From Partner to Solo: Launching a Law Firm Brand & Winning Referrals (feat. Rob Hartigan)

Welcome to Legal Late Night! In this episode, host Jared Correia provides a strategic roadmap for small law firm growth and explores the bold journey of launching a new personal injury brand.

First, Jared shares his "Growth Roadmap" for small law firms. He breaks down the five key pillars of scaling a practice: choosing the right technology, implementing process management, developing a hiring protocol, analyzing granular profitability, and diversifying your marketing beyond referrals.

Then, we are joined by Rob Hartigan, founder of LionHeart Injury Law. Rob shares his "origin story" of moving from Boston to Atlanta to support his wife's dream job and launching his own firm in a new market. He discusses the risks of leaving a partnership, the strategy behind creating a unique brand name instead of "Hartigan & Associates," and how he secured a $6 million settlement within his first 18 months. Rob also reveals his secrets for "intentional networking" and why he believes most lawyers are "bad at marketing" on social media.

Finally, stick around for the Counter Program: "The Wheel of Justice." Jared spins the wheel to ask Rob random questions—from his preference for Westlaw's AI features to the "craziest referral" he's ever received (involving a car vs. a tree). Plus, find out why Rob thinks cats are superior to dogs and hear his near-miss encounter with Robert Kraft.

Learn more about Lionhart Injury Law.
And be sure to subscribe on YouTube.
Find our Spotify playlist for this episode here.

Thanks to those supporting this episode:

• Assembly Neos. Visit assemblysoftware.com to learn more and schedule your consultation today.
• Captain Compliance.  Visit captaincompliance.com to easily manage your company's privacy compliance.
• Attorney at Work. Head to Attorney at Work for your one really good idea each day.  Check out their new podcast Attorney at Work Today on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
• Subscribe to Lawyer 2 Lawyer on your favorite podcasting app.

• (00:00) - Intro & Monologue: Growth Roadmap for Small Law Firms
• (02:14) - Selecting the Right Legal Technology & AI
• (03:45) - Process Management: Workflows & KPIs
• (05:29) - Staffing: Hiring Protocols & Retention Strategies
• (07:00) - Financial Management: Granular Profit Analysis
• (07:52) - Marketing: Moving Beyond Referrals
• (10:42) - Introducing Guest: Rob Hartigan (LionHeart Injury Law)
• (11:34) - The Origin Story: Moving to Atlanta & Launching Solo
• (14:16) - Financial Runway: How to Budget for a PI Firm Launch
• (16:51) - Branding Strategy: Why "LionHeart" Instead of "Hartigan & Associates"?
• (19:43) - The "Trailer" Launch Video & Social Media Strategy
• (22:10) - Intentional Networking: Building a Referral Engine
• (26:28) - Expanding Marketing: SEO, Websites, and Avoiding "Bad Marketing"
• (30:09) - "Lawyers in the Wild": Launching a Video Podcast
• (36:25) - Choosing a Tech Stack: Filevine, LeadDocket, & Arctrieval
• (40:13) - Counter Program: "The Wheel of Justice"
• (43:06) - Eating a Peach: Why Atlanta Beats Boston Weather
• (45:09) - Westlaw vs. Lexis: Using AI for Legal Research
• (46:58) - Cats vs. Dogs: Rob's Controversial Pick
• (51:00) - "Mad Money": Rob's $6 Million Settlement Story
• (53:15) - "Referral Madness": The Guy Who Sued a Tree
• (56:00) - Shredding: The Hardest Songs to Play on Guitar
• (01:00:25) - Speed Bump: A Robert Kraft Sighting in Seaport
• (01:04:13) - Conclusion & Outro