This Legal Life: Lessons Learned from a Life in Legal

In this episode of This Legal Life, Ben Chiriboga talks with Carolyn Elefant, founder of MyShingle.com, about her diverse career in law, from energy regulatory work to pioneering solo practice and AI integration. Carolyn shares insights from her 30+ years of experience, discussing the evolution of solo law practice, the impact of technology on the legal profession, and her journey through entrepreneurship and advocacy. The conversation highlights Carolyn’s passion for innovation and empowering lawyers to embrace change.

In this episode of This Legal Life, Ben Chiriboga sits down with Josh Anisfeld, Chief Digital Officer at Baretz+Brunelle, to discuss the evolving role of digital strategies in law firms. Josh shares his journey from working in media and marketing to helping top law firms embrace digital growth. The conversation covers the impact of digital tools on client engagement, talent acquisition, and personalized content. Josh also offers insights on how law firms can adapt to the new legal economy by leveraging technology for competitive advantage.

Josh's Bio:

Josh Anisfeld is the Chief Digital Officer at Baretz+Brunelle, a growth advisory firm to the world’s preeminent businesses in the legal industry. He heads all of B+B’s digital services, working with law firms and other legal industry businesses to develop digital marketing initiatives, firm-wide digital transformation, and innovative campaigns that directly support their business goals.

Prior to joining Baretz+Brunelle, he created the digital marketing function at Heidrick & Struggles, the international executive search firm, managing all efforts across the firm’s 50+ offices and 2,200 professionals globally. During his tenure at Heidrick & Struggles, he built a fully integrated digital ecosystem within the global marketing team, which generated a significant return on investment.

Throughout his career, Josh has built a reputation for being a forward-thinking marketer and effective problem solver. Josh develops digital initiatives that advance well-defined goals, focus on the user and lead to measurable results. Josh’s past experience includes work with top global brands at Edelman Digital, Critical Mass, Golin (previously GolinHarris), and Zeno Group.

Connect with Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshanisfeld/

Learn more about Baretz+Brunelle:: https://www.baretzbrunelle.com

In this episode of This Legal Life, Ben Chiriboga speaks with Ben Paul, founder of BD Ladder, about the evolving role of AI in legal business development. They explore how AI can enhance client relationships, streamline content creation, and support personalized outreach. Ben shares practical examples of how AI serves as an enabler of efficiency, allowing lawyers to focus on authentic connections while still benefiting from AI’s data analysis and automation.

Ben Paul has over 20 years of experience in sales and marketing, specializing in business development coaching, facilitation, and consultancy for professional services firms. He primarily works with lawyers, accountants, engineers, and other consultants, helping them understand the business development process and build their brands. Previously, Ben served as the Business Development and Marketing Director at Kensington Swan, where he played a key role in the firm's combination with Dentons and its subsequent rebranding. He has also worked for global accountancy firms, delivering best-practice proposals across networks.

For more details, visit: https://www.bdladder.com/

In this episode of This Legal Life, Ben Chiriboga sits down with David Wood, former senior partner and founder of David Wood Consulting, to discuss the intricacies of succession planning in law firms. With over 25 years of experience, David shares insights on transitioning client relationships, preparing successors, and the cultural and compensation challenges that hinder successful succession. The episode delves into David's personal journey and the lessons learned from navigating multiple firm environments and his transition to consulting.

About David:

In the lead-up to his retirement, David Wood spent hundreds of hours migrating his $6 million practice to top-flight younger partners. An inspired motivational speaker, David now presents to firm leaders and partner gatherings about the urgency of replacing senior partners who generate disproportionate shares of firm revenue. He also advises firms on how to plan and execute intergenerational turnovers of their top producers and managing partners.

David has written about succession topics for The American Lawyer, Bloomberg Law Insights, the Business of Law Digest, the ALM Marketing the Law Firm Newsletter, the Association of Legal Administrators’ Legal Management magazine, the ALM Accounting and Financial Planning newsletter, and Legal Business World magazine. He has presented at ALM events including its regional General Counsel Roundtables and its Pro Webinar series, and at conferences produced by marketing consultant PipelinePlus. David has appeared on the Association of Legal Administrators’ Legal Management Talk podcast and the Furia Rubel podcast On the Record. He is a faculty member for Lawline CLE on retirement succession topics.

Please follow David’s thought leadership on his blog and on LinkedIn. He can be reached at [email protected].

In this episode of This Legal Life, Ben Chiriboga sits down with Moray McLaren, a seasoned legal consultant and thought leader, to explore the evolving landscape of leadership in law firms. Over the course of 30 years, McLaren has observed significant shifts in client relationships, strategy implementation, and law firm cultures. They discuss the role of leadership in addressing profitability challenges, partner alignment, and the future of law firm structures. With insights from his extensive experience, McLaren offers a critical reflection on the behaviors holding law firms back and the growing need for empathetic, accountable leadership.

Moray has been advising law firms for almost 30 years. A lawyer by training, he completed an MBA in legal services before assisting a London law firm on its global expansion.

Today he advises top independent law firms as they review their practice focus, governance, remuneration and ownership models. Many are coming to terms with the changing needs of their people and their clients during what are increasingly challenging times.

He is a member of the Möller Institute at the University of Cambridge and a Professor at the LawAhead Centre at IE Business School in Madrid.

As a business school professor and executive coach, Moray works with leaders who want to improve their team performance. He speaks and publishes widely on law firm strategy and was the inaugural Chair of the Strategy Group of the IBA´s Law Firm Management Committee (LFMC).

10 part series on the Path into Partnership:

Watch here

The Spanish language introduction by Mari Cruz:

¿Qué supone ser socio de capital en una firma de abogados? | Pathway to Partnership (Intro) (youtube.com).

Our other thought leadership is available on the website here: Market Trends | lexingtonconsultants

In this episode of "This Legal Life," host Ben Chiriboga sits down with Matt Schwartz, a partner and the US Finance practice group leader at DLA Piper. They discuss Matt's journey in the legal industry, his role at DLA Piper, and his perspectives on the evolving landscape of legal finance. The conversation provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities within the legal finance sector and highlights the importance of innovation and strategic thinking in legal practice.

In this episode of This Legal Life, Ben Chiriboga sits down with Craig Budner, Global Strategic Growth Partner at K&L Gates, to discuss his 33-year journey in the legal industry. They explore the power of mentorship, the importance of curiosity, and the evolving role of lawyers in today’s dynamic legal landscape.

About Craig:

Craig W. Budner is the Global Strategic Growth Partner for K&L Gates LLP. In this role, he manages the global recruiting and integration functions for the firm. He also manages the firm’s Client Growth department, which provides business development, marketing, and media relations services. Additionally, he plays a key role in managing the firm’s business and operations as a member of the management and advisory committees.

Craig maintains a national practice focused on commercial litigation, arbitration, and strategic counseling, with a strong emphasis on litigation outsourcing. His experience is particularly valuable to clients in the financial services sector, helping them navigate complex sourcing challenges. In addition to his work in outsourcing, Craig has extensive experience representing major creditors and bondholders in bankruptcy-related litigation, as well as handling a wide variety of commercial disputes for technology companies and financial institutions.

In 2020, Craig was recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” in Dallas/Fort Worth for Litigation – Banking & Finance. He was also named to the 2022 inaugural class of D Magazine's Best Lawyer Hall of Fame. Since 2020, Craig has moderated over 100 panels around the world with leading general counsels and other executives and has moderated the plenary panel for the last seven years at the Association for Corporate Counsel Europe’s Annual meeting. He also hosts a podcast entitled, K&L Gates Client Conversations with Craig Budner that has earned hundreds of thousands of listeners and followers around the globe.

Among his civic and charitable activities, Craig is a Past President of the Vogel Alcove Board, a day care facility for homeless families in Dallas. Craig and his wife Dawn founded, and Craig served as Chair of the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance for 12 years, a program offering debate to inner city students in the Dallas school district. He was awarded the 2013 Ann Loeb Sikora Humanitarian Award and the 2010 Prince Henry Navigator of the Year Award for Public Service. Most recently, Craig was the 2023 Honoree during the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues Annual Dinner at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

In this episode of "This Legal Life," Ben Chiriboga, Chief Growth Officer at Nexl, sits down with Alistair Marshall, a seasoned expert in business development and professional services.

Alistair shares his journey from the consumer goods industry to becoming a leading consultant in the legal sector. They delve into the challenges and opportunities of business development within law firms, highlighting Alistair's new book, "Grow Your Professional Service Practice: A Practical Guide to BD." The conversation covers key topics such as the evolution of business development in the legal industry, the importance of establishing a BD culture, and strategies for retaining top talent.

Tune in for actionable insights and practical advice on navigating the competitive landscape of legal business development.

About Alistair:

Alistair Marshall has helped 1000’s of lawyers in hundreds of law firms to win new work

Unlike many other consultants who are very theoretical, Alistair has a hands-on, practical approach, free of jargon and business school nonsense.

His specialty is implementing simple, achievable, and cost-effective business solutions for boutique practices through to large international firms.

His track record demonstrates consistent results in achieving double digit growth in new client instructions.

His new book ‘Gore your Professional Services Practice - The Practical Guide to BD’ will be available on Amazon from next week.

Website. www.professionalservicesbd.com.au

LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistairmarshall1967/

In this episode of "This Legal Life," host Ben Chiriboga welcomes Julie Chodos, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider, to explore her dynamic career journey from law to tech and back to law firms. Julie shares insights on transitioning from litigation to tech startups, where she thrived in sales and marketing, and later into strategic leadership roles in the legal industry. The conversation highlights the importance of innovation, collaboration, and embracing change within law firms. Julie emphasizes meeting people where they are, the significance of process building, and the value of continuously trying new things. This episode offers valuable lessons for legal professionals seeking to lead and innovate in a rapidly evolving industry.

In this engaging episode of “This Legal Life,” host Ben Chiriboga sits down with Tim Duffy, an executive coach specializing in mindfulness, to explore how meditation can transform the high-stress environment of legal professionals. Tim shares his journey from a high-pressure career in the entertainment industry to becoming a mindfulness advocate, highlighting how meditation helped him manage stress, anxiety, and depression. The conversation delves into the science of mindfulness, its application as a "psycho-technology" for optimizing mental well-being, and its potential to enhance productivity and collaboration within legal teams. Tim emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence, offering practical insights on integrating mindfulness practices into daily life and organizational culture.

Tim Duffy is a Mindfulness-based Executive Coach & Keynote Speaker, a former Fortune 500 Executive, a 3-time startup founder, and an Emmy-winning Producer/Director. Specializing in Executive Retention for high stress industries, Duffy has worked with individuals and teams at some of America's most iconic brands including Paramount, Netflix, Airbnb, and Amazon.