This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Read our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On November 3, April Bogard Pinder joined Raleigh-based Cranfill Sumner LLP as the firm\u2019s first chief executive officer. Cranfill is the first law firm in the Southeastern United States to appoint a CEO outside of its partnership. Pinder joined Cranfill from U.S. Bank where she served as senior vice president, head of strategy, and program […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-139940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-legal_matters"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139940\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
ABP:<\/strong> We\u2019re at a real inflection point in the industry, and this is a real proactive move to align business operations and legal excellence. If you think about this inflection point, you think about changing client expectations, you think about growth, you think about modernization, you think about generational leadership, and you think about the current pace of change that\u2019s unprecedented throughout human history. We really need to get ahead of that.<\/p>\n AALM:<\/strong> The firm has 27 practice areas, including the newly launched mergers and acquisitions group. Do you see the firm adding other practice areas?<\/p>\n ABP:<\/strong> I don\u2019t think that we\u2019ve identified exactly what that will be or what we are going to do. As I step into this CEO role, first and foremost, I want to be very thoughtful about what our clients want and need and what they\u2019ve asked us to do. I want to lean into that client feedback and be very thoughtful about gathering competitive intelligence and market research to identify opportunities to better serve our clients.<\/p>\n When you think about what clients want, both now and in the future, it\u2019s a relationship, not just a transaction. As the world, and business, becomes more complicated, clients need someone who can stand beside them as they navigate change and growth. We\u2019re all becoming more complex as humans, so our goal is to meet that complexity with partnership. We don\u2019t want to be just a transaction; we want to be a thought partner and trusted advisor.<\/p>\n AALM:<\/strong> No conversation with law firms is complete without asking about the role of AI.<\/p>\n ABP:<\/strong> It feels like there\u2019s a lot of fear around AI because we have made it a proper noun. But if we really go back to its roots, it\u2019s about automating and streamlining efficiency. I think that technology, and whether you call it digital or AI or whatever fancy word you want to give it, is an enabler and an amplifier. It allows you to do more for the same or same for less. As you lean into it, it reduces burden as capacity and it takes away the minutia so that you can focus on complex, critical thinking.<\/p>\n AALM:<\/strong> Do you anticipate hiring additional lawyers?<\/p>\n ABP:<\/strong> We\u2019re always looking for folks who complement the practices that we have. We think about who\u2019s already on the team, the clients we\u2019re working with, our digital tech, and where we see opportunities to bring in great people who can help us grow. People are the magic that makes us go forward. Technology empowers our people, and our people drive progress. We\u2019re embracing a hybrid workplace and investing in tools as well as training that make our teams more connected, efficient, and fulfilled, both in the office and out of it.<\/p>\n Ultimately, our focus is on delivering the best possible service to our clients, and that means staying agile, forward-thinking, and setting the bar for what a modern law firm can be. That said, you can\u2019t make this magic happen without people.<\/p>\n AALM:<\/strong> You just moved here from Texas. Are you liking Raleigh?<\/p>\n ABP:<\/strong> I love it. I\u2019ve already had Cheerwine and Bojangles!<\/p>\n The post Cranfill Names April Bogard Pinder as First CEO<\/a> appeared first on Attorney at Law Magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/attorneyatlawmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/black%400.5x.png?resize=172%2C63&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
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