by Jason D. Lazarus | Peak Practice by Synergy
What if I told you the road to a $100M verdict starts with a barstool conversation, a Google Doc, and a decision?
That’s exactly how Ryan McKeen of Best Era, LLC, began his journey in building a personal injury practice—going from a two-person shop to a 40+ person powerhouse in just five years. The firm didn’t just scale—it exploded, tripling revenue and securing one of the largest jury verdicts in state history.
How did they do it?
I sat down with Ryan on the Trial Lawyer View by Synergy podcast to unpack the core strategies behind his firm’s meteoric rise and to learn more about Best Era, LLC. The insights are gold for any personal injury lawyer thinking about building not just a law firm, but a scalable, resilient business.
Here are the takeaways that every trial lawyer needs to hear:
Growth Is a Choice—Vision Is the Catalyst
“The size of your firm is largely a choice.” That’s how Ryan kicks off the conversation—and it sets the tone. Before any systems were built or staff hired, Ryan and his partner made a conscious decision to grow. They mapped out a 10-year vision using the EOS Worldwide Vision/Traction Organizer (VTO), committing to a goal that seemed outlandish at the time: a $10M jury verdict.
That choice changed everything.
Their vision drove every operational decision—from adopting Filevine early on to hiring with purpose and investing in high-stakes litigation infrastructure. Within five years, that vision became reality in the form of a $100M verdict for a deserving client.
Lesson: Start with the end in mind. Then reverse-engineer your firm’s structure to support that future.
Systems Win (Yes, Really)
You can’t build a high-performing trial team if you’re stuck figuring out how to buy stamps.
McKeen shared a hilarious yet painfully relatable story about a summer employee who spent five hours trying to figure out postage. That’s when he knew: they needed systems.
So they built an 800+ page internal wiki, documenting everything from how to mail a letter to how to prep for trial. It became their firm’s operating system.
Why it matters: Great lawyering is wasted without great execution. And great execution comes from process.
“We built systems not just to do the work—but to make it easier to do the work the next 500 times.” —Ryan McKeen
Culture = What You Do (Not What You Say)
Ryan’s definition of culture isn’t abstract. It’s behavioral.
At his firm, culture looked like this: “If it’s not in the wiki, it doesn’t exist.” “Did you check the wiki first?” “If it’s missing, go make the page.”
This created a shared responsibility for improvement. Every employee became a builder of the firm’s future.
Result: They didn’t just scale—they scaled without chaos.
The First Hire That Changes Everything
When should you hire your first admin?
Ryan is crystal clear: the fifth hire should be administrative. At that point, the firm dynamics change. Communication breaks down. Systems strain. You need someone making sure the lights stay on and the printer works, so your legal team can focus on high-value tasks.
“Firms that hire admin help at 5 can scale to 15. Firms that don’t? They get stuck.”
That single hire often determines whether you’ll break through the next growth ceiling—or spin your wheels.
Your Job as CEO: Stop Practicing Law or Hire a CEO
It sounds counterintuitive, but Ryan insists that truly scaling requires stepping out of legal work and into leadership.
By the time he fully stepped into the CEO role, Ryan was out of cases and 100% focused on vision, operations, and team performance. They implemented EOS fully, brought in a COO, and used leadership meetings to keep the firm aligned and accountable.
If you want to scale beyond 25-30 people, you need to think like a CEO—not a senior partner.
Communities Are Your Competitive Advantage
Ryan credits much of his firm’s success to legal masterminds, where he learned everything from financial structuring to workflow design.
“Ignorance is very expensive. But wisdom? You can borrow it for free.”
His advice? Surround yourself with people who’ve already done what you’re trying to do. Borrow their playbooks. Learn from their scars.
Now He’s Teaching the Way Forward
Today, Ryan is building Best Era, LLC, a consultancy for law firms ready to scale. He teaches at UConn Law and is launching “The Way”—an online course and book for PI lawyers under $1M in revenue who want a roadmap to growth.
His mission? Help 12,500 lawyers in five years accelerate their law firm journey—with fewer missteps, more clarity, and better systems.
Final Thought: Authority Comes from Doing and Sharing
Ryan didn’t grow a firm by chasing trends—he grew it by executing on vision, building operational mastery, and committing to a culture of improvement.
And now? He’s teaching others how to do the same.
If you’re a personal injury trial lawyer looking to scale your impact, systematize your operations, and claim your place among the best—this is a blueprint.
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If you’re a personal injury lawyer ready to scale, streamline, or step into your role as CEO, let’s talk. Join the Peak Practice Community, and learn how synergy. can help you eliminate settlement bottlenecks, resolve complex liens, and maximize recoveries. Learn more here: https://partnerwithsynergy.com/peak-practice/
If you want to listen or watch the Trial Lawyer View by Synergy podcast episode with Ryan McKeen for even more insights, you can do so here: https://triallawyerview.com/podcast/ryan-mckeen/
If you want to grow and scale your law firm more effectively, consider partnering with synergy. for lien resolution. Learn more at: https://partnerwithsynergy.com/liens/
