Practice Area Groups: Q&A with Todd Drucker

Wed, Sep 6th, 2023 | by Miles Mediation and Arbitration | Thoughts from the Top | Social Share

In this month’s Thoughts from the Top, we talk with Todd Drucker, our national business development director, about Miles’ new practice area groups.

Q: Tell us about the new practice area groups at Miles.
A: At Miles, we’re privileged to have neutrals with wide ranges of practice area experience, including business/commercial, medical malpractice, employment, construction, IP, and PI, just to name a few. Forming practice area groups allows neutrals with common experiences and backgrounds to connect with each other to keep on top of case trends and share best practices for mediating and arbitrating cases. It’s also a tremendous benefit when creating marketing and business development strategies. The end goal is to provide maximum exposure for the neutrals both individually and as a group. The collective rising tide does indeed raise all the proverbial boats. The practice area groups also add to the wonderful neutral culture here at Miles.

Q: How did the practice area groups come about?
A: Before joining Miles as national business development director, I worked at JAMS for over a decade in a similar, regional role. We used practice area groups effectively to bring neutrals together and build the collective business. I look forward to bringing this background and experience to Miles to help us grow our business, recruit new neutrals with specific practice area experience, and add to the collegial neutral culture at Miles.

Q: Employment and construction are the first two practice area groups. Why were these two legal areas chosen to be the first ones?
A: We have highly respected neutrals focused on employment and construction who reside in different states. This provides an important baseline for building practice area groups as many of these neutrals are connected to local and national business development activities tied to the respective practice areas. It’s a natural fit to step in and help connect these neutrals with each other and rally around a larger strategy to grow the business regionally (in the Southeast) and nationally. Very exciting.

Q: What other practice are groups do you plan to introduce at Miles?
A: We’re looking at health care and medical malpractice. I’d also love to build a practice area group around arbitration. We have phenomenal arbitration resources at Miles, including a wide range of arbitration rules and a clause generator. I believe the availability of these tools and resources is driving our increased arbitration case count. It’s very exciting to see our growth in this area. Miles is also proud to be hosting the ABA Dispute Resolution Section’s Arbitration Institute in June of 2024.

Q: As Miles’ national business development director, how do the practice area groups fit into your overall plan to help build the Miles brand and continue to grow the company?
A: The practice groups are just one piece of a larger effort (led by our inspiring CEO, Parag Shah) to grow our business and differentiate ourselves from other ADR providers. Miles sets itself apart with our experienced, dedicated neutrals and the excellent client service we provide to the attorneys we serve. Our neutrals, and our employees, are all part of the Miles family. The practice area groups are way to continue to grow and strengthen those bonds. They help to build our business, but just as importantly, our neutrals tied to practice area groups become a part of something bigger than themselves.

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