Bill Biggs is the Vice President of Walter Clark Legal Group, Chief Culture Officer of Pond Lehocky Giordano, and Leadership Strategist at Vista Consulting. He's considered one of the nation's most innovative thinkers in law firm leadership. His unique perspective on culture and ability to inspire and multiply leaders has created a movement reshaping firms across the country.
He is the founder of the Law Firm Leadership Summit, host of the Transforming The Culture of Law Podcast, limited engagement consultant to select firms, and is relentlessly committed to spreading his message of Love Your People & Demand High Performance as a platform for organizational success. He is also the President of Biggs & Associates, serving high value sports professionals and franchises as a brand and messaging strategist.
His distinguished client list includes Heisman Trophy winners, NFL HOFers, NBA champions, Olympians, and many of the top teams in college and professional sports. Bill is a Phi Kappa Phi graduate of Texas A&M University and completed his executive training through the CORe program at Harvard Business School. He lives in College Station, Texas, with his beautiful wife, two sons, and a herd of dogs.
Misti Bryant was born and raised in Broussard, Louisiana. She completed undergraduate at LSU receiving a degree in English and completed law school at Mississippi College School of Law. During law school, she was a member of the Mississippi College Moot Court team. During law school, she clerked with the Mississippi Supreme Court, U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office. Misti is admitted to practice law in all Louisiana and Mississippi state courts and federal courts in both states.
Prior to joining Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys in 2016, she practiced law at a local insurance defense firm. There, she litigated numerous personal injury and workers’ compensation cases. Misti has litigated cases before the Louisiana Appellate Courts and has served as co-counsel on cases before the Louisiana Supreme Court.
Misti handles wrongful death, automobile accidents, workers’ compensation, 18 wheeler accidents, slip and falls and premise liability cases. She has served as lead counsel on multiple million dollar plus files. During her time at GMIA she has recovered over $20 million dollars on behalf of our clients. She takes a sincere personal interest in each of her clients, and their lives. Her desire is for each client to leave the firm in a better place than they were before.
In 2021, Misti was named as the firm’s Managing Attorney. In this role, she oversees the daily operations of all legal aspects at the firm, including managing the firm’s more than 50 attorneys throughout all offices across the state.
Misti lives in Lafayette, Louisiana, with her husband, Justin and three sons, Parker, Henry, and Jack. She is an active in community volunteering at St. Cecilia School, Sacred Heart Church, and Junior League of Lafayette.
Chad Dudley was born in Southern California and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. He grew up
playing competitive tennis at a national level and at the age of 15 was awarded a scholarship to
the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy (now IMG Academies) in Bradenton, Florida. He finished
high school in Florida and moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to accept a tennis scholarship at
Louisiana State University.
After obtaining his undergraduate degree at LSU, Chad attended the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law
Center where he received his law degree.
From his very first job out of law school, Chad has always represented those who have been
injured by others and need help recovering from those events.
In 2009, Chad Dudley, along with his partners Steven DeBosier and James Peltier, formed the
law firm of Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers. Since that date, the firm has grown from a few
attorneys and few employees, to over 200 employees and nearly 50 attorneys across Louisiana.
During that time, the firm has been privileged to help tens of thousands of individuals
throughout the state after an injury.
Additionally in 2009, Chad formed Vista Consulting, which is a consulting firm dedicated to
helping other plaintiff personal injury firms run more efficiently. For nearly a decade, Chad
worked with nearly 100 personal injury firms across the country on making their firms better.
He is regarded as an authority on the topic of law firm management and is a frequent speaker
at national conferences.
In 2017, Chad left Vista Consulting to take the position of CEO at cj Advertising. Chad is excited
to take his years of experience in helping firms grow and apply it at cj.
Mr. Finkelstein is the Managing Partner of Finkelstein & Partners, LLP. He has become a noted consumer activist through his representation of injured individuals against corporate wrongdoers and irresponsible parties. An accomplished litigator, Mr. Finkelstein has represented Plaintiffs in wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury cases. He has successfully handled dozens of multi-million dollar cases.
He is a frequent lecturer at the Finkelstein & Partners Center for Continuing Legal Education. Mr. Finkelstein’s lecture topics include, “Building the case using experts and lay witnesses”, “Science in the Courtroom”, “Technology in the Courtroom”, “Prosecution of a Pharmaceutical Case”, “The Ethics of On-line Advertising”, and “Structured Settlements and the Personal Injury Settlement”. In addition to these presentations, he volunteers his time to present the firm’s “Commit to Quit Texting While Driving” seminar to high school students throughout New York.
Mr. Finkelstein also served as Captain of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund in a pro bono capacity through “Lawyers Care”. Finkelstein & Partners, with Mr. Finkelstein’s oversight, obtained over $10 million for victims and waived all legal fees associated with this representation. He was honored by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America for his leadership participation in the program.
In recognition of his commitment to consumer protection, Mr. Finkelstein has been appointed to several committees overseeing nationwide litigation involving dangerous pharmaceuticals. Mr. Finkelstein is the Chairman of the Plaintiff Personal Injury Steering committee for the Neurontin Liability Multi District Litigation in Boston, MA. He has worked closely with the FDA regarding the adverse effects associated with Neurontin, having filed a Citizens Petition seeking enhanced warning of the side effects of this drug, specifically increased suicidal tendencies. Additionally, Mr. Finkelstein is a member of the Executive Steering Committee of the Hormone Replacement Therapy Multi District Litigation in both Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Little Rock, Arkansas. He is a member of the Plaintiff Steering Committee of the Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch New Jersey Coordinated Litigation, and the Plaintiff Steering Committee of the Viagra Multi District Litigation in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Mr. Finkelstein is the author of “I Hope We Never Meet: Client Stories of Tragedy, Recovery and Accountability from a Life in Deterrence Law”. The book tells the stories of nine cases chronicling the everyday fight for clients seeking redemption for the wronged done to them or a loved one. The stories of tragedy and recovery demonstrate how the families have rebuilt their lives by holding offenders accountable.
KEN HARDISON, is known as the “Millionaire Maker” for a reason, having helped lawyers across the country double, triple even quadruple their law practices and income, he brings to law firm owners the insights, knowledge, and critical strategies of Legal Marketing and Management that can only be learned in the trenches of real law firm success.
With over 30 years of legal experience, Ken has personally grown and sold two seven-figure law firms and has shared his knowledge and experience with attorneys, helping them experience exponential growth, increased profits, and ethical market preeminence.
With a passion and deep understanding of both grass roots and cutting-edged online legal marketing strategies, Ken is committed to helping lawyers experience greater levels of financial success, freedom and personal satisfaction, the kind that comes from building an ethical and exceptional law practice. Focusing on the practical and the proven, rather than the cerebral, Ken guides lawyers through the steps needed to build the law practice many lawyers have only dreamed possible.
Ken is the Founder of PILMMA, Personal Injury Lawyers Marketing and Management Association, dedicated to helping lawyers learn the critical strategies to success. As a trusted advisor, consultant, coach, and Mastermind mentor, Ken has coached lawyers to greater success time and time again.
PILMMA’s powerful live and virtual events, such as the ever-popular Super Summits and Internet Domination Boot Camps have helped hundreds of lawyers gain the insights and strategies they need to propel their firms forward to greater success and exponential results and to stay current on the latest legal management and marketing strategies, such as leveraging SEO, PPC, PPL, Social Media, etc.
Ken is the author of numerous best-selling books such as Systematic Marketing, Under Promise, Over Deliver, Powerful Online Legal Marketing, and his latest book, The Mastermind Effect. He’s known for his practical and engaging style of taking the complicated world of legal marketing and management and giving clarity and step by step guides that any lawyer can implement to experience real results, greater profits, transformational growth, and heightened success.
Jennifer Harvala has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Ferris State University and a Master of Science in Administration – Workforce Training and Development from Central Michigan University. She joined the Mike Morse Law Firm in 2004 as the 8th full-time employee of the firm. Throughout her 17-year tenure, Jennifer sat in many seats at the firm and helped create and launch numerous departments and positions. However, her most notable position was as a member of the executive leadership team and as Director of Operations, managing the firm’s 60 pre-litigation paralegals and litigation legal secretaries. Additionally, she spent a year serving as the Vice President of Operations and Integrator for a staffing and recruiting firm before joining the FIREPROOF team. At FIREPROOF, Jennifer brings an extensive knowledge of leadership, management, process, and training to help law firm leaders maximize the talents of their human capital.
In her free time, Jennifer enjoys spending her time with her husband and three dogs. She also loves running and has completed many 5k’s and 10k’s, four half-marathons and one full marathon. One of the most memorable events being the 10k she and her husband completed in Jamaica!
As a managing partner with Brown & Crouppen, Ed fights for what is right on behalf of clients and works hard to educate the public on their legal rights. He became a lawyer to pursue justice for everyday people, and today, he is proud to spend his career leveling the playing field against big insurance and drug companies.
After graduating from Washington University School of Law, Ed spent more than a decade handling cases for injured people. Since joining Brown & Crouppen, he has turned his attention to educating the public about their rights. Ed has appeared on “Great Day St. Louis,” “Show Me St. Louis,” and “KC Live” more than 500 times, offering guidance on common legal situations such as what to do when you are in an accident and the type of insurance coverage you need to protect yourself. Ed is also a regular presence on BCTV, where he is a creator and host on the series “Ed Versus” and “3 Lawyers Eating Sandwiches,” as well as the voice of the Bad Idea Bandit on “Terry’s Safety Squad.”
In addition to his passion for helping individuals understand and fight for their rights, Ed is a baseball fan and an avid collector.
Mike Morse is the founder of Mike Morse Law Firm, the largest personal injury law firm in Michigan. Since being founded in 1995, Mike Morse Law Firm has grown to 150 employees, served 25,000 clients, and collected more than $1 billion for victims of auto, truck and motorcycle accidents.
Mike lectures across the country on the practice of law and how to build a successful law firm. Recently, he was named a #1 Amazon Best-selling author for his book on this topic, FIREPROOF. Mike also hosts a weekly podcast, Open Mike, where he shares advice on the law and brings important legal topics to the forefront. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the American Association for Justice. He is also involved with many charitable organizations including Project Backpack, a program he founded that provides free backpacks and school supplies to students in need.
Mike has received many awards and accolades, including being named one of America’s 50 Most Influential Trial Lawyers by The National Law Journal and The Trial Lawyer Magazine, Lawyers Weekly Leader in the Law, DBiz Top Lawyer, and Super Lawyer’s Top Rated Lawyer. He is widely regarded as a foremost expert in personal injury law and has delivered keynote addresses on the topic at prominent industry events such as The National Trial Lawyers Summit, The Annual State Bar of Michigan Business Symposium, and Mass Torts Made Perfect, amongst many others. Mike has also received multiple Golden Gavel Awards for his award-winning commercials and garnered coverage from prominent news outlets and renowned publications such as The Today Show, Huffington Post, and Lawyers Weekly. He is often featured as a legal advisor on local news broadcasts in metro Detroit.
Mike is a native of Detroit, Michigan. He began his college education at the University of Arizona where he earned a Bachelors-of-Science in business. He graduated with honors in 1989, and then earned a Juris Doctor Degree Cum Laude from the University of Detroit School of Law.
In his free time, Mike loves to golf, travel, and spend time with his three daughters.
For the latest news and expert advice from Mike Morse, connect with him on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
John Nachazel holds both a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Miami University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan. Before joining the Mike Morse Law Firm in 2008 as Chief Operating Officer, he had 20 years of sales and marketing experience. He worked for R. L. Polk & Company for 13 years in various leadership positions and worked for Ford Motor Company for 6 years prior. Although he transitioned from the automotive industry to the legal industry, he still utilizes many of the same business skills. His previous experience has led him to become an industry innovator in running a law firm like a business.
In his free time, John enjoys being with his wife and four children. He has been a volunteer basketball coach for over 22 years and has received awards for his coaching. John is a big University of Michigan sports fan and his favorite coach of all time is John Beilein.
Steve Nober, Founder and CEO of Consumer Attorney Marketing Group has been a major force in the legal industry for over a decade. His expertise covers the full spectrum of legal marketing, from offline, online, and social media marketing to telemarketing, intake and contracting services and medical record retrieval and review. Employing a staff of over 400, Consumer Attorney Marketing Group operates six service divisions to help law firms with new case acquisition. With CAMG’s Legal Marketing Index, Steve makes the agency’s proprietary data and marketing trends available to law firms. Recognized as an industry innovator, Steve speaks at over 40 conferences a year on topics including best marketing practices and ethics in advertising.
Harlan Schillinger has four decades of experience in legal advertising with a passion for legal marketing, intake, and conversion.
Harlan is widely considered the Grandfather of Legal Advertising, being the very first in the Legal field to produce and market Television Advertising for the Legal community. Harlan's commercials started airing throughout the country in 1978-79.
Harlan has worked with more than 130 law firms in over 98 markets throughout North America. Currently, he is consulting privately only with lawyers who share his vision of increasing business, being accountable, and obtaining high-value cases. He takes, perhaps, the most unique and accountable approach to intake and conversion and insists on complete accountability within that arena.
In April 2016 Harlan retired from Network Affiliates of Lakewood, Colorado, the nation's first and largest Full-Service Legal advertising agency, where he was the leader of their attorney marketing efforts for over 34 years. Before joining Network Affiliates in 1985, Harlan was Vice President and one of the founding partners of Madison, Muyskens & Jones advertising agency in Lakeville, Connecticut. In 1975, along with his partners, Harlan founded the first syndication TV production firm for high-end retailers and Lawyers, creating television commercials that aired throughout the United States and Canada.
Since 1979, Harlan has worked aggressively, productively, and professionally within the Legal advertising space.
When asked about his approach to legal marketing and client relationships, Harlan says, "Creating opportunities and increasing market share for advertising law firms is my #1 priority. The value of the case is everything in such a crowded market." Harlan has trademarked within the Legal advertising world the two phrases that have become his backbone of philosophy; What You Don't Know, You Don't Know® and Ambassador of First ImpressionsTM.
Several years ago, Harlan took his obsession with intake and conversion to a new level. He, along with his two other partners, Dino Colombo Esq. and Eric Coffman developed Lead Docket. It is software for Intake and Conversion within Law firms. Simply put, it helps law firms increase their net business by 20, 30, or 40 percent of their net profits. Harlan says Lead Docket helps law firms’ control, manage and better prosper from Intake and Conversion. Increasing your bottom line without spending a dime more on advertising is great! Lead Docket tells you what you do not know and do not see, that is the trick.
Harlan is an intricate part of the National Trial Lawyers Executive Summit committee as well as a senior editor and writer for the National Trial Lawyers Magazine. Being the chairman of the NTLA’s “A” list and Magazine is a tremendous honor that Harlan takes very seriously.
In addition, Harlan is a Brand Ambassador for FileVine software. He contributes to their continuing understanding and expertise in Law firm Technology and Marketing.
Harlan sits on the advisory board of PILLMA as well as a handful of other mastermind groups for continuing education and the advancement of Legal Marketing.
Harlan's passion is riding and building custom motorcycles. He is a proud member of the Hamsters USA ® Motorcycle group. It is widely known as the most prestigious motorcycle group in the world. Membership is exclusive and prestigious.
Harlan sucks at golf but keeps swinging the clubs. Nothing on the golf course enters his mind for 18 holes. Therapy for sure!
Harlan sits on the Board of the Children's Care Hospital in South Dakota (http://cchs.org), a special needs hospital dedicated to helping special needs children from all parts of the country. He is co chairman of The Hamsters USA effort each year in their fundraising efforts for this charity. Together, with his motorcycle friends, they have raised well over $3.2 million over the past 11 years.
