My Law Practice,” (BMLP) guiding attorneys launching and/or growing the practice they actually want. Zach’s goal is to help his fellow lawyers establish thriving law firms with clarity and confidence.  Zach and Brad strive to serve, lead, and make an impact.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 218 features Yasmin Morshedian, court reporter and founder of YM Legal Services!  Yasmin takes us behind the scenes of her entrepreneurial journey—from becoming a court reporter to launching her very own court reporting agency in South Florida. She shares invaluable advice on how lawyers can choose the right court reporting agency for their practice, and opens up about the highs and lows of building a business from the ground up. Yasmin’s story is a powerful blend of hard work, perseverance, and passion. Her journey is full of practical insights and inspiration that will resonate with both legal professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs alike.  We are grateful to have Yasmin as part of the Lawyer Stories Connect community!

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 217 features Travis Meltzer, Founding Attorney at Valley Injury Law in Phoenix, Arizona.  Travis shares his story with us and after defending the insurance companies for five years, decided to utilize his skills to help people injured by others’ negligence to ensure the best result in light of their injuries.  Travis has a relaxed manner and is naturally compassionate, truthful, and possesses a unique ability to understand ability to communicate with clients from all facets of life.  Travis prides himself on taking cases from intake to trial and tell us to “Be yourself,” and approach cases with interaction not just as a process.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 216 features Ross A. Brennan, Trial Lawyer at Cronauer Law, focusing on personal injury and civil rights law in Texas. Ross shares his story, first serving on active duty in the Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps for five assignments, attaining the rank of Major. After Honorably separating from active duty, Ross worked full-time an investigator and his investigations pertained mostly to civil rights, employment discrimination, and matters of federal civil litigation.  After some time, Ross missed the courtroom and brought his unique experience to Cronauer Law’s Texas office.  (Cronauer Law also has an office in Sycamore, Illinois and it was our pleasure to host C. Nicholas Cronauer on Episode 117 of the Lawyer Stories Podcast.)  Ross tells us to be innovative and efficient, and that if you can state something simply, you don’t understand it well enough.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 215 features C. Glen Ged, Founding Partner at Ged Lawyers focusing on personal injury and personal injury protection (PIP) claims throughout Florida and Massachusetts.  Glen has established a reputation as one of North America’s most compassionate and dedicated lawyers and one of the country’s most aggressive litigators, earning thousands of referrals from clients and lawyers nationwide. He has successfully represented many clients in severe personal injury and wrongful death cases.  Glen was featured in Forbes in an article “How Ged Lawyers is Taking on Corporate America,” and Ged Lawyers takes great pride in being an innovative law firm changing the game with their advanced technology.  Lawyer Stories had the pleasure to record our first-ever live podcast with Glen prior to our epic Miami Connect event.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 214 features Cynthia Runge, founder and owner of Peridot Family Law LLC in Boston, Massachusetts (also admitted in New York.) We discuss Cynthia’s interest in pursuing a law degree, completing her undergrad in Boston and law school in California.  About ten years after receiving her JD, Cynthia’s interest in the arts led her to receiving a certificate in Museum Studies.  Now, Cynthia has a focus on family law, collaborative law, divorce mediation and care and protection matters. Cynthia’s background also includes experience in landlord/tenant and real estate law in addition to intellectual property matters for artists and non-profits. For more information, you can check out Cynthia’s website at www.peridotfamilylaw.com.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 213 features Jordan M. Jones, Trial Attorney licensed in California and Michigan, Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy ("NBTA"), and Owner at Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyers.  We discuss Jordan’s Lawyer Story and the recent launch of his law firm, Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyers. (www.trucklawyers.com). Jordan has litigated over one hundred trucking cases since he began more than a decade ago and is currently one of two lawyers in California who is a Board Certified in truck accident law by the NBTA.  Jordan has also been a big supporter, guide, and friend to Lawyer Stories, appearing on the second episode of the Lawyer Stories Podcast with Benny Gold!