Podcast Interview With Guest Gary Wingens | Baretz+Brunelle

In this episode of The Future Is Bright podcast, Howard Rosenberg, head of Talent Intelligence + Acquisitions at Baretz+Brunelle, and his co-host Chris Batz welcome Gary Wingens, chair and partner at Lowenstein Sandler, the 400-plus-attorney firm built around a deep focus in select sectors, including private capital and life sciences. Gary spent 18 years as managing partner before recently moving into the chair role. His tenure as managing partner began one month before Bear Stearns collapsed and spanned the full 2008 financial crisis, COVID-19, and the early years of AI adoption in legal work.

The conversation traces what Gary says he’d do differently if he could return to 2008, from leaning harder into a lateral growth strategy to committing faster to the sectors the firm had chosen. He also lays out his theory of the Jevons paradox in legal AI, where falling costs on individual matters are pushing total demand for legal work up rather than down, illustrated by a client engagement that dropped 70% in price. The discussion turns to how firms differentiate when everyone has access to the same AI tools. Wingens argues that depth in a handful of chosen sectors matters more than overall firm size. He also traces the firm’s pro bono commitment back to a formative lunch with its founder decades ago.

Episode Highlights

• The Case Against Co-Chairs
  Gary Wingens explains why he pushed back on splitting the top job and chose to stay off the committee that picked his own successor.

• Taking Over a Month Before Bear Stearns Fell
  A leadership transition that began right as the 2008 financial crisis hit, including the firm’s first layoff and the toughest call of a nearly two decade tenure.
  
  
• The Economic Theory Behind AI’s Impact on Legal Fees
  A 19th century idea about coal prices explains why falling AI costs are pushing legal demand up instead of down, backed by a real deal that dropped 70% in price.
  
  
• Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better in Law
  A look at why depth in a handful of practice areas can matter more than overall size, and where scale still gives firms a real edge.
  
  
• The Founder’s Lunch That Shaped a Firm’s Pro Bono Mission
  A story from decades ago about walking away from a client rather than abandoning public interest work, and the mortgage crisis initiative it inspired. 
  
  

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About the Podcast:
On The Future Is Bright, Howard Rosenberg and Chris Batz engage with thought-provoking C-suite executives and leaders from corporations, professional service firms, and the global legal industry. Each episode uncovers insights on leadership, innovation, and the evolving dynamics of the modern professional landscape.

You can subscribe to The Future is Bright Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and PodBean.