Episode 43-Building a Concierge Law Practice to Address Family Conflict and Mental Health Issues

In this episode, I speak with Lisa Cukier, a partner at the law firm Burns and Levinson in Boston.  Lisa practices in a number of related areas.  We talk about how she has built what she calls a concierge practice.  We also discuss what it has been like to serve on the executive committee of her firm, and how she has modified her own marketing and business development in a time of social distancing. Whenever I am thinking about guests to invite on this podcast, I look for lawyers and other professionals who are good role models.  Law is a competitive and stressful business.  If you want to maintain and build your career satisfaction in a law firm, it is important to keep evolving your practice and get involved in non-practice activities that give you fulfillment. Lisa Cukier, is someone who has done that on many levels. She has developed an aggressively creative and emotionally intelligent approach to managing family conflict and mental health law issues.  She has also increased her own enjoyment in the practice of law by getting involved in law firm management.  And she is someone who gets energized from building relationships with her referral sources. Lisa Cukier is a Partner and Executive Committee member at Burns and Levinson, a firm of about 125 lawyers. She concentrates her practice on all aspects of estate and trust litigation, fiduciary litigation, probate law, child custody, parentage issues and divorce.  She also works on guardianship and conservatorship matters,  elder financial exploitation, matters and serves as concierge trustee for many clients who feel protected by her approach to problem resolution.  Her work includes representation of blended families. Lisa is a frequent speaker and author on the topics of trust and estate litigation, estate planning, and family law, including undue influence and financial exploitation of elders. She was named to the 2019 "Top Women of Law" list by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and named a National Law Journal - Divorce, Trusts & Estates Trailblazer in 2017. Lisa is considered one of the most tactical, passionate and aggressively creative attorneys in her field. She is the attorney that other attorneys refer their complicated and multi-issue laden or "unresolvable" cases. Cukier serves as trustee and fiduciary for her clients upon request, orchestrating high-touch concierge level service to her clients who wish to have her personal oversight of their multiple life affairs. Attorneys refer their clients to her to serve as a private adjudicator for creative resolution of challenging custody and guardianship disputes.