Sticky Lawyers

From forgery schemes to Nazi-looted art to patrimony laws to sanctions on Russian oligarchs, Steven Schindler has seen it all. As the leader of Schindler, Cohen & Hochman's art law group, he proves that one interesting client can propel you to a niche practice area that shapes the rest of your career.Steve joined a large firm after law school and focused on commercial litigation and trials. After later starting a firm with two colleagues, his work on an art-related dispute piqued his interest in art law as a practice area. The field was wide open. Steve dove in, researched, wrote articles for law journals, and became a sought-after speaker on the subject. Along the way, he has handled everything from title contests to fraud, challenges to authenticity and provenances, restitution for stolen art, and various transactions for the purchase, sale, and commission of fine art and NFTs. Listen in as this Sticky Lawyer describes how a life-long appreciation took him from one legal career canvas to another.

Zachary Strebeck has always loved games, whether on a board or a video screen. In law school, he took classes and participated in internships to gain the skills he knew he would need to represent clients in the games industry. And a niche law practice was born.A digital nomad who works from a laptop from any place in the world, Zachary solves the legal issues of game start-ups, successful video and board game publishers, and related industry players. His work as a graphic illustrator before law school informs his knowledge of the business, helps him build trust with clients, and allows him to speak their language. From contracts to copyrights to privacy law, Zachary has advised clients on myriad legal issues as their industry evolves to include artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality.In this Sticky Lawyers episode, we hear how a guy with a passion for games created a successful practice built and operated on his own terms. Have a listen.

Environmental warriors are often inspired by stories of ecological travesties or climate problems that speak to their souls, and Donald Simon is living proof. A National Geographic magazine article he read as a kid in Ohio sparked a lifelong passion for protecting the earth.Although he began working with nonprofits in environmental activism early in his legal career, he moved to San Francisco and pivoted into an entirely new area. His work in construction litigation led him to shape the green building industry and help clients develop green businesses. That work drew him to creating the benefit corporation, an alternative corporate structure now recognized in 37 states. Oh, and he founded a few eco-oriented nonprofits, too.Through it all, Donald's focus and commitment to taking care of our planet have driven his practice and book of business. Listen in as he describes how he uses his problem-solving skills to create change in the world and help clients do the same.

Christopher Melcher never dreamed about representing celebrities and wealthy clients in divorce court. Instead, as a young lawyer, he met an LA attorney with a high-end solo practice in divorce and family law who invited him to join the practice. He dove into the world of representing wealthy and celebrity clients, working with the teams that manage them, and never looked back. Managing the legal needs of these high-powered, sophisticated legal consumers requires the dedicated focus that this successful niche practice provides. But hobnobbing at Hollywood parties has never been his thing. Christopher's humble and straightforward approach with his clients is what drives his success. In this episode, Christopher gives us a masterclass on marketing for niche practices. He describes the advice that worked for him and how using a video bio on your website can lead to more referrals. As a legal analyst for various media outlets, he also gives us some pointers on becoming a go-to legal commentator. Join us for this enlightening discussion.

What do five-minute interviews, going broke on the first day of a fellowship in Nairobi, opening a high-end hosiery franchise, and being appointed to an international trade committee by the Obama administration have in common? They are all experiences that shaped the fascinating life and legal career of Craig Owen White.Nurtured by his father and teachers to be curious, Craig knew he wanted to be an attorney at a young age. A fellowship after college sent him on a yearlong journey of self-discovery in Kenya and Ghana and cemented a pattern of listening and learning as much as he instructed. After law school and several years as a corporate law associate, Craig and his wife opened a high-end retail hosiery business in downtown Cleveland to create jobs in the Black community. That experience shaped his work with the International Senior Lawyers Project in Africa, as well as an appointment by the Cleveland City Council to negotiate with the NFL to bring the Browns back to town. The current partner in charge at Hahn Loeser & Parks' Cleveland office, Craig is also the chair of the Trade Advisory Committee on Africa to which he was appointed by the Obama Administration. This sticky lawyer has left his imprint all over the world. Enjoy his story.

We've talked to attorneys on this podcast who represent clients' needs in distinct, niche areas of the law. But what about lawyers? They're humans with needs and a few flaws, just like the rest of us. Who do they call when they need a lawyer to represent them? If they're smart, they will hire today's guest.Meet Trisha Rich. A first-generation college graduate from a tiny town in Michigan, Trisha is a partner with international law firm Holland & Knight, based in Chicago and New York. Her practice focuses largely on legal ethics and professional responsibility matters, meaning she represents lawyers and law firms when they get into trouble or need legal assistance.  But Trish''s devotion to the legal community doesn't stop there. She writes a column about professional responsibility ethics, teaches legal ethics at Northwestern Pritzker Law School and NYU, and co-hosts a Chicago Bar Association podcast. Oh, and she also helped create the Attorney Defense Initiative to help lawyers with disciplinary and wellness issues. None of it would have happened without a chance encounter she had while working at McDonald's in high school. Don't miss this episode.  

She loves Elvis Presley, classic rock, and Northern Soul, and has a successful legal career in the music industry. Meet Erin Jacobson.  With a private practice in L.A. that has grown exponentially since its inception in 2009, Erin helps Grammy and Emmy winning singers, musicians, songwriters, legacy artists and catalogs, heirs and estates, and others navigate complex contract, licensing, and intellectual property laws. She is also one of the industry's leading attorneys in copyright recapture and termination issues. Erin has grown her busy practice by developing relationships promoting her thought leadership. She's a trusted resource within the music community and wrote a book to educate artists so they don't get screwed (her words, not ours). She even created the Indie Artist Resource to give artists template contracts and guidance to protect themselves when starting out. Talk about building a clientele from the ground up. In this episode, Erin gives us a crash course in music copyrights, infringement, and recapture. It is clear she's committed to protecting her clients' rights, ownership of their catalogs, and the music itself - an obligation she feels she has to listeners who feel deeply connected to it.

Thousands of kids have likely dreamed of working for NASA as an astronaut. But how many science fiction-loving youth dream of being a NASA lawyer when they grow up? Meet Laura Montgomery. Although NASA didn't end up on her CV, Laura spent more than two decades as a space lawyer with the FAA. Now in private practice, she specializes in regulatory space law, commercial space transportation, and the Outer Space Treaties, while teaching space law at Catholic University.During her years as FAA counsel, Laura helped draft regulations for space launch safety, explosive siting, and commercial space tourism. But she explains how this niche area of law really includes all areas of law, including property law (space mining) and criminal law (US criminal justice jurisdiction extends to outer space).Join us on this episode as Laura spins fascinating tales of her experiences as a space lawyer and a science fiction writer. She has 16 titles in print that showcase her deep space knowledge and sometimes feature space lawyers in her casts of characters. 

Don't discount the childhood pleasures that can shape your life. For David Concannon, hiking, exploring, and diving at summer camp fueled his lifelong passion for outdoor adventure – and a ridiculously cool legal niche along with a side business in exploration consulting.Inspired by his grandfather's fascination with the air and the sea, David became general counsel of The Explorer's Club (comprised of the world's greatest adventurers ) after being inducted as one of its youngest members, sparking relationships that launched his career advising deep-sea explorers on the legalities of visiting the Titanic and other shipwrecks, serving as general counsel to the X Prize Foundation, and working with Jeff Bezos to recover the rocket engines that propelled the Apollo program to the moon.Listen as David recounts tales that stretch from the courtroom to the deepest ocean depths and Earth's orbit. Not your ordinary law practice, to be sure. 

Many comic book heroes use superpowers to defeat their evil foes and save the world. But their creators still need lawyers to negotiate their contracts. Who would have ever thought that “comic book lawyer” was an actual legal niche? We know a former professional dancer who spun into it by chance.Meet Caitlin DiMotta, a performing artist turned attorney fortunate enough to heed two career callings - the arts and law. After a chance encounter pointed her to law school, she befriended a renowned comic book creator who helped open her eyes to a community she has come to love.Whether you're a DC or Marvel fan (or have never opened a comic book), listen to Caitlin talk about following her instincts to build a practice, working with talented writers and artists to publish comic books and get them to the big screen, and witnessing firsthand the fascinating transformation of Captain Marvel. Links From the EpisodeCowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP (Caitlin's Law Firm)Caitlin's EmailCriminal (comic book by Ed Brubaker)Scalped (comic book by Jason Aaron)Bitch Planet (comic book by Kelly Sue DeConnick) 

John Szymankiewicz always knew he wanted to be a lawyer. He also developed a life-long passion for beer – brewing it, drinking it, and after a slight detour into chemical engineering, building a law career around it.  Now, John is one of an elite group of Sticky Lawyers dedicated to counseling breweries, distilleries, and other small alcohol producers.Although practicing beer law sounds as enjoyable as hoisting a few pints with your friends, the work isn't all fun and drinking games. By knowing the industry so intimately, he can speak clients' language and has become a trusted business partner. Whether navigating alcohol label compliance rules, creating employee manuals for brewpubs, or counseling distilleries about manufacturing hand sanitizer during a pandemic, the Beer Lawyer has seen it all. Pull up a barstool and listen to a business development masterclass within the context of a unique niche law practice.

Michael Hall developed an interest in UFOs and Bigfoot in the 1970s. And although he didn't have grand plans to become The Paranormal Lawyer, he earned that moniker after decades of blending his side passion with his general law practice. As a paranormal field researcher who investigated UFO sightings for the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization, he met fellow ufologists and researchers who began to call on him for legal advice.Michael's real estate law knowledge assisted a client in disclosing a haunted property. His contract law experience allowed him to craft nondisclosure agreements for ufologists negotiating TV deals. And then there was a researcher friend who feared for his life over a top-secret government document… but you'll have to listen to hear that story.Join us for a fascinating dive into Michael's story and how he has fashioned his general law practice into an out-of-this-world adventure.

When the Smithsonian dubs you “an ocean hero” and the New York Times calls you a “coastal warrior,” you aren't just hoping the oceans and coastlines can be protected now and in the future. You're championing the cause to make it happen. You're Mark Massara.Growing up in Santa Barbara, Mark fell in love with the wildness of the ocean. He learned to surf in grade school, but helping clean up a catastrophic oil spill at the age of seven cemented his devotion to coastal conservation and led to building a cutting-edge “surf law” practice. In this episode, Mark shares fascinating stories of taking on and sometimes collaborating with big business and wealthy landowners on behalf of the Surfrider Foundation, the Sierra Club, and other non-profits committed to preserving the California coastline. As the general counsel and vice president of social responsibility at O'Neill Wetsuits, he has even more resources to advance the cause and address the perils of climate change.Listen in as this Sticky Lawyer talks about surfing the crest of the conservation development law wave and how we need to act now to address the climate crisis.

Dr. John Naranja has devoted his life to the service of others, something that is very apparent in the different roles he's held along a career path that includes medicine, the military, and the law. Raised by physician parents, he, too, became a doctor. After establishing a successful orthopedic surgery practice in a small Maine community, however, he made a surprising pivot to law school in Boston and a big-city personal injury firm. It's not the law practice you would expect from a surgeon-turned-trial lawyer though. “Dr. John” talks about serving in the U.S. Air Force (just like his dad), the transition from the operating room to the courtroom, and how medicine and lawyering, respectively, affected an important role – the father of ten children.Tune in to hear one Sticky Lawyer share stories about being a lifelong learner and the courage to following not one, but multiple callings.

As a child, Julie Fershtman loved horses. And she managed to cultivate that passion into a niche equine law practice – in Michigan, of all places. How did she do it? Through lots of research, outreach, and the discipline to listen to the needs of influencers in and around the equine community. Julie wrote countless articles and four books, attended many conferences, and made a name for herself while using conversations with the people she met to generate an impressive body of online and offline content. Her writing and speaking not only established her subject matter expertise but also opened the door to new businessActive in the State Bar of Michigan beginning early in her career, Julie shares how she viewed her committee experience as a master class for developing a professional presence. Now she gives us a master class in how to start and grow your niche, give back to the profession, and find fulfillment in the practice of law.Enjoy the conversation with Julie.

There is no shortage of social causes that need support. But how deeply do we understand the social issues that affect our neighbors and us, and how do we determine which feet-on-the-ground organizations to support when we do? When it comes to food insecurity, corporate counsel Tyrone Thomas invites you to a conversation. A Conversation for Six, to be exact.Tyrone shares how growing up in Philadelphia and interning as an urban planning undergrad opened his eyes and heart to the plight of the country's food insecure. As an established attorney, he used his own capital to start a non-profit with a mission to educate people about this human rights epidemic, so people can get knowledgeable enough about an aspect of food insecurity to act and become advocates.Tune in to learn more about the food insecurity issues we face and one Sticky Lawyer's innovative approach to raising awareness for the cause.

Ever wondered what an attorney in the fashion industry does? In our ongoing pursuit to spotlight Sticky Lawyers, we found a fashion lawyer who has created a fascinating niche for herself, beginning in law school when she was busting blue jean counterfeiters in LA's Santee Alley. Meet Jenny Wu, today's guest with a style all her own. Through fearless determination and moxie, she's found legal roles with a premium denim label, an international fashion and accessories brand, and a company that builds brands for fashion influencers.  Oh, and she also appeared on (and nearly won) television's “The Amazing Race.” Jenny explains the intriguing details of how she built her expertise in fashion law and shares how a little fear and her parents' courageous example have fueled her drive to compete and win. Enjoy this fascinating and lively conversation with Jenny Wu.

What do you call the smiling, courteous person at a bar association event? The caterer.  Ah, lawyer jokes. They may be good for a chuckle, but often that underlying (sometimes truthful) snark is what gives lawyers a bad reputation. That's where today's guest, attorney and author Melody Kramer, comes in. Melody has used her 20+ years as an attorney to literally write the book that tells readers why lawyers think and act like they do, and how clients can use that information to save money and work better with their attorneys.Melody shares some of her hacks for better client relationships (that focus more on humility than the typical “hard sell”). She also tells us about co-founding an organization for freelance lawyers, long before the gig economy took off. Listen to our conversation with Melody for a fresh way to think about the practice of law.

Preparing meals in the basement for the family catering business as a small child may not sound like the path to a successful career in employment law. How about announcing the new “Mr. and Mrs.” at hundreds of weddings in the family banquet hall? At Sticky Lawyers, we've seen some winding roads to the law. And for Maria Dwyer, being raised in the food business was the perfect recipe for her exceptional employment law career that focuses on the food and beverage industry.As the managing member of Clark Hill's Detroit office, Maria developed her client base by merging her life-long knowledge of the restaurant industry with her problem-solving instincts. Building relationships and volunteering for board positions drive Maria's business development efforts. Listen to our discussion with her for the secret sauce. 

Morris ("Mo") Lilienthal is not just a successful trial lawyer in Huntsville, Alabama. He's also a dad, husband, and volunteer who has cultivated a large social media following. But Mo doesn't fill his social feeds with car crash statistics and lawspeak. His Facebook and Instagram videos and posts chronicle his family life, offer life tips, and show off his funny weekend wear. And his popular Facebook Live series, The Mo Show Live, features interviews with community leaders, non-profits doing great work, and positive stories that viewers love.Mo tells us how sharing personal and vulnerable stories has rapidly expanded his social media footprint and leads to business referrals because his social media connections feel like they know him. Enjoy the conversation with Mo Lilienthal.

Some might say Jill McBride Baxter was born to be a sports agent and a leader in sports law. Her dad was a Hall of Fame football coach, so she was raised on athletic fields and developed a love of the game long before she entered law school. Now, nearly 25 years later, she has a thriving sports law practice and represents professional players, coaches, media, and college administrators.An aggressive negotiator with an adventurous spirit and problem-solving nature, Jill has grown a thriving business mainly through referrals and by learning from influencers outside her industry. Listen as Jill describes how her practice has grown and evolved.

Host John Reed previews what Sticky Lawyers is all about. If you want to hear stories from exceptional attorneys who carved out surprising niches for themselves or who have turned their hobbies and passions into thriving, legal careers, this podcast is for you!