People

Jim Hassett founded LegalBizDev to help lawyers develop new business more quickly by applying best practices from other law firms and other professions. Jim has published seven books (including Legal Business Development: A Step by Step Guide and The LegalBizDev Desk Reference) and more than seventy articles in publications ranging from the New York Times Magazine to Of Counsel and Strategies: The Journal of Legal Marketing. He is a frequent speaker at firms and at professional associations, including the Massachusetts Bar, Harvard Law School, Legal Marketing Association meetings in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Savannah, and Vancouver. Jim has conducted webinars for West LegalEdcenter, the National Law Journal, The International Lawyers Network, TAG Academy, the Legal Marketing Association and others. He has a Ph.D. from Harvard University, and is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology at Boston University. His blog Legal Business Development was selected by TechnoLawyer as one of "the most influential legal blogs" and featured in BlawgWorld. Before he started working with lawyers, Jim had 20 years of experience as a sales trainer and consultant to Fortune 1000 companies from American Express to Zurich Financial Services.

“If you are struggling with how to position your firm with corporate clients in the new era of uncertainty that leers at each of us every morning, hire Jim. You can read his blog and his books. You can listen to his arresting tapes. But skip all that--and just hire him.” – Dan Hull, Partner, Hull McGuire

Tom Kane, J.D., LL.M, a former practicing attorney, is the principal of Kane Consulting, Inc. and co-founder of the LegalBizDev Network. Tom has served for more than  twenty-two years as an in-house marketer for a number of law firms and as a consultant to the legal industry. His most recent in-house position was as chief marketing officer for a 450-lawyer firm based in Philadelphia with 12 offices. Tom has been involved in all aspects of legal marketing, from training, coaching, planning, and public relations to conducting image campaigns, market research, advertising, and client feedback programs. Tom has also written and spoken on law firm marketing topics for more than two decades, and writes www.LegalMarketingBlog.com, which was included in Blawgworld's short list of the most influential legal blogs. His book Letters For Lawyers: Essential Communications for Clients, Prospects, and Others, Second Edition is published by the American Bar Association.

Steve Barrett has been active in large law firm strategy and marketing for more than 20 years, and has served as chief marketing officer at AmLaw 65 firms in Los Angeles, Seattle and Philadelphia. He has also  presented at partner retreats for more than a dozen major U.S. law firms, led business development training programs at eight law firms, authored chapters and articles for several legal publications, and made more than 25 speaking appearances at legal industry and association conferences.  Steve has also consulted to law firms in the areas of alternative fees, strategy and marketing, large account management programs, CRM system planning, major RFP responses, merger analysis and alignment and lateral partner recruiting.  He previously headed corporate communications for the Aetna Life & Casualty Companies, Hartford, Connecticut, and founded and headed LMS/Barrett Public Relations, in Providence, Rhode Island, a major New England Public relations firm.  Steve received a dual degree in political science and journalism at Syracuse University, with graduate communications study at Boston University.

Fred Kinch, MBA has over 35 years of experience in senior management, strategic planning and business development.  He understands what law firm clients want and need from his years as a director, president and CEO of several consumer, manufacturing and high tech firms.  Fred has also successfully coached hundreds of sales and marketing professionals to increase efficiency and results.   He has been certified as a LegalBizDev coach, and as a Miller-Heiman instructor.    Fred has a BS in Physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MS in Physics from Texas Christian University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He teaches graduate courses in marketing and management at Northeastern University, gives talks and seminars to business organizations, and is a frequent contributor to business journals and periodicals.