The 2024 Game Changers Summit has become known as a large-scale celebration of the accomplishments of the nation’s top firm owners.
For the second consecutive year, Michael and Jessica Mogill took the stage throughout the two-day Summit to recognize the most committed Crisp Coach members for their incredible transformations and contributions this year.
This highly-anticipated set of distinctions has become known as the Crisp Game Changer Awards.
Winners of these carefully vetted, highly prestigious awards were determined based on specific results each firm generated, each leader’s commitment to their goals, and more.
While Firm of the Year Awards at each level (ELITE, PREMIER, SELECT, and CrispX) were reserved for Day 2, four firm owners were celebrated on Day 1 for Excellence in the following categories:
- Excellence in Visionary Leadership
- Excellence in Client Experience
- Excellence in Community Impact
- Excellence in Firm Culture
Congratulations to David Laborde and Digger Earles of Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers for being named winners of the Excellence in Community Impact Award!
Meet David Laborde and Digger Earles
David Laborde and Digger Earles were cousins long before they were law partners. Once the duo chose to go into business together, the decision of what type of law firm to build was a natural one.
“David and I chose to pursue personal injury law because we witnessed the profound, positive impact it could have on people’s lives. We founded our firm with a clear commitment to putting clients first, adopting a client-focused approach that prioritizes their needs and concerns at every stage,” explains Digger. “Our partnership began with working on cases together and has exceeded our greatest expectations.”
What began as a modest family-run law firm has since grown into one of the largest firms in Louisiana. This expansion has brought more clients, a larger team, and a need for enhanced leadership, technology, and processes. Digger and David credit their collaboration with Crisp as a powerful opportunity to connect with other business leaders and firms who have faced similar challenges, offering the pair valuable insights from their experiences — “both successes and setbacks,” as they say.
Deeply rooted in their Louisiana heritage, community involvement has been a fundamental value of Laborde Earles since the firm’s earliest days.
“Practicing personal injury law has enabled us to give back in extraordinary ways, from sponsoring local festivals to donating thousands of bicycles to children in need throughout the state,” says Digger. “Serving the people of Louisiana is our daily inspiration.”
The tangible impact Laborde Earles makes on the people they serve has not only driven the firm’s remarkable growth, but earned them the 2024 Excellence in Community Impact Crisp Game Changer Award. Let’s take a deeper look at all they do to serve their community.
Community Impact at Laborde Earles
Community is one of the firm’s core values and one that David and Digger take very seriously.
“Since starting the firm, giving back to our community has been a critical part of what we do, giving away thousands of bicycles and backpacks to kids, sponsoring local festivals and recreational activities, being a part of school initiatives, and supporting local sports,” explains Digger.
Networking with like-minded fellow law firm owners at Crisp events has brought fresh, new ideas to the Laborde Earles community initiative front, as well as to the initiatives the firm puts into place within its own walls.
“We have applied what we’ve learned to our internal firm culture, which in turn has had a positive impact on our external communities throughout the state of Louisiana,” Digger elaborates. “One example of this is our annual Bike It Forward event. This year was our eighth year giving away bicycles and bike safety gear, but our first year to bring the event to a local school.”
In 2024, Laborde Earles partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana to make their flagship community event more impactful than ever before, giving away bikes and helmets to students at S. J. Montgomery Elementary School.
Bikes were given to children who demonstrated strong school participation during state testing week, encouraging them to show up on time and give their best effort. The event promoted school attendance, testing participation, child safety, child health, and well-being. As part of the event, Laborde Earles and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana offered refreshments, bike safety gear, and a bicycle obstacle course for the kids to test out their new bikes.
“For our eighth Bike It Forward event, we met with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana to see how our event could have a bigger impact based on our community’s needs,” David told a local news source.
Digger added, “What’s great about this year’s Bike It Forward event is that we’re promoting bicycle safety and physical activity while also encouraging students to succeed in school. These are critical components of a child’s future and ultimately benefit our entire community.”
The pair also added a new location to the firm’s Project Backpack event, providing over 700 children with free backpacks stuffed with school supplies to support their success in school and curb the impact of inflation.
Additionally, Laborde Earles was a stage sponsor for Festival International de Louisiane, the largest international music festival in the United States. “This year, we more than doubled our foot traffic from 2023, giving away over 1,000 prizes and gifts to festival attendees,” shares Digger. “We like to sponsor the festival every year to support the culture and arts in our community.”
Every year, David and Digger find bigger and more creative ways to improve how they support their community. Throughout the year, Laborde Earles also runs giveaways, hosts scholarships, spearheads toy and food drives, and more.
Never ones to settle for “good enough,” David and Digger are committed to increasing their community involvement as the firm continues to grow.
“There is always opportunity for improvement, so we set out to top our community involvement year-over-year,” they say. “Combining our internal and external communities is key to our success. As one of our core values, we live and breathe community every day.”
Laborde Earles Now
Being part of the Crisp Coach community has significantly transformed David and Digger’s business — and their lives.
“[Crisp] has equipped us with the tools and strategies necessary to enhance our operations and maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace,” they share. “The guidance and insights we’ve gained have been crucial in fostering growth and preparing us for future challenges.”
Laborde Earles has leveraged tools gained through their Crisp Coach membership to strategically plan and protect their current position and future expansion, ensuring the firm continues to lead their Louisiana market.
“The insights I’ve gained feel like having a Fortune 500 CEO as a personal advisor, offering invaluable advice on managing and scaling a business,” says Digger.
Additionally, connecting with like-minded entrepreneurs and lawyers nationwide has been an immensely valuable aspect of Digger and David’s Crisp involvement.
“These relationships have created a supportive network for sharing best practices, gaining inspiration, and collaborating, which has not only strengthened our business but also led to substantial financial gains from high-quality cases obtained through these connections, motivating us to continue our journey with the Crisp Coach community,” they say.
And what a journey it has been so far. As firm owners who want their legacy to be defined by an exceptional team, leadership with integrity, and passionate purpose, it’s our honor to support and facilitate the increasing impact Laborde Earles makes on the many lives their work touches.
“Receiving a Crisp Game Changer Award is a tremendous honor and a recognition of the hard work, commitment, and unwavering pursuit of excellence that our team brings to everything we do,” Digger reflects. “This award affirms the innovative strategies we’ve employed and our significant impact on our industry. As one of Crisp’s original and longest-standing clients, this accolade is a testament to how we view our relationship with Crisp as a partnership and is particularly meaningful, marking a key milestone in our journey and reaffirming that we are on the right path toward making a lasting difference.”
