Mastering the Billable Hour: Estimating, Billing and Collection Strategies for New and Experienced Lawyers (2026 Edition)

Diane Camacho | CLM DLC Consulting Services, LLC

Diane Camacho is a legal management consultant and founder of CLM DLC Consulting Services, LLC, with more than 30 years of experience working in law firm operations across firms of varying sizes. Since launching her consulting practice in 2013, she has advised small law firms nationwide on management and operational issues, including firm startups, efficiency improvements, and technology implementation. Diane is also an educator and frequent speaker within the legal community, sharing her expertise on topics such as law firm operations, IOLTA accounting, legal software, and business management. Her work is driven by a commitment to helping attorneys focus on practicing law while optimizing the systems that support their firms.

• Education & Credentials

Diane Camacho is a Certified Legal Manager and holds a degree in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from the University of San Francisco. Her credentials reflect her specialized expertise in law firm management and organizational development.

• Recognition & Leadership

Diane Camacho demonstrates leadership through her role as founder of CLM DLC Consulting Services, LLC, where she guides law firms in improving operations and efficiency. She is also recognized as a knowledgeable voice in legal management through her speaking engagements and her role as an instructor in law office management.

• Professional Involvement

Diane Camacho is actively involved in the legal community as a speaker on topics including operations, IOLTA accounting, legal software, and law firm startups. She also teaches law office management at San Francisco State University, contributing to the education and development of future legal professionals.

• Experience

Diane Camacho brings over three decades of experience in legal management, including overseeing operations in firms of various sizes and consulting with small firms nationwide. Her work encompasses law firm startups, office build-outs and relocations, technology implementation, and process optimization. Through her consulting practice, she helps attorneys and their teams improve efficiency and streamline operations, allowing them to focus on delivering legal services rather than managing day-to-day business complexities.

Cliff Ennico | Law Offices of Clifford R. Ennico

Clifford R. Ennico is an attorney and widely recognized expert on the legal and tax issues facing entrepreneurs and privately owned businesses. With a career spanning more than 37 years, he has represented over 15,000 small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures, providing practical legal guidance tailored to the needs of early-stage and growing companies. Cliff is also well known as a media personality and educator, having hosted the PBS television show MoneyHunt® and authored a widely syndicated column, Succeeding in Your Business™. Through his books, speaking engagements, and digital platforms, he continues to educate entrepreneurs on navigating legal, tax, and business challenges in an evolving marketplace.

• Education & Credentials

Clifford R. Ennico is an attorney who has practiced small business law for decades, including prior experience with major New York City law firms such as Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Thacher Proffitt & Wood, and currently operates his own law practice in Fairfield, Connecticut.

• Recognition & Leadership

Clifford R. Ennico is widely regarded as one of America’s leading experts on small business legal and tax issues. His leadership is reflected in his role as host of the nationally broadcast PBS show MoneyHunt®, as well as through his influential syndicated column Succeeding in Your Business™, often described as the “Ann Landers of the business world.”

• Professional Involvement

Clifford R. Ennico is actively involved in educating and supporting entrepreneurs through multiple platforms, including his syndicated newspaper column, contributions to Entrepreneur magazine and other business publications, and his YouTube channel focused on small business legal issues. He is also a frequent speaker nationwide on legal and tax topics affecting startups and small businesses.

• Experience

Clifford R. Ennico brings over 37 years of experience representing more than 15,000 entrepreneurial companies and small businesses. His work includes advising on legal and tax matters impacting early-stage ventures, as well as broader business strategy issues. In addition to his legal practice, he has authored several books on entrepreneurship and small business management, including Small Business Survival Guide, The eBay Tax and Legal Answer Book, and The Crowdfunding Handbook, and continues to explore emerging issues such as the impact of technology on capital raising for startups.

SESSION 1 – Estimating and Managing Time | 2:00pm – 3:00pm

Learn to calculate the right amount of time for any matter, quote fees that hold up, and manage competing priorities so the bill lands on target—even when surprises threaten to blow past your original estimate.

BREAK | 3:00pm – 3:10pm

SESSION 2 – Billing and Collecting | 3:10pm – 4:10pm

Follow each hour from worked to collected. Master the billing process, time-tracking tools, billing guidelines, and write-down monitoring, then secure payment through well-drafted engagement agreements and retainer structures that protect what you’ve earned.