PIVOTING YOUR LAW PRACTICE:
The Resilience & Grit
You Need to Survive
Friday, February 11, 2022 • Live GoToWebinar
Presenters from Florida, Charlotte, Atlanta & New York
5.0 General CLE Credits;
2.0 of which may be applied toward Ethics
1.0 of which may be applied toward Professionalism
1.0 Technology, 1.0 Mental Illness Awareness
Section Members $185 • Non-Section Members $230
The Annual Solo & Small Firm Conference continued on Feb. 11, 2022, in an all-virtual format. “Pivoting Your Law Practice: The Resilience & Grit You Need to Survive” is designed to meet the needs of solos and small firms who understand the importance of transforming their law practices to address the new demands of virtual and hybrid business models.
Our diverse roster of presenters addresses technology transformations, working as outside counsel, managing stress with recovery, online payment systems and managing the ethics of law and second income streams.
Purchase the course as an Online Seminar (on-demand) or Downloadable Audio (podcast). If you have questions, please contact Solo & Small Firm Section Program Administrator Ricky Libbert at rlibbert@floridabar.org or (850) 561-5631.
Conference Chair Jacina Parson
2021-22 Solo & Small Firm Section Chair
Conference Vice-Chair Camara Williams
2021-22 Solo & Small Firm Executive Council Member
Conference Schedule & Presenters
8–8:10 AM
Welcome and Introductions
Jacina Parson, Solo & Small Firm Section Chair and Conference Chair, Clearwater
Camara Williams, Conference Vice-Chair, Orlando
Michael Tanner, President, The Florida Bar, Jacksonville
8:10–9 AM
The Transformation of Technology Usage, Adoption, and Expectations
Legal industry analyst Ari Kaplan, the principal of Ari Kaplan Advisors, New York, NY, will share his research on how law firms and corporate legal departments have adapted their technology to accommodate an increasingly remote and hybrid workplace, and how that shift is changing the practice of law, to identify ways that solo and small firm practitioners can gain a competitive advantage in 2022.
Ari Kaplan
Ari Kaplan Advisors, New York, NY
9–9:50 AM
Bidding on Billions: Pro Tips for Working as Outside Counsel on Corporate Client Files
If you’re solo or in a small firm and you’re not bidding on corporate outside counsel gigs, you’re missing out on a lucrative source of income!
This workshop is tailored specifically for solos and smaller firms on how to get started, how to cultivate relationships with corporations and in-house counsels, and how to be more competitive when you bid.
Learn insider tips from attorneys and corporate counsels from AmLaw 100 firms, Fortune 500 entities, U.S. federal appellate courts, and professional sporting institutions on the nuances of client development and relationship-building with elite institutions.
Moderated by Diriki T. Geuka, Corporate Associate, Townsend Lockett, LLC, Atlanta
Panelists:
• Jennifer Branham, Director & Corporate Counsel, L3Harris Technologies, Inc., Melbourne
• Shannon Finucane, Director of Legal Business Affairs, Hornets Sports and Entertainment, Charlotte, N.C.
• Tennell Lockett, Managing Partner, Townsend &Lockett, LLC, Atlanta
Diriki T. Geuka
Jennifer Branham
Shannon Finucane
Tennell Lockett
9:50–10:40 AM
How to Be Your Best Professional Self by Managing Stress With Recovery
Presented by Rebecca Bandy, Director, The Florida Bar Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism, Tallahassee.
This program looks at types of stress, explores the concept of recovery and identifies examples that professionals can build into their workdays to better manage stress. The program also definitely links the incorporation of recovery strategies with resilience and wellness. Resilience is extremely important to legal professionals post-Covid-19.
Rebecca Bandy
Director, The Florida Bar Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism, Tallahassee
10:40 AM–10:55 AM
Break
10:55 – 11:45 AM
Ethically Accepting Payments via Online Apps and Fee-Sharing with Nonlawyers
Presented by D. Culver (Skip) Smith III, Shareholder, Culver Smith III, P.A., West Palm Beach.
We have witnessed a proliferation of web-based payment applications such as Venmo and Paypal in recent years. Some are designed for lawyers, others are not. They operate in diverse ways and with varying degrees of security. Can a lawyer ethically accept advances and payments through such services without violating client confidentiality or trust-account rules? Most lawyer ethics codes, including Florida’s, contain the traditional ban on sharing a lawyer’s fee with a nonlawyer. Although most lawyers are aware of this prohibition, application in practice invokes a variety of traps for the unwary. What exactly is or is not fee-sharing with a nonlawyer? How may a lawyer compensate a nonlawyer for case-related services without running afoul of the rule? This presentation will explore these questions and offer practical solutions.
D. Culver (Skip) Smith III
Shareholder, Culver Smith III, P.A., West Palm Beach
11:45 AM – 12:35 PM
Ethical Aspects of Combining Lawyering by Day with Second Streams of Income
Our speakers will explore some of the different ways solo or small firm attorneys can generate a second revenue stream while identifying potential ethical considerations. Do you have interests that could be revenue-generating to fulfill your passion or help you through the slow times? This panel will look at ways to ethically supplement your income while increasing your overall satisfaction.
Moderated by Camara Williams, Attorney, Smith & Williams Trial Group, PLLC, Orlando
Panelists:
• Jordan Ostroff, President, LegalEase Marketing; Managing Partner, Jordan Law, Orlando
• Shannon A. Ligon, Attorney, Ligon Law Group, LLC d.b.a. PrettySMART Law | PrettySMART, LLC | Legacy Entertainment & Arts Foundation Inc. (L.E.A.F. Inc.), Miami
• Jacina Parson, Chair, Solo & Small Firm Section; Senior Assistant County Attorney, Pinellas County Attorney’s Office; Realtor, Coldwell Banker, Clearwater
Camara Williams
Jordan Ostroff
Shannon Ligon
