Shanlon Wu
Wheat Wu, PLLC
Washington, D.C.
White Collar Criminal Defense
www.WheatWuLaw.com
When I finally decided to open a firm after 11 years as an Assistant United States Attorney at the Department of Justice and 4 years in medium-size firms, I chose to work with Bill after talking with several law firm coaches. His sharp analytical skills and business sense would add value to any professional service firm, but it is the breadth of his field-tested experience with lawyers and small law firms in particular that makes him invaluable. My partner and I have grown quickly (we continue to add attorneys and staff) and Bill continues to make vital contributions by guiding us in the set-up and management of financial, HR, client development, and other key systems that we didn't exactly know how to focus on by ourselves. I would advise any lawyer seeking to improve their firm to consult him.
Richard Hayber
The Hayber Law Firm, LLC
Hartford, CT
Employee Rights Advocates
www.HayberLawFirm.com
My first round of SuccessTrack coaching with Bill focused on marketing. Among other activities, I started a weekly email newsletter that's growing in readership all the time, and generally learned a tremendous amount about marketing principles and techniques. I spent several months working those principles and techniques, and as a result, I doubled my incoming calls and my new files. I am now being more selective with my files and making more money on better cases. I have just engaged him for a second round of coaching, this time to focus on putting in place core management and productivity systems. I highly recommend Bill Jawitz for any lawyer who didn't also get an MBA.
Robert Chesson
Chesson & Schweickert, LLC
Milford, CT
Landlord Tenant Law
www.LandlordLawFirm.com
Hiring Bill has been among the best decisions our firm has ever made. The overarching accomplishment we credit directly to Bill’s consulting work with us is our transformation from being a general practice firm to fast becoming THE state-wide leader in our niche (landlord/tenant law). We initially engaged Bill to help us with personnel management issues, but quickly realized that his talent in both business development and organizational dynamics could help us in many more areas.
Our brand, our firm culture (including decision making, communication, and client service) and our overall strength heading into the future have all been developed thanks to our work with Bill. Now that our firm’s path is set, my partner and I continue to work with Bill as our executive coach. Not only has our business benefited, but Bill has challenged us to grow as individuals, as well, which has impacted the quality of our lives outside of the office. We're eager for our office to continue to grow and improve with Bill's guidance.
Karen Mignone
Pepe & Hazard, LLP.
Boston, MA
Environmental Litigation
www.PepeHazard.com
My practice hit a plateau and although I was spending a lot of time on marketing efforts, the results were less than satisfying. Bill worked with me to evaluate my marketing strategies and separated the methods that worked and from those that provided little or no return. We then worked together to develop a targeted plan. I am very pleased with the results. The end result is much more efficient use of time, with an overall significant increase in fee generation over the last 18 months.
Anthony Minchella
Minchella & Associates, LLC
Middlebury, CT
Business Litigation
www.MinchellaLaw.com
In his seminars, Bill talks about “the raging river” of work that so many lawyers step into every morning and get swept away by. I used to be one of them, but no more. I actually have control over my day now. My morning routine and my regular meetings with staff keep me – and all of us – organized in a way I just did not realize was possible prior to my coaching with Bill. Being in control is a great confidence booster, which in turn has allowed me go after and get higher quality work – and stop taking the cases I felt I had to take previously. When I opened my own shop, I was motivated by the excitement of it, but I didn’t know how much was involved in making it work well, and the stress sapped my excitement. Bill’s coaching has brought the excitement back. I recommend him highly.
Jonathan Katz, President
Jacobs, Grudberg, Belt, Dow & Katz, PC
New Haven, CT
Personal Injury and Business Litigation
www.JacobsLaw.com
As president, I have been changing our firm of 14 attorneys to deal with transition and modernization issues common to small firms founded by lawyers who are reaching the end of their careers. It has not been easy work, and Bill Jawitz has been a very helpful consultant. Bill combines in one smart, engaged, funny brain a suite of interlocking knowledge and skills. He understands the business of lawyering — practice building; personnel management; and law firm finance. He knows how to manage, how to teach management, and the psychology of management.
He knows how to help me sell ideas and build consensus without offending — as well as how to herd cats without getting clawed too badly. He is technologically savvy in all these areas, knowing the print and web resources out there, weeding out drivel, and recommending concise, authoritative sources to solve specific problems. He is valuable, and fun to work with. I consistently get my money’s worth.
Martha Miller
Miller Tax Law, LLC
Lakeville, CT
www.MillerTaxLaw.com
Bill Jawitz is a better ally than you can imagine. I’m a sole practitioner, and very strong in the technical aspect of what I do, which is tax law, but I was clueless about how to run a law practice. I somehow stumbled along for twenty-five years as a lawyer, and some years my practice cost me more than I made.
Then I went to a bar association seminar given by Bill, and I thought, “I can trust this guy,” so I called him. It took him a while to sort me out, but he stuck with the project, and here are some results: my weekly gross income on average is up 89%, as compared with BB (Before Bill). It would be higher but I was in cancer treatment for eight months in 2007/2008. My draw has tripled (to a very comfortable range). My weekly billing has almost, but not quite, tripled as well.
Moreover, my clients are better! Increasingly my clients are professionals who pay on time, and even, once in a while, do what I tell them. Because Bill has me actively marketing, I am IN CONTROL of the flow of my work. And now that I realize I’m in charge of my practice, I find I am a better professional, more active and aggressive on my client’s behalf. If I had it to do all over again, I would sign right up with Bill, but I would take his advice from the first day, instead of waiting to be convinced that he knew what he was talking about. But then, I’m a better professional than when I started with Bill.
Scott Kern
Scott C. Kern, Attorney At Law, LLC
New Haven, CT
Franchise Law
www.FranchiseLawSource.com
Bill Jawitz helped me revolutionize my law firm. His 8 SuccessTrack Fundamentals allowed me to see that organization, systematization and attention to the performance of my practice were what I needed to work on to make it an outstanding and profitable business. Bill brought to coaching a perfect mix of the pressure that made me effect the change I wanted and a compassionate understanding of how uncomfortable change can be. Working with Bill helped me to do the things I knew I should be doing but wasn't. If Bill can't help you improve your practice, you don't want it to be better.
Arthur Schaier
Carmody & Torrance, LLP
Waterbury, CT
Intellectual Property Law
www.CarmodyLaw.com
Working with Bill has been one of the most rewarding professional development experiences I have ever had. I initially sought Bill's services to assist and guide me on improving my time management skills, but he quickly seized upon the opportunity to show me how to improve on other management skills that I could, and now do, implement every day. Bill's tips, exercises, encouragement, and reinforcement have not only resulted in a noticeable reduction in my daily stress levels, but they have allowed me to reconnect with much of the joy I used to get from practicing law but which had become buried beneath the increasing workload associated with leading our firm's growing IP practice. And of course, my family loves it too that I’m happier in my work.
Randy Pitler
Randall B. Pitler, PC
Royal Oak, MI
Family Law
www.AmicableDivorce.com
I'm now getting regular press on the topic of amicable divorce, I have the best staff I've ever had, I've raised my rates, and I'm more focused than ever — all thanks largely to the accountability that working with Bill brings. As I get more comfortable running the business — and not just having a law firm — I'm putting in place the strong foundation upon which I'll continue to grow my practice. I have built a referral base of more than 30 psychologists/therapists to my divorce practice by starting a quarterly newsletter newsletter (called "Family Matters") for mental health professionals and by using Bill's guidance to build one-on-one relationships.
Gary Lavigne
Lavigne, Mark & Rogers, LLC
Manchester, CT
Real Property and Business Law
www.lavigne-mark.com
I first saw Bill Jawitz at a CBA seminar
for Time Management. Shortly thereafter I retained him as a consultant
for my law practice. With his help I have made extraordinary advances in
how I practice law and run my “law business.” He helped me to control
my time so that I was no longer “out of control” but actually
able to practice law, run my business and even have some extra time for
myself in the course of the week. I am able to prioritize what needs to
be done, focusing on the value of the file rather than the pressure of the
client. I was able to get out of the areas of law that I did not like or
where I made less money to focus on the areas of law that I was really good
at.
Bill helped improve my relationship with my staff, as
well as improve their efficiency, by helping me set aside time for effective
meetings. Instead of slowing down the law practice because I did not have
the time to review work, we are able to process cases quicker and with better
oversight. He also helped in assessing the staff that I worked
with so that I was maximizing the value of my staff and creating the “team” atmosphere
needed for success. He helped me focus on improving our billing
and our revenue and expense oversight, and better manage
our client expectations. Bill also guided the creation of
our new website. Bill Jawitz did an extraordinary job for me and
I highly recommend him to help anyone with his or her law practice. He brings
excellent guidance to the table which will result in better revenue — but
even more important, the peace of mind that comes with getting control of
your practice.
David Rintoul
Brown, Paindiris & Scott, LLP
Glastonbury, CT
Employment Law
www.BPSLawyers.com
Prior to working with Bill, I had not found a successful path to consistent business generation in seventeen years of practice. Bill changed this. He gave me the tools I use every day to develop my practice. Bill’s work will make you happier in your personal and professional life, and the financial return is real. The year after I worked with Bill, I more than doubled my business origination, and in the year following that, I more than doubled my origination again, for a total increase in origination of over 500% in two years. Bill showed me that you don’t need to be a natural salesperson or have a 2 handicap to generate business.
Charlie Goetsch
Cahill, Goetsch & Maurer, PC
New Haven, CT
Railroad Accident Law
www.TrainLaw.com
An exciting total renovation of our website was accomplished in a few short months thanks to Bill. He connected us to excellent cost-effective vendors while keeping us on track with his big picture strategy and detailed marketing savvy.
Jeff Crown
The Law Office of Jeffrey L. Crown
Berlin, CT
Family Wealth and Business Succession
www.TrustLawyer.com
I had been practicing estate and trust law for over 30 years when I saw Bill’s article in "Connecticut Lawyer." Being a lawyer had become more of a “job” than the passion it once had been. I was making money but not really having a good time. The article really seemed to be written just for me. After attending Bill’s seminar, I decided to work with Bill and I can truly say that it has been, and continues to be, one of the best investments I’ve ever made. I realized that I had to make some real changes if I were going to concentrate myself on doing challenging work with “A” clients. I had to put an effective time management program into place and look critically at some staffing and delegation issues. The program “forced” me to identify how I’ve acquired my best clients and how to best position myself to deal only with the matters and people that make practicing law enjoyable and profitable. Bill Jawitz is the “real deal.” I would recommend his firm to any lawyer who is “looking for a life” both in and out of the office."
David Sheridan
Levy & Droney, PC
Farmington, CT
Litigation, Municipal Law
www.LDLaw.com
I was a lawyer with seventeen years' experience who looked at the way I was practicing law and decided to change it. I wanted more productivity, more profitability, and more satisfaction with my work. I wanted less stress and better health. I had lost my enthusiasm for practicing law, and I wanted to get it back. I turned to coaching not out of desperation, but out of confidence that I already had within me all the skills and abilities I needed to transform the way I practiced — I just needed ideas, structure, guidance, and follow-up to make it happen. I can unequivocally say that the program delivered the results I wanted. I changed the way I work — and I'm well on the way to a more successful and more profitable practice. My stress has been reduced, and my health is better. I've put in place the attitudes and the habits that are going to make my life and my work even better in the years to come. I'm focused, and I know where I'm going. Coaching was the key. Coaching made it all possible.
Sean Peoples
Brown, Paindiris and Scott, LLP
Glastonbury, CT
Personal Injury
www.BPSLawyers.com
Working with Bill has had a dramatic effect upon my practice. In just one year, I have nearly doubled my origination of revenue, and I'm happier than at any time in my fourteen years of practice. Bill's blend of entrepreneurial insight and knowledge of professional services marketing, along with his affable nature, have been instrumental in changing the way I think and act. I recommend him to any attorney who is committed to dramatically enhancing their revenue and their well being.
Jeff Nischwitz
Cowden & Humphrey Co. LPA
Cleveland, OH
Entrepreneurial Law
www.CowdenLaw.com
I sign up for many e-zines and newsletters, but I read very few ... not enough time and not worth my time. Bill Jawitz's SuccessTips are a rare and welcome exception. I look forward to receiving and reading Bill's Tips because they are simple, practical, relevant, and actionable (they give me ideas on things to do), and implementing Bill's ideas has had a positive impact. Keep them coming Bill!
Note: Jeff is the author of the 2007 ABA book Think Again! Innovative Approaches to the Business of Law ABA Bookstore link to Think Again!
Michael J. Cacace
Cacace, Tusch & Santagata
Stamford, CT
Zoning, Land Use, Litigation
www.LawCTS.com
I am a huge fan of Bill Jawitz and his mentoring skills for lawyers and law firms! I have attended his seminars, had him make presentations to our firm, read his materials, and rely on his advice. We can always improve our skills, particularly our business skills; and Bill can provide that extra insight, nudge, or suggestion to coach us to better performance!
