Claim OwnershipFounding Partner Podcast
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The Founding Partner Podcast follows host Jonathan Hawkins as he interviews the founders of successful law firms across the country. Get the inside scoop on how these legal trailblazers built their firms from the ground up. Learn about their origin stories, the challenges they faced, and the lessons they learned along the way. Whether you're an aspiring lawyer looking to start your own firm someday or just interested in the behind-the-scenes world of law firm entrepreneurship, the Founding Partner Podcast offers an educational, insightful, and entertaining look at what it takes to establish and grow a successful law practice in today's competitive legal market.
155 Episodes
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What happens when growing your law firm nearly breaks you financially, emotionally, and personally? Christopher Earley, founder of Earley Law Group Injury Lawyers, joins Jonathan Hawkins to share the painful realities behind scaling a successful practice, from declined credit cards and leadership departures to the one referral check that changed everything. In this candid conversation, Chris reveals why resilience, personal growth, and taking action matter just as much as business strategy, and how he learned to build a better firm by becoming a better version of himself.
What if the biggest threat to your law firm partnership isn't money, but the conversations you never had? In this episode, Jonathan Hawkins sits down with psychologist, mediator, and The Partnership Charter author David Gage to uncover why even successful partnerships fall apart, how small misunderstandings become expensive disputes, and why some business partners are better off walking away before they begin.
What does it take to build a 36-lawyer firm from a 500-square-foot office with no clients? In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, I sit down with Chris Murphy, founding partner of Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP, to explore how a former professional hockey player and boxer turned his competitive mindset into a thriving commercial real estate law practice. From building a firm with his brother to mastering relationships, finding the right people, and staying committed to one niche, Chris shares why lasting success takes more than ambition.
What if the billable hour is holding law firms back from their greatest potential? In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Jonathan Hawkins sits down with Bob Kopka, founder of an 80-attorney insurance defense firm, to explore why the future of law may depend on changing how firms bill, lead, and embrace technology. From building a culture where people feel valued to preparing the next generation of leaders, Bob shares what more than three decades of running law firms have taught him about growth, trust, and knowing when it's time to do things differently.
What does it take to build a law firm that stands out without chasing volume or spending millions on advertising?In this episode of The Founding Partner Podcast, Jonathan Hawkins sits down with David Craig of Craig, Kelley & Faultless to explore how creativity, specialization, team development, and consistent content helped shape his practice. From an ingenious Yellow Pages strategy to building a rapid response team and creating consumer-focused books and podcasts, David shares why lasting growth starts with becoming genuinely valuable to the people you serve.
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