From Courtroom to COO: Leadership Lessons Law Firms Can Use to Scale With Confidence Shared By Dan Cuneo

Many attorneys feel pulled in every direction: leading teams, serving clients, fixing processes, and keeping cash flow steady. In this episode, Dan Cuneo, Esq., Chief Operating Officer at Malone Hatley PC, shared what he learned moving from a successful litigation career into executive leadership. His central theme is simple and practical: put people first, build systems that earn buy-in, and track the right metrics so culture and cash move in the same direction.

Real-Life Story

Dan never set out to leave the courtroom. New projects exposed him to sales, business development, and operations. He found himself energized by helping teams succeed and seeing results at the firm level. That pull toward building people and systems led to larger responsibilities and, eventually, executive roles.

Two early experiences shaped his approach:

• Listening beats reacting. As a litigator, fast objections and quick answers are prized. In leadership, Dan found better outcomes when he spoke less, asked more, and created space for others to be heard.

• Change without buy-in fails. Early in leadership he pushed “great ideas” fast. The lesson: even good changes should roll out slowly, shaped by input from the people who will use them.

Framework / Lessons

1) Culture first, then change

• Treat your team as your core system. Trust grows when leaders listen, invite ideas, and acknowledge constraints.

• Replace slogans with behaviors: authentic check-ins, psychological safety in meetings, and clear decision rationales.

2) Structured change management

• Co-design before you implement. Gather practitioner feedback to improve the idea and create ownership.

• Pilot and phase. Start small, tighten the workflow, then expand.

• Name change ambassadors. Equip respected team members to model the new way.

3) Weekly operating rhythm

• Self-reports. Everyone, including leadership, reports last week’s results and the reasons behind them. This reduces guesswork and speeds support where it is needed.

• One-week projections. Short-horizon forecasts help rebalance workload, prevent burnout, and keep priorities aligned.

4) Metrics that matter

• Track billed hours and billed dollars, but read them in context.

• Watch collections rate and net profit to avoid vanity wins that harm cash.

• Look for trends, not single-day outliers, and adjust with training, staffing, or scope.

5) Continuous training and shared strategy

• Weekly learning sessions (his team calls it “MHU”) create a common playbook across offices and jurisdictions.

• Trial-advocacy breakdowns and strategy reviews turn experience into repeatable systems.

6) Healthy growth vs unhealthy growth

• Healthy growth: selective intake, strong collections, predictable delivery, and a team that understands the client’s goals and the firm’s constraints.

• Unhealthy growth: “take every case,” siloed attorneys, poor collections despite high activity, and change by decree.

7) Building leadership capacity

• Mentor attorneys beyond the billable hour. Help them think like owners about value, efficiency, and outcomes.

• If you are the solo owner wearing every hat, list tasks you dislike or do not do well, and fill those gaps first.

• Add executive capacity intentionally. One senior hire at a time, with clear ROI and a runway to integrate.

Fixes / Results

Firms that apply these practices report fewer stalled matters, better morale, and steadier collections. Weekly projections prevent overload, self-reports shorten root-cause analysis, and phased changes stick. The practical result is a culture that serves clients well and a financial model that pays for itself.

Conclusion

Dan’s journey shows that operational excellence is a leadership choice. Listen first, structure change, teach the playbook every week, and measure what truly moves the firm. When people and process align, profitability follows.