Transcript
Kateri Foley: These firms work hard to find partners that they trust with their clients and are able to share this information and then they refer these cases and by being able to see how it actually progresses in a documented and trackable format I think enables transparency which makes the truth clear.
Introduction
Katie Frey: Welcome to Law Meets Life presented by Pond Lehocky, where conversations go beyond the courtroom and into the people, experiences, and moments that define who we are. I’m your host, Katie Frey, and today’s guest is the head of growth at Case Xchange, Kateri Foley. Kateri, thank you so much for being here.
Kateri Foley: Thank you for having me.
Katie Frey: Absolutely. So, Kateri, one of the things I love most about this podcast is that it gives me an opportunity to learn alongside our listeners. And I’m not a tech person by any means, but every once in a while, you just come across an idea that really makes you wonder why somebody did not create it sooner. And Case Xchange is that to me, the more research that I did, the more I realized that’s really a hole in the industry that is helping to fill. Today we’ll have a chance to better understand not just the technology but also how it can make a real difference for attorneys and the clients that they serve. So before we get into Case Xchange because I’m very excited to talk to you about this tool. I want to know a little bit more about you. We just found out we’re birthday twins right before this July 27. But I’m really interested in your background and what led you to Case Xchange.
Kateri Foley: Sure. So, I’ve worked in a few different industries and across a few different parts of the country and been able to move around a bunch. So, I’ve been in sales, marketing, customer experience, and also events and have worked on civic events and Super Bowls and things of that nature. And landed in commercial real estate, was doing customer engagement there and then transitioned, made a move to Philadelphia and recently joined Case Xchange in the legal tech space. But I think the common thread is really customer experience and getting to know people and finding the right solutions that serve them. So that’s the common thread among all those different pivots.
Katie Frey: I love how you just casually dropped a Super Bowl mention in there. Can you tell us more about that?
Kateri Foley: I handled all the retail graphics for the 2017 and 2018 Super Bowls in Houston, Texas is where it started. I’d been working with the Houston Texans and then got referred in for the Super Bowl and then did it again in Minnesota. This you I love how casually you say that. Was that not Lady Gaga’s year of Lady Gaga?
Katie Frey: Oh my gosh. What was that like? It was wild. It was very cool to get to see her practice and even just the whole halftime show process of watching them practice the perfection around timing and all of that kind of stuff. But then, you know, there was also a big mishap admittedly of a couple people on my team who after signing NDA signed took pictures of her performing and so they were all removed immediately and I was literally installing graphics myself because you couldn’t get it was too late to do security clearance and everything again. So, it was a wild experience, but we did well enough that I got the project again in 2018. So, oh my gosh, that is crazy. You overcoming obstacles. NDAs are serious, everybody.
Kateri Foley: Yeah, especially with the NFL, they don’t they don’t play.
Katie Frey: That would be so wild. I know you said you’ve lived in Long Island. You grew up there. Then you also moved to Texas. Did you say you were in one of New Jersey?
Kateri Foley: Yeah, New Jersey. North Carolina. Philadelphia now. Yes, Philadelphia. A little over a year.
Katie Frey: All of the places. Yeah. Yeah. Do you have a favorite?
Kateri Foley: They all bring different pluses and minuses, right? You know, Houston was a very cool city. I met a lot of different people from all over the world. I think people from all over the world—more than I ever did in New York, honestly. I think oil and gas just brings people from and that’s such a major industry there, but there’s also crazy weather challenges. I went through Harvey there and the freeze, which damaged my home. Like just lots of challenges there. but then New York is New York, right? Such an iconic city. And I was just speaking to somebody earlier saying that I think I needed to leave to appreciate as much as I did and be like maybe it is worth the money. But I’m really happy in Philadelphia. I think it has that Northeast energy without the hustle and bustle and craziness that New York City and all of that, you know, require.
Katie Frey: For sure. Is there a favorite food place out of all the places you’ve lived?
Kateri Foley: That’s tough. Houston’s a big food city, but I’m going to go with New York. I think there’s more iconic. Yeah.
Katie Frey: Really? Okay.
Kateri Foley: I think there’s like older establishments that are more iconic and stuff like that there.
Katie Frey: Getting back to Case Xchange, I know you and I have had these conversations having a background in marketing, moving from these different industries from sports to oil and gas, real estate. Now, being in this tech industry, was there ever a specific moment where you realized that there was such a huge gap in the industry that Case Xchange was ready to fill?
Kateri Foley: Yeah, I think just being introduced to Pond Lehocky and Case Xchange and the interview process and stuff I and doing my some of my own research, learning that just that there hasn’t been a solution for tying the law firms together as far as their communication goes and that this platform was leading the charge in that way and so it was really compelling to me to make the move to transition into the field.
Katie Frey: Absolutely. We talked about how there is a problem that Case Xchange is helping to fix, but let’s just start with the basics. What is Case Xchange?
Kateri Foley: Sure. So, Case Xchange is an attorney to attorney case referral platform connecting firms in the entire process. So, when a sending firm sends refers a case out basically because they couldn’t it doesn’t fit their jurisdiction or their case type that they would typically handle or maybe just bandwidth. they refer it to a partner and then that partner takes over the case and runs with it. And so Case Xchange has created a platform that makes that visible across this the entire process for both sides of the for the sending firm and the receiving firm and helps the communication stay consistent and keep track of the case and keep it on track.
Katie Frey: Okay. So who exactly is Case Xchange built for?
Kateri Foley: The attorneys the running the different firms and that can be from a solo attorney to a national firm. it scales based on the firm’s needs, but for the legal field and the professionals involved,
Katie Frey: What’s something that’s happening behind the scenes at law firms today that most people would be surprised to learn?
Kateri Foley: I think given how sophisticated the industry is as a whole, it’d be surprising to learn how lagging they are on the technology side and how so much of it is still being handled in a manual process, meaning spreadsheets, phone calls, emails as far as managing massive you know, responsibility and funds and all that kind of stuff. So, I think just the lack of technology that exists currently and the communication between all the firms and stuff would be surprising to people.
Katie Frey: So when a referral goes to a case and that case then turns into a settlement, how are firms currently receiving the information that they received a settlement?
Kateri Foley: My understanding is anywhere from receiving emails and communication that you would typically have within a business to a check just showing up years later because some cases go on for years and years and there’s no way to there’s not no way but there’s it’s challenging to track something for that long. You can have employee turnover, all different things where things can easily slip through the cracks. Whereas if it’s in one system consistently, it lives there and it’s updated there. It’ll remain until you it’s closed and you’re aware of it.
Katie Frey: I have to be completely honest. I would love to get a random check in the mail for like a million dollars years later. But what happens when you don’t get that check and you didn’t know?
Kateri Foley: So fair point. Very fair point.
Katie Frey: Yeah. So it sounds like Case Xchange has really identified a problem that’s bigger than just law. It’s about that communication, the followup, the ability to track a case over time. Yeah. So, when it comes to why Case Xchange matters, when a lawyer refers a case to another attorney, what typically happens today?
Kateri Foley: it starts with email communication. Well, first of all, they work to build relationships with firms and things like that. So there are established relationships that they’re working with, but generally starts with an email and phone calls, sending over the case, sharing the case details, putting that lawyer in touch with the client, and then it goes from there. And the challenges with that is that the sending firm, I don’t want to say they’re in the dark, but they’ve got to follow up a lot of times because then the receiving firm is trying to work the case and not just keep people updated. So, it really can be cumbersome, I think, to maintain the communication, whereas Case Xchange again puts that all in one place and you can see it in real time on both sides and not have to be making phone calls and emails and all that kind of stuff to touch base.
Katie Frey: That sounds like it could be extremely frustrating to have to manually follow up every time and remember and keep track and also manage, you know, getting the case settled and all of that kind of stuff.
Kateri Foley: Absolutely. Yeah.
Katie Frey: So, we’ve talked about how that’s very frustrating for everybody involved to try to keep up with that sort of manual process. Why does that process create frustration for both firms?
Kateri Foley: Yeah. So, I think on the sending side is that they’ve established relationships with clients and then they’re referring these cases out and it’s their reputation is, you know, sort of on the line as well. And while they may be a trusted partner, communication can lag because everybody’s so busy. So, they’ve got to continually follow up probably with the receiving firm. And then on the receiving-firm side, which needs to work the case, they’re spending a lot of time answering emails about what’s going on with the case, how are things going, what’s the progress. And so, for the receiving firm, I think just the constant communication and need to upkeep, you know, I think both for both sides, it can be pretty cumbersome to keep track of it without a system of record to see how things are moving through and in real time too on both sides without a ton of follow-up.
Katie Frey: Absolutely. I can completely imagine that every attorney at some point has been like, “Do they even receive my referrals? What’s happening with this case?” How common is that?
Kateri Foley: Universal. That’s probably the biggest thing that I’ve understand that everybody’s heard is that is like one of the most common problems and is really the reason why Case Xchange needed to come to the market because it is a consistent problem across the field.
Katie Frey: That’s wild that’s a universal issue. So, how does greater transparency actually strengthen relationships between firms?
Kateri Foley: Well, I think you know these firms work hard to find partners that they trust with their clients and are able to share this information and then they refer these cases and by being able to see how it actually progresses in a documented and trackable format I think enables transparency which makes the truth clear. And so you know and it’s not like let me find out what happened here. Let me check with this person to see where that fell through and this that the other thing. So it’s just data that’s there and the numbers don’t lie and so and the progress and tracking doesn’t lie and so it just create it solidifies the exactly how things went you know with the case specifically.
Katie Frey: Now I want to talk a little bit about the life cycle of a case because especially depending on the case type it can be quite long. Mhm. I can see how it would be important to have that transparency and those updates of where the case is at in that journey. At the end of the day, how does this ultimately benefit the client?
Kateri Foley: Yeah. So, I think the clients that a lot of our customers, the attorneys are working with are facing some of the most difficult challenges that they’re going to face in their life through whatever the case is about. And so I think by having a tool that helps make the process of communication between the two firms and all the parties involved in the case helps really streamline the process, expedite the process and get that back to the client who’s the ultimate priority.
Katie Frey: So there are other referral platforms out there already. What did you feel like they were missing?
Kateri Foley: Yeah. So, a lot of the other platforms that are out there are focusing on algorithms for directing cases to other firms, whereas Case Xchange is really focused on building your private network and continuing to work with the network that you’ve already established. So, you’ve established these trusted relationships with other lawyers and law firms over the years of practicing and whatnot. And so, Case Xchange enables you to bring that network in and continue to work with them, but in a more efficient process. And then additionally there’s a growing tool called the public directory. So anybody that is on the platform in a sending capacity can also seek out other firms that other partners trust and if they’re if they’re not able to find somebody to take a case that is already in their network.
Katie Frey: Now something that I love about Case Xchange as a Korean who grew up in central Pennsylvania is that it’s free. It’s free to join. So why was that important?
Kateri Foley: Yeah. So, because in order for a referral network to really work, you have to have partners. And so, these sending firms that are coming on need to be able to bring the people that they’ve established relationships and want to be able to continue to work with if they’re going to use the platform. And so, we’ve made it free for anybody that’s in the receiving capacity to join totally for free. They can receive cases from their partner for free. their team members can all have unique licenses, join for free, and then also integrate with any of the platforms that they’re using for free. to really just make it easy for the sending firms to encourage their partners to participate and use the tool that they want to use.
Katie Frey: One thing that I found interesting is that firms don’t have to buy into an entire ecosystem like you just said to use it. So why was having a standalone solution so important?
Kateri Foley: Yeah. Because these firms go out and they find a case management system that fits their needs. They invest time, money, resources, and training and all of that type of stuff and they want to work with a platform that they want to work with. And so Case Xchange kind of comes in as a connector between those two firms and creates the connection to be able to communicate regardless of the platform that either firm is on. So they can integrate with the different systems and be able to communicate through the platform. And so it just kind of plugs into what they’re already doing and make it makes it really easy for them to add it to their tool. And then additionally once they have it in place and it is integrated they can remain working in their case management system without having to open up Case Xchange and still have the functionality.
Katie Frey: That created a very clear picture in my head of the two silos of the two different firms and then Case Xchange is that connector in the middle that helps them to communicate with each other which is amazing. So we’re actually going to take a quick break. We’re going to check in with Shawn Lehocky, founder of Case Xchange, where he’s going to show us a little bit more about the visuals behind Case Xchange. Today we’re here with the founder of Case Xchange, Shawn Lehocky. Shawn, can you walk us through this beautiful visualization of the Case Xchange ecosystem?
Shawn Lehocky: Yeah, I think you know the key to any complex system that works at scale is really simple foundation. So theory was could we create a system that communicates with any different type of firm that lives in a referral ecosystem. So we have firms that may not have technology that can directly integrate that send referrals. We have firms that have very complex technology case management systems that have the ability to have two-way API integrations and then the firms that are receiving on the other side have a myriad of different systems as well. So theory was we could create a system that lives in between any two firms and provide true transparency back and forth on cases. You know, our theory is we have to be able to manage our referral inventory as if we would manage our in-house inventory. And without this type of communication system and level of transporting and analytics, we wouldn’t be able to do so. And that leads to clients not getting serviced, clients not getting signed up. So this fits into our mission on doing what’s best by our clients and without a system like this, we didn’t have the transparency in order to accomplish that mission. So this was bred out of necessity. We’re really proud of what we built. and we have a long way to go along the journey, but you know, we’re making progress steadily and it’s catching on and we’ve just passed 80,000 referrals through Case Xchange.
Katie Frey: Wow. So it’s growing.
Shawn Lehocky: It’s growing rapidly and it’s constantly evolving. So it’s a great start.
Katie Frey: That’s amazing. And you and I talked about this previously, but there is a hidden image in this chart. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
Shawn Lehocky: So, the Case Xchange X, you know, we’re coming up with logos. I have the original list of names over there, which is interesting. I’m glad I didn’t choose any of those. but the logo, the X is basically these two-way API integrations overlaid on top of each other. So, if you look in the details of Case Xchanges X, you’ll see actually these directional arrows at each end of the X.
Katie Frey: So, cool. Yeah. The design for the system. That’s awesome. That’s really That’s neat. I love when a way that you begin as like the mastermind of the creator of something bleeds then into the marketing of it. That’s awesome. Very cool. So, the way that I have been visualizing this and when we’re talking to the way that I view Case Xchange is the connector between two siloed firms, the referral, the receiving. Case Xchange is that connector. So can you explain how this chart shows that connection?
Shawn Lehocky: Yeah. So I mean it shows it directly that this case management system might be system X, this one might be system Y. They’re not the same systems, different companies. But we need a centralized not just portal but a translating service to say the terms in this system mean this for referrals and then this needs to be translated in that sending firm system. So the diagram is simple, but the complexity is how do you how do you create this Rosetta stone that lives in the middle that can speak in languages of all the different case management systems and then centralize them so everyone’s speaking the same language for the referral. And so that ecosystem that’s important. It’s really a relationship management tool. And to be able to have a strong relationship, you need to have strong communication. Well, if we’re speaking two different languages, it’s hard. How do you have that communication be uniform at scale with hundreds of firms happening at any given time? so that’s really the beauty of this system is the translation tool that lives behind it.
Katie Frey: I’m curious. So I want to crawl into Sean’s brain for a second.
Shawn Lehocky: Good luck.
Katie Frey: How did we get from up here to what we’re looking at right now?
Shawn Lehocky: Yeah. I think the mission, we didn’t start out trying to be a technology company, right? So we had to solve the problem for Pond Lehocky’s referral department. and you know we’re going to send out 150,000 referrals this year. We had challenges in getting information from firm A, firm B, firm C that was everyone talked about the same data points very differently and we said how do we scale this at our volume to be able to understand where our case is at any given moment and without a universal language to do so it’s impossible. And so part of this is educating our referral partners how we like to talk about it. But again, everyone’s running their own firm. They don’t have time to just focus on, you know, an operating system that they use sometimes, some more than others. But by allowing them to work in their environment and then translating the information out of their environment in a universal platform just allowed us to get the information we needed as Pond Lehocky to run our law firm. So we never intended, we never set out to be a software company from the beginning. We intended to create an operating system that our firm needed to operate. And then as other firms started to use it, they said, “Hey, why don’t you guys allow us to send referrals to this platform?” And that was the light bulb moment to say, “Hey, we might have something here. Let’s try to turn into a product.” But we are not software developers trying to learn the legal space. We are bringing in technicians that can understand the business problem we have and solve it. And then by solving the problem here, we know there’s probably other firms around the country that have the same issues. And so that’s the genesis. It’s it’s not trying to be a tech person to learn the legal industry. It is creating a solution for the legal industry that solves a direct problem that we have.
Katie Frey: Incredible, Sean. Thank you so much. Really appreciate your time.
Shawn Lehocky: Thanks.
Katie Frey: We’ll be back with more Law Meets Life after a quick message from our sponsor.
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Interview Resumes
Katie Frey: We’re back now with Kateri Foley, head of growth at Case Xchange. So Kateri, how does this work for a solo attorney utilizing Case Xchange versus like a national law firm?
Kateri Foley: Yeah, so it really fits into either it can scale basically. And so the main functionality that it’s designed to do can work on the first tier of paid sending and all the trackability, all of the communication, all of that’s there. when the larger firms need to deal in more volume and be able to become a little bit more efficient than maybe a smaller firm would need to. there’s automations that can be put in place with different tier levels and stuff like that to help kind of again continue to make those the process more efficient and easy for their teams.
Katie Frey: So it’s customizable to
Kateri Foley: Yeah. It’s not one-size-fits-all. It’s really whatever you or your firm needs. Yeah. Yeah.
Katie Frey: So, Kateri, it sounds like at this point in time, we’ve got our two silos of two different law firms that are communicating sometimes by like carrier pigeon.
Kateri Foley: Sure. Quite honestly, right?
Katie Frey: And Case Xchange is now in the middle of those two firms connecting them with real up-to-date data, timely, constantly refreshing so that you don’t have to rely on a carrier pigeon that may be now 8 to 10 years old.
Kateri Foley: Right. Right.
Katie Frey: So Case Xchange is not replacing these case management systems but how does it already fit into that existing workflow?
Kateri Foley: Yeah. So firms have invested a lot of time, money and resources in selecting the case management system that works well for them and that they want to work within. So Case Xchange has several integrations. It can integrate with those platforms and become an accessory or connector to those platforms and in many cases the firms can continue to work within their case management system and have because of the integration have the functionality of Case Xchange working within their case management system and never even have to really go into the Case Xchange platform. So, as you said, it really connects the communication between the two firms and operates alongside the case management system and enhances the capabilities of that.
Katie Frey: So, we talked about how Case Xchange has multiple different features. What’s one feature people tend to overlook that ends up becoming their favorite?
Kateri Foley: Yeah, I would say the analytics. I think people come for the tracking and the communication that can happen between the two firms. But I think once they really get into the system and they see all the analytics that are available tracking sending firms and then how their partners are operating compared to each other and who’s performing better than others and stuff like that and help you know see the who they should be working with more versus maybe who they need to have a conversation with as I say sometimes you know so I think it’s really the analytics and also being able to see the revenue that these cases are potentially bringing to the firm so helping with cash flow and things of that nature. It really is pretty robust the analytics that are available.
Katie Frey: Now, when it comes to getting started with Case Xchange, how can someone start?
Kateri Foley: Well, they can go on our website at casexchange. com and book a demo and set up a meeting with myself and I can walk them through the platform and then we can get them registered and then we have a team behind the customer operations and developers that will help them get set up with the account itself and all that type of stuff. And then also if any integration help is needed, we can support that as well.
Katie Frey: Sounds like a pretty quick process to get started.
Kateri Foley: Yeah. Yeah. All it takes is that outreach. Yeah.
Katie Frey: So once someone signs up for a demo, you said a member of the Case Xchange team will set up time with them. What types of topics are usually covered in that demo and what can they really expect?
Kateri Foley: Sure. essentially a how-to. We walk through all the features of the platform, the sending capabilities, receiving some of the automations as well as outline the analytics so that you can see what you can expect as far as that goes and what you’ll be able to gather from using the platform. And so it’s essentially like a walk through and then also answer any questions that you might have.
Katie Frey: How long does it usually take to get started?
Kateri Foley: It depends on the size of your firm, I’m going to say. You know, I think it depends on how much you need help in integrations and different things like that. But I think if you’re setting up for sort of the basic package, it can be very quick, you know, let’s let’s say a week with people’s schedules or something like that. And then depending on how much assistance is needed on the integrations and stuff like that, maybe a little more time, but not too much more.
Katie Frey: So Kateri, how does pricing work?
Kateri Foley: Yeah, so we have a few different tiers and it sort of depends on what you need. Very customizable, but initially the receiving just getting signed up, we have what we call a freemium version. And so that’s where your partners especially if you’re going to be a sending firm, your partners can join and receive cases for free. Your whole team can be on the platform as well as any kind of integrations. And then from there we have three more tiers that allow you to send and then also increase with automations and different features that can be available to you. So it really kind of depends on what you need.
Katie Frey: I love the term freemium.
Kateri Foley: Yeah. Nothing better than free and freemium. Yeah.
Katie Frey: So, Kateri, clear this up for me. Yeah. Is Case Xchange an intake platform?
Kateri Foley: No, it is not. It’s built to support your intake team and it helps you control and monetize your referrals by sending them out to your selected partners and keep track of that and keep track of those funds. But, no, it’s not an intake platform.
Katie Frey: It seems like things in the Case Xchange world are constantly being updated, changing, excited, new things are coming. So, can you tell us a little bit more about what Case Xchange has coming up this year?
Kateri Foley: Sure. So, we’re working on different things to get the word out there and spread the word about the platform and educate people about it. So, we’ll be at the case status CX Summit from September 16th to the 18th. So, if you’re there, please come see us. And then we’ll also be hosting a webinar on the 23rd. And so, reach out if you’d like to be invited or also follow us on social media or sign up for a demo on our website, casexchange. com, and we can open up communications, show you the demo, and you can join the webinar and all those things. So, definitely reach out. We’d love to talk to you.
Katie Frey: We always call the podcast Law Meets Life because we’re interested in the people behind the work. So, what’s something that people would be interested to find out about you?
Kateri Foley: I’d say something that I’m proud of is that when I was in Houston, I had the I’m very passionate about working with underprivileged children in schools and stuff like that. And so when I was in Houston, I was fortunate enough to start working with some of the HISD schools. I started with one school, started a program called Friends with Forester and was able to supply kids with things outside of just school supplies, which are super important, but also clothing, furniture for the schools, different things like that, working with local businesses. And so being new to Philadelphia, I’ve been transitioning, but I’d like to figure out my way to do that again because I do really I’m very passionate about it and it’s very rewarding.
Katie Frey: That’s that would be amazing. Yeah. Do we have anything like that in Philly or is it something that we can start?
Kateri Foley: I mean, I’m sure we could start it for sure. I can definitely help start it, but I don’t know that it exists yet. cool. I again, I haven’t had much of a chance transitioning, moving, changing careers a little bit, but yeah, I would definitely like to get back involved with it. It was really and also just a learning experience too. You don’t realize within your comm own community, you know, some of the stuff that these children who are, you know, they need our help. They need the community, the village around them, to support what maybe their families aren’t able to for a certain time.
Katie Frey: What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Kateri Foley: I’d say listening. I think, you know, listening to your clients, listening to mentors and whatnot also, but I think advice-wise it would be listening to your clients and trying to get ahead of any kind of problems that they might be out and become more of a proactive service provider versus a reactive and then eventually even be anticipating their stuff before they do and really just become truly valuable to them.
Katie Frey: If you could go back in time, talk to young Kateri and give young Kateri one piece of advice before starting this journey, what would it be?
Kateri Foley: I’d say if you find opportunities that are going to stress you and or stretch you rather and are a bit intimidating, go for them. I think that they’re going to help you grow a lot and challenge you in a lot of ways and also introduce you to people that maybe you didn’t wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to meet. And like we talked about earlier, I’ve had the opportunity to live in different parts of the country and pivot in careers and stuff like that. And while there was common thread amongst the different things, I’ve met so many different people and it’s been really exciting. So I would say lean into the things that are a little scary.
Katie Frey: I love that. Where there’s challenges, there’s opportunity.
Kateri Foley: Yes.
Katie Frey: All right, Kateri, you ready for some rapid fire questions?
Kateri Foley: Sure.
Katie Frey: Coffee or tea?
Kateri Foley: Coffee.
Katie Frey: Early bird or night owl?
Kateri Foley: Early bird.
Katie Frey: Really? How early?
Kateri Foley: Very early. like some with the sun if not before. Yeah, it’s amazing.
Katie Frey: Couldn’t be me.
Kateri Foley: Yeah.
Katie Frey: Biggest productivity hack?
Kateri Foley: Getting up early.
Katie Frey: Yeah. Getting ahead of the chaos. One app you can’t live without.
Kateri Foley: This probably is not what people would normally say, but Google Maps because of it. I don’t know how to get anywhere now because I haven’t had to learn for so long, but also it’s moved me all over the country.
Katie Frey: So, what’s one book, podcast, or person that’s influenced your career?
Kateri Foley: Yeah, I’d say a former boss. His name was Mike Franson from Parkway, which was a commercial real estate company I was with for a long time. And he highly educated, highly successful, but really took the approach of servant leadership and really did everything to make people shine and find their strengths and everything like that. And one of the things that he said that has always stuck with me is that when he was hiring people, he liked to hire people with options and then make it his job to keep them at the company. And while that might not always be through money or whatnot, but creating a culture that really people felt rewarded and seen and all of that kind of stuff. And he’s just it’s stayed with me all these years. And so I think he’s he’s probably the one of the most influential people in my career.
Katie Frey: What a mindset shift of the value of human beings.
Kateri Foley: Yes, for sure. That’s incredible. Yeah.
Katie Frey: One word you’d use to describe Case Xchange.
Kateri Foley: Command. because I think it really gives you a command of your whole referral practice and a real a lot of control over what’s happening versus the traditional sort of chaotic way that it was being handled just out of the nature of technological advancements and so I would say command.
Katie Frey: Kateri, what does Law Meets Life mean to you?
Kateri Foley: Thinking about the clients that are ultimately being served and having them be probably some of the most difficult challenges of their life I think the legal process and the tools that we can provide to help streamline that process, expedite it, and be a meaningful part of getting them to their ultimate goal of settling the case and getting what they need from whatever circumstance they’re in. I think is where Law Meets Life for me.
Katie Frey: Kateri, thank you so much for being here.
Kateri Foley: Thank you for having me.
Katie Frey: Absolutely. And thank you so much for listening to Law Meets Life. From legal strategy to lived experience. Until next time.
