What Clients are Saying about Business Coach Gary Mitchell

“I was introduced to Gary Mitchell by one of our other OMP’s who had worked with him. During the course of having lunch with Gary, it became apparent to me that not only could some of our lawyers in the Vancouver office benefit from coaching, I could too.

 

I greatly benefited from Gary’s practical approach and guidance which helped me become more organized, efficient and effective as a lawyer and a part of management, and more effective with marketing and business development. For anyone looking to grow their practice or manage their firm, or juggle both, I highly recommend Gary Mitchell.”

-Tom Theodorakis, Office Managing Partner, McMillan Vancouver

Working with Gary has enabled us to change the way we practice law. He has opened our eyes to new possibilities in law firm management, helped us define our goals and put us on a plan to accomplish them. He was a great help in assisting us in hiring a new employee- right from drafting the online ad to interviewing the candidates. He has connected us with other key professionals to assist us with practical firm management, fee structures and client management. Gary has definitely helped us work towards building the business and life that we have been dreaming of. 

-Laura Allen, Co-Founder, Duncan Allen Law, Nanaimo

Gary Mitchell has a vast toolkit of knowledge when it comes to the business of running a law firm. I have worked with him over the past year and a half. He has supported me with marketing, business development, HR. He has coached me and many of my team members including lawyers and staff. He continues to work with my office manager providing her support in the areas of HR and leadership and has provided business development, practice management and on-boarding coaching for my lawyers. Recently we were named Toronto’s fastest growing law firm in the Globe and Mails’ top 400 Fastest Growing Canadian companies, and Gary was critical in helping with the change management that was involved in that growth.

– Andrew Monkhouse, Founder and Managing Partner, Monkhouse Law, Toronto

As a profession, statistics show we are a cynical and thin-skinned bunch. As such we look at coaches with a generous dose of doubt, married with an abject fear of the constructive criticism that will surely result.  Undaunted, Gary approaches these lawyer biases and fears personally, positively, professionally, and politely with determination. He becomes your alter ego, the constant voice in your ear, coaxing you along a road that you know you should travel… Partner with Gary if you want to get to your destination in less time and with less effort. I can say this counting Gary as a partner for over 10 years, in various capacities and successful pursuits. Gary is no nonsense with clear, reasonable and attainable approaches to help you realize your vision and goals.

-Michael A. Thackray, Q.C., Founder and Managing Partner, Thackray Burgess, Calgary

I sought out the specialized business development expertise of Gary Mitchell as I began my fifth year of Ackah Business Immigration Law. After working at national law firms in Toronto and Calgary as an Associate and then Partner, I thought I knew how to continue to build my corporate immigration practice – but it turns out I needed Gary Mitchell to help take my law firm to…more

-Evelyn Ackah, Founder and Managing Lawyer, Ackah Business Immigration Law, Calgary

Gary is an invaluable help to anyone thinking of starting their own law practice. The one time I did not follow Gary’s advise, I ended up wasting thousands of dollars unnecessarily. Invest in Gary and you will always be thankful for his thoughtful tips!

-Leena Ronak Yousefi, Founder, YLaw Group, Vancouver

If you’re reading this testimonial, you probably don’t know Gary Mitchell the way I know him. About five years ago, I stumbled across his book on rainmaking online and decided to read it. I was most impressed. That then led me to reach out to him and discuss the role that he could play in my law firm.  I then hired Gary to coach various staff members who went on to become exceptionally productive, increased our firm revenues and, most importantly, dramatically improved their happiness quotient at work. I have since consulted with Gary on many occasions and will continue to do so. For small to medium size firms who cannot afford to have an in-house productivity specialist on payroll, Gary is your man.

-Steven Benmor, Principal, Benmor Family Law Group, Toronto

Several years ago when I was a non-equity partner in our Toronto office I worked with Gary Mitchell in his Business Development coaching program. Working with Gary helped me change my mindset around business development and the results followed. I am now our firm’s Office Management Partner in Calgary. The BD coaching certainly helped to put me on a path to building my practice and succeeding as a leader.  Thanks Gary!

-Adam Maerov, Office Management Partner, McMillan LLP, Calgary

Gary assisted me in honing my leadership skills and developing my understanding of business management and operations. He provided me with continuous support and guidance and made the entire transition process seamless. …I would 100% recommend Gary to those who are transitioning into management roles or who require coaching in business management.

Anessa Garcia, Acting Office Manager, Monkhouse Law, Toronto

Gary was a big help during Covid lockdowns to helping me improve time management skills, billing
practices, target marketing, and all the worksheets that go along with achieving that. And he has a
great energy level that he brings to every session.

– Kari L. Becker, Partner at KPMG

Having returned to private practice after nearly nine years as in-house counsel, Gary has been invaluable in helping me shape my practice and drive growth. On top of that, Gary is a great guy and a pleasure to deal with.

– Steve Michoulas, Partner, McMillan LLP, Vancouver

I first engaged Gary after being referred to him by a former partner at my last firm. He worked with me to ease my transition into my new firm. Then as he would say, ‘I graduated’ to his business development coaching program. After a few short months I can frankly say I now have the means and ability to deal with that lingering fear of where my next client or file is going to come from. As a result of my working with Gary, I am significantly growing my practice and taking it to the next level by building my team. His practical and down to earth approach has been invaluable to me and my career. With the growth of my practice and team, new challenges arise. I continue to work with Gary to tackle these challenges and take my career to the next level.

-Kevin Plowman, Partner, Miller Thomson, Calgary

(Excerpt from the Foreword to Raindance-Large Firm Edition)

I met Gary Mitchell at a time of crossroads in my legal practice. After ten years I had achieved “success”: partnership, loyal clients and a reasonable pay-cheque at a downtown Vancouver law firm. However, I held an ambition to grow my practice further into something special.

Misguided attempts on my own or guided by legal marketing “experts” had led only to frustration. So I conducted my own search for an individual that had the aptitude, skills and mindset I needed to get me on track. After interviewing a number of candidates, I chose Gary. There is no doubt he was the right choice.

-Chris Rusnak, Partner, Harper Grey LLP, Vancouver

Gary’s program really delivers. I was skeptical of working with a coach, but armed with Gary’s skillful application of practical business principles to my own practice, I am now focused, experiencing great results, and excited about the future. I have recommended Gary’s program to numerous colleagues.

-Greg Mcilwain, Partner, McMillan LLP, Calgary

Working with Gary has completely changed the way that I approach the practice of law. His breadth
of expertise and individual-centric approach to business and practice development has helped shape
me into an ever-more efficient, conscientious, and goals-oriented lawyer.

Gary’s greatest attributes, however, might be in his ability to motivate and relate on an interpersonal
level – after each one of our sessions, I leave knowing that Gary is as invested in my progression
and success as I am. I would recommend him to anyone, legally trained or otherwise.

– Brendan MacDonald, Associate at MacDonald Associates PC

As a relatively new lawyer, Gary was a treasure trove of advice. At all times, he was patient and
treated me with respect. After numerous sessions, it quickly became apparent to me that he was a
natural leader.

Considering that I found Gary to be knowledgeable, empathetic, kind, experienced, and not to
mention hilarious, I would undoubtedly recommend him to anyone who is seeking to maximize their
potential. He is an asset to have in your corner to help navigate the bumpy journey we call
professional development.

– Misha Leslie, Associate at Benmor Family Law Group

Gary and his coaching model were crucial during my transition from an Articling Student position at an insurance defence firm to a position as a plaintiff Employment Lawyer.  He provided me with the knowledge, advice and tools I needed to properly navigate the competing interests of time management, business development, client relationships and office politics. He has taught me the value of patience, balance and a positive attitude in my practice. Gary’s training employs effective, tangible methods to build a business network. He has also provided me with several practical solutions which have helped with my client consultations and the quality of my work product. I am able to face the challenges of this line of work with a newfound confidence in my abilities as a direct result of Gary’s help.

Personally, I could not have made this transition in my career without Gary’s assistance.

– Walter Yoo, Associate, Monkhouse Law, Toronto

With a good start under my belt, I realized I needed guidance on a path forward in my career and to partnership. Coaching helped me focus on longer-term goals. Gary acted as a third party (no judgement) sounding board for ideas and provided the accountability to keep me motivated to do the things I knew I should be doing. Young lawyers need to actively think and act early on to structure a sustainable practice that can align life and career goals. Coaching can give you that external push and perspective to get there faster.

Mitchell Allison, Associate, McMillan LLP, Calgary

We hired Gary as our business coach during our law firm’s first year in business. His advice, guidance and access to other professionals in the legal field has been a huge asset to the growth of our new firm. He has helped us institute systems, establish our brand and build a resource network. His services are highly recommended to any start-up law firm.

-Kara Duncan, Co-Founder, Duncan Allen Law, Nanaimo

Gary’s insights, informed by his experience working with lawyers, of the best practices and many tried-and-true approaches in business development have been invaluable. He encourages me to remain genuine to my personality, while stretching beyond my comfort zone when it comes to BD. My own BD effort benefits a lot from his high-level strategic perspectives and practical…more

-Matthew Choi, Associate, Norton Rose Fulbright, Vancouver

I was fortunate enough to run into Mr. Gary Mitchel at a time when I was approaching a cross-roads in my nationally based law career, after 16 years of practice throughout 5 provinces. It was during this time of ‘change’ in my career journey that Gary stepped in to fulfill an important role as guide and coach. His insights and professional instinct lead me to and through a lot of changes. His seasoned assessment of the wider national market for lawyering helped me sample multiple perspectives and find meaningful change. His perspectives on the market norms, law firm development, client growth, law firm culture are invaluable. I am thankful to Gary for his continued coaching. I am thankful to call him my friend.  

– Kit S. Perrick, Lawyer, Peak Law LLP, Vancouver

Working with Gary has led to more business in less than 3 months.

-Marc-Andre Morin, Partner, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, Montreal

Gary was essential in helping me getting my law practice up and running. I would not have succeeded without Gary keeping me motivated, accountable and task orientated. I highly recommend Gary if you are overwhelmed with starting your own practice or overwhelmed with keeping your practice going. Gary is familiar with what it takes to run a legal practice and I have no doubt he will be able to help you work through whatever hurdles you may be facing. Gary is awesome!!!!

-Andrea Peterson, Founder, ACE Legal, Vancouver

Gary’s focused business development strategies are a significant improvement over the general scattered strategy that I see most lawyers implementing. If you’re serious about focusing on the next stage of your career, you should get in touch with Gary.

-Travis Cramb, Formerly of Bull Housser Tupper LLP, Vancouver

Gary is a superb individual. I know Gary from his work assisting lawyers; partners and associates alike, in developing themselves as individuals with a view to increasing their client base and ultimately realizable production. The results are invariably more profits, in less time and with less expense – for both the lawyer and the law firm.

-Tony Fogarassy, Dunbar PC, Vancouver

I had the pleasure of working with Gary Mitchell as my Business Development coach for one year. Gary has truly been monumental in my career as a Senior Law Clerk at Benmor‎ Family Law Group. Gary’s integrity in this process, expertise and ability to think outside the box, has made my journey in business development rewarding and successful.

My business plan and goals that I had developed with Gary have now come to fruition. This includes being a presenter, being a board member for a not for profit organization, being actively involved in various organizations, publishing and being present in social media.

Gary has taught me the importance of focusing on personal and professional growth. He also taught me that we should be proud of our accomplishments (whether big or small). For example, over the course of the year working with Gary, more referrals began coming to me and my billable hours increased by 20 percent at the same time as being actively involved with business development. I can’t say enough about how my working with Gary has put me on a career path I couldn’t have imagined a short time ago. I highly recommend him.

-Cris Lam, Senior Law CLerk, Benmor Family Law, Toronto