The Relay

Gabriel Stiritz
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Business

You're invited to join The Relay where you’ll be listening to the top talent in legal. Our audience consists of forward-thinking leaders who are passionate about leveraging technology and AI to enhance their practice. Our listeners are owners and C-suite at personal injury, SSD, medical malpractice, consumer class action, mass torts, and employment law firms. This is a unique opportunity to enhance your firm with like-minded professionals aiming to elevate their firms to new heights.

  1. 6d ago ·  Video

    S3, E13: The Future of Legal AI: Build, Buy, or Get Left Behind?

    What does it take to build an AI-powered law firm—and is developing your own technology really the answer? Morgan & Morgan has committed at least $1 billion to AI and technology over the next decade. But behind that investment is a much bigger conversation about how law firms operate, adopt technology, and prepare for the future. In this episode of The Relay, Gabriel Stiritz sits down with Morgan & Morgan Chief Transformation Officer Yath Ithayakumar and Foundation AI co-founder and CEO Vivek Rao to explore the strategy behind MX2, Morgan & Morgan's proprietary AI platform, and what other plaintiff law firms can learn from its approach. Together, they examine the realities of building versus buying legal technology, why AI adoption depends on more than sophisticated software, and how operational expertise, institutional knowledge, and change management are shaping the next generation of law firms. The conversation also explores why plaintiff firms may have an advantage over insurance carriers in adopting new technology—and what the emergence of AI agents could mean for legal operations. In this episode: Why Morgan & Morgan is investing heavily in AI while continuing to hire The strategy behind MX2 and the decision to build proprietary technology How smaller law firms should approach the build-versus-buy decision Why outdated workflows can undermine even the best AI tools What Morgan & Morgan learned from failed implementations Why employee adoption and change management matter more than software alone How AI could change the competitive balance between plaintiff firms and insurance carriers Why AI agents may represent the next major shift in legal operations Whether you're running a growing personal injury practice or leading a national firm, this conversation offers a practical look at what it takes to turn AI investment into meaningful operational change.

  2. Oct 7 ·  Video

    S3,E12: Did Referrals Fail the Best Referral Firm in the Country?

    Did the referral model fail one of the most successful referral firms in the country? Top Dog Law built a national brand by doing something unusual: mastering consumer acquisition, then partnering with law firms across the country to handle much of the legal work. Now, Top Dog is making a major pivot. In this episode of The Relay, Gabriel Stiritz sits down with Top Dog Law founder and CEO James Helm to unpack why the firm is aggressively hiring trial lawyers, acquiring firms, opening offices, and bringing more litigation in-house—while continuing to operate a massive co-counsel business. James shares the three reasons behind the shift: greater control over the client experience, capturing the potential efficiency gains from AI, and building long-term value through repeat and referral clients. He also gets candid about acquiring Keller Swan, recruiting outside the legal industry, building technology internally, and the operational realities of scaling a national plaintiff firm. JamesHelm.txt In this episode: Why Top Dog is moving from referral-first toward greater vertical integration The three business reasons behind the strategy What James learned from acquiring and integrating Keller Swan Why Top Dog hired 122 people in a single month Why James spends up to 60–70% of his time recruiting How AI changes the economics of running cases in-house Why Top Dog has roughly 40 people across software, data, IT, and product How client experience can become a customer-acquisition channel Why the first 72 hours after signing a client matter so much Where James believes co-counsel still fits as Top Dog expands nationally

  3. Sep 23 ·  Video

    Stop Automating Broken Processes

    In this episode of The Relay, Gabriel Stiritz sits down with Melissa Graham, former COO of Richard Harris Law Firm and now VP of Industry at Supio, to discuss what AI means for the future of law firm operations. After spending her career inside law firms—from the copy room to case management to the COO seat—Melissa made the leap into legal AI because she believes the industry is approaching a fundamental shift in how firms operate. Together, Gabriel and Melissa explore why adding technology to an existing process isn't enough, how AI can move people toward higher-value work, and why experienced law firm operators are increasingly becoming critical to the companies building legal technology.

  4. Sep 9 ·  Video

    What If Your Next Client Finds You Before They Need a Lawyer?

    What if the future of legal client acquisition starts before someone even knows they need a lawyer? In this episode of The Relay, Gabriel Stiritz sits down with Carson Brienza, who leads legal operations at Kinetic Apps, to explore PayMe—a consumer advocacy app designed to help everyday Americans identify when they may be owed money, eligible for benefits, or have a legal claim. Instead of beginning with a case type and waiting for consumers to diagnose their own legal problem, PayMe starts with the consumer: What happened? What problem are you trying to solve? And where can we help? Carson and Gabriel explore what that model could mean for plaintiff firms as consumer expectations shift toward digital-first experiences and technology changes the traditional legal acquisition funnel. In this episode: Why waiting for consumers to self-diagnose a legal problem may be broken How consumer apps could create an entirely new source of legal demand Why PayMe focuses on outcomes rather than attention What Carson is learning about previously unrepresented consumers Why 90% of users in one intake test chose digital over phone Where AI can improve intake without replacing human judgment How better education can turn consumer frustration into legal action Why the “first mile” of legal services may be ready for reinvention If you're a law firm owner thinking about client acquisition, intake, AI, or how consumers will find legal help five years from now, this conversation offers an early look at a very different model.

  5. Aug 26 ·  Video

    S3,E9 - Brand Is the Moat: How Law Tigers Built 25 Years of Market Share

    What makes a legal brand valuable—and why do some survive while others disappear? In this episode of The Relay, Gabriel Stiritz sits down with Dave Thomas, who leads growth and business development for Law Tigers, to explore how a motorcycle-focused legal brand built 25 years ago became a national platform in one of the most competitive areas of plaintiff law. Law Tigers took a different approach from the traditional attorney-name-and-billboard model. Instead, it built around a specific community, developing trust with motorcycle riders through grassroots events, partnerships, and a brand designed around their identity and lifestyle. Gabriel and Dave unpack what that strategy can teach today's law firm owners as client acquisition costs rise, firms reach the limits of their home markets, and private equity and MSOs put an increasing premium on scalable brands. In this episode: Why niche brands can create durable competitive advantages How Law Tigers built trust inside the motorcycle community What it takes to launch a brand in a new market Why buying leads and building brand equity create very different long-term value What happens when increased ad spend stops producing meaningful market-share growth How a second brand can help established firms expand Why brand equity may become increasingly valuable as plaintiff law consolidates If you're a law firm owner thinking about growth, market expansion, or the long-term value of your firm, this conversation offers a different way to think about what you're actually building.

  6. Aug 12 ·  Video

    S3, E 8: Why Morgan & Morgan Doesn't See Other Law Firms as the Competition

    In this episode of The Relay, Gabriel Stiritz sits down with Dan Morgan, Managing Partner at Morgan & Morgan, for a wide-ranging conversation about competition, referrals, marketing, and the strategies behind the firm's continued growth. Dan explains why he doesn't view other plaintiff firms as the real competition, how Morgan & Morgan built referrals into one of its highest-margin business lines, and why the firm continues to experiment aggressively with NIL, influencers, sports partnerships, and hyperlocal marketing. He also shares the thinking behind deciding which cases to keep—and which to refer out—and why maximizing attorney capacity can sometimes be more valuable than maximizing the fee on a single case. In this episode: Why Morgan & Morgan doesn't see other law firms as the real competition How referrals became an 85–88% margin business for outbound cases Why keeping every viable case can actually limit growth How Morgan & Morgan approaches NIL and influencer marketing Why hyperlocal marketing can work even for smaller firms How the firm evaluates new marketing opportunities Where Dan sees the next opportunities in plaintiff law Whether you're running a regional practice or building a national firm, this conversation offers a rare look inside how one of the industry's largest operators thinks about growth, competition, and where to place the next bet.

  7. Jul 29 ·  Video

    The $10 Billion Hiding in Law Firm Exhaust

    Every law firm turns away cases. Most never think about them again. In this solo episode, Gabriel Stiritz explores why those declined cases may represent one of the biggest untapped revenue opportunities in the plaintiff bar. He breaks down the math behind referral revenue, introduces the concept of "law firm exhaust," and shares a framework for estimating what that opportunity could be worth inside your own firm. Stay tuned for the next episode, where Gabriel sits down with a leader from one of the country's largest plaintiff law firms to continue the conversation.

  8. Jul 8 ·  Video

    S3, E6 - The Future of Law Firm Growth Isn't Local Anymore

    What happens when the traditional law firm model stops working? In this episode of The Relay, Gabriel Stiritz sits down with attorney, entrepreneur, and YouTube creator Josh Sanford to reflect on the rise and fall of a high-volume wage-and-hour practice—and how those lessons led both of them to rethink the future of legal services. From building one of the country's largest wage-and-hour practices to launching successful legal media brands and pioneering new models for client acquisition, Josh shares how technology, social media, and national marketing are reshaping the business of law. Together, they explore why local law firms are increasingly competing on a national stage, how influencer marketing is changing client acquisition, and why the firms willing to embrace new channels today will have a significant advantage tomorrow. In this episode: Why a successful wage-and-hour practice ultimately hit a ceiling The lessons learned from scaling—and shutting down—a legal business How YouTube became a client acquisition engine Why influencer marketing is changing legal advertising The rise of national legal brands and referral networks What law firm owners should know about the future of client acquisition Why now is the time to start building your audience Whether you're investing in traditional advertising, experimenting with social media, or planning the next stage of your firm's growth, this episode offers a candid look at where legal marketing is heading—and how to stay ahead of it.

    S3, E6 - The Future of Law Firm Growth Isn't Local Anymore
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About

You're invited to join The Relay where you’ll be listening to the top talent in legal. Our audience consists of forward-thinking leaders who are passionate about leveraging technology and AI to enhance their practice. Our listeners are owners and C-suite at personal injury, SSD, medical malpractice, consumer class action, mass torts, and employment law firms. This is a unique opportunity to enhance your firm with like-minded professionals aiming to elevate their firms to new heights.

Information

  • Creator
    Gabriel Stiritz
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    The Relay