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Solo/Small Firm
Join the Solo & Small Firm Committee Discussion!
Not everyone works for a large firm.
Rebecca Pontikes | Davis, Pontikes, & Swartz LLC
77 Franklin Street, 3rd Floor Boston, MA 02110
617.357.1888
rpontikes@dpsemploymentlaw.com |
Chiara LaPlume | Alan R. Goodman & Associates
60 William Street, Ste. 300 Wellesley MA 02481
781.431.9966
chiara@goodmanlegal.com
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The Solo and Small Firm Committee presents: Social Plus!
Growing Your Practice - the skills and tools you need to create success
September 23, 2008
Networking, 6:00 - 6:30 PM and Presentation, 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Wellesley Office Park (jct. Rt. 9 and I-95), William Street, Wellesley, MA. Exact location TBD
RSVP to wba@womensbar.org or 617-973-6666
Join us for an interactive discussion with veteran business development consultant to the legal community, Hollis R. Chase of Chase & Associates. This presentation will help you to focus your efforts, increase your referrals and leverage your existing contacts and clients to expand your practice. You will also learn the six stages of the client development "sales" process, and ideas to compete and market cost-effectively as a solo or small firm attorney. At the end of the presentation you will walk away with an action plan that you can personally implement.
This presentation will be held on Tuesday, September 23, 2008. Open networking will be from 6 to 6:30 PM, and the presentation and discussion will take place from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. Join us at the Wellesley Office Park (jct. Rt. 9 and I-95), William Street, Wellesley, MA. Exact location TBD. There will be ample, free parking. Feel free to use the listserv to make car-pooling arrangements if you are coming in from Boston.
Save the date for future Social Plus! programs
November 20 - Boston area
If you are starting off as a solo, the professional support of your fellow attorneys becomes paramount. Practice questions come up every day, both substantive and administrative. Unlike attorneys who practice in a large firm, there is no bankruptcy partner or tax department to ask about that nagging automatic stay or tax question, or to consult when drafting a settlement agreement. In a small firm, attorneys need to look outside their own firm for that support.
The Solo and Small Firm Committee understands how crucial peer to peer support is for the solo and small firm practitioner. To fill the void, the Committee has developed a network of solo and small firm practitioners who, through the Committee's listserv, provide advice on substantive areas of law, client management, office administration, and other questions. The listserv is also used to notify members of upcoming events or opportunities, such as invitations to events held by a professional organization other than the WBA and notification of office space and office furniture available.
The Committee sponsors events each year to educate its members on managing their practice as well as on substantive legal topics. The Committee also holds a summer social and is about to launch its SocialPlus series: meetings throughout the year that combine a specific purpose to the meeting with a social and networking component.
Past programs: Some recent programs include:
Woman's Guide to Growing Her Practice and Protecting Her Income (March 27, 2007)
Alvah Parker of Parker Associates discussed networking strategies and how to increase our referrals. Claire Peterson of Primerica discussed the elements of how to plan for retirement, our next career or business expansion by implementing personal finance strategies such as building a cash reserve, saving and paying down debt.
First Aid for Professional Malpractice (March 1, 2007)
Edward S. Cheng, Esquire and Katy E. Koski, Esquire of Sherin and Lodgen, LLP and Jack Kukowski of USI Bertholon-Rowland gave a hands-on presentation on how to stay out of trouble and how to handle insurance claims if a claim is made (or may be made) against you. The presentation provided tips on avoiding claims, statistics on errors most likely to lead to claims, notification requirements of potentials claims under the professional liability insurance agreement, and tips of choosing professional liability coverage.
And Baby Makes .... Maternity Leave! (November 2, 2005)
Rebecca Pontikes, Deborah DosSantos and Judy Polacheck discussed how to plan for and negotiate for maternity leave, especially where your employer is too small for you to qualify for Family Medical Leave Act protection. Both explanation of laws affecting maternity leave and more practical advice on how to approach an employer with the exciting news of your pregnancy were covered.
Committee Resources:
Committee members can post events, questions, or articles for the Committee
Committee Roster
Spreadsheet with committee members' names, addresses, and practice areas, for easy access to members' information for networking, mentoring and referrals. Currently, the roster is available for Committee members on the Solo/Small Firm Committee Yahoo Group web site.
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