Spill The Ink

Elizabeth Petit is the Director of Research and Development and Managing Editor at Best Lawyers. Her role involves oversight of planning, research and execution for the company’s programs, including Best Lawyers and Best Law Firms. She also works as Best Lawyers’ in-house Project Manager for any of their new business ventures.  Elizabeth’s career branches into arts management at First Avenue Associates and as adjunct faculty of art history at the University of South Carolina. Despite her many roles, Elizabeth still finds time to volunteer at the Harvest Hope Food Bank. In this episode: The conversation continues on the in-depth process of ranking law firms. In the last episode, Michelle Calcote King spoke with Michael Rafalowich of Benchmark Litigation. This week, she talks with Elizabeth Petit of Best Lawyers about their unique approach to law firm rankings. Best Lawyers is the only purely peer-reviewed resource for law firms and lawyers. Their methodology is designed to reflect the thoughts of other leaders who have worked directly with the nominee. They attempt to remove outside influences and accurately report the common consensus. For more than 30 years, they have remained one of the most important references in the legal world. Now they reveal more of their process and what you need to know for your rankings. Michelle Calcote King hosts Elizabeth Petit, Director of Research and Development and Managing Editor at Best Lawyers, to learn more about how they rank law firms. They go over their qualifications, how they consider diversity and their response to feedback. Elizabeth then goes over the common mistakes and best advice for law firms to help their rankings. Find out all this and more on this episode of the Spill the Ink! podcast.

Michael Rafalowich is the Litigation Managing Editor at Euromoney Institutional Investor. He has been with the company for more than 12 years, entering as a writer and editor before starting his current position in 2013. Euromoney is among Europe’s greatest financial institutions and a leader in business publishing with Benchmark Litigation. Michael is known as a proficient writer and researcher, with his main expertise in legal and financial industries. His diverse career has spanned from freelance work to credit consultation to working as a criminal courts researcher. He applies that same research mentality to bolster the Benchmark Litigation brand and increase its readership. In this episode: Exposure is crucial for the success of any law firm. The competitive nature of litigation means that a high ranking in a prestigious publication can lend some much-needed credibility. It also helps draw attention to the good work your law firm has already done, helping separate the wheat from the chaff.  On the other hand, these publications have to be incredibly selective with who they choose. Promoting any law firm can ruin their seal of approval and lose the trust of their audience. This creates a symbiotic relationship where great firms get the recognition they deserve while the publications earn their status as a reliable source. So what exactly defines a leading firm and how do you apply those attributes to your firm?  On this episode of Spill the Ink!, Michelle Calcote King interviews Michael Rafalowich, the Litigation Managing Editor at Euromoney Institutional Investor. Together, they dive into how Benchmark Litigation researches and ranks law firms across the United States and Canada. Michael discusses his criteria, why he visits firms in person and how they can improve their standing. They also talk about how Michael responds to feedback from firms about their rank. Stay tuned!

Ken Hardison is the President of PILMMA, a marketing and management resource designed for attorneys. PILMMA, or the Powerful Innovative Legal Marketing and Management Association, works to provide its members with the tools and education to grow their law firm. In conjunction with his company, Ken is also a legal marketing coach and certified Scaling Up coach, having worked in the industry for more than 30 years. In that time, he has developed and sold two different seven-figure law firms. Known as the “Millionaire Maker,” he shares his knowledge with other attorneys so they can reach their full potential. In this episode: How do you find your edge as a law firm? Marketing is a necessity for lawyers, but the competition is fierce. With so many other law firms, it can be difficult to grow your brand. There are a hundred different ideas on how to grow your firm, but which ones are actually effective? This is where experience is key. Ken Hardison is a lawyer and Scaling Up coach that has more than 30 years of experience in the field. He has grown two separate law firms that were worth seven figures when sold. His passion is found in sharing his expertise with other attorneys so they can also grow their businesses. Want to hear some of his insights? Michelle Calcote King talks with Ken Hardison, President of PILMMA, to walk through his approach to legal marketing. The two discuss how to find your niche as a law firm, some common mistakes lawyers make when advertising and how best to use grassroots marketing. Ken even goes into rising trends in legal marketing that you should be on the lookout for. Find out all of this and more by listening to this episode of Spill the Ink!

Melissa Costello is the Creative Lead and Chief Storyteller at MELISSACOSTELLO.com. Her passion is found in telling the stories of people and businesses through creative video marketing. She started the company in 2016 and has worked with clients such as Magic Johnson and President Barack Obama.  Melissa has been awarded domestic and international honors for the videos she produced over a 30-year career. Now she applies those same skills to help companies of all sizes establish their brand. In this episode: Marketing, when broken down to its core idea, is telling a story to sell a product. Oftentimes, the latter half of that process is what gets emphasized. Traditional marketing can feel rote and predictable to audiences, failing to connect when it should. Meaningful storytelling in video marketing, however, can engage both potential clients and the business itself. It’s a bold change of pace that is not only compelling but also effective. Melissa Costello specializes in these kinds of marketing videos, designed to build brands and tell their stories. She knows what works, having notable clients such as Mayor Rahm Emanuel and President Barack Obama. She recently has been focusing her award-winning storytelling on businesses, and now shares those same concepts with you. On this episode of Spill the Ink, Michelle Calcote King sits down with Melissa Costello, Creative Lead and Chief Storyteller of MELISSACOSTELLO.com, to talk about how to sell through storytelling. From knowing how to use emotion to learning how she makes her videos, Melissa walks listeners through her in-depth process. They also dive into Melissa’s early career and how she found her unique passion. Stay tuned!

Adrian Dayton is the Founder and CEO of ClearView Social, a company that helps simplify social media for professionals. He is known for his keen understanding of social media and business development for lawyers, having practiced law himself in the past. Adrian has trained over 22,000 professionals and often shares his knowledge as a keynote speaker and retreat facilitator. Adrian is also a writer whose work has been published in Forbes, Above the Law and the National Law Journal. He is the author of two books: LinkedIn and Blogs for Lawyers and Social Media for Lawyers: Twitter Edition.  Outside of his career, Adrian is an avid hiker and has reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Mount Rainier in Washington. In this episode: Is your social media holding back your law firm? Lawyers typically have a wide skill set, but outreach is rarely at the top of the list. In the modern age, social media is becoming more important to attract clients and establish your brand. The difference in visibility between a robust LinkedIn presence and a floundering one is night and day. So, what is the secret to a successful social media brand? For Adrian Dayton, his passion is sharing his social media expertise with lawyers and professionals internationally. He does this through his SaaS company, ClearView Social, his keynote events and his books to name a few. Now, he adds a podcast to that growing list. Michelle Calcote King interviews Adrian Dayton, the Founder and CEO of ClearView Social, to break down his advice for improving your professional social media. They discuss how to work LinkedIn to your benefit, which platforms you should use and how to strike the balance between being personal and being professional. They also get into how COVID has changed the social media landscape — and how to adjust. Tune in to hear it all on this episode of Spill the Ink.

David Ackert is a pioneer in business development innovation and is the Founder and President of Ackert Inc. He has over two decades of experience in developing revenue acceleration programs, including Trainer, Viewer and Pipeline. He serves as Founder for the Executive Roundtables for Law Firm Leaders and The Business Development Institute, both of which seek to give lawyers the tools they need to succeed. David has mentored thousands of professionals over his extensive career. He continues to serve as a keynote speaker at partner retreats and guest lecturer at universities such as UCLA and USC. He also hosts the Market Leaders Podcast, where he interviews thought leaders in the legal marketing industry. In this episode: Amidst the constant grind of law firms, technology can oftentimes be ignored. Priority is placed either on tradition or more immediate concerns, leaving little room for advancement. Business development then gets pushed to the side when it could be the main source of growth. David Ackert has noticed this gap left by underutilized CRMs and has sought to fill it with his company, Ackert Inc.   David Ackert is a business development mentor, having two decades of experience in revenue acceleration programs. His company has tailored its services to fit each law firm and created software like PipelinePlus and Trainer to help their clients with business development. His expertise has helped thousands of professionals utilize practical technology and grow their practice. On this episode of the Spill the Ink Podcast, Michelle Calcote King sits down with David Ackert, Founder of Ackert Inc., to find out his approach to business development. They talk about what separates PipelinePlus from other CRMs, the psychology behind lawyers and legal marketers and where technology is heading from here. Stay tuned to learn all this and more!

Wendy Merrill is a successful businesswoman of many titles, including author, executive, speaker and consultant. She is currently the Executive Vice President of Growth Strategy and Branding at DRI, which seeks to sharpen the skills of defense attorneys. Simultaneously, Wendy still serves as the Founder of StrategyHorse Consulting Group. Their passion is to inspire leadership and growth in young professionals through unique workshops and retreats. Wendy’s first book, Path to Impact: The Rising Leader's Guide to Growing Smart, was published in 2019 and is also designed to cultivate leaders of the next generation. Outside of her work, she enjoys mentoring, traveling and riding her horse. In this episode: Mentorship has always been a key component when working with the law. Lawyers not only spend many years at university, but are then guided in the early days of their career. The infrastructure has changed over the years but the core idea remains the same—the best lawyers learn from mentorship. It’s up to established leaders to help newer attorneys get started. For Wendy Merrill, her passion is helping lawyers and professionals grow into leaders. Almost every aspect of her career is designed to give back to the attorneys of the future. From serving as Founder of StrategyHorse Consulting Group to her book Path to Impact: The Rising Leader's Guide to Growing Smart, she has led many professionals to success. Now, she shares her insights with you. Michelle Calcote King takes the time to interview Wendy Merrill, the Executive Vice President of Growth Strategy & Branding at DRI, and get her perspective on the changing world of law. They discuss what DRI offers to defense attorneys, how to use LinkedIn to build your brand and how millennials are changing the landscape. Find out the details on this episode of the Spill the Ink Podcast.

Aaron Y. Strauss is the Founder and Managing Partner of A.Y. Strauss, a firm that provides legal counsel for commercial transactions and litigation in the areas of commercial real estate, construction contracting, labor and employment, bankruptcy and franchising law. At A.Y. Strauss, Aaron is responsible for establishing the firm’s long-term strategy and vision. He oversees a team of nationally recognized attorneys who deliver top-level professional work and personalized, highly responsive service.  Before founding A.Y. Strauss, Aaron practiced at Kelley, Drye & Warren LLP and Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti LLP. Aaron was recognized as a “rising star” in commercial real estate law for four years in a row by Super Lawyers Magazine. In this episode: To succeed as a small law firm, you don’t have to compete with the big companies; you just have to build your brand and reputation to do work on par with the large firms. So, how exactly can you do this? And how do you stay on track for exponential growth?  As someone who has started his own firm, Aaron Y. Strauss knows how to build a fantastic team and culture. According to Aaron, business development is about trust, patience and providing a large platform for opportunity. When you focus on these areas, you’ll be able to grow with your clients, expand your network and build a reputation for your firm.  In this episode of Spill the Ink, Michelle Calcote King is joined by Aaron Y. Strauss, Founder and Managing Partner of A.Y. Strauss, to talk about building your law firm’s brand and culture. Aaron discusses how to succeed and adapt to changes as a young lawyer, what to look for when hiring your team, his social media tips for smaller brands and how to develop a culture that aligns with your firm’s values. Stay tuned!

Ken Levinson is a Founding Partner of Levinson and Stefani, a Chicago-based firm focusing on personal injury law. Ken has spent over 20 years helping represent disenfranchised clients against corporate giants, and he serves as an advocate for accident survivors and child safety. Ken is also the Vice-Chair of the American Association for Justice Trucking Group and the co-author of the latest edition of Litigating Major Automobile Injury and Death Cases. Ken has been recognized as one of the top attorneys in Illinois by Leading Lawyers and Super Lawyers magazines. He was also named one of the “40 Lawyers Under 40 to Watch in Illinois” by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company. Ken is one of only 100 trial lawyers from Illinois selected for The American Trial Lawyers Association, a competitive, invitation-based membership program. In this episode: Is your firm thinking about narrowing its area of expertise? Do you want to know how to better market your firm to its target audience? If so, tune in to this episode of Spill the Ink to get all of the details! As an attorney who has found his niche, Ken Levinson can confirm the benefits that come from specializing within your area of practice. According to Ken, you’ll be able to market yourself directly to your target audience, allowing you to gain better-suited clients and a reputation for being the best in your area of practice. If you’re still on the fence about your niche or uneasy about marketing yourself, Ken has some advice that you won’t want to miss. In this episode of Spill the Ink, Michelle Calcote King sits down with Ken Levinson, Founding Partner of Levinson and Stefani, to talk about the value of finding your niche and the best way to market your business. Ken discusses why having an area of expertise can help your practice thrive, the way that he uses social media and how to market your company — even if you’re not a marketing specialist. Plus, Ken shares his expert tips for adapting to the changing industry of law. Stay tuned! 

Jamie Rubin is a Partner at InfoLawGroup LLP, a national boutique law firm focusing on the intersection of privacy and data security, technology, advertising and marketing. Jamie specializes in advertising, marketing and promotions law, new media law, technology law, privacy law and entertainment law.  At InfoLawGroup LLP, Jamie works on national and digital advertising campaigns, celebrity spokesperson agreements, sweepstakes, user-generated content promotions and much more. He is recognized as a “Leader in the Field for Media & Entertainment” by Chambers and Partners and was named one of the “40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch” by Law Bulletin Publishing Company. In this episode: As a small law firm, how do you develop and uphold marketing strategies, diversity in the workplace and specialty practices? Are you keeping up with changing industry trends? What can you do to prepare for future changes?  With nearly 20 years of experience at a small law firm, Jamie Rubin has learned to adapt to many industry changes. One of Jamie’s main strategies for consistent success is to be organized, communicative and focused on each client’s specific needs. In this episode of Spill the Ink, Michelle Calcote King is joined by Jamie Rubin, Partner at InfoLawGroup LLP, to talk about how a small law firm can find success. Jamie discusses how he found his niche, the importance of communication with clients and different ways to market your business. Stay tuned for more!