Beyond the Billable Hour: Mastering Relationship Development to Build a Thriving Legal Practice

Mo Bunnell | Bunnell Idea Group, Inc.

Mo Bunnell helps complex organizations grow by scaling business development skills across their organizations and creating a growth-oriented culture. He’s the author of Give to Grow, The Snowball System, the host of the podcast Real Relationships Real Revenue, and the founder of Bunnell Idea Group (BIG), who has trained tens of thousands of professionals.

BIG’s clients have used Mo and his team’s GrowBIG® training to give their experts a system for growth that creates deep relationships, gives a comprehensive business development framework and dare we say, it is fun to use.

Mo started out his career as an expert himself, passing all the actuarial exams to earn their highest designation: Fellow of the Society of Actuaries. Today, Mo enjoys working with hundreds of clients, including some of the largest, most prestigious service-based organizations.

Mo and his wife of over 30 years, Becky, enjoy spending time with their friends and two adult daughters. Outside of work, he enjoys working out, backpacking, and playing ultimate frisbee at the national and world levels. Becky and Mo live in Atlanta, Georgia, with their four horses, two cats, a dog, a bird, and a miniature donkey, Louie Hamilton.

Ryan C. Grelecki | Bunnell Idea Group, Inc.

Ryan C. Grelecki, J.D., is a GrowBIG® Master Facilitator, Coach & Global Consultant with Bunnell Idea Group. For over a decade, Ryan has facilitated GrowBIG®training and coached professionals across a variety of industries on the implementation of the system. Ryan has experience with the GrowBIG® business development system on all sides, having deployed the program across many diverse organizations, leveraged the program as a business development professional, and delivered and coached the program all over the world. From consulting to “big law” practice to tech start-up sales, Ryan has been involved in the creation of revenue growth experiences his entire career.

Roy E. Sexton | Vedder Price

Roy Sexton is the Chief Marketing Officer at Vedder Price. He is responsible for developing and implementing the firm’s overall marketing strategy and overseeing all projects and personnel in the marketing department.

Roy brings over 25 years of experience in various industries with nearly 15 years of experience in the legal marketing field at prominent global firms. His career knowledge includes public relations and marketing planning, business development strategy, digital and social media outreach, attorney onboarding and practice development.

Beginning in 2020, he served as an active international board member of the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) and was elected as the organization’s International President from 2023 to 2024.

Roy has also been recognized by a number of legal publications and organizations including Crain’s, INvolve People and Corp! Magazine for his leadership capabilities, particularly as an executive within the LGBTQ+ community. Throughout his career, he has served as a board member for a number of Michigan-based charitable organizations, such as the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit and Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Heather Morse | McGlinchey Stafford PLLC

Heather Morse is Chief Business Development Officer, resident in the firm’s New Orleans office. Nationally respected for her innovative approaches to driving success at law firms of various sizes, Heather helps attorneys meet the business development needs of current and future clients and referral sources. Heather is responsible for overseeing the firm’s business development initiatives, including strategic planning, client development, firm branding and positioning, market analysis/research, and marketing communications. She leads a nationwide team of business development, public relations, events, and marketing communications professionals.

Heather has more than 20 years’ experience in legal marketing and business development with firms across her native California, where she is a member of the State Bar of California’s Task Force on Access Through Innovation of Legal Services. Heather is a Fellow in the College of Law Practice Management, and has held numerous leadership positions in the Legal Marketing Association. She earned a Legal Lean Sigma, Yellow Belt, is certified as a business development coach through Law Vision, and graduated from the Smith-Bucklin Leadership Institute.

I. The relationship mindset: How to shift from transactional thinking to trust-based, long-term relationship building | 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

II. Relationship prioritization: Identifying and focusing on the relationships that matter most to your success | 2:10pm – 2:40pm

III. Actionable systems for growth: Implementing consistent, repeatable strategies to stay top of mind and deepen connections | 2:40pm – 3:10pm