From Founder to Force Multiplier: Six Lessons in Entrepreneurial Leadership

At Fennemore, growth has always been more about the people than geography. We look for firms and attorneys who share our people-first mindset, forward-thinking approach, and unwavering client focus—leaders who build culture deliberately and make long-term decisions about the businesses they create. Growth should reinforce identity, not dilute it.

In 2025, our expansion reflected those principles in a notable way. Across Phoenix, San Antonio, Denver, and Idaho, several founder-led firms combined with Fennemore—many of them women-owned and female-founded businesses built with clear strategy, operational discipline, and strong market positioning. These leaders built sustainable enterprises in employment, litigation, construction, and immigration law, earning credibility in their regions through intentional culture-building and sound decision-making. By joining Fennemore, they gained an expanded platform to scale what they had already established—maintaining regional leadership while leveraging the reach, infrastructure, and depth of a national firm.

Their experiences of building firms from the ground up and then choosing to grow them strategically offer insights that extend well beyond this past year. Below are six lessons in entrepreneurial leadership drawn from women who built enduring practices and scaled them with intention.

Six Lessons in Entrepreneurial Leadership

1. Authenticity
“#1 lesson as a female entrepreneur: Authenticity. Be true to your own voice, your vision, and what lights you up. Yes, it can be terrifying in a profession where we are surrounded by so many intelligent and awe-inspiring people. However, mustering the courage to overcome that intimidation and be yourself is so worthwhile. True success and fulfillment follow from being aligned with your core values.”

January Allen, Business Litigation, Denver

2. Tenacity and Open-Mindedness
“Tenacity and open-mindedness. Sometimes an idea or plan doesn’t come together the way you initially envision it. That doesn’t mean the idea was a bad one—it just means that a pivot or a fresh way of approaching the issue is required. Inviting team collaboration to problem-solve and implement in these situations often leads to amazing outcomes.”

Kate Strauss, Business Litigation, Denver

3. Embrace Change
“Embrace change. My number one lesson is to accept that change is going to happen, and the more you, as a leader, embrace it—as opposed to resist it—the more likely whatever change you are facing will become a positive for you and your entire team.”

Christine Reinhard, Labor & Employment, San Antonio

4. Build People, and the Business Will Follow
“My number one lesson as an entrepreneur in law is to learn your job is not to be the best lawyer in the room—it’s to build more great lawyers around you. Build people, and the business will follow. Over time, I learned that training, mentoring, and giving real opportunities to those around me was the most powerful growth strategy of all. Leadership isn’t about control. It’s about creating an environment where others can excel.”

Shannon Schmoyer, Labor & Employment, San Antonio

5. Communication Is Key
“Communication is key. Practicing law while running a business can be very demanding, and it is easy to put your head down and only focus on the task at hand. Keeping your eyes and ears open to your colleagues and clients is critical to stay on track, forge strong and trusting relationships, and create an excellent workplace culture. People can only thrive if they know where they stand. While it is not easy to carve out time to ask for and give feedback, share plans and expectations, and connect on a personal level, it is time very well spent—and it will pay dividends personally and professionally.”

Christine Burns, Labor & Employment, Phoenix

6. Hire Professionals
“The #1 lesson I learned being an entrepreneur when I had my own law firm was to hire professionals. When starting and running a business, there are many opportunities but also many challenges—namely, issues that come up outside of a person’s expertise. I’m a lawyer and know how to practice law. I needed help to administer my firm, acquire clients, manage people and finances, and much more. When attempting to do many of these tasks, I didn’t have the full skill set to accomplish them in an efficient and effective manner. Once I hired a business coach, HR, an accountant, IT, and other professionals, I saw a big difference in how my law firm functioned. As lawyers, we are smart and accomplished and even likely know how to do many of these tasks, but it’s still not our expertise or profession. We may come up lacking when we do it without assistance. Hiring professionals is the best investment in yourself and your business, and it will pay off in the long run.”

Alycia Moss, Immigration, Coeur d’Alene