137: Grow or Die: John Morgan’s Relentless Strategy for Law Firm Expansion – Part 1
Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus
Release Date: 06/23/2025
140: Reinventing Criminal Defense Training: From Classroom to Courtroom with Adam Rossen
Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus
In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve Riley is joined by Adam Rossen, a criminal defense attorney who’s doing more than building a successful firm, he’s reinventing criminal defense training for the next generation of lawyers. Adam’s firm has quadrupled since 2020, yet his passion is mentoring future attorneys. His Florida-based internship program, once a casual drop-in setup, has evolved into a structured, immersive model for reinventing criminal defense training. In 2020, he took on 13 interns, introducing a mock law school exam project, virtual court sessions,...
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139: Too Stupid to Quit: Dre Baldwin on Resilience, Success, and Outworking the Competition
Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus
On this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve Riley welcomes Dre Baldwin, former professional basketball player, prolific author, and founder of Work on Your Game Inc. Dre shares how his career was shaped not just on the court, but at home, where his parents modeled daily discipline and quiet resilience that made him “too stupid to quit.” From an early age, Dre watched his parents show up for their responsibilities, day in and day out, regardless of how they felt. That consistency became the foundation of his own mindset: showing up was non-negotiable. It’s a lesson he...
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138: Leading Lions and Prima Donnas: John Morgan’s Leadership Lessons – Part 2
Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus
John Morgan doesn’t lead quietly—and he doesn’t build small. In part two of his conversation with Steve Riley, he shares the systems, standards, and mindset that built a law empire. On this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve Riley welcomes back John Morgan, founder of Morgan & Morgan, for an insightful continuation of their conversation. In this episode, you’ll discover John Morgan’s leadership lessons on how to grow a law firm with integrity. He also shares how long-term vision, and well-built systems can support both business growth and personal success. John...
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137: Grow or Die: John Morgan’s Relentless Strategy for Law Firm Expansion – Part 1
Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus
In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve Riley is joined by visionary attorney and entrepreneur John Morgan for a focused conversation on law firm expansion. As the founder of Morgan & Morgan, John built one of the largest plaintiffs’ firms in the United States. He explains how a growth-focused mindset and strong systems helped his firm scale in a fast-changing legal industry. John, now 69, continues to lead with a “grow or die” mindset. Back in 2009, he wrote a speech that shaped his entire growth strategy. He compared the future of law to the shift from...
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136: The Biggest Marketing Mistakes Lawyers Make and How to Fix Them with Robert Rose
Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus
In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve Riley welcomes back content marketing guru Robert Rose for a powerful conversation tailored to attorneys and law firm owners looking to improve their marketing strategy. Robert shares how lawyers can turn their natural communication strengths, advocacy, storytelling, and clarity into a winning content marketing strategy. His tips are practical, achievable, and designed for busy professionals. Many small and solo law firms rely almost exclusively on referrals. While referrals are important, they aren’t a full marketing plan. Robert...
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135: Authentic Leadership in Law: How to Scale Without Burning Out with Ross Albers
Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus
What does it take to shift from a struggling solo attorney to a CEO leading a thriving full-service law firm? Learn how authentic leadership transformed one law firm from solo practice to thriving law firm. In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve sits down with Ross Albers, CEO of Albers & Associates in Timonium, Maryland. Ross shares his inspiring and raw journey—from getting fired just days before his wedding to building a successful law firm with 13 attorneys spanning multiple practice areas. His story is a powerful reminder that setbacks can become the foundation...
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134: What Surviving a Plane Crash Taught Me About Running a Law Firm with Blinn Bates
Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus
Surviving a plane crash wasn’t part of Attorney Blinn Bates’ plan, but it became a pivotal chapter in his life story. A routine flight turned into a near-tragedy and forced a year-long recovery. As a third-generation attorney, Blinn faced the unimaginable. But instead of succumbing to despair, he used the pause to transform his law practice and reevaluate his personal life. On this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Blinn shares his story of resilience and transformation through adversity. He turned the experience into an opportunity to innovate and modernize his family law...
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133: Escaping the 3 Time Traps That Stall Law Firm Growth: Inside the Mind of Shawn McNalis
Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus
In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve Riley explores time management and focus strategies with Shawn McNalis, an Atticus Practice Advisor and trainer with over 30 years of experience. Together, they uncover the most common time traps that prevent attorneys from reaching their full potential. They also share proven strategies for defending strategic time blocks and establishing boundaries that support professional growth. Shawn brings her wealth of knowledge from coaching thousands of lawyers and co-authoring pivotal books on time management and performance. Steve and...
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132: Stop Hiding: The Confidence to Build the Practice You Want with Barb Betts
Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus
In this follow-up episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Steve Riley welcomes back guest Barb Betts for a deeper dive into a powerful idea: the confidence to build a thriving law practice begins with embracing your authentic self. For lawyers, authenticity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a strategic advantage that drives client trust, firm growth, and personal satisfaction. Barb shares her powerful concept of “17 moments”—life-changing events like teenage pregnancy and severe hair loss—that taught her to stop hiding and stand in her truth. These moments are critical for...
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131: Beyond Word of Mouth: Systemizing Referral Marketing with Barb Betts
Great Practice. Great Life. by Atticus
Unlock the secrets to building a thriving law practice through the power of relationships, with expert insights from guest Barb Betts. In this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, Steve and Barb Betts dive into the essentials of referral marketing for attorneys. They explain how building strong, intentional relationships can transform your client acquisition process into a reliable growth engine. Barb introduces her BUILD methodology, which helps attorneys move beyond casual word-of-mouth marketing. She explains how to create a consistent, repeatable system that strengthens...
info_outlineIn this episode of Great Practice, Great Life®, Steve Riley is joined by visionary attorney and entrepreneur John Morgan for a focused conversation on law firm expansion. As the founder of Morgan & Morgan, John built one of the largest plaintiffs’ firms in the United States. He explains how a growth-focused mindset and strong systems helped his firm scale in a fast-changing legal industry.
John, now 69, continues to lead with a “grow or die” mindset. Back in 2009, he wrote a speech that shaped his entire growth strategy. He compared the future of law to the shift from stagecoaches to trains, noting that big changes often arrive faster than expected. Today, he sees autonomous vehicles as the next major disruption for personal injury law. Rather than wait, he’s already building his firm to meet that future now.
Technology plays a critical role in this law firm expansion strategy. John discusses how tools like Litify, which he co-founded, and digital assets like Injury.com are helping Morgan & Morgan scale operations, streamline client intake, and stay ahead in a competitive market.
He describes “Morgan & Morgan 3.0” as a service model inspired by Amazon, focused on delivering what clients need, when they need it, with speed and reliability. This episode outlines how combining a visionary mindset with practical systems can future-proof your law firm.
Whether you’re just starting out or leading a growing practice, don’t miss John’s insight on law firm expansion that lasts.
In this episode, you will hear:
- John Morgan’s “grow or die” philosophy and its impact on Morgan & Morgan’s growth
- Challenges due to Florida’s tort reform and strategic adaptations
- Embracing technology through platforms like Litify
- Expansion into new practice areas and nationwide presence
- Vision for Morgan & Morgan 3.0, inspired by Amazon’s operational model
- Preparing for future legal landscapes, including autonomous vehicle cases
- Accountability and strategic growth within the firm using data and transparency
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Supporting Resources:
- John Morgan: www.forthepeople.com/attorneys/john-morgan
- Morgan & Morgan: www.forthepeople.com
- Litify: www.litify.com
- Injury.com: www.injury.com
- The Summit: atticussummit.com
- John’s 2018 Summit Keynote Presentation: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TOxZ9terqA
- Contact us to learn about our Trial Lawyers Program: atticusadvantage.com/contact-us
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.