Speakers

David Ackert, M.A., is the President of Ackert Inc. and its subsidiaries, and business development mentor to thousands of high-achieving professionals in the legal, corporate, finance, and accounting sectors. Over the past two decades, David has developed and implemented revenue acceleration programs for hundreds of firms around the globe, many hailing from the top of the Am Law list.

Widely recognized as a pioneer in business development innovation, David is the founder of the PipelinePLUS suite of business development products, including Practice Boomers (a business development e-learning program), Practice Pipeline (a leading sales pipeline management system), Practice Viewer (a business intelligence platform) and Practice Driver (a business plan management system). His online and offline programs have won “Your Honor Awards” in both the U.S. and Canada.

David regularly keynotes at partner retreats and industry trade conferences. He serves as a guest lecturer at USC’s Marshall School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, and at the UCLA School of Law.

David has authored numerous white papers and articles on business development. His work has been published and quoted in several business books and media, including the Los Angeles Times, the National Review, the Daily Journal, the Wall Street Journal, Above the Law, Voice America, Attorney at Work, The Recorder, and the Los Angeles Business Journal. He is a winner of JD Supra’s Reader’s Choice Award.

David is the co-founder of Voices in Harmony, a mentoring organization that has worked with at-risk youth around the globe. He co-produced and appeared in the documentary film, After Kony: Staging Hope, chronicling mentoring programs he helped to design and facilitate for former child soldiers in Northern Uganda. The film was used as part of an awareness-raising campaign that raised millions of dollars for health and education in underserved Ugandan communities. David’s charitable work earned the “Difference Maker” award from one of his alma maters, Ithaca College.

David also holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and The University of Santa Monica, from which he earned a Master’s in Psychology.

Rory Channer, a Founding Partner at DCM Insights, is an expert in helping companies drive growth. Rory’s consistent track record of enabling companies improve their growth curve is second to none. He was a key catalyst for McDermott’s 50% growth in just four years, earning its place back in the Amlaw 25, ending a decade of growth decline. Rory has held executive “growth” leadership positions in Marketing, Business Development and Sales at McDermott Will & Emery, Ruffalo Noel Levitz, BehaVR, CEB, Portrait Software and Business Genetics.

Originally trained as an Industrial Psychologist, he brings science and a breadth of experience to foster change. Today he consults with numerous professional services firms and business-to-business sales organizations on growth strategies related to customer engagement. Rory is skilled at solving challenges with innovative solutions and enjoys training other professionals to evolve their approach to selling. Across the last few years, he has successfully trained over 500 lawyers to improve their client development skills.

Rory holds a BSc (Hons) in Industrial Psychology and post graduate diploma in Industrial Psychology from the University of Hull and postgraduate qualifications in Leadership Coaching and Counselling from George Washington University in DC and Regents University in London. He and his family currently reside in Northern Virginia.

Geoff Daniel is the VP of Sales at Adwerx, one of the fastest growing ad tech companies in the U.S., delivering fully automated personalized digital advertising for real estate and mortgage enterprises. Geoff has worked to build partnerships with some of the country’s top brands, and has blended his knowledge of technology with his understanding of enterprise businesses to build solutions that satisfy the market’s needs.

Geoff leads the team responsible for selling Adwerx Enterprise, a service that automates digital ads at scale for real estate and mortgage firms. BA in both Communications and Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and when he’s not closing new deals, he enjoys spending time at home with his family.

Patrick Fuller is the Vice President and General Manager of ALM Intelligence. He has been in the legal industry for over twenty years, holding various business development, consulting, and executive leadership roles. Patrick is the co-author of two books (Measuring and Managing Performance for Law Firms and Strategic Intelligence for Law Firms) and is a frequent author and speaker, amassing more than 200 speaking and authorship credits within the legal industry. Patrick serves on the Leadership Board for the University of North Texas’s College of Information. Additionally, he is an advisory board member for a Silicon Valley technology company, a Community Leader with Diversity Lab’s Move the Needle Fund, a board member for The Chiral Project, and a member of the College of Law Practice Management’s Board of Trustees.

Patrick is a member of Law 2.5, a think tank focused on the legal profession’s future, and is a founding board member of Changing Legal, an international think tank supporting change across the legal sector.

Patrick did his undergraduate studies at the College of The Ozarks and graduate studies at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Patrick is a Fellow in the College of Law Practice Management and a 2021 Fastcase 50 recipient.

Ioana and her mom came to the U.S. with two suitcases, knowing only the words please and thank you. Having grown up under communism in Romania, without freedom of the press, she taught herself English primarily by watching Peter Jennings and Sesame Street. She graduated top of her class from Northeastern University, double majoring in Journalism and International Affairs. Her childhood experience in Romania gave her an appreciation for freedom of speech – she wanted a career that celebrated the rights she now enjoyed in the country that adopted her. After working in newsrooms such as the Boston Globe and Orlando Sentinel, Ioana spent two decades in positions centered around marketing, public relations, and business development at several companies in the legal and A/E/C industries. She attended Rollins College, where she received her master’s degree in Corporate Communication and Technology. Ioana founded Promova to bring her expertise to her clients and help them gain a competitive advantage.

Jeanne Hammerstrom is Benesch’s Chief Marketing Officer and brings 30 years of legal marketing experience to her post. Jeanne has firm-wide responsibility for business development, client service and marketing communications. She also participates in the firm’s Executive, Strategic Growth, Client Service and Diversity Committees. Active in the legal industry, Jeanne was honored in 2019 by the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) as an inductee to their Hall of Fame; this award recognizes lifetime achievement of individuals in the legal marketing industry and their outstanding contributions to the association. She was also recognized by Crain’s Cleveland C-Suite Awards as Chief Marketing Officer – Private Company for 2017. Jeanne is a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management. She is a former President of LMA and serves as Co-Chair of the 2020 Hall of Fame Committee and the Advocacy Advisory Council. Additionally, she was Chair of LMA’s 2009 Annual Conference, and a past-President of LMA’s Pittsburgh Chapter. Jeanne is a frequent speaker and writer for the legal marketing industry.

Joe Hammond is an award-winning producer with over 20 years of production and video marketing experience. Joe has produced and directed thousands of successful video campaigns including high quality television commercials, Web marketing videos and animation. His experience includes working with industries ranging from law, biotech, finance, and tech.

Jill, a certified Worldwide Association of Business Coach, is highly regarded for her ingenuity, research-based strategy and ability to deliver results for clients.

She has worked in professional services marketing for over 20 years, in industries ranging from legal and accounting to insurance and human resources. Most recently before launching Society 54, Jill led the marketing and business development efforts for an AmLaw150 firm. While there, she and her team won several awards for communication, business development and marketing initiatives.

Further, Jill is a tenured member of the Legal Marketing Association, currently serving on the International Board of Directors and previously serving as past president of the Southeastern Chapter. She received her Masters in Law Firm Management from George Washington University and her undergrad from Illinois State University. In addition to her coaching certification, she has also received certifications in DiSC, Gamification, Leadership, Change Management and Six Sigma.

Jill is also a Co-founder and Partner of Society Tech, a legal technology provider for lawyers and MBD teams; and a Principal and Co-founder of The Chiral Project, a consultancy aimed at bringing balance to the C-suite advocating for the advancement of women and minorities with leadership acceleration.

Robert Ingalls is a recovering attorney, professional speaker, and the founder of LawPods, one of the first podcast production agencies for law firms. At LawPods, Robert and his team help some of the premier law firms in the world launch and grow branded podcasts that build relationships and drive revenue.

Robert’s path from trial lawyer to Podcast Producer to the Am Law 100 was anything but direct. For years he battled anxiety from the pressure, long hours, and constant conflict of a litigation career. When he was finally ready to throw in the towel, he had no idea what to do next. With no business/marketing background and only a love for podcasts he discovered making one for his firm; Robert decided to see if lawyers would pay him to help them launch podcasts. Within four years, LawPods was producing podcasts for the biggest brands in law.

As a speaker, Robert frequently speaks on Podcast Content Marketing, Prioritizing Mental Health, Entrepreneurship, and Law Office Technology. In his spare time, he enjoys teaching podcasting at community events, traveling, spending time with his wife and daughters, and riding his skateboard.

After 25 years as an in-house marketer for professional services firms (and specifically law firms for the last 13 years) where he often led and/or executed the strategic marketing and business development planning for several firms, Jim recently launched Lawgix Advisory Group LLC, a professional services consultancy focused on business management practices, marketing and business development initiatives, and strategic planning. His career experience has included the soup-to-nuts execution and implementation of annual firm-wide and practice group level marketing, communications, and business development plans, as well advising and coaching individual professionals to plan and execute goal-oriented business development strategies. A Certified Business Development Coach (by the Legal Sales & Service Organization), Jim has developed and conducted formal training programs covering a variety of marketing and business development topics – many that have been accepted and approved for continuing legal education (CLE) credits across multiple jurisdictions. In addition to his work, Jim is an active member of and a volunteer for the Legal Marketing Association’s Midwest Region, which he joined in 2021 after seven years as a member, volunteer and past-Board Member (Treasurer and former-President-Elect) for the LMA Northeast Region. He is a 2014 graduate of George Washington University’s Master’s degree program in Law Firm Management, where he was honored with the Stephen R. Chitwood Award for Academic Excellence, and is returning to the classroom this fall as an incoming 1L JD Candidate at Capital University Law School in Columbus, OH.

The founder of Law Practice Consultants, LLC, a consulting firm, Peter Johnson offers a valuable combination of skill and experience in law firm management, sales, marketing and counseling. He evaluates and assists law firms and lawyers in business development, client retention and management related issues. He consults with firms in the areas of succession planning, practice group management, compensation system reviews, and assessing and improving law firm profitability. In addition to his direct consulting with firms and lawyers, Peter performs client interviews to evaluate satisfaction and assess existing and future needs. This information is used by the firms to design and implement client-based strategic planning and business development coaching programs for partners and associates. One of the legal industry’s top management publications, Marketing the Law Firm, ranked Peter’s article on client interviews one of the top ten best of that year. Over the last ten years Peter has designed coaching and business development training programs for lawyers of all levels of experience, in firms of all sizes, and has “coached” over 400 attorneys on a one-on-one basis. Prior to establishing Law Practice Consultants, Peter practiced law for seventeen years, concentrating on business litigation at a mid-size Boston firm where he served as chair of the firm’s compensation committee and managing partner. Before entering Boston College Law School, Peter received two graduate degrees in counseling psychology from Boston University.

Jason Kennedy is a marketing operations consultant with a unique combination of in-house, consulting, and corporate B2B marketing expertise. A career marketer, Jason has worked in multiple industries, gradually making the transition from traditional Marketing Communications to Marketing Operations and Analytics. Jason has an MBA and Master’s in Marketing Analytics from the University of Alabama. He is based in Nashville.

Julie is a trusted leader and strategist at Balch & Bingham. She is known as a collaborative partner to the firm’s lawyers and professionals as she works alongside them to achieve their communications, marketing, business development and community engagement goals. Julie’s ability to empower attorneys to put their skills and connections into meaningful action has yielded greater client loyalty, revenue growth and stronger community engagement. Powered by a leadership style that is positive and pragmatic, Julie delivers innovative approaches to help Balch & Bingham meet its goals. She is a member of the Legal Marketing Association, and co-leader of the Client Value SIG.

She is a member of the Board of Directors of One Place Family Justice Center, a non-profit organization that is dedicating to making it easier for victims of interpersonal violence to access, in one place, the resources needed to seek help and report abuse. She has a B.A. in Public Relations from Auburn University and a J.D. from Birmingham School of Law.

For over a decade, Yuliya (“you-leah“) LaRoe has been partnering with leaders in law firms and in-house legal departments to support legal industry professionals in strengthening their business development, leadership, and management skills. An experienced lawyer, ICF-credentialed coach, and legal industry consultant, she brings over 20 years of legal industry experience and business savvy along with her multicultural background and global perspective.

Over the last decade, Yuliya’s company – LeadWise Group – coached and trained hundreds of lawyers and legal professionals, who reported achieving impressive results, such as being promoted to equity partnership, growing annual client billings from $100,000 to over $1,000,000, signing on Fortune100 companies as clients, expanding existing clients’ business by through cross-selling, and much more.

Yuliya’s expertise has been featured by the ABA, NALP, PDC, ALM, Law Practice Today, Attorney at Work, and other legal industry organizations and publications. As a professional speaker, she regularly presents at law firms, legal industry conferences, Bar conventions, and companies such as Airbus, Citibank, Miami Dolphins and others.

Previously, Yuliya practiced law for almost ten years at an AmLaw 100 law firm as legal counsel and advisor to Fortune 500 companies on a variety of issues related to their global operations.

Andrew Laver is a Business Development Manager at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC. A firm of over 400 lawyers in fifteen offices, Buchanan is one of the longest standing law firms in the country. Andrew is responsible for the business development efforts of the firm’s Labor, Employment, Benefits & Immigration Section and Tax Sections. He is resident in the firm’s Philadelphia office.

Active in LMA, Andrew was the President of the Metropolitan Philadelphia Chapter in 2014 and joined the LMA’s Governance Committee in 2015 where he served as Co-Chair from 2017-2018. He served as Co-Chair of the 2nd Annual Philadelphia Education Conference in 2016, served as a member of the 2017 LMA Annual Conference Advisory Committee and served as the Co-Chair of the 2019 LMA Annual Conference. Andrew served as a Member-At-Large to the LMA Board of Directors from 2019-2021 and in 2022 will serve as Treasurer Elect to the LMA Board.

Andrew is a graduate of Syracuse University and was president of the Syracuse University Philadelphia Alumni Club from 2007-2010. Since then, he served on the board of the Syracuse University National Alumni Association, Inc. in various committee, ex officio, and board roles. He served two consecutive two-year terms as Vice President of the Alumni Association and, as a member of the Executive Committee, chaired the Awards and Nominating Committees.

Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer for Parker Poe LLP, Kristen Bateman Leis utilizes her passion for the business of law and extensive law firm client development and marketing experience to set the strategy for the firm’s client relations and business development coaching and planning; competitive and business intelligence, and marketing communications programs. A frequent speaker on related topics, she maintains a niche focus on client experience programs and attorney coaching, client feedback initiatives, leadership development, process improvement, and team building. Kristen curates the award winning “Parker Poe Path” annual client experience program, now in its 8th year.

Kristen has been passionately focused for over 20 years on providing superior client service to existing clients and engaging new clients for some of the most well-respected business law firms in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest and Southeast. She has an MBA from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte and a BA from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.

Society 54 Co-Founder Heather McCullough is two parts wit and one part tenacity, with heaping doses of creativity and intellect on the side. Heather represents the power of hard work, strategy and collaboration. For more than 18 years, she has brought game-changing results to professional services firms across the country. As the director of business and practice development at one of the most well-respected law firms in the Carolinas, Heather oversaw all aspects of firm and attorney business development, including client relations, communications, events and marketing – all while keeping a keen eye on budgets and ROI. Heather has led and restructured operational changes while working inside law firms, as well as in a consulting capacity. This experience, combined with her MBA from University of South Carolina, makes her an ideal advisor for firms that want to challenge the status quo and lead change.

In the consulting realm, Heather never says no to a challenge. She knows that insincere outreach and marketing can fall flat, and operates as a tireless advocate for her clients to ensure that efforts are anything but hollow. She is well known in the legal marketing industry and her wheels never stop turning when it comes to generating profit, rapport and direction for her clients.

Erin Corbin Meszaros serves as the Chief Client Services Officer where she is an integral part of the implementation of the Firm’s marketing strategies, public relations efforts, advertising and client relations programs.

With more than twenty-five years of hands-on professional service experience, Erin Corbin Meszaros helps Eversheds Sutherland (US) attorneys turn business strategies into business successes. Through various firm initiatives she develops innovative solutions designed to enhance client satisfaction and increase brand awareness.

Erin works one-on-one with attorneys on their professional and business development opportunities to help integrate and align their individual initiatives with the firm’s overall business objectives. She also guides and supports practice groups and sectors to ensure the firm’s strategic goals are met.

Erin’s career includes numerous successful business initiatives, such as implementing and executing a firm’s five year strategic plan, implementing and executing a forward thinking client feedback program, initiating and completing a re-branding campaign, conducting an in-depth client relations coaching program and creating a unique customer relationship management (CRM) database course, which effectively increased firm-wide usage.

In addition, Ms. Meszaros’ previous projects include broadcasting a live, national mock trial demonstration on electronic signatures, creating an email and “drip” marketing campaign and implementing various professional development training courses.

Prior to joining the legal marketing industry, Ms.Meszaros managed the development of a 166 unit condominium complex in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Ms. Meszaros was honored by Atlanta Woman magazine as a 2008 Top 25 Professional Women to Watch. Additionally, Ms. Meszaros and her team have received several accolades for business development and public relations initiatives including 1st place for Business Development Initiative by the Southeast LMA Chapter, 2nd place for InterAction Implementation by LMA International and honorable mention for electronic client newsletters by PRNews Legal PR. In 2009, Erin’s marketing team was a SELMA Awards Runner Up in the category of Business Development Initiative. At the 2010 LMA Your Honor Awards, Erin and her team won 3rd Place for “Burr University,” a practice development project for the firm. Ms. Meszaros was featured in the Fulton County Daily Report’s Top Atlanta Legal Marketers in 2012 and was named to the National Law Journal’s Top 50 Business of Law Trailblazers in 2013.

Joshua Peck is Director of Media Relations, and has been in legal marketing since 1994.

Kerry Price has focused her career on turning ideas into actions that result in organizational growth and loyalty. She currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer for Bass, Berry & Sims where she advises the Executive Committee on the firm’s strategic position while also leading the marketing and business development, pricing and project management, attorney hiring and professional development departments. Kerry has held multiple positions at Bass, Berry & Sims, most recently she served as the Chief Marketing and Business Development officer, and was responsible for developing and implementing the Client Experience Initiative, a firm-wide strategy that prioritizes and institutionalizes a wide range of client–focused programs to ensure brand differentiation through exceptional service. She and her team have been awarded multiple honors for excellence in both business development and marketing from industry organizations, including the Legal Marketing Association and Legal Sales and Service Organization (LSSO).

Liz Price is Alston & Bird’s Chief Legal Talent Partner. In this position, Liz is responsible for the firm’s hiring, training, development, compensation, and promotion of the firm’s lawyers as part of the firm’s overall integrated approach to talent management. She also serves as the Alumni Relations Partner. From 1986 to 2008, Liz was a trial attorney at Alston & Bird and served as trial, regional, and national coordinating counsel in major national products liability matters.

Liz serves on the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) National Board of Directors as well as on the board of the Southeast Region of ADL and is the former national chair of civil rights for ADL. She is a Past Chair of the NALP Foundation and serves on the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust. Liz is the Chair Elect of the Southeast Regional Board for UNICEF. Liz is a past president of the Atlanta Bar Association and the Atlanta Bar Foundation, past chair of the Southeast Region of the ADL, and a former member of the board of governors of the State Bar of Georgia. She has been listed in Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers, including as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Georgia. Before attending college, Liz served in the U.S. Army as an interrogator/Arabic linguist for three years.

Gina F. Rubel, Esq. is the CEO of Furia Rubel Communications, Inc. (www.FuriaRubel.com), one of the nation’s leading legal marketing, public relations, crisis communications and content marketing agencies. A renowned legal industry expert, attorney and author, Ms. Rubel predominantly works with the large and mid-size law firms and legal service providers across North America and in Caribbean countries. She is a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management and the American Bar Foundation, and is recognized by Lawdragon as a Global 100 Leading Consultant and Strategist to the legal profession.

Corporate and law firm leaders call on Ms. Rubel for high-stakes public relations, crisis planning, and incident response support including high profile litigation media relations. She teaches audiences nationwide how to implement ethical, integrated, and measurable communication strategies that help their organizations to meet their business objectives. Ms. Rubel formed and co-chairs the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Law Firm Risk Management Committee – the first of its kind for a bar association and believes it is every lawyer’s duty to understand how various risks can affect their law firms and their clients.

Ms. Rubel has been named a Woman of Distinction by The Legal Intelligencer and Philadelphia Business Journal. She has been included among Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business and is a SmartCEO magazine’s Brava Award winner. She often is quoted by Law360 and The American Lawyer and has appeared on various news programs as a communications expert. She contributes regularly to Mid-Market Report and Attorney at Work. The second edition of her industry acclaimed book, Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers, is available on Amazon and AttorneyatWork.com.

You can follow her on Twitter at @ginarubel, connect with her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ginafuriarubel, call her at 215-340-0480 or email her at gina@furiarubel.com. For more information, go to www.FuriaRubel.com.

Jenna is a strategy-driven, creative, passionate in-house legal client service and business development professional. With a career spanning more than 17 years in the legal industry, she is currently the Director of Client Development & Strategic Growth at Jenner & Block, an AmLaw 100 firm with 500 lawyers across 6 offices worldwide. Leveraging her significant experience strategizing alongside lawyers and firm leadership, she leads a team of 15 skilled business professionals in implementing and executing on client-focused initiatives that improve service excellence, drive revenue growth, and solidify client loyalty.

Jenna is a former Co-Chair of the Strategies & Voices Editorial Board (2020-2021), President of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Board (2019) and Board Member (2017-2020), and former Chair of the LMA Baltimore City Group (2011-2016). She co-chaired the Legal Sales and Service Organization’s Raindance Conference (2020), and frequently speaks and writes for industry publications on topics related to client feedback, client teams, and the business of law.

Nick Sehn is the Chief Technology Officer Adwerx. He specializes in building and leading product and engineering teams for technology companies. Since joining Adwerx, Nick helped launch products that enabled Adwerx’s customer base to grow to over 400,000 individuals and 500 enterprises, revamping to fit the needs of various markets, and launching new verticals along the way.

Nick holds a BSE in Computer Science & Electrical Engineering as well as an MBA, both from Duke University. When he’s not creating new ways for businesses to automate digital marketing at scale, you can find him at home enjoying time with his family.

Severson is responsible for the strategic direction and execution of the Firm’s business development and marketing initiatives, and collaborates with the Firm’s lawyers and professional staff to maintain a client focus, increase marketplace awareness and facilitate cross-office and cross-practice collaboration. He sets direction for practice group- and industry-driven strategies, public relations, client interviews, brand management, advertising, competitive intelligence and market research. He is a nationally-recognized presenter and leader in the legal marketing and business development community.

Adam is a past President of the Legal Marketing Association, recent LMA Hall of Fame inductee, a Fellow in the College of Law Practice Management and was recognized by the Nashville Business Journal as CMO of the Year for all industries. Prior to joining Baker Donelson, he held leadership roles at two other AMLAW 100 firms and also worked in various roles of what is now Thomson Reuters.

Marcie Borgal Shunk is a sociologist of lawyers and President & Founder of The Tilt Institute, specializing in helping firms shepherd significant transformation. Marcie trains and coaches leadership teams and emerging leaders to create dynamic plans, shift mindsets and motivate action. She is co-producer of Lead Infinite, a leader development program and curriculum exclusively designed for virtual delivery, with John “The Purple Coach” Mitchell.

Marcie is a Fellow of College of Law Practice Management, an ALM Intelligence Fellow, Faculty Member of Executive Institute on Inclusion, Board Member of BizDev Gals and former board member of Legal Marketing Association. She holds numerous certifications including cultural assessments through Human Synergistics International and Smart Collaboration Accelerator. She speaks regularly at industry events including CFO/COO Forum, Marketing Partner  Forum, LegalWeek and various Managing Partner roundtables. She is a graduate of Harvard University.

After four years in health care marketing, Danielle first entered the world of legal marketing as the marketing manager for the law firm of Burr & Forman in 2012.

In her nearly nine years at Burr & Forman, Danielle oversaw the marketing and communication strategies for the Firm which included two mergers, many office expansions and moves, and a footprint of 21 offices and more than 350 attorneys.

She was eventually promoted to director of marketing for the Firm, and in 2018, in addition to her marketing role, she was asked to serve as the Firm’s diversity committee administrator. It was here where Danielle found her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion and helped create the Firm’s first virtual diversity pre-law program during the pandemic.

She then went on to receive her DEI Certification from Cornell University and first entertained the idea of a possible career change. And in 2020, that opportunity came knocking – serving as Baker Donelson’s first women’s initiative manager.

Today, Danielle works across department lines to create programs and resources that help advance women and provide support for working parents at the Firm. Her role includes helping women choose their path to success, reach equity status, developing policies for working parents, and creating mentor and retention programs.

Danielle also served as president of the LMA Southeast Region in 2020 and has been involved in many LMA leadership roles and committees over the last nine years. In the Spring of 2022, Danielle became a mom for the first time, welcoming a baby girl named Jillian. Returning to work with the added perspective of a working parent has given Danielle a renewed sense of passion in helping women and working parents in the legal industry.

Sona is an experienced legal services professional who cultivates and maintains solid relationships with clients, colleagues and business partners. She utilizes practice management, personnel management, and client development strategies to provide valuable insights and develop strategic initiatives to drive revenue and help organizations achieve their most critical business goals.

Recognizing that clients seek increased value and efficiency, Sona develops teams comprised of people and processes designed to exceed client objectives and expectations. Her responsibilities include practice and personnel management, knowledge and matter management, process improvement and efficiency initiatives, enhancing cross-practice and department communications, promoting practice innovation, and improving financial performance.

Sona received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Amherst College and her Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Sona serves on the Board of EmpowHERment, a nonprofit focused on mentoring young girls in the Charlotte community and was recently selected as a member of Leadership Charlotte’s 41st class.

Pam Tobias has more than 15 years of legal marketing experience, with a focus on CRM and other marketing technologies. For the last 15 years, she has focused specifically on LexisNexis InterAction, working with business development, events, communications and other teams to align the database for business planning, key account management and other vital marketing, business development and firm initiatives. She also specializes in repositioning misunderstood (or failed) systems working closely with marketing, business development and IT. As a Client Advisor at LexisNexis, she focuses on helping clients be successful with their marketing and business development strategies and initiatives by integrating technology into growth strategies and everyday business processes.

Elle Walch is the Business Development and Marketing Director for Ball Janik LLP. Ms. Walch is responsible for initiating firmwide strategic opportunities for business development, including client acquisition strategies, market expansion, practice group evolution, opportunities for cross-selling, initiating content creation, professional association involvement, sponsorships, and managing procurement opportunities for governmental entities. Ms. Walch has cultivated a unique insight that she leverages to identify emerging trends and tap into client bases to facilitate expansion into new industries and regions, as well as identify client acquisition targets.

Ms. Walch leads the firm’s marketing initiatives by identifying opportunities for business development that align with Ball Janik’s competencies throughout many key industries. She also initiates and executes strategic plans to foster and retain market dominance, as well as develops methods to ensure client turnover and retention.

Kathryn Whitaker is the Chief Marketing Officer of Burr & Forman LLP. She works closely with firm management and practice group leaders to develop and implement marketing and business development plans, while overseeing efforts to facilitate cross-office and cross-practice collaboration for the benefit of firm clients. Kathryn also manages branding and marketing strategy, including communications, media, and public relations.

Her past roles include leading the marketing function for regional law firms based in North Carolina and South Carolina as well as overseeing the business development efforts for the Southeast region of a global law firm.  She is a champion for organizational excellence and driving measurable business impact.

Kathryn is a past member of the Legal Marketing Association Board of Directors and previously served as President of the organization’s Southeast Region. She is an appointed member of the Mount Pleasant Culture, Arts & Pride Commission; on the Steering Committee of Women United for Trident United Way; and a Dream Team member with Seacoast Church. She is a mother of two and proud graduate of Clemson University.

Mark is Counsel at Vox Actio LLC, a consultancy that helps law firms, in-house legal departments and other service organizations discern and advance client engagement and service delivery priorities. Mark works at the intersection of client and professional development with a focus on customized listening programs, account management and lawyer coaching.

A lawyer for 36 years, Mark’s unique vantage point and perspective is informed by his service as a law firm partner, corporate general counsel, and business leader for global, national and regional law firms.

Mark is a native Bostonian. He received his J.D. from Boston College Law School and his undergraduate degree from Bates College.