Managing Partners Forum

Since the majority of our firm’s business is referred by other law firms, The Forum is a great place to catch up with our clients while also learning from my peers. It’s a terrific program.

Howard J. Berlin, Esq.
Berger Singerman - Miami, FL

Conference

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CONFERENCE AGENDA

THE MPF 2023 LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
May 3-4, 2023
Capital City Club - Atlanta, Georgia

Conference Agenda

The agenda for The MPF 2023 Leadership Conference is presented below. Participants value the high-level, interactive format and, each year, we introduce new faculty to keep our content fresh. We apply for maximum CLE credit in numerous jurisdictions.

 

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

11:30am
REGISTRATION
12:30pm
OPENING LUNCHEON
1:00pm
WELCOMING REMARKS

John Remsen, Jr.
President, TheRemsenGroup
President & CEO, Managing Partner Forum
1:15pm
OPENING SESSION

Leading Through Transition
An Introduction to The MPF 2023 Leadership Conference
How will you reconnect, reenergize, and refocus your efforts this year? Three acknowledged experts and veteran members of the MPF Faculty share their perspectives on the new reality for law firm leaders by answering your questions, stimulating your thinking, and using live polling technology to inspire dialogue that will continue throughout the Conference. 

Dr. Sharon Meit Abrahams
President, Legal Talent Advisors LLC

Debbie Foster
Managing Partner, Affinity Consulting

Gerry Riskin
Founding Principal and Chairman, Edge International

Morris Tabush
Founder & President, Tabush Group
2:00pm
MPF WORKSHOPS

Powerful. Practical. Provocative. 

Past participants used these words to describe our in-depth discussions with other law firm leaders and industry experts. You will hear fresh perspectives on today’s hottest topics. Our informal format provides ample time to discuss, debate and learn in a cordial, collaborative environment.   

This year, we offer three concurrent half-day sessions. Sessions are capped at 35 persons. 

MPF WORKSHOP #1
Building a Culture of Innovation
Fostering a culture of innovation has become critical for success. This workshop is designed to help you move beyond just innovation in technology and will give you the tools to think creatively when it comes to hiring, embrace a different way of thinking about the law firm business model, and explore innovative ways to lead.  These are the topics we will cover: 

  • Building a hiring playbook sure to attract the right people to your firm
  • Why a culture of innovation is a game changer
  • How rethinking pricing can remove your revenue ceiling
  • Exploring business model changes that can change how you lead and manage  

Debbie Foster
Managing Partner, Affinity Consulting

Stephanie Everett
Lawyerist CEO and Lab Coach, Affinity Consulting

        
MPF WORKSHOP #2
Leading Your Hybrid Law Firm
Is hybrid work here to stay? How can we ensure productivity and accommodate remote work? What resources and tools are needed? Join your fellow law firm leaders for a candid freestyle discussion on the intended and unintended consequences of the hybrid workplace. The session will focus on your role as a firm leader and cover issues such as:  

  • Partner and associate views on remote working
  • Evolving needs of teams, practice groups and industry groups
  • Reconfiguring office space for maximum efficiency and productivity 
  • Supervising client work and mentoring from a distance

Gerry Riskin
Founding Principal and Chairman, Edge International


MPF WORKSHOP #3
Future-Proofing Your Law Firm Operations, Technology, and Culture
Lawyers are no longer confined by the walls of their offices and need to be fully productive anytime and anywhere, yet still maintain the highest level of security for their work. This session includes four “speed rounds” that will produce meaningful change at your firm.

  • Accessibility vs Security: Does There Need to be a Winner? 
  • Lessons from Big Law – Using technology to level the playing field. 
  • Law Firm Leadership in a Flexible Workplace
  • Maintaining Your Firm's Identity in a Hybrid Environment 

Morris Tabush
Founder & President, Tabush Group

Darragh Fitzpatrick
Executive Vice President, Tabush Group
3:30pm
REFRESHMENT BREAK
3:45pm
MPF WORKSHOPS - Continued
5:30pm
ADJOURNMENT
5:30pm
WELCOME RECEPTION
Cocktails and Hors d'Oeuvres - Capital City Club

Sponsored by Truist Legal Specialty Group
7:00pm
Dine-Arounds
Join your peers for dinner at one of Atlanta's finest restaurants.
 


Thursday, May 4, 2023

8:00am
REGISTRATION
8:30am
NETWORKING BREAKFAST
Coffee and Continental Breakfast
 
9:00am

 
OPENING SESSION (General Session)

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Highlights of The MPF 2023 Leadership Survey
Data drives decisions today more than ever. Day two kicks off with the highlights from The MPF 2023 Leadership survey. More than 200 law firm leaders shared their views on this year’s strategic priorities, post-pandemic realities and investments in the future. All MPF participants will receive a copy of the survey data.

John Remsen, Jr.
President, TheRemsenGroup
President & CEO, Managing Partner Forum
9:30am
PANEL DISCUSSION

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
What Gets Measured Gets Done - Who Sees the Data and How is it Shared?
Not all KPIs are equal. A panel of experts explains how to mine and interpret your firm’s data to drive change. Attendees will engage with live instant polling technology and leave with valuable benchmarking information to share with their partners.

Uri Gutfreund
Senior VP and Managing Principal, Ames & Gough

Benjamin Hunter
National Director, Truist Legal Specialty Group 

Steve Mabey
Managing Director, Applied Strategies, Inc.

Alex Muñoz
Principal and Co-Owner, CSR-Expertise in Results

Gerry Riskin
Founding Principal and Chairman, Edge International
10:30am
NETWORKING BREAK
11:00am
MANAGING PARTNER IDEA EXCHANGES (MPIEs)
Since their introduction in 2003, MPIEs have been consistently rated as the most valuable part of The MPF Leadership Conference. MPIEs are small discussion groups of like-sized firms addressing topics of your choosing. Each session is led by a well-trained facilitator and guided by subject matter experts that rotate among the groups.
 
Session One: The MPIE concept is explained below.
MPIE Facilitators

Group 1    Uri Gutfreund
                 Senior VP and Managing Principal, Ames & Gough      

Group 2    Steve Mabey
                 Managing Director, Applied Strategies, Inc.

Group 3    Debbie Foster
                 Managing Partner, Affinity Consulting

Group 4    Tea Hoffmann, Esq.
                 Managing Principal, Law Strategy Corp.

Group 5    Dr. Sharon Meit Abrahams
                 President, Legal Talent Advisors LLC


MPIE Topics and Faculty Experts

Investing in Your Firm
Topics include firm culture, core values, policies, procedures, profitability, accountability, infrastructure, budgets, office space, technology, partnership agreements, governance models, compensation models, strategic planning.

Stephanie Everett
Lawyerist CEO and Lab Coach, Affinity Consulting

Darragh Fitzpatrick
Executive Vice President, Tabush Group

Ann Gomez
President, Clear Concept, Inc.

Alex Muñoz
Principal and Co-Owner, CSR-Expertise in Results


Investing in Your People
Topics include succession planning, growth strategies, mergers and acquisitions, lateral hires, recruiting and retention, generational issues, diversity, support staff, COOs, mentoring, training and development, criteria for partnership.

Elise Holtzman, JD, PCC
Founder & CEO, The Lawyer's Edge

Gerry Riskin
Founding Principal and Chairman, Edge International

Morris Tabush
Founder & President, Tabush Group


Investing in Your Clients
Topics include quality work product, client service, staffing and delegation, knowing business and industry, client teams, alternative fee arrangements, industry practice groups, social media, website, marketing and business development.

Susan Greene
Director of Member Relations, MSI Global Alliance

Jennifer Johnson
CEO & Founder, Calibrate

Audrey Miller
Operational Excellence Consultant, Calibrate

Susan Slifer
Principal, Edge International
12:30pm
LUNCHEON
1:45pm
MANAGING PARTNER IDEA EXCHANGES (MPIEs)
Session Two
3:00pm
REFRESHMENT BREAK
3:15pm
MANAGING PARTNER IDEA EXCHANGES (MPIEs)
Session Three
4:30pm
RECEPTION
5:30pm
ADJOURNMENT

 

ABOUT MANAGING PARTNER IDEA EXCHANGES (MPIEs)
 

The “heart and soul” of the Conference, participants enjoy the free-wheeling, candid conversations with other managing partners from like-sized firms. While topics vary, law firm leaders tell us how much they value the time to share ideas, solicit feedback, and come away with innovative strategies and practical solutions to the challenges of leading a successful law firm. 

Each MPIE consists of 15-20 managing partners. The sessions are facilitated by professionally trained discussion leaders with participation by some of the country’s leading law firm management consultants.

We ensure a cross section of timely topics are covered ranging from investing in your clients, firm, and people, but the “magic” of the MPIEs is that our participants determine which specific issues to tackle and how deep to go. The conversations are always energetic, engaging, and informative. Past topics have included:

  • Strategic Planning, including Succession Planning
  • Leading Change and The Role of the Managing Partner
  • Compensation Systems
  • Dealing with Problematic Personalities
  • Staffing and Administration
  • Associate Recruiting and Retention, including DEI Issues
  • Firm Governance and Partnership Structures
  • Growth Strategies