A comical yet realistic look at the evolution of law firm governance and oversight. 

Today, I write to you not just as your friendly neighborhood Chief Operating Officer, but as a proud survivor of what I like to call The Great Admin Renaissance – that exciting era when the role of COO in a law firm evolved from “person who knows why the coffee machine keeps flashing ‘ERROR 47’” to “person who ensures the entire firm doesn’t flash ‘ERROR 47.’” 

Let us journey back in time (cue the legal time-travel harp music) ... 

The COO: Origins of the Species 

In the early days of boutique firms, the title of COO was often bestowed upon the brave soul who could juggle office leases, printer leases, and the occasional lease of sanity – usually while also ordering lunch and deciphering the Wi-Fi password scrawled on a sticky note from 2007. 

Back then, the role was more reactive than strategic. The COO kept the lights on (sometimes literally, by flipping the breaker), paid the bills, and was everyone’s go-to when the firm ran out of binder clips or coffee (equally urgent emergencies, depending on the client load). 

The Modern COO: AKA “Chief Orchestrator of Order” 

Fast forward to today. The COO of a modern law firm – especially one as finely tuned and mission driven as ours here in Austin – wears many hats, all of them fabulous and often metaphorical. 

Now, the COO is: 

• A strategic partner to leadership, helping drive firm growth with an eye on efficiency, culture, and client experience. 

• A data wrangler, translating key metrics into meaningful decisions. (No, “How many times has Greg microwaved fish this month?” is not currently tracked… but it could be.) 

• A culture curator, ensuring that while we are fierce in our defense of clients, we are also kind, collaborative, and maybe even a little fun (yes, I did approve that karaoke night, and no, I won’t apologize for it). 

• A technology whisperer, keeping us ahead of the digital curve without losing our collective minds to login fatigue or “unexpected system errors.” 

 Why It Matters to You 

A well-supported firm is a high-performing firm. When operations hum like a well-oiled espresso machine (don’t worry, I’ve got the service contract covered), attorneys can focus on what they do best: advocating for our clients with precision, passion, and persuasive flair. 

My goal is to make your work work better – with streamlined systems, a smooth infrastructure, and a sprinkle of workplace joy. Whether we’re navigating regulatory hurdles, onboarding a new associate, or finally figuring out who keeps stealing the good pens, the COO role is here to make it all happen behind the scenes … and sometimes, center stage with a mic and a “strategic plan” PowerPoint. 

In Conclusion 

The evolution of the COO in law firms is more than just a title change — it’s a testament to how our profession is growing, adapting, and getting sharper in every way. Gone are the days of reactive operations. The modern COO is here to build, to innovate, and occasionally to make everyone laugh at the all-hands meeting (I hope). 

So next time you see me tinkering with the case management software or giving kudos to someone after a team meeting, remember — we’re not just running a law firm. We’re running it smarter, better, and with just enough caffeine to keep things interesting. 

Yours in operational excellence (and office snack inventory control). 

Still not sure what ERROR 47 means, but we’re working on it. 

Texas Commission for Lawyer Discipline v. AG

Facts: AG hired Bertolino LLP to defend against a complaint filed with the Commission. The complainant made unsupported claims that AG had violated his due diligence obligations, and this baseless complaint threatened to damage AG’s reputation and expose him to potential discipline from the Commission. 

Outcome: Bertolino LLP evaluated the client’s case, assessed the applicable law and we gathered the documentation and evidence necessary to advocate against the grievance and show the Commission why the allegations needed to be dismissed. We developed a well-written response demonstrating how the grievance accusations lacked proper evidence and advocated aggressively on the client’s behalf for swift closure of this matter. The Commission evaluated the written response and agreed to close the grievance because there was no just cause to support taking disciplinary action against our client’s license. This allowed AG to return his focus to his clients’ needs and maintain his stellar legal reputation.

Texas Depart of Licensing and Regulation v. EM

Facts: EM hired Bertolino LLP to defend against a complaint filed with the Department. The complainant made groundless allegations that EM had violated professionalism requirements, and this baseless complaint threatened to damage EM’s reputation and expose her to potential discipline from the Department. 

Outcome: Bertolino LLP evaluated the client’s case, assessed the applicable law and we gathered the documentation and evidence necessary to fight against the meritless complaint and show the Department why the allegations needed to be dismissed immediately. We developed a well-written response explaining how the complaint accusations lacked any supporting evidence and advocated aggressively on the client’s behalf for swift dismissal of this matter. The Department evaluated the written response and agreed to dismiss the complaint with a nondisciplinary warning, taking no disciplinary action against our client’s license. This allowed EM to return her focus to her clients’ needs and kept her stellar industry reputation intact. 

Any regulated industry faces potential compliance and legal risks as part of their business operations. Whether you own a health care related practice, operate a real estate brokerage, run an insurance agency, operate an engineering or accounting firm, operate a law practice or have a plumbing business, the regulatory rules of the road govern the minimum standards, requirements and obligations licensed individuals have to the consuming public and your clients. It’s been said that your people are your most valuable resource and one way you can reduce the potential regulatory risks is by taking proactive steps to grow, educate and train your team of employees. By developing a more knowledgeable, skilled, collaborative and communicative team, your business, your practice and your livelihood will have a reduced overall risk profile. This article will discuss four key areas I recommend you invest time and resources in now. This will help decrease the time and expenses of reacting to compliance problems after they arise. These topics will include: (1) internal training; (2) external training and certification; (3) team building focused on collaboration, communication and emotional intelligence (“EQ”) skills; and (4) partnering with the right law firm to help you reduce risks. 

Invest in Regular Employee Internal Training to Grow Your Reputation and Reduce Legal Risks

Regular internal training is a critical opportunity for your staff to grow their knowledge, skills and education and share that learning with the rest of their team. Providing structured, periodic training presentations that your staff develop, and present gives them the opportunity to learn more about a topic, issue or area of practice you handle regularly. By preparing material for a presentation, they have thoroughly ingested the material, can train others, and you now have written reference materials other employees can refer to and new employees can be trained from. Recording the presentation provides even further educational fodder and reference material for the employees. In addition, by preparing and sharing the material, the presenting staff member then becomes a go-to font of knowledge for that topic and a resource when questions about that issue arise later. It may even be something your staff can present at professional or trade association conferences to expand your profile and recognition in the industry. With the added knowledge-base and study that comes with a regular internal training program, you will help your team spot potential issues, be aware of new developments, and grow competency in critical skills. All of this will help lower your business’s compliance risk profile.

Utilize External Training and Certifications to Strengthen Your Brand

and Decrease Your Risks

In addition to internal training, investing in external educational opportunities is equally important. Learning from outside resources, experts in an area, or covering topics you and your staff may not have knowledge of is critical to expanding your knowledge base, learning about new developments in methods, skills, techniques and staying aware of changes in the regulatory landscape. All of this impacts your compliance risk profile. Further, by providing employees with the opportunity to obtain specialized credentials or certifications, you also elevate the reputation of your business, firm or practice and the services you provide. Employees can add these credentials to your website and their online profile and tout those extra qualifications when potential clients seek your services. Investing in your staff’s education and growth gives them a nod of appreciation and helps keep talented and dedicated employees loyal to your business, reducing the risk they may leave to join a competitor. Having these longer-term, more knowledgeable employees with additional credentials on your team goes a long way to reducing the legal and compliance risks to your business.  

Build a Collaborative, Communicative and EQ Savvy Team to Elevate Your Business and Lower Your Legal Risk

It’s easy to get too busy with work and forget to take time from our busy professional lives to work on building the team that is the lifeblood of the business, practice or firm you operate. Without that group of employees operating well, your business, professional reputation and livelihood suffer, and your legal risks increase. So, it’s important to take the time and invest the resources in teambuilding events, workshops and training that foster a more collaborative, communicative and EQ (emotional intelligence) savvy team. 

This helps reduce legal and compliance risks in three main ways. First, your team will communicate better with each other. And communication is not just limited to talking, it also involves a healthy dose of good listening. A team more effective in communicating (internally and externally) is going to provide better services to clients, patients and customers and reduce the risks of miscommunication, misunderstanding or other errors that increase compliance and legal exposure through lawsuits and regulatory complaints. Second, a more collaborative team is a more efficient and effective team. This means your staff are working better together to solve problems, avoid issues and reduce challenges because they are more in sync – all of which helps reduce your business’s legal risks. Third, a team with more knowledge, skill and experience utilizing emotional intelligence (“EQ”) is better equipped to handle client, patient or customer needs, anticipate challenges and adroitly care for challenging customers and their needs. This stops problems from festering and developing into regulatory complaints or lawsuits. Better client rapport translates into happy clients, patients or customers who are less likely to file complaints with your regulator.

Partner with the Right Firm So that Your Legal Risks Diminish

Bertolino LLP provides proactive legal compliance consulting services and free educational services through its Know Your Regulator initiative. Both help you develop your team of employees and reduce your legal and compliance risks. Contact us today to see how we are the right partner to help you reduce your legal risks. 

Collaboration and Connection: The Bertolino LLP Team in Focus

At Bertolino LLP, we recognize that strengthening our team is essential to staying true to our mission: putting clients first in everything we do. While we work well together, we realize the importance of regularly reconnecting and refining our understanding of one another to maintain a high-performing team.

When asked what makes Bertolino LLP a true team, we all agree it's rooted in trust, openness, and a commitment to leveraging each other's strengths. Whether tackling everyday challenges or facing the most daunting tasks, we know who can help and rely on one another to accomplish the job. Our mission drives our honesty and transparency, and our successes are always measured by doing what's best for our clients.

As summer began, we took the opportunity to celebrate our collective achievements and continue growing as a team. After a productive retreat focused on the Myers-Briggs exercise and the Five Dysfunctions of a Team designed to help us better understand each other's strengths and areas for growth, we decided it was time for some well-earned relaxation. We headed to Lake Travis for a team-building event that allowed us to unwind, reflect, and connect on a personal level.

It was the perfect opportunity to enjoy the calm waters of the lake, share laughs, and appreciate the bonds that make us not just colleagues but a true Bertolino family. As the summer heat sets in, we're energized and ready for what lies ahead, stronger than ever as a team. Thank you to London de la Teja for organizing this memorable event and to Sheri Middlemas for curating the boat party theme and ensuring everyone had a great time. And special thanks to Tony Bertolino, who enables all the great things to happen at Bertolino LLP.

MJ and her husband enjoying the view on Lake Travis' June 6th Team Event.

LaJuana participation is always top level. She's hoping the dancing begins soon.

Setting up! Right to left: Tony Bertolino, Sheri Middlemas, DJ Collora discuss where to set up food and refreshments!