The Lawyer Stories Podcast

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 225 features Nancy Jeng, Co-Founder of Billalbles AI. Jeng shares her inspiring journey from the world of advertising to the forefront of legal tech innovation. A graduate of the University of Texas with a degree in advertising, Nancy began her career creating high-profile ad campaigns—including work featured during the Super Bowl. Her path led her to major tech companies like Google and Pinterest, where she honed her skills in tech and product development. Drawing from her own experience as a timekeeper, Nancy co-founded Billables AI, a groundbreaking legal tech startup. The company offers an AI-powered, automated time tracking tool designed for lawyers, consultants, marketers, and other professional services providers. Billables AI aims to revolutionize time reporting by making it seamless and accurate.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 224 features Samah “Sam” Abukhodeir, Founder and Managing Partner at The Florida Probate and Family Law Firm.  Sam shares her story of patience and perseverance and how she grew her law firm to 12 attorneys and 30 plus employees across nine offices.  The firm is dedicated to serving clients throughout Florida in the areas of probate, guardianship, estate planning, elder law, and family law.  We first shared Sam's story with the Lawyer Stories Community in October of 2020.  Sam is also a Founding Member of Lawyer Stories Connect!

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 223 features Patrick Carver, Chief Executive Officer of Constellation Marketing, located in Atlanta, Georgia, but offering services to all law firms.  Constellation's journey that began in 2017 is rooted in a personal story. When Patrick discovered his father being underserved by a major legal marketing company, he took matters into his own hands.  By implementing effective SEO and advertising strategies, Patrick not only revitalized his father's firm, adding $200,000 to its revenue within a year, but also laid the foundation for what Constellation is today. Since then, Constellation has liberated over 100 law firms from ineffective marketing, consistently driving them towards and beyond the seven-figure mark.  In addition, Constellation has been a supporter of the Lawyer Stories community and has offered to host our community members' websites for free of charge while supplies last.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 223 features Charles Porges, Co-Founder and CEO of Novo, a legal tech company revolutionizing how plaintiff attorneys write medical chronologies and demands with artificial intelligence.  Novo's technology automates this process, empowering attorneys to draft high-quality documents in minutes — compared to days if done conventionally — ultimately saving valuable time and resources. Novo's AI-powered platform analyses and parses client documents to extract the most relevant information, reducing the burden of administrative tasks and freeing up attorneys to focus on strategic work. Novo is the personal injury settlement engine, reshaping the legal industry. 

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 222 features Jay Kobak, CEO & Co-Founder at 5 Star Legal Funding, LLC based out of New York.  Jay shares with us that he spent many years in the financial industry offering investment advice to attorneys.  While getting to know these attorneys he heard their frustrations and disappointments regarding their clients' legal funding issues.  Jay recounts the story of sitting down for a meal with twenty of the top trial attorneys in New York City to figure out how he could make a different in the legal funding industry.  He later went on to assist those attorneys' clients with their funding needs!  5 Star Legal Funding offers a non-compounding, low cost and lawyer friendly product.  Jay is a passionate and affable individual and tells us that regarding the employees at 5 Star Legal Funding, “Everybody is somebody.”  Jay will go above and beyond to help friends, family, or someone in need. 

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 221 features April Miller Boise, EVP, Chief Legal Officer (Corporate Affairs, Policy, Integrity, Trade & Legal) at Intel Corporation. April shares her story growing up in the Detroit area and having had the opportunity to intern with Saturn for two summers and then General Motors legal staff.  April has a love for the automotive industry and for all things manufacturing, (and even before receiving her JD she worked in manufacturing).  Her experiences from GM, to Honeywell, and to Ford shaped her interest in business law and ultimately capital markets and M&A. April spent time in private practice on Wall Street and later moved back to the Midwest; there, she joined a law firm, where she started the Private Equity Group and became Partner, Managing Partner, and a member of the Executive Committee. In 2011, after 15+ years of private practice, April moved in-house to a GC role in manufacturing, and has never looked back. Intel is a global technology company with an iconic brand, known for being one of the world's largest semiconductor companies and the only company that researches, designs, and manufactures leading node semiconductors in America. April has the breadth of experience and skills necessary to lead the team forward.   

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 220 features Michael Kopsick, Owner and Attorney at The Law Offices of Michael W. Kopsick, focusing on personal injury in the Chicagoland area of Illinois.  We discuss Michael's journey to the practice of law from his days Clemson University to attending John Marshall Law School where Michael could pivot from school to providing legal counsel to his hometown community.  Michael has also represented family members and loved ones in wrongful death cases and has a proven track record of success and has achieved excellent results for his clients.  Michael connects well displaying empathy to his clients and aims to maintain working relationships with his adversaries but will increase his fierce advocacy and competitiveness as needed. 

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 219 features Brad and Zach Baber, a father-son team with over thirty years combined legal experience in criminal defense located in Whitley County, IN.  Zach is an active member of the community as a high school football coach, and Brad is a former Navy JAG.  Zach is dedicated to helping attorneys build sustainable, client-focused law practices through his program “Build My Law Practice,” (BMLP) guiding attorneys launching and/or growing the practice they actually want. Zach's goal is to help his fellow lawyers establish thriving law firms with clarity and confidence.  Zach and Brad strive to serve, lead, and make an impact.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 218 features Yasmin Morshedian, court reporter and founder of YM Legal Services!  Yasmin takes us behind the scenes of her entrepreneurial journey—from becoming a court reporter to launching her very own court reporting agency in South Florida. She shares invaluable advice on how lawyers can choose the right court reporting agency for their practice, and opens up about the highs and lows of building a business from the ground up. Yasmin's story is a powerful blend of hard work, perseverance, and passion. Her journey is full of practical insights and inspiration that will resonate with both legal professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs alike.  We are grateful to have Yasmin as part of the Lawyer Stories Connect community!

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 217 features Travis Meltzer, Founding Attorney at Valley Injury Law in Phoenix, Arizona.  Travis shares his story with us and after defending the insurance companies for five years, decided to utilize his skills to help people injured by others' negligence to ensure the best result in light of their injuries.  Travis has a relaxed manner and is naturally compassionate, truthful, and possesses a unique ability to understand ability to communicate with clients from all facets of life.  Travis prides himself on taking cases from intake to trial and tell us to “Be yourself,” and approach cases with interaction not just as a process.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 216 features Ross A. Brennan, Trial Lawyer at Cronauer Law, focusing on personal injury and civil rights law in Texas. Ross shares his story, first serving on active duty in the Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps for five assignments, attaining the rank of Major. After Honorably separating from active duty, Ross worked full-time an investigator and his investigations pertained mostly to civil rights, employment discrimination, and matters of federal civil litigation.  After some time, Ross missed the courtroom and brought his unique experience to Cronauer Law's Texas office.  (Cronauer Law also has an office in Sycamore, Illinois and it was our pleasure to host C. Nicholas Cronauer on Episode 117 of the Lawyer Stories Podcast.)  Ross tells us to be innovative and efficient, and that if you can state something simply, you don't understand it well enough.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 215 features Glen Ged, Founding Partner at Ged Lawyers focusing on personal injury and personal injury protection (PIP) claims throughout Florida and Massachusetts.  Glen has established a reputation as one of North America's most compassionate and dedicated lawyers and one of the country's most aggressive litigators, earning thousands of referrals from clients and lawyers nationwide. He has successfully represented many clients in severe personal injury and wrongful death cases.  Glen was featured in Forbes in an article “How Ged Lawyers is Taking on Corporate America,” and Ged Lawyers takes great pride in being an innovative law firm changing the game with their advanced technology.  Lawyer Stories had the pleasure to record our first-ever live podcast with Glen prior to our epic Miami Connect event.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 214 features Cynthia Runge, founder and owner of Peridot Family Law LLC in Boston, Massachusetts (also admitted in New York.) We discuss Cynthia's interest in pursuing a law degree, completing her undergrad in Boston and law school in California.  About ten years after receiving her JD, Cynthia's interest in the arts led her to receiving a certificate in Museum Studies.  Now, Cynthia has a focus on family law, collaborative law, divorce mediation and care and protection matters. Cynthia's background also includes experience in landlord/tenant and real estate law in addition to intellectual property matters for artists and non-profits. For more information, you can check out Cynthia's website at www.peridotfamilylaw.com.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 213 features Jordan M. Jones, Trial Attorney licensed in California and Michigan, Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy ("NBTA"), and Owner at Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyers.  We discuss Jordan's Lawyer Story and the recent launch of his law firm, Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyers. (www.trucklawyers.com). Jordan has litigated over one hundred trucking cases since he began more than a decade ago and is currently one of two lawyers in California who is a Board Certified in truck accident law by the NBTA.  Jordan has also been a big supporter, guide, and friend to Lawyer Stories, appearing on the second episode of the Lawyer Stories Podcast with Benny Gold!

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 212 features Heather Reese and Michael Pungitore, trial lawyers in Philadelphia focused on personal injury law.  We discuss both Heather and Michael's reasons for becoming lawyers and Heather shares with us the only competition you have is who you were the day before.  Heather takes pride in being part of the Hispanic National Bar Association, and enjoys the personal aspect of community.  Michael, a competitive person by nature, likes the exercise of figuring out the other party's arguments in order to maximize his representation in court.  As far as social media goes, Heather tells us to be authentic, don't be fake, and be kind!  

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 211 features Monica Ishak, Trial Attorney and Owner at the Ishak Law Firm, P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida, focused on Criminal Defense.  We discuss that Monica's parents are from Egypt and that she is a first generation American and South Florida Native.  Monica began her career trying cases as a certified legal intern in law school at the Public Defender's Office in Miami. Upon graduating law school, she started as an Assistant Public Defender in Palm Beach County where she tried numerous misdemeanor cases.  Monica believes in strong and compassionate advocacy for her clients and tells us to stand your ground.  Indeed, Monica tells us that her passion lies in criminal justice reform and ultimately providing quality representation to those she knows she can help. We are grateful to have Monica as a Founding Member of Lawyer Stories Connect!

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 210 features Cary London, Managing Partner at Shulman and Hill in Greater New York City focusing on Civil Rights, Police Brutality, Excessive Force, Wrongful Convictions, and Personal Injury.  Cary is the Chair of the Civil Rights Division of the Brooklyn Bar Association, and a Board Member of the Brooklyn Defender Services.  Cary is also a Founding Member of Lawyer Stories Connect!  Cary's journey as a civil rights lawyer began during his tenure as a Public Defender in Brooklyn. Cary witnessed, firsthand, the systemic injustices prevalent in the criminal justice system. This experience ignited a fire within him to advocate for change and pursue justice for those who have been marginalized or wronged.  One case at a time, Cary is becoming a voice for those in need, consistently striving to create a more equitable society for all.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 209 features Jo Stephens, CEO at Law Firm Sites, a digital marketing and web design agency specializing in helping law firms of all sizes thrive online.  Jo shares with us that she has been in several different roles at Law Firm Sites, including Office Manager, Project Manager, and Director of Development. In 2017, Jo became the COO, and she finally took over as CEO and purchased the company in the fall of 2020.  Jo managed to go back to school to work on her degree, raise her son, and donate time to her local community. Jo has helped build Law Firm Sites, Inc. from a few staff members working in a basement, to now over 35 employees.  Law Firm Sites has even offered to build and manage a new website for Lawyer Stories and we are grateful for this opportunity!

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 208 features Katurah Topps, a NYC civil rights lawyer and motivational speaker, most recently known for her appearance on CBS' Hit Reality TV Show “SURVIVOR,” season 45. While on Survivor, Katurah revealed that she spent her childhood raised in a religious cult, where she was ripped out of school at 10-years-old, forced into years of manual labor, and eventually became a child bride. In this powerful interview we discuss how Katurah overcame seemingly insurmountable hardships, escaped the cult, and became a Georgetown Law graduate—and what she is doing now to help others! We also discuss Katurah's motivational speaking and coaching sessions, where she travels across the country helping trauma survivors and people who feel stuck in their everyday lives, to reach their highest potential.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 207 features Judge Frank Caprio, retired judge who served as the chief judge of the municipal court in Providence and chairman of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education.  Judge Caprio's judicial work is widely known on the television program Caught in Providence, and he has recently released a book titled “Compassion in the Court. Life-Changing Stories from America's Nicest Judge.” Judge Caprio shares his story with us beginning with his father working as a fruit peddler and telling him he would be a lawyer one day.  Judge Caprio feels privileged to be part of a loving family and it carried over to him serving compassionate justice in his courtroom, making sure the litigants before him departed the courtroom with dignity. It was a pleasure to host Judge Caprio on the Lawyer Stories Podcast.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 170 features Travis Hoechlin, CEO of RizeUP Media in Alisa Viejo, CA. We discuss with Travis how RizeUp is diligently assisting law firms to generate new clients from the internet, increase revenue and help grow their businesses. RizeUp has representatives throughout the country, and will roll up their sleeves to discover your needs, help scale your law firm, by utilizing a dedicated account manager and sales strategist along with other specialized departments to assist your firm. RizeUp Media offers bespoke marketing solutions crafted specifically for law firms without long-term contracts.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 205 features Anna-Kay Brown, highly driven attorney-at-law at Stanbrook Prudhoe, located in Kingston, Jamaica, and focusing on environmental cases in Guyana.  Anna-Kay is admitted to practice law in New York, Jamaica, Guyana, and Anguilla.  Anna-Kay shares with us that she always wanted to be an attorney and we discuss her cross-Caribbean representation: transactional, litigation and regulatory where she is keen on complex and interesting matters. Stanbrook Prudhoe acts independently or in support of other Counsel wanting collaboration and/or support with heavy lifting.  Anna-Kay completed a Master of Laws (LLM) in Competition Innovation and Technology Law at NYU School of Law in May 2022.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 204 features Robert Simon, Co-Founder at Justice HQ/Justice Team/Attorney Share/Justice Team Network in Manhattan Beach, CA.  We discuss why Bob went from Pittsburgh to Pepperdine and his inspiration from launching Justice HQ and Attorney Share.  We discuss the meaning of community and how the lawyers creating content and posting on social media have become a community within themselves.  Bob continues to headline legal events in all different locations, give back to our legal community by sharing his extensive knowledge, and creating content for us to learn from and enjoy.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 203 features Richard Leonard, Dean at Campbell University School in Raleigh, North Carolina, and author of “From Welcome to Windhoek: A Judge's Journey.” We discuss Dean Leonard's story, growing up in Welcome, North Carolina, and becoming an innovative judge, global citizen and go-to guy for court-building in emerging African nations. Over the course of his long career, Dean Leonard has been a pioneering judge, a groundbreaking court administrator, a restorer of historic courthouses and, at age 29 the youngest U.S. District Court Clerk in the country. 

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 202 features Paige Sparks, Owner and Trial Attorney at Sparks Law Firm in St. Louis, Missouri, focusing on employment law.  Paige is also a TikTok superstar and was first featured by Lawyer Stories in December of 2019!  Paige shares her story with us from being involved in high school debate to the unfortunate car accident that occurred on her drive to the first day of law school.  Paige tells us she worked several jobs before becoming a lawyer and we discuss when she knew she was going viral on social media.  Paige also provides some tips for those seeking to grow their social media pages.  

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 201 features Nicole Dolgon, Partner at ESCA Legal, a New York City based team dedicated to legal protection worldwide for their clients and being strategic counsel for IP-Focused Businesses.  Nicole began her professional career at a boutique law firm in New York City. She transitioned to an in-house career as the Director of Business Development & Licensing at ED Ellen DeGeneres, where she led transactional negotiations between Ellen's licensees, partners, joint-venturers and representatives. She drafted, negotiated and executed license, joint venture, partnership, collaboration, sponsorship and design services agreements. Nicole recently served as Senior Counsel to Party City Holdings Inc., where she was responsible for negotiations between Party City and third parties for master services, SaaS, consulting and licensing agreements, as well as other commercial contracts as necessary.  Nicole frequently speaks at her law school alma mater the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 200 features Caryn Beth Gold, Director of Community Engagement at Lawyer Stories Connect.  This conversation format is different than other episodes.  Caryn discusses her new role with Lawyer Stories and how she plans to assist in delivering a designated space on Mighty Networks for legal professionals to grow and learn together as a community.  Benny discusses the Lawyer Stories vision and how the Lawyer Stories Connect platform seemed like the next best step in the growth of the community.  Lawyer Stories Connect will offer members webinars from legal experts we've met on our journey, virtual roundtables to discuss best practices, events, blog posts, a digital badge, social media posts, and networking which will be facilitated by Benny.  Come find your referral partners or perhaps meet a new best friend.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 199 features Natalie Lopez, Owner at Natalie Lopez, Attorney at Law, PA, aka “Nat Guilty,” focused on Criminal Defense in South Florida. Natalie knew she wanted to be an attorney when she was fifteen years old and the New Jersey native pursued her career in South Florida.  Natalie worked as an Assistant Public Defender at the Broward County Public Defender's Office and now owns her law firm and is handling cases involving criminal defense, domestic violence, and family law. Natalie's legal representation is focused on conquering your case and bringing you to your legal destination.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 198 features Michael Shane, Florida Bar Board Certified Immigration and Nationality Lawyer, a Managing Partner at Shane & Shane, P.A. located in Fort Lauderdale, but serving all of South Florida with a worldwide client base.  We discuss Michael's journey to the profession of law beginning with his childhood in Oceanside, NY to his days at the University of Miami School of Law. Mr. Shane pursued through some difficult times and ascended to the profession because of his hard work, dedication and some timely advice.  Michael was an inaugural member of the Florida Bar's Immigration and Nationality Law Certification committee. From 1986 to 1987, Mr. Shane was President of the South Florida Chapter of the American Immigration and Lawyers Association (AILA).  It was a pleasure to interview a pillar of the Florida immigration law community.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 197 features Jennifer Netska, Founder and Managing Attorney at Netska Law Group, Personal Injury Attorney located in Miami, FL and serving New York and Ankit Kapoor, Partner & Trial Attorney at Cohen Stine Kapoor LLP focused on high-net-worth matrimony & Family Law cases in NYC.  We recorded this joint episode subsequent to our Lawyer Stories Connect NYC event where both Jennifer and Ankit were attendees.  This episode displays a common thread of two attorneys that are very motivated to serve their clients well and achieve excellence in their respective fields.  Jennifer operates a modern day practice telling us to keep it simple when acquiring clients and Ankit advises newer attorneys to go to the partners with solutions, not problems.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 196 features Shefali Lakhani, Attorney & Founder at Lakhani Legal, a Business and IP Law Firm in New York City.  Shefali shares that she is the child of immigrant parents and had a feeling of entrepreneurship that was always in the back of her mind.  Shefali launched Lakhani Legal, a business and IP law firm, and works primarily with small and medium sized businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs. Lakhani Legal provides expert legal advice through the duration of the client's business, from entity incorporation and licensing to contracts. Shefali discusses her own version of an “Impact,” and we talk about how human-centered design helps her in her law practice.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 195 features Sara Shikhman, Managing Partner and Healthcare Attorney at Lengea Law, legal solutions for healthcare innovators, located in New York City. Sara was born in Ukraine and as a young girl settled with her family in Brooklyn.  We discuss Sara's ascent from Penn Law to Managing Partner at Lengea Law.  Sara has over 20 years of experience as a healthcare lawyer and a healthcare business operator. She is also the author of MedSpa Confidential, a Best Seller on Amazon that provides guidance on how to start, grow, and sell a medical spa business.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 194 features Paul Mallis, Senior Partner at Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates, focusing on Criminal Defense in Philadelphia, PA. Paul shareds his lawyer story with us about how right out the gate he knew he was a lawyer through and through, it was totally intentional and not by mistake because of the feelings he had at a young age.  Paul tells us that he offers a special level of service, answering calls and being responsive at all hours because the client comes first.  Paul offers some advice about trial preparation telling us to know your case cold and to be prepared.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 193 features Allison Pierre, CEO at Innovative Prosecution Consulting (“IPC”) located in Washington, DC. Allison is a criminal justice reform advocate empowering prosecutors to make smarter policy decisions with data-driven insights. Allison shares her legal journey beginning with her first job as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn and then becoming a Special United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C.  Allison realized that reform work was not a career path but a “calling” for her and created IPC.  The IPC team, with data scientists from American University, equips prosecutors with the tools to ensure their actions align with their policies.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 192 features Liana Zavo, Founder & CEO ZavoMedia PR Group.  Liana is a PR Expert, Crisis and Reputation Manager, Forbes Thought Leader & Contributor, located in New York City. Liana shares with us that she is a second generation journalist, inspired by her grandmother who was a journalist in Russia.  Liana is passionate about what she does, and will get your personal brand and company recognized on television and major media platforms – like she has done for Lawyer Stories with our PIX 11 article that featured in July 2024.  Liana is inviting Lawyer Stories community members to attend the upcoming PR & Branding Summit in NYC! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/be-seen-be-heard-nycs-pr-branding-summit-with-liana-zavo-tickets-971718846227?aff=erelexpmlt Use code at checkout: LawyerStories15

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 191 features Marilyn Chinitz, Litigator and Partner at Blank Rome LLP in New York City focusing on family law, with particular emphasis on complex divorce actions. Marilyn has been involved in numerous high-profile celebrity cases that have received national and international attention. Marilyn shares with us that her parents were Holocaust survivors, and she was taught that hard work is the way to achieve success.  Marilyn brings years of experience in every facet of family law to a setting where the focus is placed on responsive, creative, direct, and efficient communication and representation whether it is within the context of litigation or settlement negotiations.  It was a pleasure to record an episode with Marilyn, one of the world's most prominent matrimony attorneys.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 190 features Jim Andrews, President & Cofounder of Precedent, a platform streamlining information exchange and negotiation between law firms and insurance carriers, located in Santa Barbara, California.  Jim shares with us about his vast insurance background and how he made his way with Grant Little to launch Precedent.  We discuss how Precedent is a plaintiff's law firm connectivity into insurance carriers and how Precedent assists at all points that a plaintiff firm and insurance carriers would interact.  Precedent's goal is to reduce administrative tasks, eliminate endless back and forth, and minimize stalemates. This saves insurance carriers and law firms' money while reducing errors and helps both parties work more efficiently, ensuring fair and reasonable settlement outcomes.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 189 features Cynthia Sandoval & Matt D'Abusco, Co-Founders of Elite Litigation Training (“ELT”), located in Newport Beach, California.  We discuss why both Cynthia and Matt became attorneys and why they launched Elite Litigation Training together.  ELT trains new lawyers to be confident litigators.  We discuss the sometimes difficult transition from law school to law firm and how ELT provides live and on-demand training to understand the litigation process and work more efficiently.  Lawyer Stories enjoys working with ELT and their courses are accessible at https://www.elitelitigationtraining.com/  - our discount code is LawyerStories

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 188 features Cheree McAlpine, Chief Legal Officer at Zoom, located in San Jose, California.  Cheree tells us about growing up in rural Alabama and her journey from law school in Boston to Silicon Valley in San Francisco. Sheree tells us to listen, learn, and fall in love with the problems and to show up as your authentic self.  Cheree was appointed as the Chief Legal Officer at Zoom in March 2024 a time when the platform helped us collaborate during the Covid-19 crisis.  As Zoom continues to evolve, Cheree's leadership will play a pivotal role in navigating the legal complexities of the dynamic tech landscape.1

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 187 features Lauren Klein, Founder of modern estate planning law firm + success coach for law students and new lawyers located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Lauren shares with us her journey through law school and decision to obtain her LL.M in Taxation at the University of Florida.  Lauren started her career by working at a big four accounting firm and then ended up in big law.  Eventually, Flourish Law Group was launched and is passionate about bringing exceptional estate planning services to Florida families, navigating the estate planning process, and advising the best ways to protect family, assets, and legacy.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 186 features Michael Geller, Owner & Managing Attorney at The Geller Firm in San Francisco, California, focusing on Family Law.  Michael shares his story with us, born in the former Soviet Union, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and moving to the San Francisco area with his family at age five.  Michael first entered the medical field at the assertive requests of his mother, working as a physician's associate for seven years.  It was during that time that Michael went to law school in the evening and was able to graduate from law school and launch his own Family Law firm and has not looked back.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 185 features Miriam Airington-Fisher, Owner & Attorney at Airington Law in Richmond, VA focusing on Immigration Law.  Miriam shares her journey with us as an author, coach, mother, and attorney running a business as a working mom.  Miriam takes great pride in the family-friendly culture at her firm, and is passionate about supporting other lawyer moms so they can continue doing great work and have a meaningful personal life.  Miriam released a book, Mom's A Lawyer: How to Start a Firm and Take Control of Your Life provides an in-depth guide to help lawyer moms create a firm that's profitable, yet family-friendly. 

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 184 features Marly Broudie, Founder and President of SocialEyes Communications located in Toronto, Canada but assisting law firms all over.  Marly started working for a litigation firm as a paralegal in 2012 and had the opportunity to draft an application for a lawyer to receive an award.  Marly tells us she enjoyed the creativity of the project and knew that the marketing piece was for her.  Marly is passionate about her work at SocialEyes Communications and tells us to just keep going when building our brands because consistency is key.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 183 features Golnoush Goharzad, Founder & Attorney at Goharzad Law APC, focusing on Personal Injury and Employment Law in Southern California.  Golnoush shares her story with us, emigrating from Iran at three years old and believing that lawyers are born and not made.  What sets GG apart is her diverse experience, having represented both plaintiffs and defendant corporations and the insurance companies. This breadth of experience grants her a unique behind-the-scenes perspective, enabling her to anticipate opposing strategies and develop robust solutions tailored to your case.  When dealing with the opposition, Golnoush tells us to be creative with how you litigate and speak to opposing counsel.  Throughout this episode, Golnoush provides helpful advice to all of us.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 182 features Joseph L Benson II, Attorney & Managing Partner at Benson& Bingham Accident Injury Lawyers located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Joe shares his lawyer story with us beginning in high school where he played football and competed in track and field, earning the AAA All-State Football Champions title.  Joe was driven by a passion for justice and embarked on his legal career and launched Benson & Bingham with his second cousin, Ben.  Joseph's professional journey has been marked by thousands of successfully handled cases, trials in Justice, District, and Federal Court, and expertise in all aspects of Civil Tort Litigation.

BenThe Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 181 features Mika Mooney, Founder + Attorney at Mika Mooney Law, PLLC, focusing on Business, Trademark, and Employment matters in New York.  Mika shares with us that Mika Mooney Law was born out of a desire to support female founders in all things legal in a straight-forward, caring and sound way; all with a goal of also making legal counsel approachable and accessible.  Mika is redefining legal for the modern entrepreneur and will create a stress-free, easy and seamless legal experience.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 180 features Jordan Strokovsky, Founder of Strokovsky LLC, Philadelphia Trial Attorney hungry for exceptional results that his seriously injured clients deserve.  Jordan shares his lawyer story with us and his hard work ethic, integrity and compassion earns him the trust of his clients and respect of his opponents. These attributes have also helped him obtain significant verdicts and settlements. For good reason, many lawyers refer or seek to co-counsel their serious injury and wrongful death cases with Jordan.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 179 features Christine Han, Managing Attorney at Han Law Group, LLC focusing on Family Law, Immigration Law, and Criminal Law in Colorado.  We hosted Christine on Episodes 27 & 83 and learn how her law practice has grown since our prior discussions.  Christine tells us that her firm has a promise – no surprises, no secrets, and no surrender!  Christine discusses what it is like representing celebrities, and provides the advice that when launching your own law firm, the sky is the limit. 

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 178 features Perry Skoutelas, CEO & Co-Founder of Gladiate, the modern operating system for personal injury. Perry shares with us that he is a lawyer by education who has spent 10+ years improving business operations and building data products and teams within early and late stage VC backed tech companies such as Etsy and Grubhub as well as Seed - Series A companies. Perry co-founded Gladiate to help founding personal injury attorneys conquer legal ops.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 177 features Milana Dostanitch, Senior Of Counsel at Lipsky Lowe LLP in New York City focusing on Employment Law, and Co-Founder of IWILL – Inspiring Women in Law League.  Milana takes us through her story, being born in Russia and raised in Cyprus.  As a young teenager Milana found herself living for months without electricity in Cyprus, doing her homework under street lights.  Milana decided that she was going to become a lawyer and after attending Trinity in Texas found herself at Fordham University School of Law in New York City.  Milana has become a successful employment lawyer and has recently become a Co-Founder of IWILL based out of New York City.  IWILL navigates the challenges women face in the legal profession and it has grown into a vibrant networking community of more than 100 lawyers across the country.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 176 features Janelle Romero, Owner and Managing at Attorney at Gen Esq. Law, PLLC, focusing on Labor and Employment Law in New York City. Janelle shares with us that after graduating from the 2-year honors program New York Law School she began her career defending employees who were illegally underpaid by their employers. Janelle has gained amazing experience, and had even gone back to the firm she worked for right after law school and started their discrimination department within their labor and employment practice. After joining a startup, and building an engaging presence on TikTok, she decided to launch Gen Esq Law, PLLC.