How to Build a Firm That Can Handle a $100M Case | Ryan McKeen

2026-02-10

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Most lawyers say they want to “scale.”Ryan McKeen has actually done it. The real kind. The kind where you build a firm that can take the punch of an eight year case, fund experts and animations, and still keep the lights on. The kind where a $100 million verdict is not a lottery ticket. It is the result of building the machine behind the scenes. In this conversation, Ryan tells the story of chasing an eight figure goal when he did not even have a case worth six figures. He talks about what had to chan...

Most lawyers say they want to “scale.”

Ryan McKeen has actually done it. The real kind. The kind where you build a firm that can take the punch of an eight year case, fund experts and animations, and still keep the lights on. The kind where a $100 million verdict is not a lottery ticket. It is the result of building the machine behind the scenes.

In this conversation, Ryan tells the story of chasing an eight figure goal when he did not even have a case worth six figures. He talks about what had to change to make that goal even possible, from the team, to the systems, to the way he approached learning trial work. Then he shares the part nobody tells you. Even after the verdict, the case is not “done.” He is still waiting on the appellate ruling, and the clock is ticking at about $9,000 a day in interest.

But the episode is not just a victory lap. It is a behind the scenes look at what it takes to build a firm that can handle big work without falling apart. We talk about why you cannot skip the reps, why “gut feel” is a terrible hiring plan, and why investing in your team is the highest leverage move most law firm owners refuse to make.

Then it gets spicy. Ryan breaks down what private equity is doing in legal, why the middle is going to get squeezed, and what smaller firms need to do to stay strong and stay different. Think local pizza place versus Domino’s, but with your clients and your career on the line.

If you want a clearer path to building a firm that can handle real cases, and still leave room for a real life, this one will hit.

Connect with Ryan

Best Era: bestera.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmckeen

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Brian Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury lawyer in Fairfax, Virginia. He is passionate about living a life of his own design and looking for answers to solutions outside of the legal field. This podcast is his effort to share that passion with others.

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