Lawyerist Lab Coach and law firm owner, Ryan McKeen, always knew he was building something special at Connecticut Trial Firm. Now, however, he can point to his definitive success. This week, the firm was named to the 2022 Inc. 5000 list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. Connecticut Trial Firm ranked 23rd in the legal category and 3,452 overall. The firm showed a 151% three-year growth.
Lawyerist Lab Coach, Ryan McKeen, Recognized on Inc. 5000 List
Every year, the Inc. 5000 list names the country’s fastest-growing companies. Specifically, they look at a company’s overall three-year growth rate from 2018 through 2021 compared with that of other applicants. Making the list is a distinguished honor.
Ryan McKeen founded the firm with partner Andrew Garza in 2018. “We knew from the start we were building something different—more than a law firm—we wanted to build a robust and successful business.”
The team did things differently from the start. For example, Ryan documented systems on how to handle and process the mail before they even had a team. He knew one day the firm would be ready to grow. He wanted to make sure he was building the infrastructure that would support those goals.
“We knew from the start we were building something different—more than a law firm—we wanted to build a robust and successful business.”
Ryan mckeen
Experiencing 151% growth in a three-year period does not come easy. “Starting any company is incredibly hard. The hours are long and the struggles are endless. It is not for the faint of heart,” said McKeen. “Making this list is recognition of all of those long days, and all of the friends who helped along the way, and all the good we have done over the years. It is meaningful to me.”
McKeen credits the community he had around him as the biggest contributor to his success. “The lessons we have learned from others and a relentless focus on implementing those lessons has made all the difference.”
McKeen Uses His Experience to Coach Other Lawyers
McKeen uses his winning business philosophy and approach when he coaches lawyers participating in the Lawyerist Lab program. “Lawyers want to hear from other lawyers who have been in the trenches that what they are trying to achieve is possible,” said Lawyerist Lab Lead Coach, Stephanie Everett. “Ryan is a great coach because he is so relatable and willing to share with our community what’s worked and where he wishes he had tried something different. We are so proud of Ryan and his firm’s achievements and know that this is just the first of many accolades they will receive for the great work they are doing.”
Law firm owners who are interested in hearing more about Ryan’s journey can check out these episodes of The Lawyerist Podcast:
- Episode #399 When Business Partnerships Break Up where Ryan and his former partners discuss why their original business relationship did not work and what they wish they had known then before starting;
- Episode #316 Hiring and Firing for Law Firm Growth where Ryan discusses how he approaches hiring decisions and if things aren’t working out when to let people go; and
- Episode #347 How a Client Happiness Coordinator Increased My Firm Referrals and Reviews where Ryan shares how this key role helped improve client happiness.
While this latest accolade is a nice acknowledgment of the early success Ryan’s firm has experienced, it is just the beginning. “We feel like we are just hitting our stride as a firm. We expect to double our team’s size in the next twelve months so that we can help more injured people,” said McKeen. “We also expect to open a courtroom and multimedia studio so we can run focus groups, trainings, and events, and expand our ability to educate clients and our community.” The Lawyerist team agrees and can’t wait to watch where the business goes next.
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Last updated November 8th, 2022
