SAN DIEGO
Volume 175, 2018 $6.95
5 Absolute Musts for Effective Law Firm Intake
Consultwebs.com Zero $ Investment: Fast Lane For Lawyers on LinkedIn
D. B. Wienke
How Lawyers Can Mindfully Cope With Changes Coming To the Legal Profession
Petris Lapis
Community News 11 “MORE” SEO Specialists Share Their Best Tips for Lawyers
Chris Dreyer
How to Become a Motivational Leader at Your Firm
Brian Tracy
Attorney of the Month
Michael E. Cindrich,
Law Offices of Michael E. Cindrich, APC, San Diego
Defending Clients Against the True Cost of Cannabis Prohibition
GOING TO TRIAL – NEED EXPERIENCED HELP?
SPECIALIZING IN BET-THE-COMPANY CASES OVER 50 YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE REFERRALS/SUBSTITUTIONS ACCEPTED AT ALL STAGES OF LITIGATION, INCLUDING TRIAL •
Antitrust/Unfair Competition
•
Banking Litigation
•
Business Litigation
•
Class Action
•
Contract Disputes
•
Employment Law/ Wrongful Termination
•
Professional Negligence Litigation
•
Intellectual Property Litigation
•
Real Estate Litigation
•
Libel/Defamation Litigation
•
Securities Litigation
•
Partnership Disputes
•
Trust and Estate/Probate Litigation
•
Personal Injury/Wrongful Death
501 West Broadway Suite 1720 San Diego, CA 92101 619-487-1500 | www.kirbyandkirbylaw.com
WITH US, BUSINESS IS PERSONAL Always Get The Red Carpet Treatment At Jilio-Ryan DEPOSITION SERVICES
VIDEO SERVICES
ONLINE & MOBILE SERVICES
•Certified Court Reporters
•Certified Legal Videographers
•Online Deposition Scheduling
•Court-Appointed Official Reporters
•Video Conferencing
•Online Document Repository
•Certified Legal Interpreters
•Video Deposition Streaming
•Jilio-Ryan Mobile App
•24/7, Last Minute Scheduling
•Video Transcript Synchronization
•Mobile Transcripts
•Nationwide Deposition Coverage
•Digital Deposition Streaming
•Productivity Enhancing
•Deposition Suites, Conference Centers
•Video Editing Tools
Transcript Tools
•Realtime Depositions •Electronic Transcripts •Electronic Transcript CD •Litigation Support Software Integration
Over 100 Years Combined Court Reporting Experience
•Complete Case Management
W W W. J I L I O R YA N . C O M
800.454.1230
2018 EDITION—NO.175
TABLE OF CONTENTS 6 How to Become a Motivational Leader At Your Firm by Brian Tracy
12 Community News ATTORNEY OF THE MONTH
EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Brian Topor EDITOR Wendy Price
16 Michael E. Cindrich, Law Offices of Michael E. Cindrich, APC, San Diego Defending Clients Against the True Cost of Cannabis Prohibition by Dan Baldwin
CREATIVE SERVICES Skidmutro Creative Partners
22 Zero $ Investment: Fast Lane for Lawyers On LinkedIn
CIRCULATION Angela Watson
by D. B. Wienke
PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Griffiths
24 Eleven “MORE” SEO Specialists Share Their Best Tips for Lawyers
STAFF WRITERS Dan Baldwin Jennifer Hadley CONTRIBUTING EDITORIALISTS Brian Tracy D.B. Wienke Chris Dreyer Petris Lapis WEBMASTER Mariusz Opalka ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Info@AttorneyJournal.us SUBMIT AN ARTICLE Editorial@AttorneyJournal.us OFFICE 30211 Avenida De Las Banderas Suite 200 Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 www.AttorneyJournal.us ADDRESS CHANGES Address corrections can be made via fax, email or postal mail.
16
28
by Chris Dreyer
28 How Lawyers Can Mindfully Cope With Changes Coming to the Legal Profession by Petris Lapis
30 Five Absolute Musts for Effective Law Firm Intake by Consultwebs.com
30
Editorial material appears in Attorney Journal as an informational service for readers. Article contents are the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of Attorney Journal. Attorney Journal makes every effort to publish credible, responsible advertisements. Inclusion of product advertisements or announcements does not imply endorsement. Attorney Journal is a trademark of Sticky Media, LLC. Not affiliated with any other trade publication or association. Copyright 2018 by Sticky Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without written permission from Sticky Media, LLC. Printed in the USA
REFERRAL & CO-COUNSEL RELATIONSHIPS
Your
NEVADA
PERSONAL INJU RY PA RTNER
NEVADA’S LARGEST & HIGHEST RATED INJURY LAW FIRM Your
NEVADA
“Rick is one of the best lawyers in the country. I call him every time I have any issue in Nevada and would not hesitate to refer him any type of case ofPERSONAL any size.” INJURY PA RTNER ~ C. Michael Alder, Esq., Alder Law, Los Angeles, California CAALA Past President and Former Trial Lawyer of the Year
“I recently co-counseled a serious Las Vegas injury case with Rick Harris and his law firm. Rick’s advocacy and skills are extraordinary, and were instrumental in resolving and maximizing our client’s sizable recovery.” ~ Carl Wolf, Esq., Callaway & Wolf Northern California Super Lawyers San Francisco, California
© 2016 RHLF
How to Become a Motivational Leader at Your Firm by Brian Tracy
A leader should not only guide others to ensure great professional success, but also inspire, influence, and most importantly, motivate their employees. Here is a guide by Brian Tracy on how to become a motivational leader at your firm. The Leader as Role Model
It’s been said, “Leadership is not what you do, but who you are.” This, however, is only partially true. Leadership is very much who you are, but it cannot be divorced from what you do. Who you are represents the inner person, and what you do represents the outer person. Each is dependent on the other for maximum effectiveness. The starting point of motivational leadership is to begin seeing yourself as a role model, as an example to others. One key characteristic of leaders is that they set high standards of accountability for themselves and for their behaviors. They assume that others are watching them and setting their own standards according to what they see.
Leadership Power
In business, there are several kinds of power. Two of these are position power and ascribed power: Position power is the power that comes with a job title or position in any organization. If you become a manager in a company, you automatically have certain powers and privileges that go along with your rank. You can order people about and make certain decisions. You can be a leader whether or not anyone likes you. 6
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
Ascribed power is the power you gain because of the kind of person you are. In every organization, there are people who are inordinately influential and looked up to by others, even though their positions may not be high up on the organizational chart. These are the men and women who are genuine leaders because of the quality of the people they have become, because of their characters and their personalities. Over the years, we have been led to believe that leaders are those who stride boldly about, exude power and confidence, give orders and make decisions for others to carry out. However, that is old school thinking. The leader of today is the one who asks questions, listens carefully, plans diligently and then builds consensus among all those who are necessary for achieving the goals. The leader does not try to do it by him- or herself. The leader gets things done by helping others to do them.
Motivational Leading
This brings us to five of the qualities of motivational leaders. These are qualities that you already have to a certain degree and that you can develop further to stand out from the people around you in a very short period of time. 1. Vision. This is the one single quality that, more than anything, separates leaders from followers. Leaders have vision. Followers do not. Leaders have the ability to stand back and see the big picture. Followers are caught up in day-to-day activities. Leaders have developed the ability to fix their eyes on the horizon and see greater possibilities. Followers are those whose eyes are fixed on the ground in front of them and who are so busy that they seldom look at themselves and their activities in a larger context. The most motivational vision you can have for yourself and others is to “Be the best!” Many people don’t yet realize that
excellent performance in serving other people is an absolute, basic essential for survival in the economy of the future. Many individuals and companies still adhere to the idea that as long as they are no worse than anyone else, they can remain in business. That is prehistoric thinking. We are now in the age of excellence. Customers assume that they will get excellent quality, and if they don’t, they will go to your competitors so fast, people’s heads will spin.
self-delusion, of living in a fantasyland. The motivational leader insists on seeing things exactly as they are and encourages others to look at life the same way. As a motivational leader, you get the facts, whatever they are. You deal with people honestly and tell them exactly what you perceive to be the truth. This doesn’t mean that you will always be right, but you will always be expressing the truth in the best way you know how.
2. Integrity. This is perhaps the single most respected quality of leaders. Integrity is complete, unflinching honesty with regard to everything that you say and do. Integrity underlies all the other qualities. Your measure of integrity is determined by how honest you are in the critical areas of your life. Integrity means this: When someone asks you at the end of the day, “Did you do your very best?” you can look him in the eye and say, “Yes!” Integrity means this: When someone asks you if you could have done it better, you can honestly say, “No, I did everything I possibly could.” Integrity means that you, as a leader, admit your shortcomings. It means that you work to develop your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses. Integrity means that you tell the truth and you live the truth in everything you do and in all your relationships. Integrity means that you deal straightforwardly with people and situations and that you do not compromise what you believe to be true.
5. Responsibility. This is perhaps the hardest quality to develop. The acceptance of responsibility means that, as Harry Truman said, “The buck stops here.” The game of life is very competitive. Sometimes, great success and great failure are separated by a very small distance. In watching the play-offs in basketball, baseball and football, we see that the winner can be decided by a single point, and that single point can rest on a single action, or inaction, on the part of a single team member at a critical part of the game. Life is very much like competitive sports. Very small things that you do, or don’t do, can either give you the edge that leads to victory or take away your edge at the critical moment. This principle is especially true with regard to accepting responsibility for yourself and for everything that happens to you.
3. Courage. This is the chief distinguishing characteristic of the true leader. It is almost always visible in the leader’s words and actions. It is absolutely indispensable to success, happiness and the ability to motivate other people to be the best they can be. In a way, it is easy to develop a big vision for yourself and for the person you want to be. It is easy to commit yourself to living with complete integrity. But it requires incredible courage to follow through on your vision and on your commitments. You see, as soon as you set a high goal or standard for yourself, you will run into all kinds of difficulties and setbacks. You will be surrounded by temptations to compromise your values and your vision. You will feel an almost irresistible urge to “get along by going along.” Your desire to earn the respect and cooperation of others can easily lead to the abandonment of your principles, and here is where courage comes in. 4. Realism. Realism is a form of intellectual honesty. The realist insists upon seeing the world as it really is, not as he wishes it were. This objectivity, this refusal to engage in self-delusion, is a mark of the true leader. Those who exhibit the quality of realism do not trust luck, hope for miracles, pray for exceptions to basic business principles, expect rewards without working or hope that problems will go away by themselves. These all are examples of
Motivate Yourself First
You become a motivational leader by motivating yourself. And you motivate yourself by striving toward excellence, by committing yourself to becoming everything you are capable of becoming. You motivate yourself by throwing your whole heart into doing your job in an excellent fashion. You motivate yourself and others by continually looking for ways to help others to improve their lives and achieve their goals. You become a motivational leader by becoming the kind of person others want to get behind and support in every way. Your main job is to take complete control of your personal evolution and become a leader in every area of your life. You could ask for nothing more, and you should settle for nothing less. Leadership presence is also an important quality in a leader. Check out our free webcast on how to build personal influence in your organization n Brian Tracy is the Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations. One of the top business speakers and authorities in the world today, he has consulted for more than 1,000 companies and addressed more than 5,000,000 people in 5,000 talks and seminars throughout the United States and more than 60 countries worldwide. He has written 65 books and produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on management, motivation, and personal success. Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
7
8
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
The world’s leading immigration law firm, right here in San Diego.
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE IN IMMIGRATION
From visas and work permits to advisory services and corporate compliance, we work with each client to understand their business and immigration priorities. As the industry leader in immigration law, we’re here in San Diego working with individuals, investors (EB-5), families, small start-ups, mid-size local companies and large corporations in the state’s most prominent industries.
FRAGOMEN, DEL REY, BERNSEN & LOEWY, LLP
11238 El Camino Real, Suite 100 San Diego, CA 92130 www.fragomen.com/sandiego T +1 858 793 1600
Karine Wenger, Partner kwenger@fragomen.com
AGGRESSIVE. ETHICAL. EXPERIENCED. We are here to help. Let us be a part of your team! If your serious personal injury or wrongful death case is complex or involves workers’ compensation, longshore, maritime or potential entitlement to Social Security disability, partner with us to maximize case value. Referral fees paid.
• • • •
Super Lawyers: 2015 – 2018 • BBB A+ Rating AVVO Rating: 10.0 Superb • AV® PREEMINENT™ Martindale-Hubbell® Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Member 10 Best Rating – Client Satisfaction – American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys™
350 10th Ave, Suite 900 | Diamond View Tower | San Diego, CA 92101 | 619-515-0222 | bendergritz.com
10
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
IS YOUR LAW FIRM MAKING
THE BEST IMPRESSION?
We’ll help you put your best foot forward. From logos and brochures to websites, strategy, writing and beyond, we’ve got you covered!
Jenny Strauss, Partner & Brand Strategist 215-460-0835 jenny@skidmutro.com
Ideas, Design, Marketing … Powerful Results!
View our portfolio at skidmutro.com
COMMUNITY news Environmental Law Group LLC
announces that Jana Mickova Will has joined the firm. Will has practiced law in San Diego for nearly 20 years. Will’s practice is focused on land use, environmental, and public agency law. She has extensive expertise in land use litigation and appeal, environmental compliance, and entitlement approval. JANA MICKOVA WILL While serving over a decade as a Deputy City Attorney for the City of San Diego in land use, Will successfully handled many high-profile development projects involving the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), California Coastal Act, Subdivision Map Act, Mitigation Fee Act, California Public Records Act, and the San Diego Land Development Code, attaining several published Court of Appeal decisions. Will received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law, and her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. She is fluent in Czech. Solomon Ward Seidenwurm &
Smith, LLP has announced that Aubree Green and Leah Strickland have been made partners of the firm. Strickland is a member of the firm’s litigation practice group. Strickland is a member of the San Diego County Bar Association’s Legal Ethics Committee and Appellate Practice Section. She AUBREE L GREEN received her J.D. from William & Mary School of Law, where she was a recipient of the merit-based Graduate Research Fellowship, served as a member of the Law Review, and was admitted into the William & Mary Chapter of Order of the Coif. Green, who will join the partnership effective July 1, is a member of the firm’s business and corporate and real LEAH S STRICKLAND estate practice groups. Green received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law, where she was a member of the San Diego Law Review and her B.A. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
12
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
Epsten Grinnell & Howell, APC
announces the promotion of Carrie M. Timko, Esq. to Shareholder. Carrie joined the firm as a Senior Attorney in February of 2007, practicing in both the litigation and transactional departments. After years of representing clients in litigation, Carrie transitioned into solely transactional work, although she still handles petitions CARRIE TIMKO to obtain court approval of governing document restatements and amendments. As a result of her diverse background, she has been exposed to various aspects of community association representation, including drafting governing documents, representing clients in enforcement actions, drafting and negotiating contracts, and handling government claims. As a Shareholder, Carrie will continue to work with clients while leading the firm’s attorney collaboration meetings and coordinating MCLE training opportunities. The firm is proud to have Carrie as a valued member of our team and together, we look forward to assisting clients and their future needs. Larson & Solecki LLP is pleased
to welcome real estate legal veteran Victoria Boynton as Of Counsel to the firm. Boynton had served as associate general counsel for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties since 2007. Her expertise spans contract development and negotiation; risk management; acquisitions; corporate VICTORIA BOYNTON governance; litigation management; mediation and alternative dispute resolution; and all matters relating to real estate and escrow. In 2014 she was voted by her peers as a leading in-house corporate counsel for The Daily Transcript’s “Power of Attorneys” special edition. Prior to entering the real estate domain, she handled litigation matters successfully through trial. She served as in-house counsel for The Upper Deck Company, a sport memorabilia firm, as well as a North County developer of golf courses, resorts and commercial shopping centers in San Diego County. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, she prosecuted high-level drug cases and represented the government on civil tort claims.
John H. Gomez and Ben
J. Coughlan, of Gomez Trial Attorneys were featured speakers at the TBI MedLegal Conference, hosted by the Brain Injury Association of California, held February 23-24 at the Hard Rock Hotel, in San Diego. Gomez Trial Attorneys has a dedicated Brain Injury Division, which is an entire practice group dedicated exclusively to helping brain injury survivors to obtain the treatment, resources and support they need, along with an opportunity to rebuild their lives after suffering a brain injury. Coughlan has served on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation for years. Fish & Richardson has named
The Law Office of David P. Shapiro,
JOHN GOMEZ
BEN COUGHLAN
Joanna Fuller as a principal in the firm’s Litigation Group in its Southern California office, located in San Diego, effective January 1, 2018. Fuller represents pharmaceutical and high-tech clients in patent litigation nationwide in cases encompassing JOANNA FULLER a wide range of technology. She received her J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2009 and her B.S., with high honors, Phi Beta Kappa, in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 1996.
an exclusive criminal defense firm in San Diego, has announced that Stefano L. Molea has become a partner. The firm was founded by David P. Shapiro in 2007. Prior to joining the Law Office of David P. Shapiro, Mr. Molea was an associate at another reputable San Diego firm, having gained broad experience STEFANO L. MOLEA defending a variety of misdemeanor and felony matters, while achieving excellent results for hundreds of his clients. Shapiro and Molea are both on the Board of Directors of the Criminal Defense Bar Association of San Diego. Both have been named Best of the Bar, Super Lawyers Rising Stars, and Top 40 Under 40 in criminal defense, and they have accumulated approximately 130 combined 5/5 stars client reviews on Avvo, the attorney rating website. Sullivan Hill has
been named one of the nation’s “Best Law Firms” by U.S. World Report and Best Lawyers in America®. The firm was honored in the prestigious Metropolitan KATHRYN HEALY, ELIZABETH STEPHENS, Tier 1, San Diego, in GARY RUDOLPH, CHRIS HAWKINS, the areas of Bankruptcy JIM HILL, JONATHAN DABBIERI and Creditor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law. Firms included in the 2018 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.
Have a Press Release you would like to submit for our Community News? Email it to PR@AttorneyJournal.us
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
13
DTI is now Epiq. Southern California’s leaders in... Court reporting
Data acquisition & forensics
Managed document review
Free MCLE Seminars Call us for information to schedule a complimentary in-person or webinar MCLE seminar on a variety of electronic discovery topics.
Paper-based discovery services
Offices in LA Downtown, LA Century City, Irvine and San Diego
501 West Broadway, Suite 400 San Diego, CA 92101 Phone 619 234 0660 Web epiqglobal.com
14
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
ESI processing & hosting
KHASHAYAR LAW GROUP A CIVIL LITIGATION LAW FIRM
Our experienced litigation teams are assisted by a support staff of professionals with diverse backgrounds. Our team is conversant in multiple languages, including Farsi, demonstrating our desire and ability to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse community. RESULTS
ACCESS
The San Diego personal injury team at Khashayar Law Group has received millions of dollars in compensation for our clients.
Our clients appreciate our hands-on attorneys and are reassured by their around-the-clock availability. At Khashayar Law Group, our clients can always speak directly with their attorneys at any time, day or night.
EXPERIENCE Some cases need to go to trial, and we are aggressive and experienced enough to take them to trial.
SKILL A personal injury lawyer not only depends on their knowledge of the law, but also requires the skills and experience to use that knowledge in negotiations and the courtroom.
COMPENSATION Cases of personal injury are not limited to instances of physical harm and loss. The damages can be financial, emotional or psychological, and harm your reputation. At Khashayar Law Group, we use the latest technology to test and refute evidence presented by opposing counsel to give your referrals the compensation they deserve.
GENEROUS REFERRAL FEES PAID • 858.509.1550 12636 High Bluff Drive, Suite 400 San Diego, CA 92130 400 South Melrose Drive, Suite 209 Vista, CA 92081
9454 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 615A Beverly Hills, CA 90212
KHASHAYAR LAW GROUP
DEFENDING CLIENTS AGAINST
the True Cost OF CANNABIS PROHIBITION
In the rapidly-changing, fast-paced area of cannabis law, the Law Offices of Michael E. Cindrich, APC stays informed, up-to-date, and on the leading edge. “I’ve been practicing cannabis law longer than most attorneys been successful in having several hundred thousand dollars in in California. With that experience has come the knowledge cash and several hundred pounds of cannabis returned to clients and the background in this area and the ability to understand by law enforcement after dismissals and not guilty verdicts. the changes in the law. I take Cindrich and his three pride in the fact that I learned associate attorneys are experts “Cannabis law is a very these laws while they were still in all aspects of cannabis law, specialized ever-changing legal being developed and in some from criminal to regulatory. arena, and for anyone interested in cases actually helped develop They have assisted clients entering the industry it’s extremely the law. Over the course of the with local and state cannabis important to consult with someone who past ten years I have educated licensing in a variety of judges, prosecutors, and other jurisdictions and have drafted has vast experience working with cannabis criminal defense attorneys detailed standard operating clients. The law is changing so rapidly and on cannabis laws and on the procedures for compliance so dramatically that if you’re not focused protections afforded to medical with applicable regulations. on this area of the law you’re going to have cannabis patients,” Michael E. The firm’s client base is a very difficult time providing competent Cindrich says. varied. Many are individual representation to your clients,” says The firm was founded ten people who have been years ago and is the first firm involved in the cannabis Michael E. Cindrich, of the Law Offices in San Diego to focus almost industry for decades and of Michael E. Cindrich, APC. exclusively on cannabis law. with the shift in regulations In 2016, Cindrich won three have decided that they would not guilty verdicts on felony cannabis-related cases with only 15 like to become legal. Other clients have never been involved minutes or less of jury deliberations in each case. The firm has in the industry, but have had a recent positive experience with
16
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
ATTORNEY
OF THE MONTH
© Bauman Photographers
2018
After a “Not Guilty” verdict at trial, Michael Cindrich successfully argued for the return of over 55 pounds of cannabis, over $150,000 in cash, bullet proof vests, firearms, vehicles, and other personal items.
which means it has no medical use and a high potential for abuse. “We really need to shift that attitude and thought process to what we’re seeing on a state level. A change in federal regulations will open up banking and other financial services that the cannabis industry so desperately needs. I would say that this is our largest uphill battle over the course of the next ten years,” Cindrich says.
From Advocate to Attorney
cannabis that made them want to enter the industry to help others. Recently the firm has seen a large increase in interest from investment firms and multi-million-dollar corporations who are looking to make money in the “green rush.” More common in the past, but still a large portion of their current clientele, are people who have been arrested for cannabis-related offenses and are seeking representation. Some have had their assets seized by law enforcement and are fighting governmental entities to have those items returned. The remaining clients are seeking state and local licenses, entering into joint venture agreements, negotiating leases, having disputes with current and former business partners, or being sued by local governments. One of the major challenges facing the firm and those concerned with cannabis law is ending cannabis prohibition on a federal level. Cannabis is a schedule one controlled substance 18
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
Cindrich says he and his attorneys are cannabis advocates who became cannabis attorneys—unlike other attorneys who have a minimal understanding of the costs of cannabis prohibition and have never seen or been a part of the struggle for legalization. The attorneys at his firm are able to relate to their clients and to truly understand their goals. Cindrich says, “We have a different philosophy. We are active advocates in the industry; we attend business conferences and community protests; we support those who are incarcerated for cannabis offenses throughout the United States and contribute to organizations fighting for their release; we are members of cannabis patient organizations, national organizations and law enforcement organizations which seek to end prohibition; and we spend our free time reading new regulations and studying legalization movements in other states and countries. While other attorneys may have studied cannabis law and business operations, we have been a part of the development of those same laws and regulations.” The firm helped shape the medical cannabis defense in California. Cindrich litigated several aspects of the defense from 2008-2015 while appellate cases were still shaping interpretation of these laws. During this time, judges and prosecutors in most Southern California courts had little to no exposure to the medical cannabis defense as established by the Medical Marijuana Program Act. Through consistent briefing and arguing of these issues he not only educated judges and prosecutors on these laws, but other defense attorneys as well. Some of the cases he participated in ultimately formed the basis for appellate decisions which interpreted how the medical cannabis defense could be established. The firm’s understanding of the law combined with a deeperthan-average understanding of their clients’ needs provides an edge in working within the legal system. For example, the firm was contacted by a disabled person who used cannabis for medical purposes. The man cultivated his own medicine and experienced several raids by the police where his plants were cut down and other cannabis seized. No charges were ever filed as a result of these raids. The Cindrich attorneys took the case pro bono, contacted the District Attorney’s office and the law enforcement agency responsible for the raids, and began preparing a motion to have the property returned and a complaint to sue for damages. Because there was no probable
Photo by Scott Beard
Michael enjoying one of his favorite passions outside the courtroom in La Jolla, CA.
cause to believe that this disabled individual was breaking the both inside and outside of California who want to be a part law, and the actions of law enforcement went beyond what was of the “green rush,” there is intense competition to obtain legal and reasonable, they secured the these licenses. “We are constantly return of their client’s medicine and watching local regulations to see “We are attorneys who are prevented further raids from being which city or county will be next passionate and knowledgeable conducted. to adopt favorable laws for cannabis about cannabis law and will In another case, the firm’s client businesses. When those regulations faced a considerable amount of custody pass, there is a rush to secure viable provide premier representation time for allegedly manufacturing property, submit applications, for anyone involved in the concentrated cannabis. The deal offered and successfully navigate the cannabis industry,” says by the prosecutors was to plead guilty licensing process. This is the future Michael E. Cindrich. and accept a seven-year prison sentence. of cannabis business activity in Cindrich took the case to trial. After he California,” he says. presented a comprehensive defense to the manufacturing charge, the jury took less than fifteen minutes to find the client not guilty. Cindrich then filed a motion to have more than $160,000 Achieving Balance to Achieve Success and 55 pounds of seized cannabis returned to the client. The case was litigated for several weeks and the firm was ultimately Cindrich says he isn’t a micro-manager. “I like to give my successful in having all items returned. associates as much direction as possible while also taking As the trend toward cannabis-related criminal cases declines, a hands-off approach and allowing them to make their own the firm’s focus is shifting to licensing. The new regulations being decisions and come up with their own work product. I make implemented in 2018 require licensing for cannabis businesses myself available to provide guidance and answer questions, but to legally operate. A business must first obtain approval from part of becoming a great attorney is learning how to handle the local jurisdiction before applying for licensing with the these issues on your own and pick up things as you go. I like to state. Cindrich says the problem is that only a handful of local give my staff the freedom to learn as they go.” jurisdictions allow commercial cannabis business activities The philosophy he practices and promotes is to be an and most of those jurisdictions limit the number of licenses attorney who puts the client’s needs and the client’s goals above that will be issued. With the tens of thousands of people from Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
19
Contact Michael E. Cindrich Law Offices of Michael E. Cindrich, APC 225 Broadway, Suite 1900 San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 262-2500 www.michaelcindrich.com 20
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
© Bauman Photographers
EXPERIENCE
everything else in relation to the practice and the work— to represent that client as aggressively and as creatively as possible without regard for external factors. “I care a lot more about what my clients think than what my colleagues, opposing counsel or judges think and that’s done well for me in the long run. Many of our criminal-case clients have felt that they are being taken advantage of by the system, and they want someone who will stand up and fight for them. When you are able to obtain a result for a client with that mindset, it not only brings a great feeling for the relationship with the client, but it creates a great referral basis for my practice,” he says. Cindrich believes in working hard, working smart, but also achieving a balance. “I think balance is important for all attorneys. We work hard. A lot of attorneys go down a pretty dark path with drug abuse and alcoholism and I think we as attorneys need to keep a balanced approach to the practice and to life.” He finds his own balance in such outdoor activities as surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, and swimming. He also enjoys attending live music events. His favorite music is a mixture of jam-rock and funk-rock. He has served as the Executive Director of the San Diego County chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) since 2011, has been a Southern California Speaker for Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) since 2011, and he also started the Gridiron Cannabis Foundation which helps current and former NFL players receive information and ultimately treatment related to natural holistic medicine for chronic pain and traumatic brain injury. Cindrich says, “We are attorneys who are passionate and knowledgeable about cannabis law and will provide premier representation for anyone involved in the cannabis industry. I am extremely aggressive, and I generally do not care about ruffling some feathers. I enjoy a fight. I will grind out my opponents until they don’t want to fight anymore. It is the same philosophy I used as a relatively undersized Division I AA linebacker— keep hitting them hard and eventually they will give up. Once that happens, they are yours. I have butted heads with judges and prosecutors over the years, but it has always been done as part of passionate representation of my clients. You may not like me, but my clients do. Everyone needs a fierce advocate on their side, and I am that guy.” n
» EDUCATION
• University of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, CA Juris Doctor, December 2005 • University of San Diego School of Business Administration, San Diego, CA. Master of Business Administration, May 2006 • ESADE Business School, Barcelona, Spain, July 2005 • IDEA Graduate Business School, Buenos Aires, Argentina, August 2004 • Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, Bachelor of Arts in English, May 2002 • University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa, January – June 2001
» AWARDS & REVIEWS
• Facebook – 5 Star Average Rating, March 2018 • Google Reviews – Excellent 4.7 Average Rating, March 2018 • AVVO Rating – Excellent 9.2 Average Rating, March 2018 • Yelp Reviewed – Excellent 5-Star Average Rating, March 2018
» BAR ADMISSIONS
• Supreme Court of California • United States District Court, Southern District of California
» ASSOCIATIONS
• Gridiron Cannabis Foundation, Founder • National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Legal Committee, Lifetime Member • San Diego NORML, Founder/ Director • California NORML, Member • Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), Member/Speaker • Americans for Safe Access, Member • American Bar Association, Member • San Diego County Bar Association, Member
Zero $ Investment: Fast Lane for Lawyers on LinkedIn Why remain invisible to nearly 550+ million LinkedIn professionals? by D.B. Wienke
L
Of all social media sites, LinkedIn remains the most popular social network used by attorneys, according to the ABA 2014 Technology Legal Survey.
inkedIn, recently acquired by Microsoft, has grown dramatically from its nascent beginnings to attract professionals from many business categories. It’s a virtual fast lane, outpacing Facebook in relative percentage growth in professional users. There are 5 million professionals in your California geography and one might be your next best client.
board stewardship, among others. Amplify your worth with a great profile. Your client vets you first on LinkedIn. Scott L. Malouf, a social media and e-discovery attorney at ScottMalouf, offers “… an up-to-date, detailed profile demonstrates your deep experience. When meeting a new potential client, you can skip the lengthy elevator pitch and focus on listening to the potential client’s needs. Then, you follow up with a LinkedIn request, possibly highlighting aspects interesting to the potential client.”
Source: CEO.com
Expand Your Legal Influence
Be Highly Visible—Visibility Creates Opportunity When asked, attorney Michael J. Napoleone, J.D. at RichmanGreer, remains visible in several ways. “I have found LinkedIn to be an effective resource for growing my professional network through introductions, posting updates of what I am working on, sharing articles I’ve written, and connecting on a more professional level than through other social media platforms.”
In-House Counsel at 68% Usage Legal professionals have become more active on LinkedIn, according to a 2015 survey by Zeughauser Group and Green Target. Key findings from the report show that 68% of in-house counsel used LinkedIn for professional purposes in the last week, up from 62% last year. For in-house counsel, their top reasons for visiting are “professional networking with colleagues, connecting with outside counsel and getting professional and business news.”
75% Search for Lawyers Online, First Statistics shared recently by LexisNexis cite that 75% of your future clients or potential referral sources are searching online before making their move. Your activity can lead to all sorts of benefits— new clients, speaking engagements, invitations for non-profit 22
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
Connecting with referral sources is an important aspect of attracting new casework. Stephen Zaloom, J.D., LL.M of Jeck, Harris, Raynor and Jones, P.A. believes in the utility of leveraging LinkedIn groups. “I’m a member of alumni groups—both national and regional—in my field of law. When useful articles are posted, I may tweet them and share them on LinkedIn to find them later on.”
Colossal Wins Your efforts will consistently build online recognition for your name and your firm—all thanks to the free SEO conducted by LinkedIn on your behalf. Not a penny to be spent. And your LinkedIn content is mobile-friendly—viewable on any device.
Key Takeaways 1. If you regularly attend business receptions, you understand the intrinsic value of expanding your personal network through consistent engagement of new colleagues. Consider a daily or weekly schedule of 15 minutes with a cup of coffee to boost your LinkedIn activity; you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the feedback you receive. 2. Authenticity breeds like and trust. That’s where good client relationships live. Be authentic and share value in the form of quality information. 3. Be consistent and stay involved. You’re starting a conversation with your peers, with people you don’t know and with others who seek to draw a larger truth out of your comments or idea. n CEO, Ms. D. B. Wienke is a LinkedIn keynote speaker, coach, workshop presenter, profile optimizer and content creator. As a former chief marketing officer and sales executive at Fortune 500 firms, her career spans 25 years of award-winning work in leadership roles with News Corporation, PNC Bank, and Martin Health System among others. Her consulting sessions include her companion workbook, The LinkedIn Club Playbook (in its third printing) loaded with “under the hood” lesser known techniques, to ramp up your knowledge quickly. More may be found at LinkedInClub.com.
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
23
11
“MORE” SEO SPECIALISTS Share Their Best Tips for Lawyers by Chris Dreyer
“IF YOU WERE WORKING WITH AN ATTORNEY TO IMPROVE A LAW FIRM’S SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR #1 TIP TO GET RESULTS?”
T
his is the question we posed to more than 50 SEO specialists who have done SEO for lawyers. Their answers will provide you with good direction whether you’re formulating your own law firm SEO strategies or just looking for general advice. If you want to improve your own website rankings or your clients’ website listings in the search engines, then this expert Q&A roundup is what you’re looking for. Enjoy and share it with others. Thank you!
1
JOHN LINCOLN
ignitevisibility.com twitter.com/johnelincoln
I would follow the legal news, such as new large and groundbreaking cases that change the industry, legal news in the media, etc. I would comment on each development in blog posts and on social media. In addition, I would write blog posts on longtail terms and create guides around the biggest service terms they want to rank for. Finally, I’d make sure to have a conversion strategy around each segment of keywords.
2
JOEL KLETTKE
casestudybuddy.com
There are a lot of tips I’d love to share, from claiming and optimizing local listings, to making their web pages suck less (no oceans of jargon, please!) But I’m a content guy, so that’s where my head goes right away. A lot of lawyers think they need these big blogs full of content to attract links. Rather than dump a bunch of money into a blog—which takes time to maintain that lawyers don’t have, and a constant budget to feed that could be spent elsewhere—focus on creating a handful of really strong evergreen resources based on what your clients are constantly asking during initial calls. Think about it from a lead’s perspective: many have never hired a lawyer before. Content that helps them know what to expect isn’t just great for driving people to contact you, it’s also 24
highly shareable. If I had a law client, I’d tell them to build the best-written, most visually engaging resources for people considering hiring lawyers, and then share the hell out of those.
3
STEPHEN FURNARI
lawfirmsuites.com twitter.com/stephenfurnari
As a content marketer, I would suggest that lawyers survey their clients and prospects about the most pressing questions or the most painful issues they have about the lawyer’s area of practice (i.e., “If my wife divorces me for cheating, will I lose custody of my kids?”). Lawyers need to pay really careful attention to the exact words clients use to describe their problems, since clients often describe legal issues differently from how a lawyer would. For example, I may be a securities lawyer, but a client may refer to me as a “PPM Lawyer.” I would then create very detailed content that answers those questions and provides actionable advice and case studies, using both blog copy and video. In these articles, avoid selling (i.e., if you cheated on your spouse and need to talk to a lawyer, call me). It just pisses potential clients off. The title for each post and video would be the question their clients ask in their own words—even if the terms/words used by the client are not how the attorney would describe the issue. By building a library of these question/answer posts, you begin to optimize your website for the long tail natural language search your clients will most likely use when they have a legal problem you can solve. As a side note, I see a lot of firms who do a good job with search rankings, but then do a crap job of creating a user experience on their site that converts (obviously not the clients of Rankings.io). If you do a great job of driving traffic but your clients are turned off when they get there, you’ve just wasted a lot of effort.
4
JOSH BACHYNSKI
www.seo-help.me twitter.com/joshbachynski
Give the web searcher what they are looking for better than everyone else.
5
STEVE WIIDEMAN
www.top10seotips.com twitter.com/seosteve
We work with 3 attorneys currently. My number one tip is to focus on building a solid taxonomy from aggregate competitor research (at the page-level) and to build as much supportive content under the primary practice area you are optimizing for. We did this for slip and fall recently and came up with over 50 new pages we could create around places people slip and fall and causes of slip and fall accidents. The results a week into the content build out were amazing.
6
JUSTIN HERRING
yeah-local.com twitter.com/JustinCHerring
We work with a lot of attorneys so here you go! There’s not just one tip which will get it done. They need to set up and optimize pages for each service they offer with 500 words of content and a video explanation, set up Google My Business, and get 20+ 5-star reviews, then get/build guest post backlinks to those service pages and the GMB listing. Should be ranking within months depending on the budget.
7
RYAN SCOLLON
www.ryanscollon.co.uk twitter.com/ryanbowlerhat
My #1 tip for improving a law firm’s SEO would be to get listed on industry-specific directories. A large majority of people look for a local law firm, so the Local SEO side of the project would be super important. Not only do law firm directories rank pretty well, being associated with that business category also helps build Google’s trust with your business. It’s a super competitive industry, so small jobs like this can make all the difference in getting you ranking at the top of the search results.
8
RYAN BIDDULPH
www.bloggingfromparadise.com twitter.com/RyanBiddulph
My #1 tip would be to create helpful, problem-solving content to lay a solid SEO foundation. SEO is about problem solving more than ever. Whether the firm hired skilled freelance writers or boosted its credibility by having lawyers write articles, the smart way to build your SEO on a solid foundation is to patiently and persistently write robust, thorough content through a blog.
9
GREG LEE
www.bkv.com twitter.com/bkvadvertising
SEO and content marketing tactics have been widely adopted to the point that everyone has pushed out large volumes of decent content. Decent content on a subject matter is affordable on a weekly basis. Any decent writer can produce it. As a result, we see the same five tips, best practices, and how-to blogs across every website. You can try to make content that is 10x bigger and better. But that is costly and hard to do consistently. Instead, you can get more value out of the same resources by spending a bit more time on up-front research. Find out why your attorney is unique. Every attorney has special talents, connections, insight, history, and life lessons that go into their success as an attorney. And better yet, their passion to practice law. Have your writers and editors call in for a discovery meeting with the attorney that you treat as if writing a biography. Give writers a chance to ask questions and dig into areas they find inspiring about their subject. If you get your writers inspired about a person and that person’s passion for practicing law, you will get that special thing that pushes your content beyond the everyday, every-website blog posts.
10
KEN LYONS
www.measuredsem.com twitter.com/KenJLyons
As my #1 tip, I’d highly recommend that any attorney or law firm website prioritize speeding up their website. Google is hyper-focused on speed and getting users the information they seek as fast as possible, and that focus on speed as a ranking signal will only continue to grow. BTW here’s a fantastic list of 101 tips to improve site speed www.digitalexaminer. com/101-page-and-site-speed-optimization-tips/. We’re seeing some pretty incredible results with organic traffic boosts across client sites when we’re able to improve load times. Increasing site speed is also a scalable activity because many of the improvements you can make (like fixing render blocking CSS and JS) will boost load times for not just the page but the entire site. What’s more, the majority of law firm sites I’ve worked on and seen are notoriously slow. So, given how important site speed is to Google (and users), if a law firm focuses on boosting load times they’ll be miles ahead of their competitors.
25
11
ALLEN MACCANNELL
www.webceo.com twitter.com/CloudBasedSEO
Don’t overstep the boundaries of your niche. When setting up a niche website, the most important thing to keep in mind is the audience you plan to attract. People who look for the nearest law firm in Google are unlikely to require a blog post about 10 ways to tell a competent lawyer from a fraud. Instead, they’ll want help with a very specific problem, which will show in their search request: for example, “bankruptcy law firm London” or “criminal lawyer Manchester.” Being a representative of your office, you know better than anyone what kind of services you provide. That knowledge is the foundation on which your site will stand. Aim precisely at the audience that wants what you have to offer. A legal service firm is meant to help people with a narrow set of very characteristic problems that you may find only where the law is involved. Some firms specialize only in a certain area, such as family law, and therefore deal with issues like divorce, alimony and child support.
Other firms take on multiple areas; they cast a bigger net and occupy a wider niche. Takeaways: the content of your firm’s website must be optimized strictly for the issues you deal with. Act within your niche, or else you will attract an audience that needs something your website cannot provide. Most people look and fight for easy-to-think-of topics and keywords because they can’t imagine how wide their net can be for catching potential customers. Instead of just using content ideas that are tightly associated with your main topic, you have to “go wide” with your research. People who might be interested in your products or services have lots of different problems and interests. And it is up to you to explore them and see which ones are relevant to your business. Then you can write SEO optimized content to bring them to your website and slowly nurture them into customers. n Chris Dreyer is the Founder & CEO of Rankings.io, which provides SEO (search engine optimization) services to lawyers, to help them obtain more clients, cases and revenue. To learn more, visit rankings.io or email Chris at chris@rankings.io.
Monty A. McIntyre, Esq. Mediator, Arbitrator & Referee ADR Services, Inc.
To schedule, contact Kelsey Carroll: (619) 231-1323 or kelsey@adrservices.com
Organized, succinct summaries of EVERY new published California civil case, posted every other Monday for $7.99 a month! Subscribe at montymcintyre.com/mcintyre.
26
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
Peterson Reporting. Providing nationwide service since 1986.
We are Business and Estate lawyers with experience in Law Firm Transitions. We are interested in working with San Diego and Orange County Law Firms who specialize in:
From day one of your
Reporting
deposition to the last day
Videography
of your trial, Peterson Reporting
Trial Presentation
is an indispensable member of your trial team. Proven professionalism and proficiency
Free Conference Rooms Live Streaming Services
Locally owned, globally known.
• ESTATE PLANNING
• PROBATE LITIGATION
• CHARITABLE GIVING STRATEGIES
• BUSINESS LAW
• GIFTING TRUSTS
• REAL ESTATE LAW
• TRUST ADMINISTRATION
• LIFE INSURANCE TRUSTS
• SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST PLANNING
Video Conferencing Services
for more than 25 years.
INTERESTED IN GROWING YOUR LAW PRACTICE? DO YOU HAVE AN EXIT STRATEGY?
You’ve spent your career advising clients on their exit strategy. What is yours?
Global Reach Complex Cases
It is estimated that over 50% of law practice owners are from the Baby Boomer generation. Of this generation, one is turning 65 every 57 seconds and that trend will continue for the next 17 years!
Accurate, Fast
Considering the growing number of attorneys looking to exit their law practices in the next several years, along with the understanding that almost 90% of practice owners do not have a documented exit strategy, the time for legacy and growth opportunities has arrived. As the practices of law and technology collide, opportunities abound for those law firms and attorneys with the foresight to make legacy-focused decisions today.
530 B Street, Suite 350 San Diego, CA 92101
619 260 1069
San Diego Office 2468 Historic Decatur Road, Suite 220 San Diego, CA 92106
Irvine Office 110 Pacifica, Suite 130 Irvine, CA 92618
Since 1986 petersonreporting.com john@arlawplanners.com 619.220.8688 arlawplanners.com
Call to request green delivery of your transcripts and receive a discount.
Peterson AttJrnl HPV.indd 1
7/12/13 5:04 PM
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
27
How Lawyers Can Mindfully Cope With Changes Coming To the Legal Profession by Petris Lapis
The legal profession is facing an avalanche of change in the way it conducts its business. We think we are used to change because that is the nature of law. We live in the changing world of courts, business, technology and legislation. Now we are also experiencing a world where books are being replaced by eBooks, where DVDs are being replaced by live streaming, hotels by renting rooms in people’s homes, taxis by Uber and bank loans by peer-to-peer lending.
to change exponentially with the advent of artificial intelligence. Legal software will only become cleverer at predicting rulings, conducting research and recommending courses of action. Although it will make our roles much more efficient, it will also come with a whole new set of challenges in the way we invoice clients and how we ensure the advice we are giving is correct and up to date. We will still need to know whether something has changed in the last few days which won’t have been incorporated in the predictive software at the time we are giving advice.
The following five trends are impacting the legal profession
3. SOCIAL MEDIA
1. OUTSOURCING
This trend has already impacted other professions such as accounting and is now impacting the legal profession. Some paralegal and litigation support tasks such as coding and document review are being outsourced, saving you time, money and the need to have some skills.
2. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Legal research has been done online for some time and already reduces the amount of time it used to take to research. But the quality of what is available to us in terms of legal research is about
28
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
It has now become part of how we market our legal services, how we recruit, how we conduct research into the people we are recruiting and how we gather evidence to support our client’s position. It will only become more so in the future.
4. A MULTI-GENERATIONAL WORKFORCE
For the first time in history, we now have four generations working side by side in the legal workspace. We have traditionalists, baby boomers, generation X and generation Y working together. People are now working longer and it means in some places there is a generation gap of over 50 years between the youngest and the oldest employees. This requires levels of tolerance, understanding and communication we might not be used to.
5. ALTERNATIVE BILLING MODELS
The traditional billable hours model was not popular with our clients and was seen as rewarding inefficiency. As intelligent software becomes more commonplace, it will bring about further changes to the traditional billable hours model. The value of our advice will no longer bear much relationship to how long it took us to provide it. Global research by Deloitte has found other issues from a worldwide survey of legal clients. Nearly half of all legal service providers interviewed indicated that regulatory compliance, mediation and arbitration and litigation were growing areas in their businesses. However, the same researchers also found that loyalty to a law firm was not guaranteed. More than half (55%) of those interviewed said they had recently reviewed their arrangement with their legal supplier or would be doing so within 12 months. Deloitte also found that what people wanted from their law firm was now changing. Instead of pure legal advice, clients also wanted their lawyers to have more industry, commercial or non-legal expertise. They thought it would be helpful if they had digital, data, privacy & cyber security skills and if they were more proactive with their knowledge sharing. This may eventually result in law firms having partnering arrangements with other professions so that client needs can be more fully serviced.
Interesting Changes That Have Already Happened
What changes have I already seen professionals undertake? Here are some: • A not-for-profit family law firm where profits are either donated to a suitable charity or put back into to the organization or staff, rather than being paid out to partners as profits. • The use of emoticons in correspondence by one law firm because putting a happy face at the end of an email makes sure the other party knows you aren’t looking to escalate a dispute. • The formation of strong networks with other professionals who might refer work to you or vice versa. These networks might contain anyone from accountants, bankers, financial planners, insurance and stock brokers to health professionals. You can form these networks on an informal basis, or with regular monthly meetings where you all invite your clients to come along to a meet and greet. • One firm has a ‘digital festival’ every six months to keep clients up to date on relevant technology and any relevant legal issues or risks associated with using or not using it. • Apps which help people track what stage their file is at (eg text alert when search sent off to a government department
or when lease sent to tenant), when their next meeting is, the government bodies they will need to contact for different issues, etc. • Strategic positioning of law offices into non-traditional physical locations such as health or innovation hubs.
How Do We Mindfully Cope With This Amount Of Change?
Lawyers are traditionally conservative. We have a way we are used to being perceived, a way we dress and speak, a way we expect our office furniture to look and a standard approach to how business is done... pretty much, the way it always has been. Now we are being asked to shake things up and make changes to the way we do business if we are to stay relevant. Change can be a good thing. If you are old enough to remember black and white TV, cassette tapes you had to wind with a pencil when they broke, floppy disks or fax machines, you will know what I am talking about. Have you ever sold your house? Did you engage in a frenzy of cleaning, throwing out, moving furniture to new places and repairing things you had put up with for years? After it was all done, did you stand back and look at this sparkling house and wonder why you ever thought selling and moving was a good idea? Your legal practice could probably benefit from a similar clean out, repair and shake up. Instead of seeing these changes as a disruption, how about if you saw them as an opportunity to upgrade? Our very human reaction to change is to see it as a bad or threatening thing. After all, that is what kept us safe when we were evolving. Every change in our environment was a potential threat to our existence. Mindfulness asks you to see change, just as change. It is neither good nor bad, it is merely change. Mindfulness also asks that you acknowledge change is required and accept what that will mean. Acceptance means not railing against the need for change, but rather accepting it and working out step by step what can be done about it. Starting with small changes will make it easier. Pick something relatively easy, like building your referral network by one person a month and start there. Every step you take will count. After you have made a couple of smaller steps, you could tackle something bigger such as social media for your business if you haven’t already done so. The changes coming our way are neither good, nor bad, they are merely an opportunity for us to do business better. n Petris Lapis, Director, Author and Presenter of Petris Lapis Pty Ltd providing seminars and resources tackling the tough stuff and helping people succeed in careers and life. Helping people succeed one thought at a time. Visit now to find out more PetrisLapis.com.
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
29
5 Absolute Musts For Effective Law Firm Intake by Consultwebs.com
W
hether you are a large corporate law firm or small personal injury firm, your intake process is often the first interaction potential clients have with your firm. In a competitive niche like legal services, first impressions matter. The first intake call can mean the difference in not only signing clients who find you online, but also word-of-mouth referrals, and reputation as a firm. As long as your intake process is effective, it can help your law firm achieve your true ROI for your campaign and help increase the amount of leads that convert to cases. Most firms don’t even realize that a few things often get overlooked and even work against them when a prospect is looking for an attorney. By making common, unintentional mistakes, you’re telling clients that they aren’t important enough to call back or minimizing their hurt when they are going through an already stressful and difficult time. Make sure your firm is implementing these 5 steps to ensure your intake process is effective and improving your ROI. 1. The Ability to Reach an Actual Person We’ve all been there—calling for help only to hear a frustrating automated system or getting dumped into voicemails for weeks on end with no callbacks. Nothing is more frustrating and off-putting than spending 20 minutes on the phone without being able to reach an actual human being. When law firm prospects call your firm, they want to talk to a real person—and quickly. Tip: If developing an after-hours schedule to have a firm employee answer the phones is not in your budget, then consider Alert Communications. They offer an after-hours service, and phones are answered by an actual person. 2. Sensitivity Because they are looking for legal help, your prospective clients are already going through some sort of distress or hardship. People want to know that their legal representation is going to care about them as a person and their situation. This starts with the receptionist at intake. Right from the initial call, if there is a lack of emotional sensitivity or empathy, your potential client is going to feel unheard, uncared for, and they will look for someone else who does care. Tip: Consider developing a script (or multiple scripts) for incoming calls and training select staff to answer the phones. This way you will feel confident that you know who is answering the calls and what is being said to the potential clients. Using intake forms to gather pertinent information is also incredibly helpful. 3. Prompt Response Times If an attorney or paralegal takes too long to respond to an email, phone call, or voicemail, or even just doesn’t deliver case updates every so often, clients get pretty put-off. Firms take at least three days to respond to inquiries 42% of the time. People don’t want to wait three days for answers to their questions, 30
Attorney Journal San Diego | Volume 175, 2018
to tell their story, or get an update on their case. When a potential client is calling the firm, they want to feel like their case is going to be a priority to the attorney. Tip: Attorneys have very busy schedules and often more-pressing things come up. Task a staff person with lead follow-up and appointment setting. Also consider having a dedicated person who returns all voicemails the same day. 4. Lead Tracking Leads and calls come in from various sources, such as phone calls, email, and live chats. But if you are not keeping track of all of this information in one central location, then chances are information is being lost. Sure, a Google Sheet or Excel Spreadsheet may serve you well, but if you do not have Customer Relationship Management software in place, it may be time to implement one. By storing all of your prospects and clients into your CRM, you are able move them through the pipeline, keep them organized, and ensure they are followed-up on. Tip: You can use CRMs to set reminders, send automated follow-up emails, and track correspondence, taking the guesswork out of the process. 5. Lead Nurturing and Follow-Up Clients need to feel important, like they are more than just another case file. Even after talking to a client during the initial intake, your firm should still follow up to see if they have any other questions. Are they interested in setting an appointment? Even after the case is closed, still following up about their status, experience, case, etc., can go a long way when they are giving word-of-mouth referrals to friends and coworkers. Tip: Using your CRM, it is easy to keep things up-to-date and never let anything fall through the cracks. You can schedule follow-up emails in advance for multiple clients and track progress along the way. Intake often gets overlooked and written off as a lesser part of the business, but intake is serious business. Without effective intake and proper notes, you never know the true return you’re getting. You also miss out on knowing where your opportunities for improvement are. You can learn a lot from each prospective client who calls in, even if it’s a case that isn’t in your practice area. Invest in your intake system and watch your return on investment improve as more cases flow in. n Editorial by Consultwebs.com Staff. Consultwebs.com brings law firms advantages that no other agency can. A firm that knows lawyer internet marketing. With beautiful and functional website designs that are skillfully developed to attract and convert website visitors, bringing more cases to their clients. They focus on your ROI, and their clients have full ownership of their websites and content. To learn more, visit Consultwebs.com.
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Post Falls, ID PERMIT NO. 32
UNRIVALED JURY VERDICTS SETTLEMEN T S PERSONAL SERVICE REFERRAL FEES
PANISH SHEA & BOYLE is happy to discuss how
we may assist you in your case. Please contact
the Honorable Judge Peter Polos (Ret.) for more information at polos@psblaw.com.
WWW.PSBLAW.COM
310.477.1700
1.877.800.1700