Welcome to the Atticus Rainmakers

The Atticus Practice Advisors
MARK POWERS President Mark Powers, President of Atticus, has been coaching attorneys for nearly twenty years. He is the founder and developer of the first personalized training program dedicated to teaching attorneys the lasting skills and habits necessary for practice development. These skills include strategic planning, client development, customer service, prioritization, time blocking, managing interruptions, financial management, staffing, and delegation. Mark is a national speaker who has worked with members of the American Bar Association and bar associations in Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York and other states. He co-authored "The Making of a Rainmaker: An Ethical Approach to Marketing for Solo and Small Firm Practitioners," published by The Florida Bar. A nationally recognized expert in the field, Mark has also been featured in publications such as Lawyers Weekly USA, Money magazine, American Bar Association Journal, Florida Bar News, and Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyers Journal. Mark previously served as the chief executive officer and president of a multi-million-dollar, privately held company, and as a corporate manager in a Fortune 500 company based in Connecticut. A native of Massachusetts, he has a master's degree from Northeastern University in Boston. His undergraduate studies include a bachelor's degree in economics and criminal justice.

SHAWN McNALIS Senior Practice Advisor / Curriculum Director Shawn McNalis is a former Imagineer with the Walt Disney Company and credits her 15-year career with Disney for her creative, collaborative approach to advising attorneys. In partnership with Mark Powers for 12 years, Shawn is a senior practice advisor, director of curriculum and trainer for Atticus. With Mark she co-authored The Making of a Rainmaker, commissioned and published by the Florida Bar in 1995, and Time Management for Attorneys: A Lawyer’s Guide to Decreasing Stress, Eliminating Interruptions & Getting Home on Time, published in conjunction with the ABA in 2008. She is currently at work on How Good Attorneys Become Great Rainmakers: A Breakthrough Referral Marketing Process. Currently a columnist for Lawyer’s USA, Shawn has authored and co-authored numerous articles on law practice management that have appeared in the ABA’s Law Practice Management Magazine, Journal of the Association of Legal Administrators, ABA Family Law Section Magazine, The Florida Bar News, The Lawyer’s Competitive Edge, The Florida Bar Workers Compensation Section Journal, and Massachusetts Bar Journal, among many others. A faculty member of the Massachusetts Bar Association Institute in 1998 and past coach for the Orlando Sentinel’s “Career Makeover” column, she was a contributing author for the Association of Legal Administrators Online Encyclopedia, published in 2002. Shawn has been a featured speaker at meetings of the Law Society of Scotland, the New York State Bar Association, the Florida Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association, the South Carolina Bar, and the 2003 Coaching Convention in Tokyo.

GLENN GUTEK Senior Practice Advisor Prior to joining Atticus, Glenn served as principal consultant and coach for a company that facilitated the development of executives, managers and leaders of large corporations as well as nonprofit organizations. His skills in leadership, speaking and training prompted him to work with a wide array of leaders and entrepreneurs across the country. Glenn also served for ten years as Senior Pastor with churches in Southern California and Florida. Glenn’s knowledge of and passion for creating healthy corporate cultures has given him the opportunity to work with some of the brightest and best leaders around the country. He has worked with University President’s, Senior Pastor’s, CEO’s and Attorneys. Furthermore, Glenn has been a featured speaker at national events on the topic of leadership and personal growth. Glenn graduated with honors from Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida with a degree in Psychology and Philosophy. Following his undergraduate work Glenn received his Masters of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary and an MA in Organizational Psychology from the University of Kentucky. Glenn has been an Adjunct Instructor for the University of Kentucky in the field of Philosophy and Azusa Pacific University’s Business School’s Leadership Development Program.

GLENN FINCH Senior Practice Advisor For over six years Glenn has worked with Atticus in matching clients with coaching programs that help them take better care of their clients, increase their incomes, decrease their stress, and achieve an overall balance in their life. As a Senior Practice Advisor, he has specialized in assisting new practices and small firms to break those invisible barriers, which so often prevent them from reaching the next level. Glenn is adept at getting professionals to step back and envision new possibilities and creating practical strategies to make them reality. Through the formation of new habits, practice management systems and disciplines in client development, Glenn has assisted firms in Texas, Florida, South Carolina, New York and Louisiana to double their revenues and obtain a more balanced life as a result. Glenn is a Major in the United States Army Reserve where he assists officers in organizational strategies and career development. He has written, developed and taught various curricula for organizational change and continues to do writing in the area of innovative leadership and team development. Prior to working with Atticus, Glenn spent 12 years as Senior Pastor for three multi-staffed churches in metropolitan areas in Florida. As an aside, he has achieved the rank of San Dan and is an accomplished traditional Martial Arts Instructor providing a foundation for personal discipline and balance in life. Glenn graduated Summa Cum Laude from Asbury College near Lexington, Kentucky with a degree in Psychology and Sociology. Following college Glenn received his Masters of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary and is certified in several personality assessment tools and organizational assessment for staff training and development. Glenn is a graduate of the United States Command General Staff College and is a frequent advisor to government agencies in both leadership capacity and staff development.


NORA RIVA BERGMAN, J.D. Senior Practice Advisor As a coach and Practice Advisor with Atticus, Nora is dedicated to helping attorneys create the lives and law practices they dreamed of when they were in law school. She knows the frustrations that attorneys experience every day and is committed to helping them change their lives for the better. Nora brings a deep understanding of the practice and business of law to her work as coach and Practice Advisor. She has practiced as an employment law attorney and certified mediator and has served as a professor at both Stetson University College of Law and the University of South Florida, teaching courses in alternative dispute resolution and negotiation. In addition, Nora has been a speaker at conferences for the American Bar Association, The Florida Bar and other national legal associations. She has also served as the Executive Director of the St. Petersburg Bar Association. Her background as an attorney, law professor and bar executive gives her a unique perspective on the challenges lawyers face and makes her a powerful coach. In addition to her broad experience with all aspects of the law firm, Nora understands the importance of, and is committed to, helping attorneys leverage technology in order to maximize their ultimate success. Nora is a graduate of the prestigious Leadership Development Program (LDP) at Eckerd College, and is certified in the Conflict Dynamics ProfileR developed by the LDP to help individuals and organizations learn how to deal with conflict constructively. She is also certified in the DISCR Behavioral Style Assessment. Nora received an undergraduate degree in journalism, summa cum laude, from the University of South Florida and her J.D., cum laude, from Stetson University College of Law, where she was a member of the law review and served as a mentor for incoming students.


GARY HOLSTEIN Practice Advisor Gary Holstein is a Certified Atticus Practice Advisor. He is a dedicated and knowledgeable management consultant, energetic experienced manager, and coach who has consulted with large and small corporations throughout the United States, Europe, and the Pacific Basin. Gary has worked with clients such as Chevron, IBM, Daimler Chrysler, Hearst Magazines, Western Digital, BMC Software, Polaroid, and many start-ups. Additionally, Gary has experience owning three small businesses and serving as a senior level manager for several other small corporations that worked specifically with law firms. He blends a number of diverse disciplines with practical experience to help attorneys exceed their goals by implementing purposeful change. He is currently writing a series for The Complete Lawyer entitled, "The 7 Deadly Sins of Marketing in the Legal Profession." He is equally adept working with groups and individuals within law firms addressing: Client Development and Marketing; Performance Coaching; Change Process; Strategic Planning; Financial Systems; Leadership and Management; Staffing Systems; Time Management and Productivity, and Team Development. He holds a Masters Degree in Management and Organizational Development.

REGINA D. OLBINSKY Practice Advisor Regina is an Atticus Certified Practice Advisor, an award-winning consultant, coach and entrepreneur and is uniquely qualified to work with law firms on leadership, team, organizational, and strategy development. Through insight and expertise, Regina helps attorneys put their practice, and their priorities, into clearer focus, allowing them to succeed in today's challenging times. Prior to joining Atticus, Regina maintained a successful coaching practice and career in human resource management, received an MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, a BS from Ohio State University, and served as an adjunct faculty member for the university. Throughout her career, Regina has served on a variety of non-profit, professional and corporate boards. She is currently a member of the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches, International Coaching Federation, Career Masters Institute, and John Carroll University's Entrepreneur Association. Regina is also a frequent author and contributor to numerous publications.

CHRIS AKERS Practice Advisor Chris Akers' work as an Atticus Certified Practice Advisor initially focused on consulting with membership organizations in the legal field (American Association for Justice, KJA, and FJA) on matters of strategic planning, member retention, and recruitment. Chris now serves a select number of attorneys as their coach in implementing the systems that make them as effective entrepreneurial leader. Chris comes to Atticus with over 22 years of experience in Executive Leadership for nonprofit organizations. His experience casting vision, leading change, building systems and structures for growth, marketing and creating raving fans established a track record of extraordinary growth in every position he has served. Chris is trained in conflict resolution and has consulted with numerous multi-staff organizations. Chris is committed to excellence in his life as a coach, entrepreneur, leader, friend and father. Chris graduated from University of South Florida in Tampa with a BA in Philosophy of Religion, as well as a Master Degree in Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary. Chris resides in Central Florida with his wife of 24 years and their two children. During his free time, Chris can be found on a golf course, taking in a professional baseball game, or spending time with good friends.

DAVID PHELPS Practice Advisor David Phelps is the son of J.R. Phelps, the "godfather of practice management." Prior to joining Atticus, David spent over 15 years as a top-producing sales & marketing executive, working for industry leading companies such as IBM, Client Profiles, and Pitney Bowes Legal Solutions. A "born" marketer, David's passion is working with attorneys at all levels of marketing capability who want to improve their marketing skills and/or become "rainmakers." With his marketing background, including 7 years marketing to and working very closely with attorneys, make him extremely qualified to assist attorneys from marketing and practice management perspectives. David has a business degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville and a degree in Legal Studies from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. He resides with his wife, Mindi, and twin 2-year-old sons in Atlanta, Georgia. When not working, he is usually spending time with his family and chasing his sons around. He is also an enthusiastic fan of collegiate athletics.

JAN COPLEY Practice Advisor In addition to being a Certified Atticus Practice Advisor, Jan Copley is an attorney who has worked in both large and small law firms for 29 years. In 1993 she established her own firm, built it into a profitable law practice and successfully sold the practice. Today, Jan has dedicated herself to supporting attorneys in taking control of their practices and their lives. She specializes in coaching attorneys from Estate Planning and Bankruptcy firms along with partners who are committed to transitioning or selling their practices. She has facilitated programs on law office administration and marketing issues to the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys, the Southern California Institute, the Lorman Group, and other associations. Jan received her A.B. from Occidental College, graduating cum laude with a degree in American Studies. She received her J.D. from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles. She completed the Esperti-Peterson Institute's year-long course, "Advanced Studies for Wealth and Estate Planning," which concentrates on sophisticated estate planning techniques for wealthy clients. Jan lives in Pasadena, California with her husband, Lou Steinhauer.

ASHISH KARVÉ Practice Advisor A lifelong entrepreneur and graduate of the University of Florida, Ashish was integral in the formation of the Entrepreneurship Program at the UF Graduate School of Business. Upon completing his MBA, he co-founded a company that incubated research for commercial application. Working closely with university technicians, he successfully introduced several ventures into the marketplace. Ashish created and subsequently sold three different companies. He has franchised operations in 5 different countries. He has invested in and mentored several other start-up companies. He continues to serve on the Board of Directors of several of these enterprises. Ashish has consulted in many different industries on franchising and marketing. Since becoming an Atticus Certified Coach, his focus has been to help law firms establish client focused systems that create greater perceptible value with less resources. He works with attorneys to apply a comprehensive marketing perspective to identify and develop opportunities as entrepreneurs. He applies the experience he gained training staff in many different situations to help foster unified visions within organizations. His small business approach is to formalize procedures that introduce clarity without imposing inflexibility. He is passionate about coaching his children, physical fitness, and college athletics.

STEVE RILEY PRACTICE ADVISOR Steve Riley has been coaching attorneys for 15 years. His practice focuses on a limited number of top producing attorneys who are committed to taking their practice to new levels of excellence, profit, and personal success. In addition to being one of the top law firm coaches in the country, Steve is an award winning practicing attorney. He built his Estate Planning practice into a million dollar business using innovative management and marketing skills. His law firm, The Strategic Counsel, serves high-worth families and entrepreneurs through estate planning, asset protection, elder law and business planning. Known for his powerful law firm innovations, Steve created the Double Your Revenue ProgramTM (currently used by Atticus and featured in Lawyers Weekly). He is a contributing author to six books and is the practice management columnist for CCH's Journal of Practical Estate Planning. In 2006, Steve won the National Small Law Firm Practice Innovation Award. His concepts and techniques have long been utilized by Atticus graduates and other legal organizations. The Florida Bar relies on Steve's expertise to teach at its annual workshop for small firm and solo practice attorneys. In addition to his work with Atticus, Steve is a graduate of Strategic Coach, a member of WealthCounsel, has an undergraduate degree from Berry College and a law degree from the University Of Florida.

JUDI CRAIG, PH.D., MCC Affiliated Atticus Senior Practice Advisor Judi is a Master Certified Coach (the highest distinction available in the coaching profession) and a Senior Practice Advisor with Atticus. Judi has coached attorneys since 1996 and has a great deal of experience in advising them on how to increase their incomes, decrease their stress and time in the office, and take control of staffing headaches. Judi is the author of four nationally published books, a former syndicated columnist and has been interviewed on over 100 radio stations. She has been a guest on Larry King Live, The Today Show, NBC News, CBS News and more. Judi is a dynamic national keynote speaker and law firm retreat facilitator. She has been most recently published in Texas Lawyer and The Connecticut Law Tribune periodicals. Prior to being recruited by Atticus, Inc. for her experience with the legal community, Judi was President of The Practice Advisor, LLC where she coached attorneys on how to increase their incomes, cut their work hours, take exceptional care of their clients and create fulfilling lifestyles. She speaks from experience, having built two successful professional service firms herself. Judi received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Methodist University (Phi Beta Kappa) and her Master's and Doctorate Degrees in Clinical Psychology from the University of Wisconsin. She is a graduate both of CoachU and Corporate Coach U, and currently serves on their faculties. Judi is also a Master Practitioner in Neurolinguistic Programming.