Senior Attorney Match Podcast

Episode 4. Success Story - Harold L. Kestenbaum, Esq. Joining Spadea Lignana - Franchise Attorneys

In this episode, Franchise Attorneys, Harold Kestenbaum, Tom Spadea, and Josh Lignana discuss Kestenbaum merging his Melville, NY based Franchise Law practice into Philadelphia based Spadea Lignana in April 2019 (www.spadealaw.com). Kestenbaum began practicing Franchise Law in 1977 and opened his own Franchise Law practice when New York passed its state franchise law in 1981. Spadea and Lignana, lifetime friends, started Spadea Lignana in 2011, following Spadea’s decision to go to Temple University Law School for the sole purpose of becoming a Franchise Attorney. Following Spadea asking Kestenbaum at a franchise trade show in January 2019 to consider Spadea Lignana for a future merger possibility, Senior Attorney Match facilitated negotiations that resulted in their merger in late April 2019. Now, a Top 5 Franchise Law firm nationwide, Spadea Lignana combines Kestenbaum’s 40+ year career of incubating and representing thousands of franchisors with Spadea Lignana’s reputation of assisting franchisors to strategically grow their brands. Spadea Lignana has its sights upon becoming the No. 1 Franchise Law firm nationwide. As Spadea states: “We are helping small franchisors build generational wealth.” For Kestenbaum, the merger has resulted in Kestenbaum “doing more of what I like to do.” Dubbed by Spadea and Lignana as the “Terminator,” Kestenbaum continues focusing on business development and assisting emerging brands bring their franchise dreams and ambitions to reality. Reflecting upon the addition of Kestenbaum to Spadea Lignana, Spadea says, “It’s phenomenal.”

Episode 3. Strategic Internet Marketing for Law Firms & Trial Lawyers, Interview with Peter C. Webb, Founding Member & SVP of Personal Injury at Scorpion

In this episode, recorded at the 2020 AAJ Winter Convention in New Orleans, Peter C. Webb, Founding Member & SVP of Personal Injury at Scorpion (www.scorpion.co) and a digital marketing consultant, explains Scorpion’s industry-leading Internet marketing business for law firms that includes a focus on trial lawyers. Per Scorpion’s motto, “Building a Better Way,” Scorpion offers a 3 part approach to Internet marketing for its law firm clients: Design content; Develop strategy, and Implement upon the strategy. According to Peter, the attention span for an individual searching for a PI attorney online is as low as 2-4 seconds. Scorpion understands that websites and social media channels for today’s trial lawyers must clearly portray why they are the best attorney choice for injured clients searching the Internet for an attorney to represent them. With over 850 employees in offices located in LA, the Dallas area, and Long Island, Scorpion has the resources and experience to develop 1, 3, and 5 year plans to position their trial lawyer clients to potential injured clients via a comprehensive digital strategy, including website and multiple social media channels. Peter describes 2 success stories. First, involving a mid-size, Houston-based PI firm for whom a collaborative digital marketing campaign helped increase the firm’s verdicts and settlements by several hundred million dollars over a 7-year span spearheaded by Scorpion. Second, involving a boutique plaintiff practice that needed to supplement their predominantly peer-based referrals by generating more cases directly. Within three months, they had already obtained a 7-figure new case, along with several dozen smaller accident and injury claims.

Regarding Senior Attorneys, Peter describes the “match made in heaven” that the combination of younger, growing law firms with the experience, track record, and legacy that Senior Attorneys presents to injured clients. Peter also encourages more Senior Attorneys to consider Scorpion for their Internet marketing needs because clients need to get the representation that they deserve. As Peter states: “It’s your job and duty to make sure you show up so they get the representation. That can’t happen if the Senior Attorneys aren’t standing up and making sure that they can be found.”

21st Century Lending Options for Trial Attorneys and Law Firms - An Interview with Ari P. Kornhaber, Esq. of Esquire Bank

In this podcast, Ari. P. Kornhaber, Esq., co-founder of Esquire Bank, talks about the challenges lawyers face when lawyers seek to and grow their practice using external financing. The lending options available to law firms today are vast and often confusing with terms and conditions often hidden in the detail. Ari explains these real-world law firm lending options available to lawyers in simple ‘non-financial’ terms, helping law firms compare the different options available. Ari also explains that one of Esquire Bank's core differentiators is that Esquire understands that a law firm’s cases are its most valuable asset and one that Esquire uses when valuing a law firm and providing capital for growth.

Episode 1. 3 Biggest Risks for Waiting Too Long to Implement a Succession Plan for Your Law Practice

In this episode, Scott Loring of Cooperative Coaching and Mediation and Jeremy discuss the 3 biggest risks for Senior Attorneys who wait too long to implement a succession plan for their law practices. The 3 biggest risks are: (1) The increasing unlikelihood that new clients will retain you because clients seek lawyers who will represent them for 5+ years; (2) The increasing risk of an unexpected physical or mental ailment that can end a lawyer’s career; and (3) The unexpected departure of a partner or long-time associate whom you expected to succeed to your practice. Each of those risks negatively effect the value of law practices. Jeremy and Scott discuss how Senior Attorneys can plan for avoiding these risks, including the value of Senior Attorney Match’s Next Step Workshop. We also discuss how to know whether a senior associate or partner actually can succeed to your practice. And, we discuss how growing law firms present the winning combination that clients seek, namely, combining the experience and know how that Senior Attorneys offer with the long-term relationship with their attorneys that growing law firms provide.