Master Class Faculty
CLASS LEADERS
Patrick J. McKenna
McKenna Associates, Inc.
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Patrick McKenna is an internationally recognized authority on law practice management. Since 1983 he has worked with the top management of premier law firms to discuss, challenge, and escalate their thinking on how to manage and compete effectively.
He is the author of numerous works including Herding Cats: A Handbook for Managing Partners and Practice Leaders (1995); and Beyond Knowing: 16 Cage-Rattling Questions To Jump-Start Your Practice Team (2000). One of the profession's foremost specialists in practice leadership, his book (co-authored with David Maister), First Among Equals: How to Manage a Group of Professionals, (The Free Press, 2002) topped business bestseller lists in the United States, Canada and Australia; has been translated into nine languages, is currently in its sixth printing, and received an award for being one of the best business books of 2002. In 2005, the book Management Skills (John Wiley) named Patrick among “leading thinkers in the field of management;” and in 2006, his e-book First 100 Days: Transitioning A New Managing Partner (NXTBook) earned glowing reviews and has been read by leaders in 63 countries.
His published articles have appeared in over 50 of the leading professional journals, newsletters, and online sources; and his work has been featured in Fast Company, Business Week, The Globe and Mail, The Economist, Investor’s Business Daily and The Financial Times.
Patrick did his MBA graduate work at the Canadian School of Management, is one of the first alumni of Harvard’s Leadership in Professional Service Firms program, and has professional certifications in both accounting and management. He has served at least one of the top ten largest firms in each of over a dozen different countries on issues associated with strategic differentiation, improving profitability, client service excellence, and effective firm management.
Brian K. Burke, Esq
Chair Emeritus
Baker & Daniels
Indianapolis, Indiana
Brian Burke currently serves as Chair Emeritus at Baker & Daniels, based in Indianapolis, Indiana. His civil litigation practice concentrates in the areas of business torts and unfair competition, employment, intellectual property, securities and products liability. He is also a Certified, Registered Civil Mediator in Indiana.
Brian is a frequent speaker at law firm management seminars and conferences. His presentations include: "Cultivating the Client-Focused Firm Through Proactive Leadership at the Strategic Business Unit," Keynote Speaker, Practice Group Leadership Forum, Managing Partner Magazine Seminar, Chicago, 2007; "Ask the Client — A Program for Assessing Performance," Best Practices for Law Firm Management Conference, Miami, 2006; "Empowering the Firm's COO and CFO to Run the Business of the Firm Like a Business," The Law Firm Leadership Institute Conference, 2005; "Law Firm Governance," Lex Mundi Managing Partners' Conference, London, 2003; and "Using Compensation Systems as a Management Tool," The Law Firm Partner Compensation Summit, Chicago, 2002
Brian completed his 18th year in a leadership position at Baker & Daniels in 2007. Elected to the Management Committee in 1990, the firm appointed him Managing Partner in January 1993. In his 15 years as Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Brian led Baker & Daniels' expansion geographically across Indiana and around the globe, as well as doubling the number of lawyers and consultants practicing from offices in Indiana, Washington, D.C. and China. B&D Consulting, a division of Baker & Daniels, also grew in numbers and services, providing a national multidisciplinary team of government affairs, health reimbursement, media and public relations professionals from its office in Washington, D.C.
In addition, Burke helped conceive and implement initiatives to improve and expand service to clients, accommodate more flexible work schedules for the firm's attorneys, raise the firm's visibility in the marketplace, enhance the firm's support of the communities in which its offices are located and strategize for the future needs and interests of Baker & Daniels, B&D Consulting and their clients.
LUNCHEON SPEAKER
John Remsen, Jr.
President and CEO
Managing Partner Forum
Atlanta, Georgia
John Remsen, Jr. is widely recognized as one of the country’s leading authorities on law firm management and marketing. After serving as in-house marketing director at two major law firms, John formed TheRemsenGroup, a consulting firm that works exclusively with law firms to help them develop long-term marketing strategies and implement proven, cost-effective business development programs. Since 1997, he has worked with over 175 law firms and thousands of lawyers. Most of his clients are mid-size commercial law firms, ranging in size from 15 to 200 lawyers.
Since 2001, John has presented The Managing Partner Forum, an unsurpassed networking and learning opportunity for law firm managing partners. More than 700 law firm leaders from 500 law firms have participated in 17 law firm leadership conferences in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale and St. Louis.
John is a frequent speaker and author on law firm marketing topics. He has spoken at national and regional conferences of the American Bar Association, Association of Legal Administrators, Legal Marketing Association and numerous state and local Bar associations. His articles have appeared in such well-respected publications as ABA Journal, Asian Lawyer, Florida Bar News, For the Defense, Law Practice Management, Law Practice Today, Lawyers Weekly, Legal Management, Marketing for Lawyers, Marketing the Law Firm, Managing Partner, New York Law Journal, Rainmaker’s Review and Wisconsin Lawyer.
A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, John holds an MBA degree from The University of Virginia (1985) and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida (1980). Prior to attending graduate school, John served as Executive Director of The Florida Council of 100, an organization consisting of Florida’s top CEOs and business leaders.