Today's Inside The Build features Hillary Johns, founder of Hillary Johns, Trial Lawyer — a bi-coastal boutique firm with offices in Beverly Hills, the Bay Area, and Manhattan. Hillary has been practicing law for 32 years, has tried over 100 cases to verdict, and started her own firm in 2019.
I asked Hillary what led her to start her own firm.
"I was sort of at the point in my career where I didn't really want to be an employee and we had a lot of business, fortunately. And I wanted to practice in different areas. So we were able to make a firm that is very active in three different markets — LA, the Bay Area, New York."
"What's been very helpful is the digital age. There's no way I would know the number of people I meet today if I had to go and meet them all in person. It's just not doable."
"I kept cycling through being in the leadership roles in firms. And so I figured, I'm going to do this. And I'm glad I did. I was sure about it, but I knew it would work out. It's kind of one of those things I never thought I would be doing because I was raised very traditionally. And then I realized, this is really what I want to do."
We talked about how she built her team as the firm has grown.
"Some was trial and error. Some were people I knew. We are very intentional when it comes to bringing people onboard."
I asked if she had strategies she's still perfecting.
"I think being open to growth is really important. Sometimes people go forward and say, I'm going to do this, but they don't really have a clear plan about how to manage growth. You could have all the plans you want, but they don't always work out that way. I think you have to embrace changes."
"Right now we're in a situation with the changes in law and the changes in technology. You're having these very short life cycles of things. Things that were very popular four or five years ago don't work now. I think you have to be very open to that. It's really important to have systems in place where you can keep up and maintain and understand technology and what the market is. Where I see business owners encountering difficulties is when they don't change with that. They're still stuck in their ways. They're not willing to adapt to the market."
I asked about the systems she uses to keep everything aligned.
"We have systems for just about everything. I'm kind of a systems person. We have systems in place for how files are maintained and intake. We train our staff to follow those — how we keep track of notifying clients of developments, rules about returning phone calls. We try to make them as succinct and straightforward as we can."
"We also try to make sure that our staff and attorneys have access to education and training if they need it. I've worked in a place before where it's just a very cold environment where people aren't receptive to you. I don't think that cycles growth. I think it makes it very difficult. I think it makes people always a little unsure about what they're doing."
"We always make sure everybody has everybody's phone number. Because we have some people who work in the office, some people work remotely, but they know they can pick up the phone and they know who everybody is. Particularly when you have offices in different locations, sometimes people are like, I don't know these people, I've never met them. And I think I'm more about developing relationships on a longer term basis."
I asked what has shaped how she leads today.
"I try to be empathetic. People have life situations. People have things that they go through. Nobody's perfect and mistakes are going to happen, but they have to be committed to continual growth. Not just for the firm, but for them too. If I see those aspects in a person, I'm usually okay with whatever goes on."
"I don't think the traditional fear-based leadership approach works. People always felt like they were going to get in so much trouble. I don't think it's very effective. I don't agree with it. I don't think it is healthy. I don't want to do that."
She talked about keeping things aligned between the different locations.
"We have someone that supervises each location and I try to check everything at least once a week. We're also careful about volume. Sometimes it's a matter of, I'm sorry, we just can't take this on right now. I would love to say yes to everything that comes in the door, but I can't."
I asked what she thought would be easier by now.
"When I was younger, I thought everybody seemed to have everything figured out. And then I realized they didn't. I had great mentors who I'm still in touch with. They tell me, no, I have a lot of problems too. You work through them and you deal with them just like everything else."
"I thought at this point in my career I would have more things figured out, but then I realized no one does. The best in the business are still figuring things out."
She talked about what being a trial lawyer means to her.
"Being a trial lawyer is a way of life. It's part of who you are and you have to understand that. It doesn't mean you're a workaholic. There are some people who just work really hard and I'm one of them. That's just part of life. It's not a bad thing. It's what makes the legal system work. The legal system, you don't just plug it in. People have to make the system work. And it's an honor and a privilege to be one of those people who gets to do that."
She talked about what she wants people to know about her firm.
"We are a bi-coastal firm. We represent a diverse section of clients in a lot of different industries — trucking, oil and gas, fashion, entertainment. We handle all major areas including real estate, employment law, and business law."
"What makes us different from a lot of firms is we give personalized attention and develop long-term relationships with our clients. Even if we can't assist them, we like to be that resource that can point them in the right direction or make a few phone calls for them. We want to be that resource."
She also volunteers her time providing pro bono legal services to military personnel through the ABA and to victims of domestic violence — work she's been doing for over 20 years.
Her parting advice on leadership:
"I think it's okay to be human and I think people relate to that well. It's important to have a good team around you. That's as important as anything."
Are you a business owner or individual facing a complex civil matter in California or New York? Connect with Hillary Johns and check out Hillary Johns, Trial Lawyer.