Solo and Small Firm Annual Conference - 2021

Larger than Coronavirus

BASF’s Solo & Small Firm Section invites you to join us for its 5th Annual Conference, which is a virtual event in light of the various shelter-in-place orders.

This year’s conference will offer several diverse CLE programs covering topics such as law firm management, remote practice tools, legal ethics, employment/HR issues during COVID-19, client diversity and marketing, and litigation funding.

The majority of attorneys in the Bay Area are part of the BASF community, which is a pillar of the legal profession representing individuals and organizations in nearly every imaginable type of legal matter and area of the law.  

Keynote Speaker
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. - No MCLE provided.

Stephanie Everett Lawyerist

Stephanie Everett leads the Lawyerist community and Lawyerist Lab. She is the co-author of Lawyerist's popular book The Small Firm Roadmap and is a regular keynote speaker at legal conferences and CLEs. Stephanie practiced at a big law firm for five years before co-founding her own firm.

SESSION I: Litigation Finance and Law Firm Funding History, Options, and Ethics for Solo Practitioners and Small Firms
1:15 - 2:15 p.m. - MCLE: 1 Hour of which 0.5 is in Legal Ethics

Panelists

Matthew Harrison Omni Bridgeway	Michael J. Swanson Advocate Capital, Inc.

Moderator

Jason Wolford Wolford-Wayne LLP

Topics

• Short history of litigation finance and other sources law firm funding
• Litigation Funding and Other Innovative Finance Options for Solos and Small Firms
• Legal Ethical Issues in Litigation Finance
• The Future of Litigation Funding

SESSION II: Law in the Time of Covid: How small firms can compete and excel
1:15 - 2:15 p.m. - No MCLE provided.

Panelists

Kate Karas Chime Bank	Diana Iketani Iorlano Iketani Law Corporation

Moderators

Donald S. Davidson Law Office of Donald S. Davidson	Richard J. Zuromski, Jr. Zuromski Law Office

Topics

How solo and small firms can use their size to their advantage in winning clients and cases in the current pandemic

Law in the time of Coronavirus. We will discuss transitioning from Big Law to the solo/small firm world and what challenges and advantages the current pandemic lockdowns have raised. We will explore how to leverage technology and how the current environment can actually help us compete with our less nimble BigLaw competitors. Finally, we will discuss some of the unique limitations and ethical constraints for small firms.

SESSION III: Ethical Issues in a Borderless, Digital World
2:30 - 3:30 p.m. - MCLE: 1 Hour in Legal Ethics

Panelists

Kendra Basner O'Reilly & Roche	Adam Koss Koss Firm	Anthony Radogna Law Offices of Anthony Radogna

Moderator

Laura Gibble LFGF Law

This presentation will address two cutting edge issues being discussed nationwide among ethics lawyers and state bar defense counsel which directly impact solo and small firm attorneys.

First, attorneys are leaving their brick and mortar office spaces behind for a virtual practice, particularly in the new “work from home.” Some lawyers have even left their home state all together, or at least indefinitely. However, working from one state, while servicing clients and applying law in another, can have ethical implications and even subject a lawyer to claims of unauthorized practice of law if the lawyer is not careful. This panel will address ethical concerns involved with remote practice, including but not limited to, UPL and MJP concerns.

Second, there is a proliferation of discussion regarding attorney referral and advertising websites, with the most high profile being recent litigation by the State Bar against LegalMatch, which has since been deemed on official “Lawyer Referral Service” by the State Bar. The State Bar has taken the position that a lawyer‘s payment for these services to non-certified Lawyer Referral Services constitutes impermissible fee sharing with non-lawyers, or at least greatly curtailed, by the Rules of Professional Conduct. Currently, the State Bar is in the process of changing some of the rules which prohibit lawyers from paying a referral fee or otherwise sharing fees with non-lawyers, with more changes on the horizon that may impact an attorney’s marketing strategy.

This program will review the current state of the law, as well as potential further changes, and provide practical advice from respondent’s counsel, who has been defending lawyers from disciplinary charges brought by the State Bar.

Topics

• Ethical implications of remote work and virtual law offices, particularly when working in other states
• Recent development with referral services, attorney advertising, and sharing fees with non-lawyers
• State Bar stance on these cutting edge issues
• Further changes being considered by the Bar

SESSION IV: 50 Great Ideas in to Help Your Solo & Small Firm Take Off This Year!
2:30 - 3:30 p.m. - No MCLE provided.

Panelists

Anthony Chiosso Chiosso Law	Rose-Ellen Fairgrieve Fairgrieve Law
Matthew Gluck Gluck Daniel	Lindsey Mignano Smith Shapourian Mignano

Moderator

Albert L. Thuesen III Coit Law Group

We will have five of our long standing members go through a round-table format of the 50 best tips, tools, tricks and hacks we all use to enhance our thriving practices in this challenging environment. Do not miss it. You are guaranteed to learn 5 new tips for your practice.

Topics

• Recommendations on the subscription software your office needs
• Tips on what hardware you should have: especially in your home office
• On the go? What tools can be accessed from anywhere at any time
• Overview of the services, programs, software and tools you need

SESSION V: Get to Work! What Does That Mean in the Era of COVID?
3:45 - 4:45 p.m. - MCLE: 1 Hour

Panelists

Rose-Ellen Fairgrieve Fairgrieve Law	Mark Peters Duckworth & Peters

Moderator

Brittny Bottorff Insight Counsel

Topics

• When, how, and if an employer can force employees to return to the workplace
• Navigating protected leave issues
• How to avoid COVID-related claims and lawsuits
• Remote workforce issues (e.g. tracking overtime and rest breaks, cybersecurity, and privacy)
• How to comply with new federal and state COVID-related laws and regulations

SESSION VI: Step Up or Step Aside: Which Lawyers Get The Business?
3:45 - 4:45 p.m. - No MCLE provided.

Panelists

Beatrice Stonebanks Stonebanks	Jaco Grobbelaar Broad Vision Marketing	Bruce Lunde 5 Happiness

Moderator

Phyllis Simon Weill & Mazer

How changes in sales and marketing are affecting the legal sector

COVID 19 and other market dynamics are affecting the way that lawyers get business. This panel will discuss pricing strategies, website relevance, compliance and security, and will help lawyers understand how to get recognized as a legal expert.

Topics

• How to set a pricing strategy to increase revenues in your sweet spot
• How to keep your website relevant, compliant and secure
• How to get recognized online as the legal expert in your field

Networking
4:45 - 5:30 p.m.

Event Code: G212802

For a printable flyer, click here. 

For similar events, click here.

Cost

To Register

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2. Once signed in, click the Add button to select the desired option(s).
3. Select Proceed to Checkout to enter payment information, submit your order and complete the registration process.

Conference Access

Conference Access Link will be sent in a separate email within 24 hours prior to the start of the event. If you do not receive login credentials, please double check your Spam Folder. If you have any trouble, please contact cle@sfbar.org as soon as possible before the program starts so we can assist with troubleshooting. You may need to consult your local IT technician for connection issues.

MCLE Notice

To receive MCLE credit, you must sign in during the designated MCLE registration period. This activity is approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of California. BASF is a certified provider: Provider #103

Accessibility

People with disabilities and/or special requests should contact BASF regarding reasonable accommodations.