Most law firms are bleeding talent — especially women — because Big Law is still obsessed with 80-hour weeks. In this episode, Sasha Berson chats with Leslee Cohen, who built a powerhouse Chicago firm by hiring top lawyers with one shared deal-breaker: they refused to sacrifice life for their career. Big Law said no. Leslee said yes — and it changed everything. She reveals how her team delivers elite work, maintains sky-high retention, and has a culture people genuinely love.
📰 About Leslee Cohen:
Leslee Cohen is a brilliant corporate and M&A attorney with 30+ years of deal-making experience, including 20 years in Big Law on Wall Street. Today, she runs AllRise Legal Counsel — a fast-growing firm that pairs top-tier legal talent with a flexible culture that Big Law can’t compete with. Her mission: help founders raise capital, scale fast, and land life-changing exits, without the burnout.
👉 Sasha and Leslee explore:
— The main reason women leave Big Law, and how your firm can be the solution
— A zero-turnover hiring model that any firm can copy
— Why flexibility is now a competitive advantage in the legal world
— How to attract elite lawyers without paying Big Law salaries
— The culture shift that makes teams “go the extra mile” automatically
👉 Main Takeaways from the Episode:
— Audit your team’s flexibility needs (confidential 1:1 convos — ask what they actually need)
— Fix recognition gaps by implementing weekly shout-outs or wins
— Stop résumé-gap bias by recruiting on experience and alignment, not perfect timelines
— Measure retention like a profit metric (track tenure, replacement costs, lost productivity)
— Allow ownership to let your team suggest improvements, and implement the good ones immediately
If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit https://growlaw.co/
📞 Connect with Leslee Cohen:
• Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslee-cohen/
• LinkedIn: https://www.allriselawyers.com/
📞 Connect with Sasha Berson:
• LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/grow-law/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grow_law/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@growlaw
• Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/growlaw
• Email: info@growlaw.co
• Phone: (312) 854-7724
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