Author: TSA Press

Big
money
isn’t
just
for
Biglaw
—
boutique
law
firms
are
continuing
to
get
in
on
the
compensation
action,
and
associates
are
very
happy
about
it.
Yet
another
successful
boutique
law
firm
is
making
sure
that
its
associates’
accounts
are
flush
with
cash,
with
salaries
that
surpass
the
Biglaw
market
standard.

Say
hello
to
the
Houston
litigation
boutique
of
Ahmad,
Zavitsanos
&
Mensing
P.C.,
a
firm
that’s
more
commonly
known
as
“AZA.” We’ve
confirmed
that
the
firm
will
go
over
and
above
the
Cravath
salary
scale
for
first-year
associates,
pushing
their
annual
compensation
to
$235,000.
Second-year
associates
at
the
firm
will
also
receive
a
$10,000
raise.

“We’ve
long
matched
New
York
[Biglaw]
salaries,
and
this
year
we
are
raising
them
$10,000,”
AZA
managing
partner
John
Zavitsanos
said
of
the
salary
increases.
“We
send
our
new
lawyers
to
court
immediately,
and
they
are
worth
at
least
as
much
as
their
[Biglaw]
counterparts,
who
usually
don’t
get
anything
like
the
experience
the
AZA
associates
receive.” 

Monica
Uddin,
AZA’s
hiring
partner,
shared
similar
thoughts,
saying,
“Our
young
lawyers
aren’t
stuck
making
other
people’s
outlines.
They’re
out
trying
cases,
and
we’ll
pay
them
more
for
it.
When
you
out-hustle
and
out-argue,
you
should
out-earn,
too.”

Congratulations
to
everyone
at
AZA!

Remember
everyone,
we
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
this
stuff.
So
when
your
firm
matches,
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Matches”).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.

And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Bonus
Alerts
(which
is
the
alert
list
we’ll
also
use
for
salary
announcements),
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
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alerts,
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don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.

---

Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to

email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.

AI
is
becoming
an
essential
part
of
the
healthcare
workplace,
from
ambient
scribing
tools
to
clinical
decision
support.
But
healthcare
workers
are
still
learning
best
practices
when
it
comes
to
leveraging
AI.

During
a
Thursday
panel
discussion
at
the
MedCity
INVEST
Digital
Health
conference
in
Dallas,
three
healthcare
executives
shared
what’s
top
of
mind
for
them
when
rolling
out
AI
products
in
the
workplace.
The
session
was
moderated
by
Keith
J.
Figlioli,
managing
partner
at
LRVHealth. 

For
one
executive,
getting
AI
tools
adopted
is
key.
But
in
order
for
these
tools
to
be
adopted,
workers
have
to
trust
them,
according
to
Dr.
Steve
Miff,
president
and
CEO
of
Parkland
Center
for
Clinical
Innovation.
To
build
trust,
there
needs
to
be
robust
evaluation
frameworks
for
AI.
These
tools
also
“cannot
be
a
black
box,”
so
providing
“insights
and
additional
real-time
information
behind
those
outputs
and
algorithms
is
critical,”
he
said.
In
addition,
it’s
essential
to
automate
the
monitoring
of
AI
models.

“Once
you
open
up
the
gate,
you’re
going
to
end
up
with
dozens
of
different
AI
models,
and
the
question
I’m
asking
is,
‘How
am
I
going
to
keep
up
with
monitoring
this
consistently
as
an
organization?’
So
we’ve
been
focusing
on
developing
algorithms
and
methods
to
actually
be
able
to
monitor
the
performance
of
these
models
in
real
time,
…
and
that
actually
builds
trust
with
the
team,
knowing
that
somebody
or
a
group
is
continuously
looking
at
those
and
alerting
if
something
goes
off
track,”
he
said.

He
added
that
among
frontline
staff,
there
is
still
a
concern
that
AI
will
cause
them
to
lose
their
jobs,
so
there
is
often
a
“resistence”
when
new
tools
are
introduced.

Another
healthcare
executive
—
Jess
Botros,
vice
president
of
IT
strategy
and
operations
at
Ardent
Health
—
noted
that
she
wants
the
system’s
clinicians
to
be
able
to
spend
as
much
time
as
possible
with
patients
and
have
the
right
tools
in
hand.
That
said,
there’s
a
lot
of
responsibility
when
it
comes
to
deploying
AI.

“In
order
to
do
this
in
the
right
way,
you
have
to
have
your
house
in
order
from
a
data
perspective,
from
a
trust
perspective,”
she
said.
“You
think
about
change
management
impacts
and
making
sure
that
people
are
really
along
for
the
ride
and
really
understand
why
we’re
doing
what
we’re
trying
to
do.
It
becomes
super
important.”

Abhinav
Shashank,
CEO
and
co-founder
of
Innovaccer,
meanwhile,
stressed
the
importance
of
interoperability.
The
healthcare
industry
should
be
working
on
connecting
existing
systems
versus
building
new
systems.
He
emphasized
that
many
of
healthcare’s
biggest
challenges,
such
as
claims
processing
and
transitioning
to
value-based
care,
stem
from
broken
information
flows.

“Great
software
is
going
to
get
built
all
across
the
U.S.,
and
what
we
need
to
work
on
is
to
create
a
system
that
connects
these
things
and
makes
them
really
work
together
well.
…
I
just
think
[that]
if
we
got
these
things
to
work
together,
we
would
be
in
so
much
of
a
better
place
than
basically
trying
to
get
20
new
things,”
he
said.

*
Border
czar
Tom
Homan
recorded
taking
$50K
from
undercover
FBI
agents
posing
as
businessmen
based
on
Homan
claiming
he
could
help
them
secure
future
government
contracts.
Trump
DOJ
dropped
the
investigation.
So,
um,
does
he
keep
the
money?
[NY
Times]

*
Mark
Geragos
has
malpractice
verdict
overturned.
[LA
Times]

*
Trump
posted
—
and
then
deleted
—
a
Truth
Social
that
looked
suspiciously
like
an
intended
DM,
excoriating
Attorney
General
Pam
Bondi
for
not
doing
more
to
prosecute
his
political
critics.
[CNN]

*
Lewis
Brisbois
sees
more
leadership
shuffling.
[Bloomberg
Law
News]

*
Ty
Cobb
compares
Trump
to
Putin.
[NBC
News]

*
Immigration
lawyers
scrambling
to
figure
out
how
new
pay-to-play
$100K
per
H1-B
visa
rule
works.
[Business
Insider]

*
Donna
Adelson
wants
a
new
trial
based
on
jurors’
social
media
habits.
[ABA
Journal]

Unchecked
Entitlement?
From
A
Lawyer?
No!:
Judge
benchslaps
partner
over
actions
that
“candidly
saddened
and
shocked
the
court.”
Jimmy
Kimmel
Suspension
Brings
On
Amateur
Hour:
Twitter
Law
School
explains
why
ABC
suspending
Kimmel
is
natural
extension
of
letting
public
health
officials
talk
to
Facebook
during
COVID.
The
comparison
is
very
dumb.
And
Kimmel’s
Not
Alone:
A
Biglaw
attorney
and
a
law
professor
both
got
punished
over
Kirk
reactions.
In
A
Sense,
Betting
On
Yourself
Is
The
Best
Investment!:
Law
firm
accused
of
using
employee
401(k)
funds
to
cover
its
expenses.
Everyone
Knows
The
President
Can’t
Just
Fire
The
Fed,
What
This
Shadow
Docket
Submission
Presupposes
Is…
What
If
He
Can?:
The
Supreme
Court
went
out
of
their
way
to
tell
Trump
he
couldn’t
start
firing
Federal
Reserve
board
members.
He’s
run
back
to
tell
them
he
plans
to
do
it
anyway.
Trump’s
NYT
Complaint
Flattened
By
Judge:
“This
complaint
stands
unmistakably
and
inexcusably
athwart
the
requirements
of
Rule
8.”
How
long
has
Judge
Merryday
been
sitting
on
“athwart?”
What’s
The
Billing
Code
For
Being
Cyberstalked?:
Attorney
charged
for
alleged
online
harassment
campaign
directed
at
Biglaw
partner
and
associate.
Biglaw
Partner
Gets
Ear
Pierced
In
Court:
I
think
we’re
all
grateful
Claire’s
doesn’t
offer
the
Prince
Albert.

And
He
Got
Away
With
It,
Too!:
How
did
this
comment
not
cost
him
his
job?
Law
Professor
Punished
Due
To
Charlie
Kirk
Post:
Felicia
Branch
suspended
for
sharing
biblical
assessment
of
Kirk’s
killing.
That
NYT
Lawsuit
Isn’t
Going
As
Well
As
He
May
Have
Said:
The
government
has
28
days
to
amend
their
plea.
Federal
Prosecutor
Canned
For
Not
Attacking
Trump’s
Political
“Enemies”:
Requiring
evidence?
Sounds
like
the
woke
agenda.
One
Of
These
Things
Is
Not
Like
The
Other:
No,
stepping
in
to
stop
“Bleach
cures
COVID!”
claims
wasn’t
the
same.

Ed.
Note:
Welcome
to
our
daily
feature

Trivia
Question
of
the
Day!

According
to
data
collected
by
ALM,
of
the
$222
billion
in
revenue
generated
by
the
Global
200,
what
percentage
comes
from
the
top
50
firms?

Hint:
Much
of
the
growth
of
the
Global
200
is
being
driven
by
the
tippy
top
of
the
ranking.

See
the
answer
on
the
next
page.

As
artificial
intelligence
becomes
a
buzzword
in
nearly
every
healthcare
startup
pitch,
investors
are
finding
it
increasingly
challenging
to
distinguish
which
ones
are
actually
worth
the
hype.

That’s
why,
during
a
Thursday
panel
discussion
among
venture
capitalists
at
the

MedCity
INVEST
Digital
Health
conference
in
Dallas,
this
question
was
posed:
What
metrics
do
you
want
to
see
founders
highlighting
more
often
when
they’re
pitching,
and
what
is
one
red
flag
that
makes
you
question
the
validity
of
their
technology?
The
session
was
moderated
by
Neil
Patel,
head
of
ventures
at
Redesign
Health.

Here
is
what
they
had
to
say:

What
founders
should
be
highlighting

For
Maddie
Hilal,
investor
at
Oak
HC/FT,
it’s
important
that
startups
have
strong
net
revenue
retention,
which
measures
a
company’s
ability
to
retain
revenue
from
existing
customers.

“If
we
don’t
necessarily
have
visibility
into
those
hard
[profit
and
loss]
impact
proof
points,
but
your
existing
customer
base
is
growing
their
contracts,
clearly
they’re
excited,”
she
said.
“They’re
seeing
the
value.”

Another
investor
looks
for
companies
with
high
quality
data.

“If
you
have
better,
higher
quality
data,
you
can
solve
problems
in
a
much
better
fashion,
[with]
higher
predictability
of
models.
I
think
we
look
for
that.
What’s
that
proprietary
data
set?
What
are
you
trained
on?
Who
and
in
which
environment
has
this
been
deployed?”
said
Rohit
Nuwal,
partner
at
TELUS
Global
Ventures.

Vickram
Pradhan,
vice
president
of
Sopris
Capital,
wants
to
see
AI
startups
with
a
good
clinical
impact.

“People
are
asking
about
clinical
impact
in
a
way
that
they
weren’t
asking
maybe
five
years
ago,”
he
said
on
the
panel.
“I
think
the
reason
for
that
is
that
some
of
the
reimbursement
and
financial
and
payment
mechanisms
in
healthcare
are
a
bit
of
a
black
box.
…
But
if
you
know
what
you’re
doing
is
having
a
really
meaningful
clinical
impact,
that’s
a
pretty
good
foundation
to
know
that
that’s
going
to
have
value,
and
someone’s
going
to
want
to
pay
for
that.”

AI
red
flags

Many
healthcare
startups
will
use
the
AI
buzzwords
in
their
pitch
decks,
but
don’t
back
up
their
claims
with
strong
data
and
validating
metrics,
according
to
Hilal.
This
is
a
major
red
flag,
she
said.

Nuwal
echoed
Hilal’s
comments.

“I
think
there’s
a
lot
of
AI
being
thrown
around
where
it’s
essentially
largely
a
machine
learning
problem
that
people
are
trying
to
solve,”
he
said.
“I
don’t
blame
them,
founders
are
doing
a
tough
job
raising
money
in
this
environment,
so
you
need
to
play
the
game
a
little
bit.
But
I
think
just
being
authentic
about
what
problem
you’re
solving
goes
a
long
way.”

For
Pradhan,
a
red
flag
is
having
“squishy”
revenue
metrics.
It’s
important
for
companies
to
be
realistic
with
investors.

“I
think
it’s
very
common
to
see
today,
especially
with
some
of
these
AI
companies
that
are
doing
a
lot
of
pilots
talking
about,
‘We’ve
got
10
million
of
contracted
revenue.’
And
then
when
you
kind
of
go
a
layer
or
two
deeper,
it’s
like,
‘Oh
that’s
actually
what
it
will
look
like
in
year
three.’
…
It
just
makes
it
a
little
bit
more
challenging
to
arrive
at
a
sound
basis
of
truth,”
he
said.

Ed
note: Latest
in
a
series. Read
the
prior
installment
here.

As
we
progress
through
our
series
on
the
strategic
value
of
presenting
CLEs,
we’ve
explored
how
these
presentations
can
enhance
your
professional
reputation
and
serve
as
powerful
tools
for
networking
and
client
development.

Now,
we
turn
our
attention
to
another
critical
advantage:
the
long-term
benefits
of
using
CLEs
to
stay
current
in
your
field
and
sharing
that
knowledge
with
others.

In
this
article,
we’ll
delve
into
how
presenting
CLEs
helps
you
remain
at
the
forefront
of
legal
trends,
the
importance
of
ethics
CLEs
in
this
process,
and
why
consistently
sharing
your
expertise
is
key
to
growing
your
practice.

Keeping
Your
Finger
on
the
Pulse
of
Legal
Trends

The
legal
landscape
is
constantly
evolving,
with
new
laws,
regulations,
and
precedents
emerging
regularly.
To
maintain
your
competitive
edge,
it’s
essential
to
stay
informed
about
these
developments.
Presenting
CLEs
requires
you
to
engage
deeply
with
the
latest
trends
and
case
law,
ensuring
that
your
knowledge
is
up
to
date.

The
Importance
of
Ethics
CLEs

Ethics
CLEs
play
a
crucial
role
in
maintaining
the
integrity
of
the
legal
profession
and
are
often
mandatory
for
attorneys.
By
specializing
in
and
presenting
ethics
CLEs,
you
can
address
one
of
the
most
pressing
needs
in
the
legal
community
while
reinforcing
your
commitment
to
ethical
practice.

•

Reinforcing
Ethical
Standards:
Presenting
ethics
CLEs
positions
you
as
a
leader
who
not
only
understands
the
law
but
also
the
ethical
considerations
that
underpin
legal
practice.
This
further
enhances
your
reputation
as
a
trusted
advisor.

•
Meeting
a
Critical
Demand:
Since
ethics
CLEs
are
required
in
many
jurisdictions,
offering
them
can
increase
your
visibility
and
appeal,
attracting
a
broader
audience
who
may
become
future
clients
or
collaborators.

Educating
Peers
and
Clients

While
staying
current
is
crucial,
sharing
that
knowledge
with
others
is
equally
important.
Presenting
CLEs
offers
a
platform
to
disseminate
your
insights,
helping
you
establish
yourself
as
a
thought
leader
in
your
field.

•

Educating
Peers
and
Clients:
By
sharing
your
knowledge
through
CLEs,
you
contribute
to
the
professional
growth
of
your
peers
and
the
success
of
your
clients.
This
not
only
builds
trust
but
also
reinforces
your
reputation
as
a
reliable
advisor.

•
Enhancing
Your
Professional
Network:
As
you
share
your
expertise,
you
attract
like-minded
professionals
who
value
your
insights.
This
can
lead
to
collaborations,
referrals,
and
new
business
opportunities.

Leveraging
Your
Firm’s
Resources

To
maximize
the
impact
of
your
CLEs,
it’s
important
to
utilize
all
available
resources
within
your
firm.
Analyzing
your
firm’s
assets,
such
as
the
marketing
department,
social
media
platforms,
and
other
promotional
tools,
can
greatly
amplify
your
reach.

•

Marketing
and
Social
Media:
Collaborate
with
your
firm’s
marketing
team
to
promote
your
CLEs
effectively.
Use
social
media
to
reach
a
wider
audience
and
engage
with
them
before,
during,
and
after
your
presentation.

•
Internal
Resources:
Identify
other
internal
resources,
such
as
video
production
teams
or
design
specialists,
who
can
help
create
high-quality
content
that
resonates
with
your
audience.

Reinforcing
Your
Expertise
Through
Regular
CLEs

One-off
CLE
presentations
can
boost
your
visibility,
but
consistent
engagement
is
what
truly
cements
your
reputation.
By
regularly
presenting
CLEs,
you
create
a
steady
presence
in
the
legal
community
and
continually
reinforce
your
expertise.

•

Building
a
Legacy
of
Knowledge:
Each
CLE
you
present
adds
to
a
growing
portfolio
of
expertise
that
showcases
your
commitment
to
the
field.
This
legacy
of
knowledge
becomes
a
powerful
asset
as
you
build
your
practice.

•
Sustaining
Client
Relationships:
Regular
engagement
through
CLEs
keeps
you
on
your
clients’
radar,
ensuring
that
they
view
you
as
an
active
and
relevant
resource.
This
consistent
visibility
is
key
to
maintaining
and
deepening
client
relationships.

Long-Term
Strategic
Growth
Through
Knowledge
Sharing

Sharing
your
knowledge
through
CLEs
doesn’t
just
benefit
your
audience
—
it’s
a
strategic
move
that
can
fuel
your
long-term
professional
growth.
By
positioning
yourself
as
an
expert
and
maintaining
regular
engagement,
you
set
the
stage
for
sustained
success.

•

Expanding
Your
Reach:
The
more
you
share,
the
wider
your
influence
spreads.
Each
CLE
presentation
is
an
opportunity
to
reach
new
audiences,
expand
your
network,
and
attract
potential
clients.

•
Becoming
a
Thought
Leader:
Consistent
knowledge
sharing
positions
you
as
a
thought
leader
whose
opinions
and
insights
are
highly
valued.
This
leadership
can
lead
to
speaking
engagements,
publication
opportunities,
and
a
stronger
professional
brand.

Crafting
Your
Path
From
Knowledge
to
Influence

As
you
continue
to
leverage
CLEs
as
part
of
your
strategic
growth
plan,
remember
that
staying
current
and
sharing
knowledge
are
key
elements
in
building
long-term
influence.
Each
presentation
is
more
than
just
a
chance
to
educate
—
it’s
an
opportunity
to
solidify
your
role
as
a
trusted
advisor,
expand
your
reach,
and
ensure
the
sustained
growth
of
your
practice.

In
our
next
article,
we
will
explore
how
to
effectively
present
your
CLE
to
maximize
these
strategic
benefits.
From
mastering
your
delivery
to
engaging
your
audience,
we’ll
cover
the
essential
skills
needed
to
take
your
CLE
presentations
to
the
next
level.

Staying
Current:

✔️  Commit
to
Continuous
Learning:
Regularly
engage
with
the
latest
legal
trends,
case
law,
and
regulations
to
keep
your
knowledge
up
to
date.
✔️  Prepare
Thoroughly
for
CLEs:
Use
your
CLE
preparation
as
an
opportunity
to
deepen
your
understanding
of
emerging
trends
and
developments.

Importance
of
Ethics
CLEs:

✔️  Reinforce
Ethical
Standards:
Ensure
that
your
CLEs
include
a
strong
focus
on
ethics,
meeting
the
demand
for
ethics
credits
while
positioning
yourself
as
a
leader
in
ethical
practice.
✔️  Meet
Critical
Demand:
Recognize
the
value
of
ethics
CLEs
in
attracting
a
broad
audience
and
fulfilling
a
critical
need
in
the
legal
community.

Sharing
Knowledge:

✔️  Educate
Your
Audience:
Focus
on
providing
valuable
insights
that
contribute
to
the
professional
growth
of
your
peers
and
clients.
✔️  Build
Authority:
Consistently
share
your
knowledge
through
CLEs
to
establish
yourself
as
a
thought
leader
in
your
field.

Leveraging
Firm
Resources:

✔️  Collaborate
with
Marketing:
Work
with
your
firm’s
marketing
department
to
promote
your
CLEs
and
maximize
their
reach.
✔️  Utilize
Internal
Resources:
Identify
and
use
available
internal
resources
to
enhance
the
quality
and
impact
of
your
CLEs.

Consistent
Engagement:

✔️  Present
Regularly:
Make
CLE
presentations
a
regular
part
of
your
professional
routine
to
maintain
visibility
and
reinforce
your
expertise.
✔️  Sustain
Client
Relationships:
Use
CLEs
as
a
tool
to
keep
in
touch
with
clients
and
maintain
a
strong
professional
presence.

Strategic
Growth:

✔️  Expand
Your
Reach:
Use
each
CLE
as
an
opportunity
to
reach
new
audiences
and
expand
your
professional
network.
✔️  Leverage
Your
Influence:
Position
yourself
as
a
thought
leader
by
consistently
sharing
valuable
insights
and
engaging
with
your
audience.

With
these
strategies
in
place,
your
CLE
presentations
can
be
a
powerful
driver
of
long-term
professional
success,
ensuring
that
you
remain
relevant,
influential,
and
at
the
forefront
of
your
field.

---

Sejal
Bhasker
Patel is
a
Rainmaking
Consultant
and
Author
of Rainmaker:
Unleashed
—
a
sharp,
strategic
playbook
for
attorneys
who
don’t
fit
the
traditional
mold.
She’s
the
founder
of
Sage
Ivy,
a
consulting
firm
that
works
directly
with
law
firms
and
attorneys
to
turn
relationships
into
revenue
—
without
selling
their
soul.
Her
work
is
blunt,
tailored,
and
built
on
one
core
belief:
Authenticity
isn’t
a
liability
—
it’s
your
strongest
competitive
edge.
www.sageivyconsulting.com

“Leading”
is
the
leading
word
in
law
firm-produced
business
announcements
in
the
U.S.
and
U.K.,
according
to
a
new
study,
while
the
markets
appear
to
differ
the
most
in
how
they
express
professional
joy. 

The
“10
Most
Overused
Words
in
Legal
Press
Releases”
report
by
the
PR
firm
Infinite
explores
the
frequency
of
descriptors
like
“cutting
edge”
and
“top
tier,”
along
with
other
common
press
release
terms. 

One
notable
gap:
U.S.
firms
are
far
more
likely
to
be
“pleased”
with
a
development,
while
those
in
the
U.K.
are
far
more
likely
to
be
“delighted.” 

The
study
was
detailed
this
week
in
the
ABA
Journal.
You
can

check
out
the
report
here. 

---

Jeremy
Barker
is
the
director
of
content
marketing
for
Breaking
Media.
Feel
free
to email
him with
questions
or
comments
and
to connect
on
LinkedIn.