TorkLaw

Success Story

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TorkLaw

30%

Increase in New Cases
73%

Increase in Staff

Project Overview

No matter what line of work you’re in, it’s essential to remain mindful of your “why.” Whether you’re a cardiologist or a cartographer, this north star guides every aspect of your professional trajectory, keeping you honest as well as true to your values.

Reza Torkzadeh has done just that with TorkLaw, an innovative personal injury firm that handles personal injury and wrongful death cases, nursing home neglect, elder abuse, product liability, and sex abuse. Through his and his brother Korosh’s leadership and passion for representing the people, they have established offices all across the nation, from their headquarters in Los Angeles, California all the way out to Georgia.

“We always talk about our ‘why?’. Who is TorkLaw and why do we practice personal injury law?” Reza muses. “Our answer is: because we get to change people’s lives. They come to us at the worst time of their lives and we get to be there for our clients and the community.”

Reza has always had an eye for the big picture. The most rewarding part of owning his own law firm has been creating its vision and setting the direction for the future.

Unfortunately, these broader duties make up only one side of a law firm owner’s responsibilities. There are significant challenges that arise out of the day-to-day side of the coin, which can hinder the firm’s growth.

Reza is constantly wrestling with the moving target of how to best market to an increasingly digital audience. On top of that neverending pursuit, he must also balance managing his growing staff and grasping an unpredictable work schedule. These issues combine to give Reza the unenviable sense of constantly playing defense and putting out fires, rather than shifting to the offensive and aiming for stable and meaningful growth.

Clearly, there were minor improvements to be made which could yield major results.

Challenge

Reza recognized that most of his firm’s issues fell into two broad buckets: marketing and culture.

On the marketing front, Reza wanted to add a higher degree of quality to the TorkLaw brand by elevating its production. Once producing impactful messaging, they could ensure that these messages were being seen by the right prospective clients in the right places.

The culture solution would prove to be more complex, touching just about every inch of the firm. He needed to find strategies to not only build out a shared vision among the organization, but also ensure that they were hiring the right people to align with the TorkLaw values.

“We really had no process on how to hire people,” Reza reflects. “That’s how we got all these wrong people into the door.”

Upon joining the Crisp Coach program, Reza soon discovered that this collaboration would be a match made in heaven.

The partnership with Crisp has provided us with the tools to build a shared culture and vision within our entire organization.
Reza Torkzadeh

Strategy

When law firms partner with Crisp Coach, they soon realize that changing a select few components of their organization can yield massive results.

First, TorkLaw utilized Crisp’s powerful proficiency of the video medium to more effectively convey its unique value proposition. They crafted several emotionally resonant stories that would introduce their audiences to the firm and illustrate what makes them unique. They produced several different types of videos.

The first of these was their brand video, introducing the audience to TorkLaw’s values and what differentiates them from the competition. They positioned themselves as a “customer service business that happens to practice law,” and stated that “representing the people is what we do and who we are.”

Next, they created in-depth attorney profile videos of Reza and his brother Korosh, explaining their family’s immigrant background as an impetus for why they feel a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable clients. Korosh shares his experience of getting into a car accident and how it instilled a drive in him to help those who are going through such a stressful and traumatic situation.

Crisp Coach produced a wide variety of additional videos as well. One type was Client Testimonials, in which real clients shared their real experiences with Reza and his team and demonstrated a meaningful connection. Another was FAQ videos, where the attorneys answered the most common questions they receive so that they positioned themselves as thought leaders in the area, helping those in need of assistance for no charge.

Each of these videos introduced the audiences to TorkLaw’s values and connected with them on a deeper level. In addition, these brand videos would provide a substantial return on their marketing investment.

Once the video projects were finished, Crisp Coach utilized the Social Stack program to ensure that each of TorkLaw’s videos was perfectly optimized for distribution on their social channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. This amplification ensured a substantial increase in TorkLaw’s brand awareness.

While the reinvigorated marketing certainly left a sizeable impact on the firm, it was Crisp Coach’s effect on the internal workings of the team that changed them more drastically for the better.

Reza shares, “The partnership with Crisp has provided us with the tools needed to build a shared culture and vision within the entire organization.”

He continues, “It’s driven by integrity. Do what you say and say what you do.”

Additionally, this culture is based on respect and a perpetual path to improvement.

“How do we get better?” Reza asks his team on a frequent basis. “How do we get more efficient? How can we learn more? We’ve had to reinvent the firm’s processes many times, so I think our success largely depends on our ability to pivot and reinvent how we do things.”

Changes to the existing team addressed one area of improvement, but there were also problems to solve with their hiring process…or lack thereof.

Reza explains, “We really had no process on how to hire people, and that’s how we got all these wrong people into the door.” The firm had to take the ugly but necessary step of cleaning house and getting rid of the poor fits. Once they felt confident about the remaining team, they needed to look ahead to figure out how to prevent the bad eggs from getting through in the first place.

TorkLaw further innovated by turning to empirical analysis and decision-making. Reza elaborates, “We’ve built a system where all of our data gets aggregated onto a dashboard. We can flip it on, look at it, and determine what’s working and not working, and where the money is going.”

To him, this is a surprisingly underutilized tool in the legal world. He continues, “You have to know your numbers. You have to know what your average settlements are. You have to know how many cases you settle in a week, in a month.”

Like most law firms, TorkLaw had not been functioning as a business. Reza points out, “We’re a law firm, but also a business. If you want to scale up and grow, you have to track this data.”

While the internal fixes in the firm were essential and paid handsome dividends, Reza sings his highest praises for yet another component of Crisp Coach.

He experienced the greatest benefits from the informative conversations with other attorneys in this exclusive group. “The Crisp network allows me to instantly tap into an unmatched ‘brain trust’ of some of the smartest lawyers around,” he raves. “Partnerships with organizations that share the same drive, passion, and intensity to succeed are invaluable.”

With all of these structural and behavioral changes at every level, how did they impact Reza’s firm?

The ability to meet and collaborate with law firm owners across the country who are dealing with similar issues has been incredible. The Crisp network allows me to instantly tap into an unmatched "brain trust" of some of the smartest lawyers around. Partnerships with organizations that share the same drive, passion, and intensity to succeed are invaluable.
Reza Torkzadeh

Impact

It’s a new era for TorkLaw.

Thanks to their powerful library of strategic and emotionally-compelling videos — and the relentless social media promotion campaigns behind them — they have increased their new case intake by 30%.

Reza’s entire perspective on marketing has changed. He realized, “You have to look for ways to reach an audience. You have to be able to know when to hold them, and know when to fold them.” If the data indicates that an approach is not working, it’s time to change up your strategy and find new solutions.

Crisp Coach’s biggest impacts on TorkLaw were on company culture and recruiting. Reza reiterates, “The partnership with Crisp holds us to a higher standard and keeps us accountable.”

Another major improvement has been their focus on data. Reza believes that this is the direction in which the entire legal industry should be moving.

“Traditionally, law firms and lawyers have been one of the slowest to integrate any kind of technology,” he says. “I think the law firm of the future will be one driven by data.”

TorkLaw’s strides in recruiting have been utterly remarkable, with an unfathomable 73% increase in staff.

“We had a mindset shift,” Reza explains. “We went from asking ‘What can you do for the firm?’ to ‘Here’s what the firm can do for you, here are the opportunities we can give you, and here’s what we believe in.’” By flipping the conversation from firm-focused to candidate-focused, they have been able to have more meaningful interviews and bring on higher-quality hires.

For Reza, the partnership with Crisp has been one of the most valuable investments he’s ever made in his firm. He sees the relationship as far more than a vendor relationship. He reflects, “I consider Crisp a true partner with a totally shared value system, vision, and commitment to our success.”

He continues, “Every aspect of our organization has been impacted through the partnership.”

The biggest takeaway that Reza has had from his synergistic experience with Crisp has been to let his people thrive. He continues, “You have people within your organization with great ideas who are innovating, who are efficient, who are setting amazing precedents for things you’ve never tried or even thought to try. Look for those leaders within your organization who are making a difference every day.”

Upon reflecting on the journey of starting his own law firm, there is only one thing that Reza Torkzadeh wishes he could’ve changed.

“I wish I met Crisp Coach years ago.”