The ALPS In Brief Podcast

ALPS Risk Manager Mark Bassingthwaighte shares two real-world stories of attorneys struggling with behaviors that often lead to malpractice claims. As a legal community, it is our duty to lift each other up and to provide hope and support to one another. It is time for us to concede that addiction, depression, and burnout are symptoms of a problematic legal culture, not a “problem lawyer.” Transcr...

ALPS Risk Manager Mark Bassingthwaighte sits down with ALPS CEO David Bell to discuss David’s past, ALPS future, why every company should have a vision for their core cultural values (and what shouldn’t be in it). Transcript:  MARK BASSINGTHWAIGHTE:       Welcome. This is ALPS In Brief, the podcast that comes to you from the historic Florence building in beautiful downtown Missoula, Montana. I'm M...

In this episode of ALPS In Brief, ALPS Risk Manager Mark Bassingthwaighte shares an insightful story of a dream cruise, a freak accident, and an attorney whose casual favor for a friend became a malpractice nightmare. Transcript: Welcome. You're listening to ALPS In Brief. The podcast that comes to you from the historic Florence building in beautiful downtown Missoula, Montana. I'm Mark Bassingthw...

By instituting newer concepts prioritizing work-life balance like flexible hours and an in-house, certified childcare center, one firm has found a way to attract (and keep) great talent that’s often overlooked: new moms who would prefer not to work full time. ALPS Underwriting Manager Leah Gooley and Brooke Barney, a founding member of Barney & Graham in Sheridan, Wyoming, go over some tips and pr...

A women-owned law firm in Fredericksburg, Virginia committed to accommodating family priorities into their work schedules. When a partner left the firm after her maternity leave and was asked back months later, a potential gap in her malpractice insurance coverage led the firm to ALPS Parental Leave Coverage . ALPS Underwriting Manager and new mom Leah Gooley sits down with Elizabeth LeDoux and Le...

As an organization or law firm of any size looking to build a cybersecurity plan, your first step should be training your staff — making everyone aware of cybersecurity threats and how to spot them. Mark Bassingthwaighte sits down with Erich Kron of KnowBe4: Security Awareness Training to talk cyber risks threatening your firm and approachable steps to combat them.   Transcript: MARK BASSINGTHWAIG...

How can we make real changes within the practice of law to lessen the impact of stress on individuals in this profession? In this episode of the ALPS In Brief Podcast, Chris Newbold checks in with Dallas attorney and advocate for wellbeing, Brian Cuban, to discuss the state of lawyer wellbeing now, the lifesaving impact one lawyer can have upon another, and our ethical responsibility to step up fo...

Featured in the hit Gimlet Media podcast, ‘ The Habitat ,’ Dr. Tristan Bassingthwaighte, architectural designer, space researcher, and resident of NASA’s yearlong Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) mission, sits down with his father, ALPS Risk Manager Mark Bassingthwaighte, to discuss the stress factors associated with isolated, confined, and extreme environments and how to c...

ALPS Risk Manager Mark Bassingthwaighte sits down with Matt Sims, co-founder of Standpoint Decision Support Inc. to discuss risk assessment and some new technology that is helping lawyers maximize billable hours, save time, and reduce risks to their practice. Transcript:   MARK BASSINGTHWAIGHTE: Good morning. It is a beautiful day here in Big Sky Country. I'm Mark Bassingthwaighte, the risk manage...

What is the American Bar Association (ABA) doing to ensure there is a national voice for, not just the legal profession, but for vulnerable people and communities that we serve, to make sure that the Constitution is protected? As his term comes to an end, current ABA President Bob Carlson sits down with ALPS Executive Vice President Chris Newbold to discuss the ABA’s work to move the needle on tou...

Active shootings can happen anywhere, even in law firms. What can attorneys and their staff do to prepare and protect each other in these kinds of scenarios? Mark sits down with active-shooter response expert, retired U.S. army sniper, and Montana-licensed attorney Alain Burrese to discuss law firm safety tactics and active shooter protocol. Transcript:   MARK B:                  Good morning podc...

Trying to establish an advocate or mentor relationship as a woman in law? Andrea Canfield, president of the Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers and fifth-year Corporate Associate at Stoel Rives, offers advice and insights on how to successfully navigate a male-dominated practice group. Transcript:  MARK B: Hello. I'm Mark Bassingthwaighte, the Risk Manager with ALPS. Welcome to the latest episo...

We see malpractice claims result from failure to file a document or a missed deadline, but often the heart of those issues is that attorneys are stressed out, burned out, overworked, or suffering from an illness or addiction. Lauren Baptiste, founder of Acheloa Wellness , joins us today to discuss how these issues manifest in our work lives and how to conquer them to find our passions again.  Tran...

Do you assume you don’t need to worry about being the target of a cyber attack because your business is too small? Often times, solo and small firms are seen as low-hanging fruit and are specifically targeted by hackers looking to gain valuable information. Solo attorney Suzan Herskowitz offers advice and insight into how she made the leap to becoming cyber secure to protect her firm and her clien...

On this special Valentine’s Day episode of ALPS In Brief, Mark sits down with Joshua Lenon, lawyer in residence and data protection officer for Clio , to hear firsthand how cloud products can make your law practice more secure and efficient. Fall in love with new features of law practice management and growth software that will keep your data safe and sound. Transcript: MARK:            Hello, thi...

When our behaviors become destructive and start to negatively impact our health or relationships, we’re motivated to make a change, but change is hard! ALPS Risk Manager Mark Bassingthwaighte and Dr. Kathleen Baskett weigh the strategies and skills needed to make healthy changes against the risk factors that may sabotage your success. Transcript MARK: Hello, this is Mark Bassingthwaighte and I'm t...

Start the new year off on the right foot, or the left foot. Incorporating wellness into your everyday workplace routine can be as easy as putting on your socks! ALPS Risk Manager Mark Bassingthwaighte chats with VIM & VIGR founder Michelle Huie who creates stylish compression socks by pairing personal expression with wellness — a perfect match for business professionals. Transcript: MARK: Hello. T...

Last year, Idaho became the second state to require malpractice insurance for private practitioners — and the first to adopt an open-market model to serve their state bar members. How did year one go? ALPS Executive Vice President Chris Newbold checks in with Diane Minnich, Executive Director of the Idaho State Bar, to find out in this episode of ALPS In Brief Podcast. Transcript: CHRIS NEWBOLD: G...

In this episode of the ALPS in Brief podcast, ALPS claims attorney Kobi Gibbs sits down with ALPS Risk Manager Mark Bassingthwaighte to offer examples and advise on best practices to implement to avoid finding yourself dealing with claims. ALPS In Brief, The ALPS Risk Management Podcast, is hosted by ALPS Risk Manager, Mark Bassingthwaighte. Transcript: MARK: Oh, there we go. Okay. Hello. This is...

  Jeff Bunn, lawyer, wellness expert and owner of the Mindful Law Coaching and Consulting Group , presents the business case for investing in attorney wellness . As he sits down with ALPS Executive Vice President, Chris Newbold, Jeff lays out why making mindfulness a priority in the legal profession makes sense not just from the health standpoint of health, but also the economics of the practice o...

At ALPS we talk a lot about what makes us different. We can say with confidence that it is because we recognize our people as our greatest asset. If you’ve ever called ALPS over the  past 18 years then it’s very likely that you’ve spoken with Nancy Hinckley. She is the front line, the first impression and the voice of ALPS. Her irreverent style and remarkable ability to connect personally with eve...

ALPS Executive Vice President, Chris Newbold, caught up with former  State Bar of South Dakota President and business transaction and estate planning attorney, Pat Goetzinger, at the 2018 South Dakota Annual Meeting in Sioux Falls. Pat reflects on an initiative that began under his tenure as Bar President six years ago called Project Rural Practice . (see this blog post from 2014 detailing the fle...

In this episode of the ALPS In Brief podcast, ALPS Risk Manager Mark Bassingthwaighte sits down with ALPS Underwriting Manager Leah Gooley to dig a little deeper into ALPS 30+ years of claims experience and what our data is telling us about women attorneys and their lower propensity toward malpractice claims. ALPS In Brief, The ALPS Risk Management Podcast, is hosted by ALPS Risk Manager, Mark Bas...

We may have reached, “a fairly critical point where traditional photographic evidence just isn’t as reliable as it used to be.” This according to our most recent podcast guest, Joe Kashi. In addition to being a trial attorney in Alaska, Joe has worked in automation technology and is himself a serious photographer. Recently Joe taught a two-part webinar series, “ Using and Misusing Visual Evidence,...

Addiction, substance abuse and the resulting professional and personal fallout can destroy careers and lives. As another wonderful addition to our  Wellness Podcast Episodes , Mark had the opportunity to connect with Brian Cuban, Dallas-based attorney, Addiction Recovery Advocate and author of The Addicted Lawyer: Tales of the Bar, Booze, Blow, and Redemption. Brian reflects on the reasons behind...