ken levinson

Ken Levinson Helps With Law Firm Marketing

November 5, 2014 by Ken Levinson Leave a Comment

At a Chicago Bar Association meeting yesterday, I helped other lawyers during a roundtable discussion on law firm marketing techniques.

Members shared experiences, ideas, and questions about building business relationships and engaging with clients and potential clients. The other lawyers involved in the discussion ran the gamut from new practitioners to senior partners, and were from a variety of practice areas serving all types of clients.

It was exciting to share my perspective with other attorneys looking for marketing help, and of course, I’m glad I picked up a tip or two!

Ken Levinson Helps Ohio Attorneys with Truck Crash Cases

October 14, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The Ohio Association for Justice (OAJ) invited partner Ken Levinson to speak about trucking cases to attorneys who represent people injured in in truck crashes. The OAJ asked Ken to give a half-day presentation on how to better handle truck crash lawsuits on behalf of injury victims. Making this event unique was the fact that attendees were able and encouraged to ask questions and be involved in the discussion. The audience clearly enjoyed the energy and interactive nature of the presentation. One commenter stated it was “more more enjoyable and educational than just listening to someone talk.”

“I had a great time working with the members of OAJ,” Levinson said, adding, “I am honored the organization asked me to come speak at its event.”

Associate Attorney Brett Manchel Speaks on Law Firm Technology

October 9, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Associate attorney Brett Manchel spoke to the Chicago Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Committee on Tuesday. The presentation, given with attorney Richard C. Balough, of Balough Law Offices, was titled “It’s on the Internet so it Must be True, and Other Technology Myths.” Manchel and Balough addressed ethical considerations attorneys should be aware of with popular services like Gmail and Dropbox, best practices for legal online advertising and social media use, and law firm technology policies. The goal of Manchel and Balough’s discussion was to help lawyers understand popular technologies and the risks associated with each.

Levinson and Stefani partner Ken Levinson, who is the Co-Chair of the Solo and Small Firm Committee, invited Manchel and Balough to speak because of each attorney’s interest in helping other lawyers make smart choices about technology from both a legal practice perspective and a client perspective. “I’m very thankful for Brett and Richard, and I’m very glad they could share their valuable knowledge with the practicing attorneys of the Committee,” said Levinson. The diverse audience at the CBA meeting included new lawyers and veteran practitioners from a variety of practice areas, but “all lawyers, at the very least, need to incorporate email, mobile, and online tech into their practice in order to thrive in today’s legal market,” said Manchel.

This was Manchel’s first presentation to the Chicago Bar, and, said Levinson, “He did a wonderful job. Our firm is very lucky to have him!”

Ken Levinson introducing Brett Manchel to Speak on Law Firm Technology — Ken Levinson introducing Brett Manchel to the Chicago Bar’s Solo & Small Firm Committee

Attorney Brett Manchel Speaks to the Chicago Bar about Law Firm Technology Issues — Attorney Brett Manchel speaks to the Chicago Bar Association on law firm technology issues.

Ken Levinson to Teach Trial Lawyers about Child Injury Cases

September 26, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

We’re very excited for Ken Levinson, who again will be addressing a group of other trial lawyers on how to handle child injury cases. On Monday, September 29, 2014, Ken will be presenting at the Auto Litigation 3.0 conference hosted by the group 360 Advocacy. During the presentation, which is here in Chicago, Ken will share important insights that he has gained over his years representing children who have been injured in car or truck crashes.

Ken has previously presented to the American Association for Justice, as well as state associations of trial attorneys, offering his tips, stories, and wisdom to lawyers looking to improve their litigation strategy in child injury cases.

Ken’s next speaking engagement after the 360 Advocacy conference is for the members of the Ohio Association for Justice in October, 2014.

Levinson and Stefani Accepts ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

September 4, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

What started as a simple challenge by a professional golfer, college baseball player, or whomever you’re inclined to believe, has quickly become one of the most successful fundraising campaigns in the history of fundraising. No matter the dispute of origin, there’s no disputing that the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has proven to be a worthy, altruistic act of solidarity in the face of a devastating disease.

In just one month, give or take, the ALS Association has received over $106 million in donations, thanks to the viral video phenomenon that challenges participants to dump a bucket of ice water on their head in lieu of a donation. Folks are then charged with nominating others to take part. The Challenge aims to raise awareness about ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) and its impact. We’d be missing the point if we failed to mention that ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, leading to debilitating muscle deficiencies in the body.

The rules of the Challenge have since been modified, albeit informally, to include both dumping and donating. Participants have included former president George W. Bush, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and NBA superstar LeBron James, to name some. Donations have ranged between $1-$200,000 according to the ALS Association, most notably from actor Leonardo DiCaprio, the Chairman of Carnival Cruise Lines, Micky Arison, and the New York Yankees. And consider this: Not a single dime was spent on marketing the campaign.

ALS Association President and CEO Barbara Newhouse has been animate that all the money raised from the Challenge would be used towards cutting-edge research and to support those living with the disease. Newhouse also emphasized that the organization maintains the highest possible four-star rating from CharityNavigator.org, a not-for-profit that grades charities based on practices and the allocation of donated funds, so you can be sure that the money is going towards a worthy cause.

According to the latest annual report from the ALS Association, 32% of its budget ($8.5 million) went to education efforts while 28% ($7.2 million) went to research efforts. Patient and community accounted for 19% of the budget ($5.1 million), fundraising 14% ($3.6 million) and administration 7% ($1.9 million).

Levinson and Stefani recently made a donation to the ALS Association, but we certainly couldn’t let someone walk away without getting wet. Thankfully, we have great folks in our office who are willing to go the extra mile on behalf of the rest of us. Founding partner Ken Levinson completed the Challenge and we’ve got the video to prove it (see above).

Take note of Ken’s chattering teeth post-Ice Challenge, in case you doubted just how cold a bucket filled with ice water really is. Thanks, Ken, for taking one for the team. We challenge the rest of you out there to join the ALS Association and millions of others to help make a difference, whether it’s through donating or getting doused!