From Harvey Walner & Associates to Walner Law: The $3M Rebrand That Lost Money for 3 Years

Описание: A factory worker loses both legs in a recycling chute at a direct mail plant. A 63-year-old Chicago attorney races from the golf course to the hospital, then tracks down a judge eating lunch to get an emergency order shutting down the entire factory. Jon Walner has seen it all in 37 years practicing personal injury law: $175 million in settlements last year, over a billion dollars in gross recoveries, and a front-row seat to how private equity is reshaping (and crushing) the entire industry.

Jon Walner is a personal injury attorney in Chicago and managing partner of Walner Law. He took over the firm 26 years ago after his father Harvey suffered a stroke, transforming Harvey A. Walner & Associates into a modern operation with about 50 employees and around 2,500 active clients. The firm has represented over 15,000 clients throughout its history with more than a billion dollars in gross settlements. Jon practices in one of the most competitive legal markets in the country, and he's not holding back about what's really happening behind the billboards.

YOU’LL DISCOVER:
-Why Jon rebranded from his father's legacy firm Harvey A. Walner & Associates (Dial 3-1-2-JUSTICE) to Walner Law, and why he lost money for three years doing it
-How a factory worker lost both legs in a recycling chute making stickers, -Jon shut down the entire plant with an emergency court order, and the client bought an $8 million handicap-accessible house with his settlement
-Why Jon's biggest cases ($20M, $22M, $67M, $50M) didn't come from marketing
-The 15-minute rule: why you'll lose every single client if you don't get them on the phone and signed within 30 minutes of their first contact
-How private equity firms are spending an estimated $4 million per month in Chicago, driving case acquisition costs to $2,500+ per lead and crushing margins for solo practitioners
-The $70 million jury verdict in a police chase case
-The post-COVID employee crisis
-The phone number strategy
-Why State Farm, Allstate, Progressive, and AmFam are now rushing to accident scenes, calling plaintiffs directly, and offering $2,500 settlements with fast releases before lawyers even get involved
-How video evidence from crime surveillance is now crushing bad police reports and liability denials (Jon shares two cases where complete denial turned into settlements because of video)

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
02:05 The Rebrand
04:32 Yellow Pages and TV Advertising Era
06:42 Intake System Setup
08:32 Private Equity Impact on Personal Injury
10:21 Cost Per Lead Crisis
12:19 Market Saturation and Competition
14:35 Diversifying Practice Areas
16:51 Community Targeting and Grassroots Marketing
18:41 Technology vs Human Connection
20:42 Client Financial Pressure and Empathy
22:42 Speed to Lead Strategy
24:46 Meeting Clients Where They Are
26:57 Case Acquisition Economics
29:00 AI Tools and Demand Software
31:05 Client Retention Challenges
35:04 Employee Culture and Kindness

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Jon Walner is the managing partner of Walner Law in Chicago, a family-founded personal injury firm that’s served more than 15,000 clients and secured over $1 billion in settlements. Jon took over the practice 26 years ago after his father, Harvey Walner—one of the first attorneys to advertise on TV—suffered a life-altering stroke. Starting in the firm as a teenager, Jon has spent 37 years building a 50-person team that now manages 2,500 active clients in one of the country’s most competitive legal markets. Beyond the courtroom, he’s deeply involved in Chicago communities through extensive scholarship programs, holiday drives, and his podcast “Words with Walner.”

Chris Dreyer is the CEO and founder of Rankings.io, the elite law firm marketing experts - for all your digital and traditional needs.

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