“It’s hard to break through the clutter of fighters trying to get attention.”Larry MerchantIt’s a clusterf*^k out there. Breaking through the clutter that inundates our lives is a considerable challenge. We all receive hundreds of emails daily; spend hours responding; become glued to our phones...
“I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats.I don’t intend to waste any of mine.”Neil ArmstrongMost lawyers love the law. For many, their careers overtake their lives to the point where they carefully eke out “vacations”, while still plugged in. They may have...
I interviewed Robert (Bob) Darwell, a big name in entertainment law who has top studio executives around the world on speed dial, and was impressed by his focus on service. Service is at the core of how he built his practice, how he manages his...
“Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.” – Anonymous I believe the ultimate elixir for depression, stress, and pressure is humor. If you can keep a sense of humor, dealing with challenges and defeats is far easier. I find thinking of people in my life...
“Taking initiative pays off. It is hard to visualize someone as a leader if she is always waiting to be told what to do.” – Sheryl Sandberg This should be easy but it is something far too many practitioners fail to do. Ask for business from...
“The mark of a good conversationalist is not that you can talk a lot. The mark is that you can get others to talk a lot. Thus, good schmoozers are good listeners, not good talkers.”Guy KawasakiI really hated networking. You know what I’m talking about....
“Loyalty is a fine quality, but in excess, it fills political graveyards.”Neil KinnockBritish PoliticianIn my career, I have been criticized for being too loyal to colleagues who later turned out to be untrustworthy. It is admittedly one of my faults. I have a deep feeling...
“You are you, and that is the beginning and the end - no apologies, no regrets.”Henry KissingerNever Apologize for Your Billing Rate. Establishing your billing rate is not rocket science. It’s a mathematical formula that takes into account a variety of factors. It’s the number...
“It’s not the people you fire who make your life miserable. It’s the people you don’t.”Dick GroteSome relatively random observations might give readers a few nuggets they can use. Fire Clients Before They Fire You. All lawyers have clients who can be very demanding. Maybe...
“You must trust and believe in people, or life becomes impossible.”Anton ChekhovThere are more sayings about trust than we could ever quote. But without trust, Chekhov was right. Life would be impossible.Those who were critical of the risks I took cautioned me I should not...
