Most law firms grow 3 to 5% a year. This one grew 100% in 2024. In this episode, Sasha Berson sits down with A.J. Bruning, co-founder of The Bruning Law Firm, who started his firm in 2016 with four people and has since built it into a nearly 100-employee operation closing in on $50 million. A.J. breaks down why his first big decision was getting himself out of practicing law entirely, how one unusual hire gave them a *huge* edge in Google Ads (you have to hear this), and how he cut average case time from 18 to 10 months. They also dig into the private equity wave now hitting the legal industry. Is your firm on PE's radar? It might be! Tune in now.

📰 About A.J. Bruning:

A.J. Bruning is the co-founder of The Bruning Law Firm, the personal injury practice he launched in St. Louis in 2016 alongside his father and brother, starting with just one paralegal and a handful of cases. A former prosecuting attorney who tried 30 jury trials in four years, A.J. shifted out of the courtroom to focus on the firm's marketing, technology, and operations. Under his leadership, the firm adopted the Entrepreneurial Operating System, built its own case management system on Salesforce, and has landed on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies. Today he's focused on turning the firm's data into what he calls a "layer of intelligence" powered by AI.

👉 Sasha and A.J. explore:

— How A.J. stepped away from practicing law to do *this* — and how it set them on track to hit $50M.

— How adopting the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) made every department rigorously consistent

— Why buying leads across the entire state of Missouri (not just St. Louis) led to cheaper cases in less competitive markets

— How A.J. made an unusual hire to run Google Ads, and why it became one of their smartest recruits

— Why A.J. is building a "layer of intelligence" powered by AI on top of his firm's data

👉 Main Takeaways from the Episode:

— Audit your case data by stage. A.J. cut average case age from 18 months to 10 just by tracking it consistently.

— Map your BHAG backward. Write down where you want to be in five years, then work backward to today's systems, headcount, and marketing spend.

— Build a "layer of intelligence" on your data this quarter. Clean, organize, and centralize your data before layering AI on top of it.

If you enjoyed today's show, please leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today's episode, visit https://growlaw.co/

📞 Connect with A.J. Bruning:

• Website: https://www.bruninglegal.com/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbruning/

📞 Connect with Sasha Berson:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grow-law/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grow_law/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@growlaw

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growlaw

• Email: info@growlaw.co

• Phone: (954) 620-5521

#LegalMarketing #LawFirmGrowth #BusinessGrowth #LegalIndustryInsights

Lawyers bill an average of just 1.8 hours a day. Where do the other 6 hours go? In this episode, Sasha Berson sits down with David Freeman, J.D., who has coached 10,000+ lawyers. David explains the *single-most important skill* you were never taught: how to turn relationships into revenue. He breaks down the "memory matrix" system to *never* lose a referral source, the "bio problem" costing lawyers new business, and the ChatGPT prompt to turn 2 referral sources into 10. BONUS: Hear the $100 bill trick that stopped millionaire partners from showing up late to meetings. Tune in today.

📰 About David H. Freeman:

David H. Freeman, J.D., is the founder of David Freeman Consulting Group and the creator of Lawyer BookBuilder®, an online training and accountability system built to turn lawyers into rainmakers. Over more than 30 years, he has trained and coached over 10,000 lawyers and worked with more than half of the Am Law 200. A member of the National Law Journal Hall of Fame, David has been voted the #1 business development coach and consultant in the U.S. for multiple consecutive years and has authored or co-authored 14 books on law firm growth and leadership. He's also the creator of BD Buddy, a gamified platform that sends lawyers weekly business development check-ins.

👉 Sasha and David explore:

— Why you must forget "success measures" (revenue) and focus on "progress measures" (the actions that drive it)

— David's "memory matrix" system to never lose track of a referral source

— The #1 thing your law firm bio is missing (it’s costing you new business)

— Why a quick video is far better than an email to build client relationships

— The $100 bill trick that stopped millionaire partners from showing up late to meetings

👉 Main Takeaways from the Episode:

— Audit your referral sources this month. If you have two or three, David's benchmark is to build toward ten over the next few years.

— Schedule one recurring block each week for a single business development habit, and track it with a simple yes/no check-in.

— Identify one relationship you've been managing entirely over email, and send a short video message instead this week.

If you enjoyed today's show, please leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today's episode, visit https://growlaw.co/

📞 Connect with David H. Freeman:

• Website: https://davidfreemanconsulting.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfreemanconsulting

📞 Connect with Sasha Berson:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grow-law/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grow_law/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@growlaw
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growlaw
• Email: info@growlaw.co
• Phone: (954) 620-5521

#LegalMarketing #LawFirmGrowth #BusinessGrowth #LegalIndustryInsights

Most law firm owners ask, "How do I get more clients?" This CEO asks, "Why am I losing the people already calling me?" In this episode, Sasha Berson welcomes Shireen Hilal, Founder and CEO of Maior Consultants, who grew one national firm's revenue by 20% and profits-per-partner by 30%. She exposes an uncomfortable truth: *Most* law firms drop the ball with intake after blowing thousands on ads. As she puts it, “Leaky buckets are an expensive way to gather water!" Shireen also reveals her one-page FAQ trick that instantly upgrades your client experience, and the *genius* move of hosting an intimate 6-person dinner that makes you the go-to lawyer across your entire market. Don’t miss this!

📰 About Shireen Hilal:

Shireen Hilal is not your typical consultant. She spent 10 years as an AmLaw100 litigator, then walked into some of the biggest professional services firms in the world, leading operations for a $1B KPMG division, driving growth at BDO, and serving as COO of a national law firm where she grew revenue by 20% and profits-per-partner by 30%. Today, she runs Maior Consultants (maior means "bigger" in Latin), helping law firms of every size (from 4-attorney boutiques to 300-lawyer organizations) build revenue, fix their profit margins, and achieve their most ambitious growth targets.

👉 Sasha and Shireen explore:

— The #1 intake mistake that scares away prospects in the first 30 seconds, *after* you've already paid to reach them.

— The one-page FAQ trick: How you can avoid getting chased by frustrated clients for answers on their case.

— The *genius* referral dinner strategy that costs nothing and works with just 2 employees.

— (Important!) The Four Seasons vs. Motel 6 question you *must* answer before spending another dollar on ads.

👉 Main Takeaways from the Episode:

— Audit your intake this week: have someone call your firm during business hours and test pickup rate, warmth, and ability to answer basic questions — then fix what's broken before spending another dollar on ads.

— Identify your top 3 referral sources and arrange a private dinner around them. Show up with a one-page branded FAQ they can hand to their clients.

— Run a profit margin reality check: if net profit is below 20%, map your top cost line items — labor, rent, marketing — and set a concrete goal to reach 30–40% within the next 12 months.

If you enjoyed today's show, please leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today's episode, visit https://growlaw.co/

📞 Connect with Shireen Hilal:

• Website: https://www.maiorconsultants.com/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shireenhilal/

📞Connect with Sasha Berson:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grow-law/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grow_law/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@growlaw

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growlaw

• Email: info@growlaw.co

• Phone: (954) 620-5521

#LegalMarketing #LawFirmGrowth #BusinessGrowth #LegalIndustryInsights