The Business Side Of Law: Andrew Bochner On 5 Things You Need To Create Or Lead A Successful Law Firm

An Interview With Eric Pines

Don’t overhire or overcommit to expenses! Too many law firms have large overheads from the day they start. Start with the bare minimum and don’t commit to software, people or office space until you need to.

Law school primarily prepares lawyers for the practice of law. But leading or starting a law firm requires so much more than that. It requires the entrepreneurial skills that any CEO would need to run a business; How to manage personnel, how to hire and fire, how to generate leads, how to advertise, how to manage finances, etc. On the business side of law, what does an attorney need to know to create a successful and thriving law practice? To address these questions, we are talking to successful law firm principals who can share stories and insights from their experience about the “5 Things You Need To Create Or Lead A Successful Law Firm”.

As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Andrew Bochner.

Andrew Bochner is the firm’s managing partner and a highly accomplished intellectual property attorney with over ten years of experience advising clients on a wide range of intellectual property, e-commerce, and technology matters.

Leveraging his extensive background in patent, copyright, and trademark law, Andrew represents clients in patent and trademark portfolio development and litigation across various cutting-edge technologies, including consumer electronics, e-commerce, AI and machine learning-implemented technologies, electric motors, and medical devices, among others. He is renowned for his ability to enforce and defend trademark rights, unfair competition claims, and false advertising disputes.

As a registered patent attorney, Andrew adeptly prepares and prosecutes patent and trademark applications, and he regularly engages in inter partes proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He provides comprehensive counsel on patent, trademark, and copyright matters, offering expert opinions on patentability, freedom-to-practice, infringement, and validity.

Andrew’s expertise also extends to guiding clients in navigating complex legal matters across industries such as healthcare and real estate, often acting as outside general counsel.

As the firm’s managing partner, Andrew plays a pivotal role in shaping the success of our clients’ businesses. His strategic leadership, combined with his legal expertise, ensures that clients’ legal strategies align with their business objectives and contribute to their long-term growth, whether domestic or international.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you ended up where you are? Specifically we’d love to hear the story of how you began to lead your practice.

I had worked at several law firms and then became general counsel of a medical technology company. I had some clients I didn’t want to part with, but I also loved the in-house practice side. There are so many things you get to do in-house that you don’t typically do as outside counsel. I loved the appeal of diving into the business side of the company and really making the law work for the business, and not the other way around. On the other hand, I knew I wanted to work with multiple companies and continue to do some litigation strategy as well. So I decided to open a firm that tried to really be the best of both worlds: outside counsel skills and depth, with in-house counsel knowledge, mindset and capabilities.

Who has been your biggest mentor? What was the most valuable lesson you learned from them?

He was not a lawyer, but my grandfather. As a Holocaust survivor, he came to this country with nothing, and I learned the value of hard work, perseverance, and integrity.

From completing your degree to opening a practice and becoming a business owner, your path was most likely challenging. Can you share a story about one of your greatest struggles? Can you share what you did to overcome it?

The first struggle was getting a job out of law school. This was during the “Great Recession” and firms just weren’t hiring. There is an article about me from a few years back where I noted that I saved all my rejections. I took the best job I could get, and I am thankful to that firm and the two partners every day for giving me a shot. We are still friends. Those same firms that rejected me now have current associates applying for our job openings.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story about how that was relevant in your own life?

I am a big fan of Yogi-isms. Yogi Berra’s unintentionally comedic sayings also show that you can work hard and laugh!

Both “when you come to a fork in the road, take it” and “it aint over ’til it’s over” resonate. It’s about being aggressive, going for it, and persevering. These are all relevant to starting a firm from scratch.

But the one that really captures me is “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” I love my job. I work hard, but its so enjoyable for me.

What is your primary motivation and drive behind the work that you do?

I love what I do. It’s as simple as that. I enjoy the strategy, the ability to tackle new issues, and working with clients that I get to grow with.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

We are building patent portfolios for some exciting cutting edge companies. We are currently finalizing a deal to purchase a large brand and revitalize it for a client. And as a firm, we are going cross-border, with an office in London.

Can you tell us a bit about the nature of your practice and what you focus on?

I am what I call a “mutt.” My practice has become so varied. I am not outside General Counsel to many companies, and that means I deal with so many different practice areas. Corporate, litigation, IP.

I develop legal strategies and spot the issues, and then I bring in our specialists.

By background I am a patent and trademark attorney, so I still spend a lot of time building IP portfolios and handling licensing, M&A and commercial agreements with heavy IP components.

As a firm, we are full service, with almost 50 attorneys. Our core industries are tech, life sciences, healthcare and consumer products.

Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? What unique qualities do you have that others may not? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Ambition

Persistence

Trustworthiness

I am quite outgoing and I’m not afraid to strike up conversations. But I also genuinely want to build relationships with people. The attorney-client relationship is driven by trust. Skillset is extremely important, but people want their attorney to be someone they can confide in, and trust with their problems. Being able to develop long-term relationships with client and develop that trust is really what makes clients want to work with us for years.

Above all, it is responsiveness. Attorneys are notorious for taking days to respond. I broke that barrier from day one — all clients must be responded to quickly, and we can communicate by text as well. This is integral to building that outside general counsel relationship.

Do you think where you went to school has any bearing on your success? How important is it for a lawyer to go to a top-tier school?

I don’t think it matters at all. It is not something we pay attention to when hiring. We look at skills and personality.

Managing being a law practitioner and a business owner is a constant balancing act. How do you manage both roles?

I don’t sleep. But I also have learned to bring in help and hand things off. It is still a balance I am trying to find.

Can you help articulate the entrepreneurial skills a lawyer needs to run and lead a successful law firm?

They cant be afraid to put themselves out there, take risks and be patient. You can’t expect to start a firm and have the work flowing right away. You need to network and build relationships over the years.

As a business owner you spend most of your time working IN your practice, seeing clients. When and how do you shift to working ON your practice? (Marketing, upgrading systems, growing your practice, etc.) How much time do you spend on the business elements?

I’ve created a balance and brought in help.

Can you share some specific, non intuitive insights from our personal experience about how a leader of a law firm should:

Manage personnel:

• Listen to them.
• Bring in advisors and colleagues who think differently than you — this is key. My inner circle are people who often disagree. They have helped me avoid some bad decisions and provide context on how to tackle issues.

Hire and fire:

• We are responsible for people’s livelihoods. I don’t take that responsibility lightly. So, there is always a human touch, and we always try to resolve any issues before firing someone. When we need to, we do it with dignity and compassion.
• With hiring, we are careful to hire people we know we can keep. We don’t want someone making a career move unless we know we can keep them long term.
• Look for candidates that are good people — people who are caring, loyal and will be part of a team.

Generate leads:

• Build relationships. The leads will come.

Advertise:

• We don’t advertise.
• Manage finances:
• Bring in help, but don’t be afraid to question the professionals.

What are your “5 Things An Attorney Needs To Know In Order To Create A Successful And Thriving Law Practice”?

1. Network early and often, but not for instant leads

2. Make a business plan and stick to it- too many people have no plan to generate business

3.Set reasonable goals

4. Don’t overhire or overcommit to expenses! Too many law firms have large overheads from the day they start. Start with the bare minimum and don’t commit to software, people or office space until you need to.

5. Have a support network in the legal industry

If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

If I could inspire a movement it would be one where people are inclined to help each other. A movement where everyone had the best interest of others in mind and helped one another accomplish goals and dreams. Helping others is something I have always done. I take pride in dedicating the time I can to helping people.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Follow me on LinkedIn, and follow our firm Bochner PLLC! Or just reach out to me!

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health

About the Interviewer: Eric L. Pines is a nationally recognized federal employment lawyer, mediator, and attorney business coach. He represents federal employees and acts as in-house counsel for over fifty thousand federal employees through his work as a federal employee labor union representative. A formal federal employee himself, Mr. Pines began his federal employment law career as in-house counsel for AFGE Local 1923 which is in Social Security Administration’s headquarters and is the largest federal union local in the world. He presently serves as AFGE 1923’s Chief Counsel as well as in-house counsel for all FEMA bargaining unit employees and numerous Department of Defense and Veteran Affairs unions.

While he and his firm specialize in representing federal employees from all federal agencies and in reference to virtually all federal employee matters, his firm has placed special attention on representing Veteran Affairs doctors and nurses hired under the authority of Title. He and his firm have a particular passion in representing disabled federal employees with their requests for medical and religious reasonable accommodations when those accommodations are warranted under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (ADA). He also represents them with their requests for Federal Employee Disability Retirement (OPM) when an accommodation would not be possible.

Mr. Pines has also served as a mediator for numerous federal agencies including serving a year as the Library of Congress’ in-house EEO Mediator. He has also served as an expert witness in federal court for federal employee matters. He has also worked as an EEO technical writer drafting hundreds of Final Agency Decisions for the federal sector.

Mr. Pines’ firm is headquartered in Houston, Texas and has offices in Baltimore, Maryland and Atlanta, Georgia. His first passion is his wife and five children. He plays classical and rock guitar and enjoys playing ice hockey, running, and biking. Please visit his websites at www.pinesfederal.com and www.toughinjurylawyers.com. He can also be reached at eric@pinesfederal.com.