"The most common thing I hear nearly every day on negotiations is, I hate negotiating my compensation. I usually ignore it, and now I've got this new offer or I'm getting a promotion." says executive compensation expert and attorney at Cohen and Buckmann, Sandra Cohen. Sandra boasts over 30 years of hands-on experience, guiding top-tier professionals through pivotal moments in their careers. Listeners will gain an invaluable education as Sandra breaks down a job offer. Key components are highlig...
Sep 12, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 24
"According to Dan Binstock, successful partnerships rely on key factors such as people, practice, compensation, and confidence." Join Chris Batz and Dan Binstock, a partner at Garrison & Sisson in Washington, DC, as they discuss the reasons why law partners decide to leave their current law firms. Dan outlines the top four reasons behind partner transitions, including concerns about firm leadership, inadequate practice support, compensation and profitability issues, and a lack of confidence ...
Aug 22, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 23
“For mergers to be successful, there really has to be a strategic reason on both sides that is well thought out by both parties, regardless of who makes the approach to whom,” explains Gary Miles, President and CEO of Miles Partner Placement, an elite partner placement group movement and merger boutique. Today, Gary speaks with host Chris Batz about recent law firm merger activity, future trends for corporate law firms, and the ABA rule 5.2. Gary explains that in his opinion a successful merger ...
Aug 01, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 22
“For too long DEI work has been focused on changing individual hearts and minds, versus the organization taking on responsibility and frankly, modifying behavior without the need for personal buy-in,” explains Alexis Robertson, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Foley & Lardner, as well as host of Foley’s Path & Practice Podcast. There has been great improvement in DEI at law firms regarding recruitment, but there is still a long way to go when it comes to employee retention...
Jul 11, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 21
With the fast pace that Generative AI models like Chat GPT have been expanding and improving, it has become quite clear that major disruptions are on the way for every single industry. And the legal industry is likely to be the first to face major disruptions due to these technological advances. Today, Mary O’Carroll,Chief Community Officer at Ironclad, lnc., and Craig Katerber, Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer at Budweiser Brewing Company APAC, discuss generative AI and the impacts the...
Jun 27, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 20
“You have to be yourself, but you have to pay attention to the audience that you’re working with,” explains Stewart Hirsch, managing director and business development coach. The issue with talking broadly about concepts like executive presence is that everyone has a different definition for what executive presence entails. The initial ideas for executive presence applied primarily to white men, but today’s professional environments are much more multicultural and diverse. Today, Stewart Hirsch a...
Jun 13, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 19
“It was something that I had always wanted to do, because I always felt this inclination to stand up for folks who didn't have a voice,” explains Michelle Patterson Wimes, SVP Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. Michelle began her professional journey as a teacher and then as a lawyer, thinking that was the best route to being able to help people. Along the way, she gathered experiences that made her the perfect candidate for working in DEI. Today, Michelle discus...
May 30, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 18
“It takes time to build that psychological safety, but I think it's a more important area than ever before in the modern workplace,” explains Dennis Garcia, Assistant General Counsel of Microsoft. Today, Dennis and Kim Yapchai, former SVP, Chief Environmental, Social, and Governance Officer at Tenneco Inc., discuss their career advice for developing in-house talent. Trust is something that needs to be earned over time, and creating a psychologically safe work environment is no different. With jo...
May 16, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 17
“Anyone that knows me throughout my career would see that it's really been about trying to push the boundaries. And in our part of the market, I think we really are driving and pushing the boundaries of what is possible and what clients want,” explains Matt Saur, strategic and institutional advisor, co-founder and partner of Woolery & Co. Today, Matt shares his career journey, the challenges he faced while opening Woolery & Co., and his desires to push boundaries and change the dynamics ...
May 02, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 16
“Hedge funds, if you do it right and you set up a really good compliance and operational structure, it's a scalable business,” explains Susanne Meline, co-founder of Francis Capital Management. Prior to going into hedge fund management and serving on several boards, she worked as an investment banker and as a lawyer. Today, Susanne shares how she first became involved with hedge funds, how a serendipitous meeting at a coffee shop landed her a seat on her first board, and board advice for those s...
Apr 18, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 15
“I always try to make sure I'm contextualizing what I do on a day-to-day basis. And my personal priority is my family all the time,” shares Bill Ryan, SVP. Bill is the Assistant GC of AT&T Services, Inc., but has held many roles from working as a bilingual educator to becoming an attorney and working in-house at DirectTV. Today, he shares his professional journey and how he has built a sustainable career through contextualizing work and family. The divide between work and personal life can c...
Apr 04, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 14
“Not enjoying the day-to-day was what prompted me to think about what I was doing. I then really started to try to focus on what I did enjoy,” explains Amy Harris, EVP. Amy is the Chief Legal Officer at UMB Financial, the largest bank in Kansas City. Today, she shares her journey from starting college as a musical theater major to going into political science and becoming a lawyer, and ultimately to going in-house. When Amy realized she wasn’t enjoying the day-to-day of her chosen musical theate...
Mar 21, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 13
“The law firms usually take their cues from their clients. If there's layoffs at the big banks and financial institutions, there's going to be a slowdown in the corporate work as well,” explains Sharon Mahn,CEO and Founder of Mahn Partners. Today, Sharon and Gary Miles, president and CEO at Miles Partner Placement, combine their experience to discuss the current legal market, predictions for the future, and the impact on legal recruiting and law partner compensation. The market is cyclical and c...
Mar 07, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 12
“If you're going to take a leap, you better at least like the people you're working with,” explains Fred Stein, Chief Legal Officer of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Today, Fred explores his extensive career journey, from law school to his private practice experience to his passion for writing. By reflecting on his experiences, Fred reveals how his time at Redbox was a rocket ship of growth, leading to being acquired by Chicken Soup for the Soul and an evolving career. When Fred learned about Redbox...
Feb 21, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Join Chris Batz on his second episode of The Future is Bright Podcast as he welcomes guest speaker Lloyd Johnson to learn more about how he has taken the hardships in life and turned them into motivation to be a legal industry leader, influencer, and advocate for women and attorneys of color. Chris Batz spends this week’s episode talking to Lloyd Johnson, born and raised in Santa Rosa, CA, an all-American track and field athlete turned legal industry convener and influencer. Johnson speaks about...
Feb 10, 2023•6 min
Join Chris Batz for the inaugural first episode of The Future is Bright Podcast as he brings on guest Dara Redler to learn about her legal career success at iconic brands and her passion for transformation, authentic leadership, and giving back. Chris Batz speaks to Dara Redler, born and raised in Pennsylvania and now resides in Atlanta, where she works remotely. She is the Chief Legal Officer at H&R Block, but before she got there, she had many other jobs that led her to this position. Redl...
Feb 08, 2023•6 min
“Put yourself out there before an opportunity arises,” explains Sahang-Hee Hahn, Head of Strategy & Planning at Haven Life Insurance Agency. Before her current position, Sahang-Hee started her career in singing and acting, big law, and got her MBA at Wharton. Reflecting on her varied experiences, she discusses taking risks and being playful with her career. When you push away your fear of risk, you will be surprised by the exciting opportunities that can arise. Without encouragement from a c...
Feb 07, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 10
“When you help others, they have the desire to come back and help you,” explains Ori Solomon, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Resilience. During Covid, Ori joined Resilience, a transformative pharma manufacturing company. With this transition in mind, Ori shares what it means to add value to your company and the world. Ori advises listeners to add value to every area of their lives, including work and professional relationships. We may be tempted to ask for bonu...
Jan 24, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 9
“With hard work and determination, you can really accomplish a lot” explains Meredith Ritchie, SVP GC, Chief Ethics & Government Affairs Officer. Starting her career as a paralegal, Meredith has developed an exciting career portfolio. Today, she shares the upcoming projects she has ahead and her dedication to volunteerism. Through her position at Alliant Credit Union, Meredith has had an instrumental part in spearheading their foundation. Through their work, Meredith can help promote financi...
Jan 10, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 8
“If you want to learn about an industry, the best thing to do is jump into it in some way, shape, or form,” explains Donna Rolf, Investor of New Era ADR. Today, Donna shares her legal career leap to the real estate industry and her critical executive role at an alternative energy company. Reflecting upon her experiences, Donna recognizes that she is hard-wired for risk, adventure, and as a result, success. Donna has never let fear stop her from trying new things. Starting her career as a litigat...
Dec 27, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 7
“I think about the term “generalist” professionally as someone willing to go outside their core area,” explains Brian Salmo, Managing Director at Hermann Companies. Before joining Hermann, Brian started his career as a corporate attorney before transitioning into other roles, including VP of Human Resources and Business Unit Leader at LMI Aerospace. Now focusing on sourcing, underwriting, and supporting direct investments at Hermann, Brian shares his unique career journey and how his experiences...
Dec 13, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 6
“Everything that you do as a leader you're doing through other people. You've got to make sure that you believe in them so they will trust you and do what needs to be done,” shares Francois Henriquez, EVP, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Today, Francois brings his 25 years of leadership experience to the table to discuss the role of leadership in financial institutions. After being mesmerized by the Watergate hearings, Francois knew he w...
Nov 29, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 5
“We'll have to see many low-cost energy options for people who cannot afford a Tesla to get out there and use those products,” explains Brady Long, EVP & General Counsel of Transocean. With an extensive career in the legal industry, Brady first became interested in the law because he was passionate about fairness and solving abstract issues. Today, Brady shares his impressive career journey and why he’s proud to work for Transocean. As an energy company, Transocean is always looking for ways...
Nov 08, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 4
“In this work, if it's not real and specific, it will not be able to advance the dialogue,” explains returning guest Lloyd Johnson, CEO of Chief Legal Executive. In part two of this two part-series, Lloyd and Chris discuss Lloyd’s exciting project, The Roadmap to Inclusion. Devoted to the DEI conversation inside corporate law departments, Lloyd reveals this project's scope and what is still missing from diversity discussions. As one of the pioneering champions of DEI practices, Lloyd has seen ou...
Oct 25, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Join Chris Batz on his second episode of The Future is Bright Podcast as he welcomes guest speaker Lloyd Johnson to learn more about how he has taken the hardships in life and turned them into motivation to be a legal industry leader, influencer, and advocate for women and attorneys of color. Chris Batz spends this week’s episode talking to Lloyd Johnson, born and raised in Santa Rosa, CA, an all-American track and field athlete turned legal industry convener and influencer. Johnson speaks about...
Sep 14, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Join Chris Batz for the inaugural first episode of The Future is Bright Podcast as he brings on guest Dara Redler to learn about her legal career success at iconic brands and her passion for transformation, authentic leadership, and giving back. Chris Batz speaks to Dara Redler, born and raised in Pennsylvania and now resides in Atlanta, where she works remotely. She is the Chief Legal Officer at H&R Block, but before she got there, she had many other jobs that led her to this position. Redl...
Sep 06, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 1
