How to start business development

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Owili Eison discuss:

• Thinking like an intrapreneur, not just an employee
• Balancing legal skill with business development
• Networking intentionally to build referral pipelines
• Using technology and AI to stay competitive

Key Takeaways:

• Lawyers who rely entirely on their firm for work risk having little control over their future. Building a personal brand, developing referral relationships, and generating your own clients creates long-term career security and flexibility.
• A successful legal career has two sides: practicing the law and building the firm. Lawyers who focus only on technical legal work often miss the larger opportunity, since referral relationships and originations frequently generate the greatest long-term value.
• Effective networking is targeted, not random. By focusing on lawyers in complementary practice areas and building genuine, reciprocal relationships, attorneys can create steady referral partnerships that grow over time.
• Modern legal practice increasingly relies on tools that improve efficiency and insight. Lawyers who adopt technologies like AI for document review, intake summaries, and research can work faster, scale their impact, and stay ahead in a rapidly changing profession.

"There’s two aspects to our business and the law operation. There’s the law and the firm… You need to focus on both and have a holistic approach to the business and practice of law, otherwise I think you’re going to find yourself in a tough position.” —  Owili Eison

Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.

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About Owili Eison: Owili K. Eison is a Los Angeles-based personal injury attorney and Partner at BD&J, where he focuses on catastrophic injury litigation. He also supervises a team of 20 associates and staff, helping train the next generation of trial lawyers to advocate for those harmed by negligence.

A graduate of the University of Southern California and Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Owili participated in Loyola’s Trial Advocacy Program and later completed both the CAALA Plaintiff’s Trial Academy and the Jack Daniels ABOTA Trial Academy.

Owili was inspired to pursue personal injury law after suffering serious injuries when he was struck by a negligent driver in a crosswalk. Since then, he has handled thousands of cases involving automobile accidents, wrongful death, premises liability, and medical malpractice. In just over nine years at BD&J, he has recovered more than $500 million for his clients and built a reputation as a tenacious yet pragmatic advocate.

Connect with Owili Eison:  

Website: https://www.bdj.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owilieison

Connect with Steve Fretzin:

LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin

Twitter: @stevefretzin

Instagram: @fretzinsteve

Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.

Website: Fretzin.com

Email: Steve@Fretzin.com

Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!

YouTube: Steve Fretzin

Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911

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