A Match Made in the Blogosphere
From afar, they seemed like opposites: a tough New York City criminal law trench warrior with disdain for high faultin’ academics and a talent for effortless and abundant insights and a world-travelling, West Coast civil litigator with a global practice and a penchant for literature and a knack brevity. Yet they spoke each others’ language, shared the same thoughts and railed against the loss of old-fashioned values like work ethic or fealty to clients in a decidedly twenty-first century way: through blogging. So it wasn’t any surprise, really, when I heard first, via Press Release from Dan Hull, followed by Scott Greenfield’s public announcement that the two had joined forces, with Scott coming onboard Dan’s firm as of counsel on corporate criminal matters and investigations.
The HullMcGuire and Greenfield collaboration isn’t the only one birthed by blogging. Idaho-based IP lawyer and blogger Steve Nipper last month announced that he’s joined forces with Ohio-based IP lawyer-blogger, Matt Buchanan to form the bi-state law firm, Buchanan, Nipper. And as the prologue to Social Media for Lawyers describes, my co-author Nicole Black and I first met through blogs.
Say what you will about the demise of blogging (though I do agree with Nicole Black’s observation that blogging has changed over the years) but even today with so many other competing social media formats, blogging still serves the craving that humans have had since the days of the Greek Agora, for a public place to debate, to argue, to bond over ideas. Which is why blogging, in some form or another, will forever thrive. Moreover, as technology decimates geographic limits, blogging will take on even more importance for solo and small firm lawyers, as a source for finding like-minded colleagues anywhere in the world to partner with on cases, books and even law firms.
As for Scott and Dan, my best wishes for the success of your collaboration. That which blogging has joined together, let no ghostblogger or slackoisie tear asunder.
Have you ever found a lawyer or other professional to team up with through a blog? Please share your thoughts below.
Congrats to them.
I like that your post mentioned Buchanan, Nipper. Interesting (and good) angle to the story.
I am sure that there are many more examples of blog-enabled pairings. And of course, I had to add some “spin” – if only to make the story sound less like a New York Times marriage column!
As always you are upbeat but factual–and you even made both of us seem likable. Thanks–and bravo.
Yes, I have. A few months after starting my blog, I really wanted to have a few guest writers. I posted a few open invitations to attorneys on twitter and other social media platforms. Before long I’d connected with a handful of attorneys from around the country. It’s been really cool connecting with this community of innovative attorneys who are exploring new ways to reach clients and brand themselves online.