Through the years, LSC has worked with a variety of legal consultants who have brought extraordinary value to LSC’s clients. These firms and individuals have become our trusted Partners. Please check out the services our partners offer and that can be included alongside any LSC service.

Mary Kaczmarek, Skillful Means Consulting A former practicing attorney, Mary Carmel Kaczmarek has a passion for coaching lawyers to higher levels of career satisfaction and success. Through Skillful Means Marketing, LLC – an award-winning consulting firm founded by Mary in 2003 – she offers business and professional development training; program development and strategic consulting; and individual coaching to law firms, attorneys and other professionals seeking to improve their practices and attract ideal clients. Mary has been recognized by readers of The National Law Journal as the country’s top business development trainer and coach (2015).  In 2013 she published her book, Take Charge of Your Legal Career: A Practical Business Development Workbook, which is recommended by NALP: The National Association for Law Placement. For three years in a row (2013-2016) she was named by readers of Legal Times as the best business development trainer and coach in Washington, D.C

Mary began her marketing career at Thompson Hine in Cleveland after practicing corporate bankruptcy law with the firm for seven years.  She was also corporate counsel at the former Ameritrust National Company Association (now part of KeyCorp) for two years. Mary served as marketing director at Thompson Hine for five years and her leadership of the marketing function was recognized by a nationally known consultant to law firms as “far superior to other similar firms’ marketing capabilities.” In 1999 Mary was recruited by Charlotte-based Kennedy Covington (now part of K&L Gates), and she served as the firm’s director of business development until 2003 when she left to launch her consulting practice.  

In connection with group training and individual coaching, Mary is certified to administer the WorkPlace Big Five Profile™, an assessment tool developed at the Paradigm Personality Labs specifically for use in the workplace.  The personality assessment addresses workplace behaviors such as client service, sales, communication, supervision and conflict resolution.

Mary is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law and received her undergraduate degree summa cum laude from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, NY. She has been a member of the Charlotte Women’s Bar and the Legal Marketing Association and is a current and active member of the League of Women Voters (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Chapter). Mary has presented at leading national industry conferences including the Legal Marketing Association’s regional conferences, the NALP annual education conference and the NALP Professional Development Institute. She has authored numerous articles on marketing and professional development topics including most recently, “Shifting the Law Firm Business Development Paradigm,” published in Law360.

Tea Hoffmann and Mary Kaczmarek are producers of the Practical Practice Partners podcast. A podcast that offers lawyers sound practice management tips in a highly energetic and conversational format. You can find their latest podcast at