THE PRACTICE PODCAST

Brett and Jeff dive into a conversation about the differences between general practices and specialized boutiques.  The topic arose with the recent influx of national firms merging with smaller firms in South Florida. They talk about the pros and cons of a full-service firm versus a specialized practice. Does it benefit boutique firms to stay in their lane?  Or should lawyers become part of a big...

Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talk to Brian Bieber , a shareholder with the Florida law firm of GrayRobinson, P.A ., about his illustrious career as a criminal and civil white-collar defense attorney.  Brian talks about his twenty-eight-year career, how he started in law school as a law clerk for the attorney he would ultimately call his partner, how his partnership with Joel Hirschhorn evolved, an...

Today’s conversation is with Scott Schonfeld , a partner in the Corporate & Securities and Real Estate Groups of Fox Swibel , a leading boutique business law firm in Chicago. Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talk to Scott about how he transitioned from being a real estate lawyer to a prominent corporate and securities lawyer.  And he shares how he built his broad-based transactional practice with...

Listen to this conversation with Philip Herzberg , a lead financial advisor at Team Hewins , a wealth management firm with offices in South Florida and the San Francisco Bay Area.  Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talk to Philip about his practice as a Certified Financial Planner and his expertise in helping clients implement tax-efficient investment, retirement, and estate planning strategies.  Phili...

Brett and Jeff recognize that with their success as lawyers comes an obligation to give back to the community and those less fortunate.   In this new episode, they weigh in on the importance and commitment to delivering pro bono legal services for those in need. They talk about how they encourage and facilitate charitable work for their teams as a way to connect with each other and the community....

Listen to this conversation with Nicole Westbrook , a commercial litigator with the law firm of Jones & Keller in Denver, who handles high-stakes litigation for parties around the country. Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talk to Nicole about her successful practice as a trial lawyer and the importance of her experience as a federal law clerk in the busiest trial court in the United States. Nicole...

Michael J. Feuerman, Esq., SIOR, CCIM , Managing Director of Berger Commercial Realty / CORFAC International for Palm Beach County. Michael is our first return guest to The Practice Podcast. In August 2020, Michael was one of our first guests on episode 15 when we talked with him about market trends for office leasing and the best strategies for law firms and other commercial tenants in the new en...

Bast Amron Paralegal Supervisor Jane Fernandes de Pina , MAcc,CFE a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and the South Florida ACFE Chapter, speaks with Brett and Jeff about her fascinating career in bankruptcy and insolvency and what led her on the path to becoming a Certified Fraud Examiner. Jane talks about how her skills aid in the investigation of fraud, director &amp...

Brett and Jeff often discuss the importance of good clear communication.   In this new episode, they discuss how to handle dishonest communication from others.   Often advocates go too far in their positions. What do you do when you are on the receiving end?   How do you ensure you don’t fall prey to the same temptation? Failures in communication can have negative effects on any relationship, pers...

Brett and Jeff discussed the importance of effective communication in Episode 53 .   In this episode, they follow up on the importance of communication, even when you have nothing to say. They discuss why the failure to communicate can have a negative effect on any relationship, personal or business.   And they stress how communication can help build and maintain high levels of trust and a transpa...

Listen in to a timely conversation with Juan Enjamio , Labor and Employment attorney and the managing partner of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s Miami office. Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talk to Juan about how the legal landscape has changed over the last few decades and what may be in store for the future.   Juan discusses how a global law firm approached building a footprint in the South Florida legal m...

Listen to the new episode with Susan Ibitz , an internationally known Human Behavior Hacker.  Some people hack computers; Susan hacks humans. Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talk to Susan about her fascinating career; she shares with them her mission to reach, teach, and train others to unlock the science behind human behavior. Susan talks about being trained by experts in her field, like the CIA, FB...

New episode with Giovanna “Gia” Abreu O’Connor , a probate litigator with RMO Probate Litigation , a national law firm with offices throughout the country focused on trust and probate litigation.  Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talk to Gia about how her career led her to become the Managing Attorney of RMO’s Miami Office, which she helped launch. She shares with Brett and Jeff how a class in law sch...

What two former “big law“ lawyers have to say about the recent uptick in national firms opening new offices in the south Florida legal market. Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast weigh in on some of their own law firm experiences that ultimately shaped their career paths.  They discuss their perspectives on the current law firm environment and what factors attorneys should consider before chasing the shi...

Steven J. Rosenwasser , a fierce commercial litigator and principal shareholder at Greenberg Traurig’s Atlanta office . Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talked to Steven about the recent experiment he tried with opposing counsel in an attempt to have a true uninterrupted vacation. You may be surprised by the results.  Steven talked about his intense litigation practice, and the importance of planning,...

New episode with Stephanie Reed Traband a Partner at Levine Kellogg Lehman Schneider + Grossman LLP .  Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talk to Stephanie about how her career led her to become a court-appointed receiver to take down powerful executives in prominent fraud cases in Miami and beyond.  She shares with Brett and Jeff the natural progression of her practice and talks about her upbringing in...

Listen to a dynamic conversation with Aleida Martinez-Molina , a litigation attorney for AXS Law with over three decades of insolvency experience.  Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talk to Aleida about her career and how she became one of six Subchapter V Trustees in the Southern District of Florida appointed upon the enactment of the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019. Aleida talks about worki...

Special guest Herman J. Russomanno , former president of the Florida Bar, Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, and Managing Partner of Russomanno & Borrello, P.A.  Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast had a gratifying conversation with Herman about his rewarding career as a trial lawyer and leading the charge of his prominent law firm. Herman shared stories of his life in Florida, his federal clerkship...

Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talk about the importance of taking a vacation and how critical downtime is to staying mentally healthy in a demanding profession with 24-hour connectivity and expectations that we are always “on call.”     They talk about the importance of planning ahead to ensure that their team members, opposing lawyers, and clients are prepared for the time away.  Brett and Jeff sh...

In the latest episode, Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talk to Dain de Souza , Bast Amron’s newest partner, about his career and his recent move from big law.   Dain talks to Brett and Jeff about what led him from Miami to one of Chicago's Top law schools and then to Delaware to serve as a clerk with the Honorable Christopher S. Sontchi in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Dain ex...

How to Return to A Business Development Mindset- Post Pandemic.  Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talk about getting back into a business development mindset as we emerge from a pandemic and return to in-person networking.    Jeff and Brett weigh in on some of their recent experiences as they ease back into in-person meetings with clients and colleagues. They talk about the importance of human connect...

Barry Eisler , Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at ADP , talks about his thirteen-year career as an M&A lawyer in big law, what led him to move in-house, and how the practice looks from the client’s perspective. He talks about how he moved to a new city and transitioned to the in-house role, ultimately managing all legal matters for business units representing over $9 billion of an...

Check out the latest episode with longtime friend of Bast Amron, Juha Mikkola , Co-Founder of Wyncode Academy South Florida's premier coding school, recently acquired by BrainStation. Juha talks about his experience as an entrepreneur in an emerging space, how a passion project in Toronto led him and co-founder Johanna (Kytola) Mikkola to the bustling arts hub of Wynwood, to open a coding school,...

Listen in to a dynamic conversation with D. Porpoise Evans , Partner with Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman’s Miami Office.  Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talk to Porpoise about the unconventional way he became a prominent labor & employment attorney in South Florida.  He also shares how working for Big Law early in his legal career allowed him to develop a niche practice. With nearly two...

Special Guest Steven Weinstein , Managing Partner of Miami Office- K&L Gates .  Brett Amron and Jeffrey Bast talk to Steven about what has kept him at the same firm for thirty-one years. Steven shares how he started as a summer associate in 1991 with K&L Gates, formally known as Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, from being one of the founding members of the firm's national health care team to be...