CPD 447 – The Flourishing Law Firm: Strategic planning, culture, and succession for small and mid-sized firms

Recorded: 2026-03-11
Qualifies for 3.0 CPD Hours

Running a small or mid-sized law firm is challenging and raises big, often competing questions. How to lead the firm while taking good care of the clients? How do we decide where the firm is heading, and actually get there? Why do good plans so often stall in implementation? How do we find the right people, and keep them engaged and performing as the firm grows? And how do we proactively address topics like succession, leadership transition, and the future of the firm before a crisis forces the issue?

This practical, three-part session brings strategy, culture, and succession planning together in a way that reflects the real operating conditions of smaller firms. Rather than treating these as separate topics, the program focuses on how they work together — and why alignment between them is essential for execution, continuity, and sustainability.

In this presentation, you will learn:

• How to create and engage your team in a clear, usable strategic plan that fits the realities of small and mid-sized firms
• Why culture determines whether strategy ever gains traction — and how to cultivate culture intentionally
• How to translate culture into practical conditions that support motivation, accountability, follow-through and retention
• How strategy and culture shape key succession decisions, including whether you’re running a practice or building a firm meant to endure
• How to approach leadership and lawyer transitions so knowledge, relationships, and momentum aren’t lost

Join Carina Bittel and Allison Wolf for a candid, solutions-focused conversation grounded in real firm experience, concrete examples, and practical frameworks you can apply immediately in your own firm.

Presenters: Carina Bittel and Allison Wolf

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This content has been prepared for use in conjunction with a CPD program hosted by the Law Society of Saskatchewan. Reproduction of any portion of the program content, for purposes other than personal use, without the express written consent of the Law Society is strictly prohibited. The presenters have assumed that viewers will exercise their professional judgment regarding the correctness and applicability of the program content. The Law Society can accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions and expressly disclaims any such responsibility.

This transcript has been generated by an automated speech recognition system and may contain misspellings, mistranslations, or errors. It may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or speech recognition errors. It is provided as-is without any warranties or guarantees of accuracy. The Law Society of Saskatchewan does not assume any responsibility or liability for the use or interpretation of this transcript.