Professor Michele DeStefano, the Larry Hoffman, Greenberg Traurig Distinguished Professor of the Business of Law, published the book “The Leader Upheaval Handbook: Lead Teams on an Innovation & Collaboration Journey with the 3-4-5 Method” in fall 2023. On November 4th at the University of Miami's Lakeside Village Auditorium, a book event will be held to discuss her latest book.
Leveraging hundreds of interviews with law firm partners and general counsels from around the world, the book explores the new expectations of legal professionals and how lawyers can cultivate a culture of client-centricity and collaboration by enhancing leadership style and embracing a shifted mindset.
Guest speakers will include Chad Fischer, associate general counsel of Microsoft, philanthropist Debi Hoffman, J.D. ’83, Yosebel Ibarra, shareholder of Greenberg Traurig, Steve Mehr, partner at Ballard Spahr, LLP, and James Peters, fellow and head of legal innovation at LZ Legal Services LLC.
A reception at 4:30 p.m. will be held prior to the book discussion at 5:30 p.m.
DeStefano – a former marketing executive and now a professor at Miami Law and Affiliated Faculty and Program Chair in Harvard Law School’s Executive Education program – has spent over a decade researching client-centricity, collaboration, and innovation. This handbook, and the method it is based on, are the fruit of DeStefano’s 13 years of experience leading over more than 230 multidisciplinary, multicultural, and intergenerational teams on a 4-month innovation journey from a problem to a viable solution.
DeStefano researches and writes about the growing intersections between law, business, and legal innovation. Recently, she helped co-create and spearhead the development of the Digital Legal Exchange, a non-profit designed to inspire general counsel and their teams to become digital leaders in their businesses to drive commercial value. To date, her work has been published in leading law journals and featured in a range of media. She has also published two additional books: “Legal Upheaval: A Guide to Creativity, Collaboration, and Innovation in Law” and “New Suits: Appetite for Disruption in the Legal World.”
