When John S. Berry and I sat down for Trial Lawyer View, one moment hit me like a flash grenade: “As of last Friday, Berry Law has about 187 employees in 12 states.” That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because a leader owns the vision, builds the right infrastructure, and keeps lawyers focused on what actually moves cases and clients forward.
John’s journey from Ranger School to running a national veterans and injury firm offers a practical playbook for any trial lawyer who wants to grow without losing the soul of the practice. Here are seven leadership moves you can steal today.
🎯 Own the vision
In the old partner-driven model, everyone has a say and no one has a clear picture. John’s take is simple: one leader has to visualize the whole “battlefield,” see the obstacles, and align the team around a single direction. Otherwise, you’re staring at half the beach ball and missing what’s on the other side.
🏗️ Build “battalion” infrastructure
John organized his firm like an infantry battalion: dedicated leads for sales, marketing, IT, operations, finance, and HR whose job is to support the lawyers. That structure keeps legal strategy with the lawyers while specialists run the business functions at a high level.
⚖️ Keep lawyers in the strategy seat
“Officers plan and NCOs execute.” That military truth maps cleanly to plaintiff work. Senior trial lawyers set the strategy and carry the burden for the case; talented staff and associates execute so the lead lawyer doesn’t get lost in the weeds. When lawyers try to do everything, they miss the big picture that wins trials and drives results.
🏁 Decide faster than the next firm
Indecision kills momentum. John told a story about a 30-lawyer firm that spent six months arguing over carpet color while growth stalled. Leaders who make timely calls, even on small stuff, keep the organization focused on the mission, not the blinds.
🪖 Prepare like a Ranger, adapt like a CEO
Berry Law already had remote leadership muscle before COVID. When the world shifted, they had an “op plan” and moved the team remote overnight. That readiness mindset lets you respond fast and keep serving clients when conditions change.
📊 Measure what matters
Plenty of firms still skip the basics: KPIs, regular reviews, data-driven decisions. If you can’t see workload, utilization, and cash flow in near real time, you’re flying blind. That’s not a business; it’s a hope.
📈 Put results over reputation
This one’s worth taping to your monitor: “Don’t worry about your reputation, worry about your results.” Do right by the client, teach your team to do the same, and reputation follows. That’s how you grow sustainably in PI.
🧘♂️⚖️ Courtroom bonus: Presence beats bravado
The best trial lawyers aren’t loud; they’re locked in. John calls it “situational awareness.” Be the most prepared, most credible person in the room. Stay flexible because the story can shift in an instant. Preparation is the path to poise.
Quick wins you can implement this quarter
- Name your vision owner. If it’s you, say it out loud. If it’s not, pick them. Then document the next 3 firm priorities.
- Stand up a battalion-style org. Assign accountable leads for marketing, intake/sales, ops, finance, IT, and HR. Their job is serving the lawyers.
- Unburden your trial lawyers. Push non-lawyer tasks to trained staff. Keep your best lawyers on strategy, relationships, and high-value advocacy.
- Codify an “op plan” for disruption. If you had to go remote again tomorrow, what happens in 24 hours? Write it. Test it.
- Publish and review KPIs monthly. Intake-to-sign rates, cycle times, case value velocity, AR days. If it impacts clients, measure it.
- Coach presence. Trial skills training that prioritizes awareness and preparation beats “winging it” every time.
🌄 Why This Matters to the Peak Practice Community
John’s philosophies matter to the Peak Practice community because they translate growth into a disciplined, client-first operating system. A single owner of the vision, a battalion-style structure that supports lawyers, and a results-over-reputation mindset give firms clarity on who does what and why it matters. His focus on preparation, fast decision-making, and measurable KPIs helps trial teams keep their edge in the courtroom while the business runs with purpose. That approach aligns with Peak’s mission to help innovative PI firms scale, sharpen operations, and invest their time where it counts most. It also pairs naturally with Synergy’s role in removing lien and settlement bottlenecks so leaders can stay in the strategy seat. For attorneys who want to grow without losing their core, John’s playbook is a practical roadmap for building a durable, high-trust practice.
🎧 Listen to the full podcast conversation on Trial Lawyer View here: https://triallawyerview.com/podcast/john-berry/
🔗 Want more insights like this?
If you’re a personal injury lawyer ready to scale, streamline, and 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 grow and scale your law firm more effectively, consider partnering with Synergy for lien resolution. Learn more at: https://partnerwithsynergy.com/liens/
