Community & Events

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is celebrating 40 years as an international Jewish human rights organization that defends the safety of Jews worldwide, confronts anti-Semitism, hate and terrorism, and teaches the lessons of the Holocaust for future generations. It is involved in a multitude of community programs, events and social action including lectures and discussions with renowned speakers.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is also hosting the 2017 Spirit of Courage Benefit this Sunday, December 3rd, 2017 with keynote speaker, General David H. Petraeus. During the event, they will be honoring Leo Melamed with the International Leadership Award.

Leo Melamed

Having found long-awaited shelter in the U.S. during World War II, Leo survived the holocaust as a child after escaping Poland with his parents in a feat that took two years and spanned three continents. He grew to become globally recognized as the founder of financial futures.

Leo Melamed currently serves as Chairman Emeritus at CME Group (the Chicago Mercantile Exchange) and has received numerous awards including:

• The 2005 CME Melamed-Arditti Innovation Award
• The 2016 State of Illinois Order of Lincoln Award (the highest award conferred by the State of Illinois)
• The Order of the Rising Sun, bestowed in 2017 by the Emperor of Japan for achievements in advancing world markets

As Chairman and CEO of Melamed & Associates, Inc., a global consulting enterprise, Leo Melamed has revolutionized futures trading and financial markets and was previously named by the former editor of The Chicago Tribune “among the ten most important Chicagoans in business of the 20th Century”.

Also being recognized during this event is Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, recipients of the Guardian of the Future Award, and Kinue Tokudome, who is being honored as a Medal of Valor recipient.

To learn more about the Simon Wiesenthal Center or how you can help support their cause, visit their website at www.wiesenthal.org.

Discover our networking events for Chicago lawyers.

We’re hosting a wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres to celebrate and support the services provided to immigrant communities throughout downstate Illinois by the dedicated attorneys and staff of the Immigration Project. Amata Law Offices and Delgado Rompf Bruen LLC have come together in donating the space for this event!

Date: Thursday, November 16, 2017
Time: 5:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m.
Location: Delgado Rompf Bruen LLC, 180 North LaSalle Street, Suite 3700, Chicago, IL

Donations will be accepted at the event via credit card, check, and cash. If you are unable to attend, please considering supporting the work of the Immigration Project through an online donation. Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois has generously agreed to match new donations over $250 up to $10,000 for this event.

Thank you for your support!

Discover our networking events for Chicago lawyers.

Amata Law Office Suites teamed up with Advitam IP, LLC on October 26th for one of their monthly attorney networking events. Top attorneys convened in Chicago at The Metropolitan Club on the 67th floor of the Willis Tower for the event.

Guest speakers, Chrissie Martell from the Justice Entrepreneurs Project and Dave Moss with the Haymarket Opera Company, spoke on Turning Conversations into Clients while Pianist, Liza Micell, serenaded the crowd with her expert playing.

Amata gave away an executive photo shoot by ExecPix Photography that was won by Michael Fakaros, and The Metropolitan Club gave away two, $200 gift cards that were won by Stephanie Sexhauer and Randy Rapp.

The evening was enjoyable, and great conversations were had with many connections made!

If you’re looking for affordable coworking space in Chicago where you can partake in attorney networking events focused on building your firm, look at Amata.

Discover our networking events for Chicago lawyers.

Leading attorneys came together last Thursday evening to build their relationships, enjoy a sense of camaraderie, and share referrals and resources. Check out this video and you will see, this is what being part of the Amata network is all about. With only 60 tickets available, the Amata attorney social on the Wendella river cruise was a sold-out event. The exclusive list of attendees ranged from 30 year veterans from large law firms to first year attorneys participating in the Chicago-Kent incubator program that partnered with Amata Law Offices to provide office space and services to the attorneys in the program. Meeting new people, building relationships and sharing referrals and resources is what selecting Amata Law Offices to house your firm is all about. This event was created from a collaboration between Amata and Advitam IP, an intellectual property law firm.

Just about a year ago Richard Gurak, a founding partner of Advitam IP, LLC, decided it would be beneficial if the attorneys at Amata’s 150 S Wacker office got together over a drink once a month to get to know each other. He circulated an invite for drinks and several attorneys took the opportunity to take a break, grab a drink and meet their neighbors. That first social became a monthly event and eventually opened up to legal professionals at other Amata offices where the events have also been hosted. Richard adds that “Amata saw the value in our legal professional’s social group and strongly supported us so we could take it to the next level.”

Richard has spent his career building relationships throughout the world, growing his practice to work with clients in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Pan-Asia. So it should come as no surprise that Richard began building his network soon after selecting Amata Law Offices to house Advitam IP, LLC’s North American offices. For 20 years practicing Intellectual Property law Richard has demonstrated how effective networking and building relationships can be to creating a successful law practice.

Future plans are coming together to continue the attorney socials. On October 26th plans are underway to host an event at The Metropolitan Club on the 67th floor of the Willis Tower. You won’t want to miss this event as Amata shares member benefits of the newly formed partnership with the club and details of the half billion-dollar renovation taking place at Willis Tower will be presented.

The next step: Getting to join the group on the river cruise was just the first step. The next step is to follow up with those you met on the river cruise or would have liked to meet but ran out of time. The attendee list has been distributed so take a few minutes and send a follow up or introduction e-mail introducing yourself. Set up a time for a call or cup of coffee and learn more about each other. Find out how each of you can help the other build your law practices. For all the attorneys I have had the privilege to work with, it is always those that get out and network that enjoy the most success.

Interesting Fact: Did you know that as an Amata member you have access to use services and space at all Amata locations at no additional cost. Today we spotlight the facilities at 150 N Michigan Ave., the white diamond shaped building in the Chicago skyline. Amata Law Offices operates two full floors in this building with views of lake Michigan and Millennium Park that will dazzle your clients. The 8th floor has recently reopened after a million dollar renovation has transformed the common area into a warm and welcoming meeting facility, added huddle rooms, a “live edge” table constructed entirely of one full tree slab from a downed tree in Wisconsin and expanded secretary workstations. Take a break from the routine and book a conference room or just stop in to work for a few hours. The offices have direct access to the Daley Center through Chicago’s underground pedway, so you never have to brave the weather going to court.

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Ron Bockstahler has worked with individual attorneys and law firms for the past 30 years, gaining an in depth understanding of the business of running a law practice. He is the co-founder and CEO of Amata Law Offices and Managing Broker for Amata Realty Group, LLC, a real estate firm dedicated to consulting attorneys on their office space needs. Ron can be reached at [email protected] or 312-924-0204.

Thank you to Advitam IP, LLC for hosting yet another wonderful attorney social for the Amata attorneys Wednesday night. Plenty of new faces were seen from diverse areas of practice and at one point contact cards were being dealt like a game of poker was about to begin.

Before the event attorneys were asked to submit their best marketing tips. All submissions were printed and hung on the walls and attendees voted for their favorite throughout the night. While specific tips benefitted certain practices more than others, everyone in attendance could agree that the key for success is always the simple matter of being personable and ending the job with work well done.

That being said, a clear winner pulled ahead at the end of the night with a great tip applicable to any type of practice. Congratulations to Michele Katz of Advitam IP, LLC for her winning marketing tip on creating email templates for client follow-ups!

Michele’s tip and all the other submissions are below. Thank you to all attorneys willing to share their tricks and tips and all who attended the event. You kept the atmosphere lively and the only thing flowing faster than the wine was the conversation. We hope to see you again this August for the final attorney social, the river cruise.

View more images from event.

Marketing Tips For Attorneys

1. This tip is simple: Undercut the competition’s prices.
2. Engage website visitors.
   Instead of a simple picture of you and your staff on your homepage:
   • Feature an engaging video (answer the questions you know they will have)
   • Offer a free book or report
   • Offer a free case evaluation
   • Provide a benefit calculator or a ‘How Much is my Case Worth’ form
   • Include a catchy headline
3. Want referrals but don’t know how to ask?
   On your outgoing message, after you say you are unavailable, add a quick statement that says: If you were referred, please let me know who referred you so that I may thank them.It takes two minutes of your time, but allows everyone hearing the message to know that you want and accept referrals.
4. Make your referral a concrete introduction.
   If a contact asks for a referral for a specific type of attorney, ask permission of the contact to make an email introduction between them and whomever you plan to refer them to.This extra step goes a long way toward the referral being “sticky” with the contact following up. Plus, the attorney receiving the referral will know how it originated.
5. Add live chat and exit pop up technology to your website.
   According to American Marketing Association, live chat increases conversion by 20 percent and results in a 305 percent overall return on investment (ROI).
6. Use Google ads.
   Google may be most readily viewed as a search engine company, but they make most of their money through advertising. With trackers on 2.2 million sites and 1 million apps, they have the data to ensure your ad is seen by the right people.Yelp ads can’t hurt, either.
7. Do a good job, get client referrals and don’t overcharge.
8. Get to know non-profits.
   Contact a local non-profit whose message focuses on potential clientele and see if you can do an event or presentation. Even a simple “Know Your Rights” presentation to the right group can provide you with leads.You can also partner with them to be their go-to referral if anyone asks for an attorney providing the services you do.
9. Write a column in a local paper.
   Reach out to small, local newspapers and offer to write a weekly column about legal matters for free. The newspapers will usually allow you to add your contact info on the column so people can reach you.
10. Michele’s Tip: Make an email template for follow ups.
    If you have to retype a follow up email every time you are less likely to get the task done. Make yourself a template with easy fill-ins for their name, where you met etc. You can save it as a signature and then quickly add it into a blank email on any platform. Or save it as an e-mail “Quick Step” on Microsoft Office.Dear ___,
    It was great meeting you at ___. We will keep in touch…
11. Establish a strong social media presence.
    You want clients to be able to find you, and everyone has a preference on where they go for their information. So be everywhere. Make a Facebook page, update your Google business information, establish an Avvo profile.Make sure people can find you and rate you and spread the news on how you helped them.
12. One-page newsletter sent by U.S. Postal Service to existing clients.
    We all receive hundreds of emails, sometimes in one day. Real mail has less competition. A one-page newsletter is easily skimmable; particularly if the topics talk about legal developments that interest.Your name and number should be included on the newsletter. Each time an issue goes out clients will call to ask questions or mention a relation who is having a similar problem. You will stay on their minds!

Need marketing support? Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.