Schedule

8:00 - 9:00 a.m.

Registration Opens & Breakfast Available in Exhibit Hall

9:10 - 10:15 A.M.

Introduction

Kalsey Beach, President, Do Good Events

Morning Keynote: Professional Power-Up: Mindfulness Matters

Alex Haley, JD, MBA, Director of Mindfulness Programs, Center for Spirituality and Healing, University of Minnesota

10:45 A.M. – 12:00 P.m. 

BREAKOUT SESSIONS I

Track 1: Career Development

Charting Your Own Career: The Legal Profession as Opportunity

Ann Rainhart, Executive Director, Briggs & Morgan
Kendra Brodin, Manager of Business Development, Merchant & Gould P.C.

Do you enjoy your career but know you can add more value to your current department and employer? Do you have an interest in broadening your skillset? Do you envision yourself in an entirely different role and want to know how to get there? Come hear two experienced professionals talk about ways they’ve learned to strategically impact their careers. You’ll learn about the value of influence, the role of mentors and sponsors, the ways to ensure you are invited to the right meetings, and how to take advantage of opportunities that come your way.

Track 2: Business Development

Get in the Game: The Gamification of Business Development

Jill Huse, Co-Founder, Society 54  
Heather McCullough, Co-Founder, Society 54

We’ve all heard that many of the skills needed to develop business are counter to how attorneys are wired. But we do know that attorneys are competitive by nature, so that begs the question, Can the skills and habits needed to develop business be taught and instilled through playing a game?

Jill Huse and Heather McCullough of Society 54 will explain how the gamification of business development is simply another internal tool that can be used to help build engagement in the process and confidence in an individuals’ ability to build a base of clients.

An effective internal “game” includes:

• Outlining what outcomes the firm hopes to achieve
• Identifying which behaviors will be changed
• Defining how progress will be measured
• Clearly describing success in the program and how it will be rewarded

This hands-on, interactive session incorporates case studies, training and roundtable brainstorming on how to create and implement a successful business development game within a firm. 

1:00 – 2:15  p.m.

BREAKOUT SESSIONS II

Track 1: Marketing & Communications

PR from the Pros: How to Successfully Pitch Your Story Ideas

Moderator: Matt Kusilek, Publisher, Minnesota Business Magazine
Panelists:  Steve LeBeau, Editor in Chief, Minnesota Business Magazine
Meg McCormick, PR Manager, Faegre Baker Daniels
Jack Rice, Journalist, Lawyer and Former CIA Officer, Rice Law Office

Want to learn how to develop a media pitch that gets attention and gets your firm noticed? Join media insiders as they provide practical tips on how to conduct successful public relations efforts. Get ready to learn how to:

• Build relationships with media contacts
• Successfully pitch a story
• Think like an editor or a news director
• Position your attorney as an expert source
• Write an effective news release

This panel will also discuss the ethical split between independent journalism and advertising. Pitching to the press may be easier than you think!

Track 2: Business of Law

Pricing Strategy and AFAs

Madison Vermette, LPM Pricing Strategist, Stinson Leonard Street
Adam Barvels, Pricing Director, Robins Kaplan LLP

Law firms continue to face pressure from clients to deliver value, provide predictability in legal costs, and propose innovative fee arrangements. The importance of communication cannot be understated – the negotiation process does not need to be a zero-sum game, but to arrive at mutually beneficial fee arrangements requires a commitment to listen and collaborate. In today’s competitive environment, a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to pricing and AFAs isn’t going to get the business. Cohesive and consistent communication ensures the alignment of both client and firm goals and leads to successful partnerships.

In this presentation you will gain an understanding of alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) and how they are used, and how to collaborate and contribute to the pricing functions within your firm.

Key Takeaways:

• Asking the right questions in a fee negotiation
• Aligning client demands with a pricing structure 
• Pricing behaviors to avoid
• Key metrics and how they’re used
• How pricing fits into the business of law

2:30 – 3:45 p.m.

Afternoon Keynote: The 30-day Happiness Practice

Nancy O’Brien, Co-Founder, and Linda Saggau, Chief Experience Officer, Experience Happiness