New Solo

Microsoft products assist lawyers daily in document review and communication. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to Ben Schorr, senior content developer at Microsoft, about the different tools Microsoft provides and how they lend themselves to a successful law firm. Their conversation includes Microsoft Office 365, OneDrive, and Outlook. They also discuss resources you can use to learn even more about Microsoft products. Ben Schorr is a Senior Content Developer at Microsoft. He was a Microsoft MVP for more than 19 years and involved with management and technology for more than 25. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1, PerfectIt, and Unbundled Attorney

Law schools are gradually catching on, but not a lot of lawyers emerge from law school ready to start their own business, which is what starting a practice is. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to Matthew Moeller, owner of the Moeller Firm, about how he started his practice, what technology he’s using, and how his business experience has helped him. He also talks about the upsides and downsides of a shared office space and why he ended up moving to his own suite. Matthew Moeller is the owner of the Moeller Firm LLC where he represents shipyards, vessel owners and operators, contractors, and other maritime businesses.

Taking the plunge into solo practice can be intimidating. Maybe even downright terrifying. But it doesn’t have to be. This is part 2 of the New Solo episode in which host Adriana Linares talks to Rose-Ellen Fairgrieve, Tony Chiosso, and Albert Thuesen about their experiences running their own solo law firms and advice for those thinking about doing the same. Their tips and tricks range from scanners they use in the office to marketing techniques and social media. Whether you are looking for experience with video conferencing software or finding a solo community, these experts have you covered. Rose-Ellen Fairgrieve has been a practicing attorney in the public and private sector for nearly 20 years. She has owned Fairgrieve Law since 2013. Albert Thuesen is the principal of Coit Law Group (CLG), founded in 2014 in San Francisco. CLG is a full service civil practice, focusing on handling litigation claims on behalf of individuals, families, and local business clientele. Tony Chiosso recently started his own firm, Chiosso Law. He has represented clients in a variety of transactional, consulting and litigation matters throughout his career. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1, PerfectIt, and Unbundled Attorney.

Nothing encourages the jump into starting a solo practice than the advice of those who have already done it. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks to Rose-Ellen Fairgrieve, Tony Chiosso, and Albert Thuesen at the Bar Association of San Francisco’s first annual Solo and Small Firm Conference. Together they discuss their own solo experiences, focusing on how they started and what it took to grow as a firm. They also talk about the tech they use, like Google Voice, GoDaddy, and Ruby Receptionists, and the importance of researching these products that could save you time and money. Rose-Ellen Fairgrieve has been a practicing attorney in the public and private sector for nearly 20 years. She has owned Fairgrieve Law since 2013. Albert Thuesen is the principal of Coit Law Group (CLG), founded in 2014 in San Francisco. CLG is a full service civil practice, focusing on handling litigation claims on behalf of individuals, families, and local business clientele. Tony Chiosso recently started his own firm, Chiosso Law. He has represented clients in a variety of transactional, consulting and litigation matters throughout his career. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio, Answer1, PerfectIt, and Unbundled Attorney.

The market is changing for law firms. A majority of clients cannot afford full representation as it traditionally functions. Recently, attorneys have been adjusting or “unbundling” their services to make them more affordable, a process also known as limited scope representation. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares discusses unbundled legal services with Dave Aarons, CEO of Unbundled Attorney, a company that works with attorneys who offer these types of services. In their discussion, Adriana and Dave cover what unbundled legal services are, whether they are accepted by courts everywhere, and the ideal logistics behind law firms that offer these services. They also raise the subject of lowering initial retainer prices and adopting a pay-as-you-go system. The thought is, communicating affordable options to potential clients could be what keeps your clients from walking away from full representation. Dave Aarons is the co-founder and CEO of Unbundled Attorney, a lead generation company that works exclusively with attorneys that offer unbundled legal services, also known as limited scope or discrete task representation. Special thanks to our sponsors, Solo Practice University, Clio, Answer1, and PerfectIt.

Starting a new practice can be intimidating and many attorneys never take the leap towards owning their own firm. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks with Cahill-IP, PLLC Founder Amy Sullivan Cahill about her journey and how podcasts helped her gain the courage to start her own firm. Amy Cahill is founder of Cahill-IP, a law firm based out of Louisville, KY. Her practice focuses on trademark and copyright litigation, advertising review, trademark prosecution, trade secret counseling and litigation, licensing, and transactional matters. Special thanks to our sponsors, Solo Practice University, Clio, and Answer1.

Deciding to leave a large law firm is a challenging decision and can often leave an attorney questioning what the future holds. It can be even more intimidating starting your own solo law firm during such a tumultuous time. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks with Cade Law LLC owner Nate Cade about his experiences leaving a large law firm and starting his own solo practice. Nate Cade is the owner of Cade Law LLC, which he started on March 1, 2013. Prior to forming his own law firm, Nate was a partner and the general counsel in a large multi-office law firm and previously a partner for 15 years at one of the largest firms in Milwaukee. Special thanks to our sponsors, Solo Practice University and Clio.

Many attorneys are reluctant to try alternative billing methods because they fear that moving away from the billable hour will be complicated and less profitable. Furthermore, lawyers who are interested in billing alternatives often don’t know where to find resources to help them implement such changes in their own law firms. In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks with Vandenack Weaver LLC founder Mary Vandenack about her six simple steps for any lawyer looking to successfully implement alternative billing methods in their law practice. Special thanks to our sponsors, Solo Practice University and Clio.

In this episode of New Solo, host Adriana Linares talks with Vandenack Weaver LLC founder Mary Vandenack about lawyers using alternative billing models. Mary defines alternative billing as any way of charging for a law firm's services that isn’t the billable hour and talks about her experiences breaking away from a large firm and starting her own. She shares an interaction with a client that led her to consider alternative fees and explains that a common fear among lawyers when discussing alternative billing is under charging for your services. Mary advises attorneys to analyze their process, break those methods down into pieces, and to then price those pieces accordingly. She provides examples of different styles of alternative billing and closes the interview with an analysis of their pros and cons.

In this episode of New Solo, Adriana Linares talks with Adams and Reese LLP Partner Jeff Richardson about publishing his blog “iPhone J.D.” and his tip for lawyers using Apple mobile products. Jeff opens the interview with a brief history of his occupational past and talks about his New Orleans upbringing. He states that his law practice focuses on class action and complex litigation typically representing defendants when they are sued and that half of his work is appellate practice for all sorts of clients. His firm operated on both Macs and PCs at one time but decided to become a PC-only firm in the early 2000s. As a long time Mac user in both his personal and professional life, Jeff started his blog in 2008, focusing on discussing the different ways attorneys can use Apple mobile technology in their law practices and firms. He notes that all tech today is complicated and emphasizes how learning the little things about a device can make people both happy and productive. Jeff covers the top 3 questions lawyers ask him about Apple mobile platforms and goes in depth on the importance of choosing the right size of product for your everyday legal needs. He closes the interview with his list of the 6 apps that lawyers can’t live without and a few examples of how he uses mobile devices in the courtroom. Jeff Richardson focuses on class action and complex litigation, but also devotes a large portion of his practice to appellate litigation. He has defended numerous clients in high-stakes product liability litigation and publishes “iPhone J.D.,” a website for attorneys who use iPhones and iPads that has been named to the ABA Journal Blawg Hall of Fame. Jeff received his J.D. with high honors from Georgetown University Law Center in 1994, and earned his B.A. with highest honors from Emory University in 1991. Special thanks to our sponsors, Solo Practice University and Clio.