Darin Klemchuk | Leading from Within: How Personal Growth Fuels Law Firm Leadership
Release Date: 07/15/2025
The Lawyer's Edge
Dennis Meador is the CEO of The Legal Podcast Network. DM has been an entrepreneur since he was a teenager, building businesses in everything from shoveling snow to SEO before finding his fit helping attorneys share their voices. A lifelong communicator from his years as a pastor to his more than 20 years in legal marketing, DM believes the best ideas don't come from selling, they come from conversations. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT HOW FAQ PODCASTS HELP LAWYERS DIFFERENTIATE Eighty-two percent of people use the internet to find their attorney. They type in a search, get...
info_outlineThe Lawyer's Edge
Adam Severson is the Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Baker Donelson, a leading national firm with more than 700 lawyers and 25-plus offices in the United States, primarily in the southeastern U.S. Adam's role is unique compared to many who hold that title in that he spends a lot of his time meeting with clients and actually selling the firm's services. Adam is a past president of the Legal Marketing Association and a Hall of Fame member. He's also a Fellow in the College of Law Practice Management. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT EXECUTIVE PRESENCE Executive presence...
info_outlineThe Lawyer's Edge
Abby Remore is a member at Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi (CSG Law) in Roseland, New Jersey, where she leads the firm's trademark and copyright practice group. Her practice focuses on protecting brands and creative works through litigation, enforcement, clearance, counseling, licensing, and prosecution of trademark and copyright applications. She has particular expertise litigating trademark and copyright disputes in federal courts and before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Abby is president-elect of the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT...
info_outlineThe Lawyer's Edge
Dawn Anderson is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Butler Snow LLP, a law firm with nearly 400 lawyers across 25 offices. With more than 30 years of HR experience and both an MBA and law degree from the University of Georgia, Dawn brings a unique perspective to law firm leadership. After two decades in HR leadership roles in retail and manufacturing, Dawn transitioned to the legal industry where she now oversees Butler Snow's HR function and operations. She has taught as an adjunct professor teaching college-level courses and facilitating countless training seminars on leadership,...
info_outlineThe Lawyer's Edge
Stacy Ackermann is the global managing partner of K&L Gates, one of the world's leading law firms with more than 45 offices across the globe. A trailblazing leader and accomplished finance lawyer, Stacy brings a rare blend of strategic vision, authenticity, and deep industry insight to her position. Drawing on her extensive experience advising on complex transactions and a long track record in key leadership roles, she's shaping the future of the legal profession with a focus on innovation, collaboration, and inclusive leadership. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT RAINMAKING AND...
info_outlineThe Lawyer's Edge
Elise Buie is the founder and CEO of Elise Buie Family Law in Seattle, Washington. After losing everything in Hurricane Katrina, she rebuilt her life and career from scratch, bringing lessons in resilience and New Orleans hospitality to her practice. Elise is a passionate and creative family law attorney who has lived the life you're living now, juggling the endless tasks of a lawyer and law firm owner while dreaming of something better. She grew her firm from six figures to multiple seven figures, navigating the pandemic and intentionally scaling back to ensure the firm operates with...
info_outlineThe Lawyer's Edge
Lisa Sawyer Derman is the Founder and CEO of Five Springs Infused Bourbon, a bourbon brand that blends Kentucky roots with modern, mixable flavor. Before launching Five Springs, Lisa spent more than 30 years in the global spirits industry, building and leading some of the world’s top alcohol brands. Her career includes serving as Chief Operating Officer at Stoli Group, Head of Legal at Absolut, and the Head of the North Division at The Macallan. Drawing on her legal background and executive leadership experience, Lisa launched Five Springs in 2024 with three distinctive expressions—Vanilla...
info_outlineThe Lawyer's Edge
Ryan Kimler is the founder of Net Profit CFO and host of the Net Profit Podcast. He and his team help law firm owners understand their numbers, make better business decisions, and build more profitable and sustainable practices by using accounting and finance to give firm leaders clear information they can act on, so their businesses stay financially healthy and have the resources to grow. WHAT’S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT LAW FIRM PROFITABILITY Law school teaches lawyers how to practice law, not how a law firm makes money. Many attorneys work hard, bill hours, build relationships, and...
info_outlineThe Lawyer's Edge
Lisa Smith is a principal in the Washington, D.C. office of Fairfax Associates. She advises leading law firms domestically and internationally on strategy development, mergers, management and governance, partner compensation and structure issues, and financial and operational performance and management. She has been advising law firms for more than 35 years. She is a frequent speaker at industry events and webinars and recently appeared on the TV show Wall Street Week talking about the potential for private equity investment in U.S. law firms. WHAT’S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT...
info_outlineThe Lawyer's Edge
Dusty Holcomb is the Founder and CEO of The Arcqus Group, an executive coaching and leadership consulting firm that helps leaders connect purpose to performance through clarity, consistency, and accountability. With a background that spans senior leadership, operations, and culture building, Dusty works with executives and their teams to unlock potential and lead with intention. Before founding The Arcqus Group, Dusty served as CEO of National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car, where he led thousands of employees across North America. He holds an MBA from Auburn University and completed the...
info_outlineDarin Klemchuk is the CEO of Klemchuk PLLC, a leading litigation, intellectual property, and business law firm based in Dallas, Texas. Klemchuk focuses his practice on IP litigation (patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets), IP enforcement and anti-counterfeiting programs, and IP strategy. He helps clients build market share and block competitors through intellectual property law.
Darin is also the co-founder of Engage Workspace for Lawyers, an executive suite built by and for lawyers. He writes and speaks about human performance optimization, marketing and business development, leadership, entrepreneurship, law firm culture, and intellectual property law–all designed to encourage others to rethink what it means to be a lawyer, business owner, and leader in today’s legal profession and beyond.
WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT LAW FIRM LEADERSHIP
Most lawyers follow the traditional path of making partner, building a book, and climbing the ladder. But what happens when you're wired differently? When the conventional approach to practicing law feels fundamentally wrong for who you are as a person and leader?
Darin Klemchuk faced exactly this crossroads. With a stable Big Law job, a second child on the way, and zero portable business, he made what most would consider a crazy decision. He walked away from partnership to build something better. Twenty years later, he's proven that leading from within can create strong results in both law and life.
In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge podcast, Elise Holtzman speaks with Darin about his journey from Big Law to entrepreneurship, his 62-minute plank hold experience, why the "platinum rule" works better than the golden rule for leaders, and how personal growth became the foundation for his firm's success.
2:06 - Darin’s “Jerry Maguire” moment of launching his firm and how he got his first clients
5:57 - How the seeds of leadership and entrepreneurism were planted in Darin’s youth
7:56 - The difference between leadership, management, and coaching
9:38 - One critical aspect of leadership that requires self-awareness
12:49 - The plank hold method and how you can apply it in your practice
17:33 - The immense value of peer networks for business development
22:06 - Why Darin designed anti-counterfeiting software programs to protect luxury brands’ IP
23:58 - The better rule to follow for leaders with unique personality traits
28:15 - What Darin finds fascinating about the concept of happiness
32:16 - One of the greatest tragedies you can experience when you become successful
MENTIONED IN LEADING FROM WITHIN: HOW PERSONAL GROWTH FUELS LAW FIRM LEADERSHIP
Klemchuk PLLC | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
Engage Workspace for Lawyers | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Get connected with the coaching team: hello@thelawyersedge.com
SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE...
Today’s episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer’s Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of The Lawyer’s Edge coaching team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional.
Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress.
To get connected with your coach, just email the team at hello@thelawyersedge.com.