The Power Of Connection: How Leadership Drives Fennemore Forward

Each year, Fennemore University brings together our leaders from across the firm to pause, connect, and look ahead. It's more than an annual leadership summit—it's a moment of alignment. In a profession that thrives on precision and intellect, connection reminds us why we do what we do, and collaboration ensures we do it better, together.

Connection as a Catalyst

Connection fuels clarity. Connection enables us to align around shared goals and understand how individual roles contribute to the collective future of the firm. This year's sessions reinforced a simple truth: strategy succeeds when people are connected to it.

Our CEO, James Goodnow, challenged leaders to ask bold questions about the firm's trajectory—not just what we're building, but how we're building it together. Through that lens, connection becomes a strategic tool: it drives accountability, builds trust across offices and practice groups, and unites us around one purpose.

Letting Go to Move Forward

Chief People Officer Cheryl Mostrom reminded us that growth often requires unlearning. In her session, "What Got Us Here Won't Get Us There," she explored how legacy thinking can quietly limit innovation. For law firms—where structure, training, and tradition run deep—embracing change requires intentional connection between people and ideas.

Her message resonated across the room: to lead effectively, we must help our teams think differently. Connection gives us the courage to evolve; collaboration gives us the framework to turn that evolution into progress.

Innovation Rooted in Collaboration

Chief Financial Officer Dave Bassuk and Director of Billing and Collections Yazmin Shumway took that same spirit of innovation to a practical level, exploring how fixed-fee billing and AI can enhance the client experience. Their session highlighted that transformation doesn't happen in isolation—it happens when teams communicate openly, test new ideas, and learn from one another.

By aligning technology with client value, their work exemplifies what collaboration can achieve: more intelligent systems, clearer outcomes, and stronger relationships.

Connection in Motion

Connection doesn't end when Fennemore University wraps—it continues through the programs that keep our people engaged year-round. Our annual Attorney Retreat serves as a critical touchpoint, bringing attorneys together from across the firm to reconnect, collaborate, and celebrate the shared purpose that drives our work. Operation One brings our culture to life through firmwide celebrations and shared experiences that strengthen community. Project NEMO—Navigating Engagement through Meaningful Opportunities—helps our people connect through shared interests and collaboration beyond the office. And Project BlueWave AI unites teams around innovation, using technology to enhance the way we work and serve clients. Together, these initiatives reflect what begins at Fennemore University: that when we stay connected, we grow stronger—both as professionals and as a firm.

Connection as our Catalyst

At its heart, leadership is about connection—between vision and action, between people and purpose. Fennemore University reminds us that growth is more than performance; it's the trust, collaboration, and shared momentum that propel us forward.

That sense of connection is our edge—our catalyst for innovation and impact. It's how we continue to evolve, push boundaries, and shape what's next for our people, our clients, and the future of law.

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