In this week’s episode of the NAWL Podcast, host Lisa Sheeler—Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel at RhumbLine Advisers—welcomes Lisa Cukier, Partner at Rubin Rudman, LLP, and Ellen Keiley, President of EMK Consulting Group, LLC, for a dynamic conversation on business development through three distinct lenses: the practicing attorney, the business development coach, and the client. Together, they dive into the power of authentic networking, the value of leaning into your strengths, and the strategies behind building lasting client relationships. From personal branding to professional growth, this episode offers actionable insights for legal professionals at every stage of their career. Tune in to discover how to elevate your business development approach and expand your professional network with purpose.
In this week’s episode of the NAWL Podcast, host Lisa Sheeler—Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel at RhumbLine Advisers—welcomes Lisa Cukier, Partner at Rubin Rudman, LLP, and Ellen Keiley, President of EMK Consulting Group, LLC, for a dynamic conversation on business development through three distinct lenses: the practicing attorney, the business development coach, and the client. Together, they dive into the power of authentic networking, the value of leaning into your strengths, and the strategies behind building lasting client relationships. From personal branding to professional growth, this episode offers actionable insights for legal professionals at every stage of their career. Tune in to discover how to elevate your business development approach and expand your professional network with purpose.
Discover more about Ellen and explore how you can benefit from her expert coaching through NAWL's Coaching Roster!
Bios:
Lisa Cukier has a law practice that bridges the intersection of service as trustee and conservator, trust and estate litigation, trust and estate planning, high asset matrimonial law, and private client strategic planning. Her practice focuses on complex trust and estate controversies, high-asset matrimonial disputes, fiduciary appointments, and legal interventions in cases involving diminished capacity and undue influence. Lisa counsels individuals, families, and family offices, as well as family trustees and family businesses, as they navigate emotionally charged transitions — such as high asset divorce, high stakes incapacity, death, interfamilial conflict and controversy, and external vulnerabilities — crafting legal solutions that protect both financial stability, legacies, safety and personal dignity. Trusted by judges, colleagues, and clients alike, Lisa is known for top-flight resolution of high-conflict, high-net-worth matters where family, wealth, and capacity collide. In addition to her family law and fiduciary litigation practice, Lisa serves as a trustee, guardian, and conservator, often at the direct request of clients, lawyers representing family members or the family business, or by judges seeking an experienced problem solver and peacekeeper. She is also a trusted special master and guardian ad litem in contentious cases involving children and older individuals who are experiencing signs of diminishing capacity, and she is frequently retained to render expert witness opinion and testify as an expert witness in contested trust and estate litigation matters.
Ellen M. Keiley is the President of EMK Consulting Group, LLC, a firm specializing in marketing, business development coaching, and public relations for law, accounting, finance, and other professional services firms. A recognized authority with over 20 years of experience, Ellen is known for her expertise in networking, brand building, and strategic visibility. She has written for numerous publications and was a regular contributor to RadioBDC’s Global Business Hub segment. She has also been extensively quoted and featured in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Boston Magazine, and Boston Common Magazine, and speaks frequently at conferences and industry events. She previously authored the “Ask Ellen” and “Legal Tender” columns in Lawyers Weekly and currently writes a column for Business of Law INSIDER focused on public relations. Ellen is actively involved in the community. She is the Past President of the National Association of Women MBAs, serves on the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Women’s Network Advisory Board, and on the Women Owned Law Boston Steering Committee. She has also served on the United Way Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) and Lawyers Have Heart Executive Committees. She is the former Vice Chair of City Year’s Legal Community Breakfast and Past Vice Chair of its Women’s Leadership Breakfast. Additionally, she is the past Co-Chair of The Boston Club’s Member Engagement Committee and its MetroWest Affinity Group, and was Co-Chair of the 2020 Women on Boards National Conversation on Board Diversity event. Ellen graduated summa cum laude from Northeastern University and is a Certified Professional Coach, trained by the International Coaching Federation–accredited Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). She has been recognized by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a Top Public Relations Firm and Top Business Development Coach for law firms for the past eight years. Ellen is also a recipient of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s “Excellence in Marketing” award and the Idealism in Action Award from City Year.