Get the bigger picture.
A 30-minute fireside brings the step’s specialists together around the decisions owners face.
MAIN STAGE · 30 MIN000DAYS00HRS00MIN00SEC
THE CONFERENCE FOR YOUR FIRM’S NEXT CHAPTER.
BUILD A FIRMWITH A FUTURETHAT OUTLASTS YOU.
A live online conference for established law firm owners. Compare succession options, understand what makes a firm transferable, and plan the work to do before you step away.
Live pass from $295 · Five steps · Choose one expert session per step.
THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION2027
LAW FIRMSUCCESSIONSUMMIT
Build value. Create options.
Protect what you’ve built.
01 Succession & your options02 Financial value & readiness03 Systems beyond the founder04 People & client continuity05 Transactions & your next chapter
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2027
9 AM–6 PM EASTERN · LIVE ONLINEFIRESIDES · EXPERT ROOMS
NETWORKING · EXPO
9 AM–6 PM EASTERN · LIVE ONLINEFIRESIDES · EXPERT ROOMS
NETWORKING · EXPO
1live online day
5succession steps
25expert sessions
6networking windows
YOURnext chapter
PLANNED PRESS
DISTRIBUTION
MAKE YOUR HARD WORK TRANSFERABLE
Your firm should
give you options.
A profitable practice can still depend on you for every important decision.
When the knowledge lives in your head, the clients ask only for you, and the numbers need your explanation, stepping away becomes complicated.
Spend the day with fellow owners and specialists working through those decisions. Compare sale, merger and internal succession, then identify the financial, systems and leadership gaps to address first.
BUILT FOR ESTABLISHED FIRM OWNERS
For owners of non-personal-injury practices with an established team, whether a transition is approaching or still years away.
PARTICIPATE THROUGHOUT THE DAY
Good decisions start
with better conversations.
Every step follows the same practical rhythm. Hear different perspectives, choose the session you need, then meet the people behind the ideas.
Go deeper where it matters.
Choose 1 of 5 concurrent expert sessions. Follow the topic that fits your firm’s next step.
EXPERT ROOMS · 30 MINMake a useful connection.
Join speed networking and visit the expo. Compare notes with owners and meet specialist advisers.
NETWORKING & EXPO · 30 MINKnow what to work on in the next 90 days.
Identify the financial, systems and leadership questions to take back to your team.
MEET YOUR CONFERENCE HOST
A practical perspective
on your next chapter.
Michael S. Melfi is an attorney, the founder of Mavacy, and the author of Don’t Die Before You Sell Your Law Firm.
His work explores law firm succession, operational readiness and the paths available to owners as they plan their next chapter.
As host, Michael brings these questions to a broader faculty of finance, valuation, operations, leadership and transaction specialists. Each perspective helps you examine a different part of your firm’s future.
Explore Michael’s bookFROM YOUR CONFERENCE HOST
VALUE. CONTINUITY. YOUR NEXT CHAPTER.
YOUR JOURNEY THROUGH THE CONFERENCE
You built the firm.
How will you step back?
Here’s what you’ll discover as you move through the five steps of the conference.
BEFORE THE CONFERENCE
“I’ve built a firm. I’m not sure how I’ll step away.”
You may be years from leaving. You can start exploring your options now.WHERE YOU’RE HEADING
“I know which options to explore and what to work on next.”
- 1
AT THE SUMMIT · STEP 1
You’ll discover which succession paths could fit your life.
- Compare sale, merger and internal succession against the control, income and involvement you want to keep.
- Spot readiness gaps before a retirement date or unexpected absence forces your hand.
- 2
AT THE SUMMIT · STEP 2
You’ll discover what drives your firm’s value.
- See why a profitable firm can still be hard to sell when clients only trust you.
- Identify the numbers a buyer will question, so you know what to clean up before starting a deal.
- 3
AT THE SUMMIT · STEP 3
You’ll discover what your firm needs to run without you.
- Find the decisions and workflows that keep your team coming back to you.
- Learn what to document and delegate before testing whether the firm could run for 30 days without you.
- 4
AT THE SUMMIT · STEP 4
You’ll discover how to prepare your people for the handover.
- Recognize leadership potential beyond legal skill before choosing a successor.
- Plan staff and client conversations that can reduce uncertainty during a handover.
- 5
AT THE SUMMIT · STEP 5
You’ll discover what to focus on in your next 90 days.
- Understand payment terms and control before comparing an offer, merger or MSO arrangement.
- Choose your next 90-day priorities, with clear questions for your team and advisers.
BY THE END OF THE DAY
Leave with a clearer plan
for your firm’s next chapter.
You don’t need all the answers before you arrive. Use the day to decide what to explore and what to work on next.
01 · YOUR DIRECTION
Know what you want next.
Compare selling, merging or internal succession against the life and role you want.
02 · YOUR PRIORITIES
See what needs work.
Identify the financial, systems and people gaps to take back to your team.
03 · YOUR NEXT MOVE
Choose where to start.
Set your next 90-day priorities and the questions to work through with your advisers.
Your next chapter starts with a plan for the work ahead.
Choose your pass and begin your registration.
THE FULL DAY, AT A GLANCE
Your firm’s future.
One focused day.
Friday, February 5, 2027
9:00 AM–6:00 PM Eastern
5 firesides · 25 session choices · 6 networking windows
Your day: opening keynote → networking → five sequential steps → closing. Each step: 30-minute fireside, 30-minute expert session, 30-minute networking window.
9:00–9:30 AM ETOpening keynote: your succession prioritiesMichael S. Melfi · Main stage
9:30–10:00 AM ETSpeed networking & expoMeet fellow law firm owners and advisers
10:00 AM–11:30 AM ET · STEP 1
Know your succession options
Decide what your next chapter should make possible.
10:00 AM Fireside conversation10:30 AM Choose 1 of 5 expert sessions11:00 AM Speed networking & expo
ROOM 0110:30 AM30 minutes
How Much Freedom Do You Actually Want? Design Your Life After the Firm
Define your future role, income needs and non-negotiables before evaluating a succession route.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 0210:30 AM30 minutes
Five Signs Your Firm Could Be Hard to Sell, Even When It’s Profitable
Use a readiness scorecard to spot gaps in transferability before approaching a successor.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 0310:30 AM30 minutes
Sell, Merge or Hand It Down? Match the Exit to the Life You Want
Compare ownership routes against your priorities for control, continuity and involvement.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 0410:30 AM30 minutes
What If You Had to Step Away Tomorrow? Find the Gaps in Your Backup Plan
Identify who could protect client matters, access and essential decisions during an unexpected absence.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 0510:30 AM30 minutes
The Retirement Date Trap: Work Backward From When You Want Out
Build a planning timeline that allows for preparation, a successor search and a gradual handover.
Speaker to be announced
11:30 AM–1:00 PM ET · STEP 2
Make your firm’s value visible
Understand what a buyer or successor can actually rely on.
11:30 AM Fireside conversation12:00 PM Choose 1 of 5 expert sessions12:30 PM Speed networking & expo
ROOM 0112:00 PM30 minutes
Your Firm Shows a Profit. Where Is the Cash?
Trace collections, work in progress and working capital to understand the cash available for a transition.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 0212:00 PM30 minutes
Before Buyers See Your Books: Clean Up the Numbers They’ll Question
Create a monthly reporting checklist that separates business performance from owner expenses.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 0312:00 PM30 minutes
What Is Your Client Book Worth If the Clients Only Want You?
Assess concentration, repeat work and relationship dependency in the revenue a successor might inherit.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 0412:00 PM30 minutes
Your Paycheck Isn’t the Firm’s Profit: Find the Earnings a Buyer Can Assess
Work through owner compensation, replacement costs and adjustments to understand sustainable earnings.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 0512:00 PM30 minutes
Revenue Isn’t a Valuation: What Would Make a Buyer Pay More or Walk Away?
Identify how durability, growth, concentration and risk can influence a buyer’s assessment of value.
Speaker to be announced
1:00 PM–2:30 PM ET · STEP 3
Build a firm beyond the founder
Make your systems, knowledge and decisions transferable.
1:00 PM Fireside conversation1:30 PM Choose 1 of 5 expert sessions2:00 PM Speed networking & expo
ROOM 011:30 PM30 minutes
Stop Being the Firm’s Instruction Manual: Document What Only You Know
Choose the first workflows and judgment calls to capture so the team can act without asking you.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 021:30 PM30 minutes
Build the Handover File: What a Successor Needs Before Taking Over
Organize contracts, operating records and responsibilities into a usable transition file.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 031:30 PM30 minutes
Before You Hand Over the Firm: Find the Trust-Account and Records Gaps
Build a review checklist for trust accounting, file custody and retention with qualified local advisers.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 041:30 PM30 minutes
Who Holds the Passwords? Make Your Firm’s Technology Transferable
Map system ownership, access, vendors and data so a transition does not depend on your personal accounts.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 051:30 PM30 minutes
Could Your Firm Run for 30 Days Without You? Put It to the Test
Plan a controlled absence rehearsal with delegated decisions, escalation rules and measures of what breaks.
Speaker to be announced
2:30 PM–4:00 PM ET · STEP 4
Protect your people and relationships
Prepare the leadership and trust that carry a firm forward.
2:30 PM Fireside conversation3:00 PM Choose 1 of 5 expert sessions3:30 PM Speed networking & expo
ROOM 013:00 PM30 minutes
Your Best Lawyer May Not Be Your Best Successor: Test for Leadership
Evaluate candidates through ownership decisions, team leadership and a practical trial of responsibility.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 023:00 PM30 minutes
Tell the Team You’re Stepping Back Without Sending Them Job Hunting
Plan the sequence, messages and retention conversations employees need during a transition.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 033:00 PM30 minutes
How Do You Get Clients to Trust the Lawyer Who Replaces You?
Design joint introductions and a phased handover that respects client choice and continuity.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 043:00 PM30 minutes
Keep the Referrals When the Rainmaker Leaves
Create a relationship handover plan for the people and professional networks that send the firm work.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 053:00 PM30 minutes
Before You Offer a Partner Equity: Have the Ownership Conversation
Clarify expectations for authority, contribution, accountability and future ownership before discussing a buy-in.
Speaker to be announced
4:00 PM–5:30 PM ET · STEP 5
Choose your path and prepare to move
Use your readiness work to compare structures, capital and the transition after the agreement.
4:00 PM Fireside conversation4:30 PM Choose 1 of 5 expert sessions5:00 PM Speed networking & expo
ROOM 014:30 PM30 minutes
From First Offer to Closing: Where Law Firm Deals Get Stuck
Map common negotiation and diligence friction points and the decisions needed to keep a transaction moving.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 024:30 PM30 minutes
The Merger Looks Good on Paper. Can You Work Together After Closing?
Test culture, decision rights, compensation and your future role before committing to a combined firm.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 034:30 PM30 minutes
Before You Sign an MSO Deal: Understand the Economics and Control
Prepare questions about fees, governance, incentives and jurisdiction-specific professional obligations.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 044:30 PM30 minutes
A Buyer Wants Your Firm. How Will They Pay You?
Compare the tradeoffs in cash at closing, seller financing and contingent payments with your advisers.
Speaker to be announced
ROOM 054:30 PM30 minutes
You’ve Signed. Now What? Plan the First 100 Days of the Handover
Build a transition plan with named owners for client communication, staff, systems and unresolved decisions.
Speaker to be announced
5:30–6:00 PM ETYour next chapter starts hereMichael S. Melfi · Main stage
All times Eastern. Expert sessions within each step run concurrently; choose one per step. Networking windows include time to take a break and visit the expo.
YOUR CONFERENCE FACULTY
Meet your faculty.
Plan your future.
We’re building a faculty across finance, valuation, operations, leadership and transactions. Explore the planned expertise below. Guest names will be announced as the lineup is confirmed.
STEP 1
Know your succession options
Succession strategist
Guest to be announced
Law firm adviser
Guest to be announced
Transitioned firm owner
Guest to be announced
Legal operations leader
Guest to be announced
Succession planning specialist
Guest to be announced
STEP 2
Make your firm’s value visible
Law firm CFO
Guest to be announced
Law firm CPA
Guest to be announced
Practice valuation specialist
Guest to be announced
Valuation practitioner
Guest to be announced
Law firm buyer/operator
Guest to be announced
STEP 3
Build a firm beyond the founder
Legal systems specialist
Guest to be announced
Transaction operations adviser
Guest to be announced
Legal ethics counsel
Guest to be announced
Legal technology specialist
Guest to be announced
Law firm COO
Guest to be announced
STEP 4
Protect your people and relationships
Managing partner
Guest to be announced
People and culture adviser
Guest to be announced
Client transition specialist
Guest to be announced
Business development leader
Guest to be announced
Internal succession adviser
Guest to be announced
STEP 5
Choose your path and prepare to move
Law firm M&A adviser
Guest to be announced
Merger integration specialist
Guest to be announced
MSO and ethics panelist
Guest to be announced
Practice acquisition lender
Guest to be announced
Post-transaction operator
Guest to be announced
YOUR NEXT USEFUL INTRODUCTION
Meet the people
who understand the stakes.
Compare experiences with other firm owners. Ask a question you’ve been putting off. Meet advisers whose work touches the decisions ahead.
YOUR
NEXT CHAPTER
Fellow ownersSuccession advisersFinance specialistsLegal operatorsNEXT CHAPTER
THE CONFERENCE EXPO
Expertise to support
your next decision.
Meet the people helping law firms strengthen their finances, operations, leadership and transition readiness.
firm’s next chapter.
Announcement coming soon
Specialists in your corner.
Law firm finance, technology, operations and succession.
PARTNER LINEUP ANNOUNCING SOONBEFORE YOU JOIN
A few useful details.
Who is this conference for?
Established US law firm owners who want to strengthen their firm’s independence and prepare for a future transition. The program focuses on non-personal-injury practices and firms with an established team.
Do I need to be ready to sell?
You can use the day to explore your options while continuing to own your firm. The sessions cover readiness, internal succession, continued leadership, merger and sale.
Can I attend all 25 sessions live?
There are 5 concurrent sessions in each of 5 sequential steps. You choose 1 session per step, alongside the shared firesides and networking windows. Replay and Action Pack options are separate from your live pass.
Is this an online event?
Yes. Join live from your computer for the main stage, expert rooms, speed networking and expo. The program runs from 9 AM to 6 PM Eastern.
Is continuing legal education credit available?
CLE credit has not been announced. Choose the program for its practical succession and firm-management content.
YOUR ALL-ACCESS CONFERENCE PASS
Your full conference.
Book early and save.
One live day dedicated to your firm’s future.
Friday, February 5, 2027 · 9 AM–6 PM ET
All prices in USD. Rates change at midnight Eastern.
SUPER EARLY BIRDCurrent rate
$295per person
Through December 31, 2026
Save $200 on the regular price.
EARLY BIRDOpens January 1
$395per person
January 1–31, 2027
Save $100 on the regular price.
REGULAROpens February 1
$495per person
February 1–5, 2027
The full live conference experience.
EVERY TIER INCLUDES
Your full day, all access.
- 5 live main-stage fireside conversations
- Your choice of 1 expert session in each of 5 steps
- 6 speed-networking and expo windows
- Opening and closing sessions with the host
Replay recordings and Action Pack upgrades are sold separately.
SUPER EARLY BIRD IS OPEN
$295USD / person
Price increases to $395 on January 1.
The same all-access pass at every tier.FEBRUARY 5, 2027 · LIVE ONLINE
You’ve built the firm.
Give its future a day.
Build value. Protect relationships. Create options for the years ahead.
1 live day · 5 steps · Real conversationsTicket rates vary by registration date.