Articles
Susan Beneville, Esq
Mission Statement:
Firm Fundamentals is a specialized law firm professional development and training resource. Effective professional development requires the time and efforts of experienced lawyers who are also skilled PD professionals. We offer a cost-effective, quality approach as a strategic PD planning consultant, skills training provider and one-on-one coach.
We believe in the fundamental importance of training in creating and maintaining a firm’s reputation for excellence; in building and nourishing associate competence, confidence and loyalty; and in meeting and exceeding client expectations. Our approach to professional development stresses common-sense, integrity, creativity and humor in an engaging and dynamic atmosphere.
Experience:
Susan Beneville, Georgetown University Law Center graduate and former litigation partner of Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May (now ReedSmith), created Firm Fundamentals in 2000. Ms. Beneville’s practical legal experience comes from years in the trenches of complex civil actions, including multi-district litigation as well as class actions involving drug and medical device product liability, medical malpractice, employment, commercial litigation, insurance coverage, and intellectual property issues.
Ms. Beneville’s extensive practice provided numerous opportunities to act as a complex litigation team leader, motions “maven”, and trial lawyer. Ms. Beneville has taken over one thousand expert and lay witness depositions. She has also managed the collection, review and production of hundreds of thousands of documents in complex matters.
Ms. Beneville continues the practice of law as a consulting attorney for appellate matters, trial preparation, major dispositive motions, and complex case management. For over fifteen years, Ms. Beneville has honed her unique ability to design and implement effective training programs. As co-chair of Crosby’s Associate Training and Development Committee, Ms. Beneville was instrumental in building Crosby’s well-respected, comprehensive litigation training program.
From her active participation in the associate recruiting and evaluation processes, Ms. Beneville recognized that high quality associates do not develop in a vacuum. Her career-long involvement in professional development reflects her commitment to helping associates reach their full potential. Throughout her practice, Ms. Beneville has developed a well-deserved reputation as an outstanding mentor and coach on the core development issues of professionalism, analysis, writing and leadership.
As the founder of Firm Fundamentals, Ms. Beneville has continued her efforts to provide interactive professional and substantive legal skills programs and one-on-one coaching to law firm associates. In addition, she now consults with law firms to create, evaluate, and improve their strategic professional development function.
