In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Michelle Calcote King sits down with Shailyn Tirado, Global Head of Research at Legal Benchmarking Group, to discuss what it takes to succeed in the IFLR1000 rankings process. Shailyn explains the program's three-pronged research methodology, what firms consistently get wrong when describing deal impact and why the program made the decision to combine its rankings and awards submissions into a single process this cycle.

• What sets IFLR1000 apart from generalist legal directories and who it's designed to serve

• Why IFLR1000 combined its rankings and awards submissions into a single process this cycle

• How deal evidence, client feedback, and peer and market insight each factor into the final assessment

• What firms consistently get wrong when describing deal impact and what the research team actually wants to see

• Why quality matters far more than quantity when selecting client referees and participating in peer surveys

Shailyn Tirado is the Global Head of Research at Legal Benchmarking Group, where she has worked since 2020. She leads research and data analysis teams across a range of markets, with expertise spanning the legal and publishing industries. Prior to joining Legal Benchmarking Group, she was a research editor at Euromoney Institutional Investor, now known as Delinian.

• Check out Legal Benchmarking Group

• Check out IFLR1000

• Follow Legal Benchmarking Group on LinkedIn

• Connect with Shailyn Tirado on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Steven Gallo talks with Barbara Stiles, FSMPS, CPSM, senior consultant in the Strategic Growth Advisory practice at Stambaugh Ness, about why institutional knowledge is one of the most valuable — and most vulnerable — assets an AEC firm has, and what marketing and business development leaders can do to capture it before it walks out the door.

• What gets lost when an experienced employee leaves an AEC firm — and why it goes beyond technical knowledge

• The difference between explicit and tacit knowledge, and why tacit knowledge is where competitive advantage lives

• How marketing and BD teams can make the business case for a knowledge transfer initiative to firm leadership

• Practical first steps for firms that want to start capturing institutional knowledge before it becomes a crisis

Barbara Stiles, FSMPS, CPSM, is a Senior Consultant in the Strategic Growth Advisory practice at Stambaugh Ness. With more than 35 years of experience in the AEC industry, she is a proven leader in strategic planning, business development and marketing. A former vice president and shareholder at WGI, Inc., she has worked with firms ranging from 200 to 80,000 employees.

Barbara has been presenting on business development, leadership, communication and strategic planning topics for more than 20 years at the local, regional and national levels. She is a longtime member of SMPS, has served on the SMPS National board and the SMPS Foundation board, and was recognized as a Fellow of SMPS in 2016. She also holds the Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) designation.

• Check out Stambaugh Ness

• Follow Stambaugh Ness on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram

• Connect with Barbara Stiles on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Steven Gallo on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Steven Gallo sits down with Nick Piteo, PE, a principal at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger and chair of the AEI Professional Project Awards jury. Nick pulls back the curtain on what the jury is actually looking for, why the collaboration between marketers and engineers makes or breaks a submission and how to make the business case for pursuing these awards internally.

• What the AEI Professional Project Awards are and why they exist

• What the jury is actually looking for in a submission

• Why the disconnect between marketing teams and engineers is one of the most common submission killers

• The business case for pursuing these awards — from recruiting to getting shortlisted on competitive proposals

• How to get started and why submitting as a full project team can strengthen your entry and reduce costs

Nick Piteo, PE, is a principal at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH), where he has spent nearly 25 years specializing in building enclosures and forensic engineering. His work spans the investigation of existing structures, rehabilitation design, historic preservation and new design, with a focus on higher education, laboratory, healthcare and museum buildings. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, North Carolina, New York and Pennsylvania and holds bachelor's and master's degrees in architectural engineering from Penn State University. Nick also serves as chair of the jury for the AEI Professional Project Awards.

• Check out the AEI Professional Project Awards
• Learn more about Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH)
• Follow SGH on LinkedIn
• Connect with Nick Piteo on LinkedIn
• Say hello to Steven Gallo on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Michelle Calcote King sits down with John Scott, partner and virtual CFO at Anders, to explore how law firms can use financial data to make smarter marketing decisions. The conversation covers which practice areas deserve more investment and how to build the forecasting rhythm that lets firms course-correct before it's too late.

• The most common marketing-finance disconnect at law firms — and why it can go undetected for months

• How dynamic monthly forecasting helps firms course-correct marketing spend in real time

• Why not all practice areas are equally profitable, and how to find out which ones deserve more marketing investment

• How cash flow challenges influence law firms' willingness to invest in marketing

John C. Scott, CPA, AEP, CGMA, is a partner at Anders and heads the firm's legal industry Virtual CFO practice. With more than 30 years of experience in law firm financial management, he helps firms optimize processes, strengthen profitability and prepare for succession or managing partner transitions. He is the author of Judicial Dollars and Cents and works with practices ranging from million-dollar boutiques to $30 million multi-office firms.

• Check out Anders

• Follow Anders on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram

• Connect with John Scott on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Steven Gallo sits down with Greg Sizemore and Gregory Palmer of the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) to discuss the organization's annual Awards of Excellence: what they recognize, how the judging process works and what AEC firms can gain from putting together a submission.

• What the Construction Users Roundtable is and why Greg Sizemore founded it 25 years ago

• The three CURT Awards of Excellence — Safety, Workforce Development and Project Excellence — and what distinguishes each one

• Why safety and project excellence submissions are data-driven while workforce development relies more heavily on storytelling

• The most common mistakes firms make when applying and how to avoid them

• Why winning a CURT award carries value well beyond the trophy, from industry-wide exposure to owner pre-qualification signals

Greg Sizemore is the founder and president of the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) and president of Sizemore & Company LLC. He founded CURT 25 years ago with a mission to help industrial owners get more construction for their money. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati, where he teaches construction law and leadership and decision making.

Gregory Palmer is the director of events and digital programs at CURT, where he has worked for more than 25 years. He oversees the organization's awards programs and events, including the annual Awards of Excellence ceremony.

• Learn more about the CURT Awards of Excellence and access applications at curt.org/awards

• Follow CURT on LinkedIn

• Connect with Greg Sizemore on LinkedIn

• Connect with Gregory Palmer on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Steven Gallo on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Michelle Calcote King speaks with Molly Huie, team lead for rankings, surveys and awards at Bloomberg Industry Group, about the Leading Law Firm Survey and Data-Driven Departments programs. Molly walks through how Bloomberg Law scores firms across four pillars — finance, talent, growth, and tech and innovation — shares what the data is already revealing about AI adoption across firm sizes and offers practical tips for legal marketers deciding whether to participate.

• What the Leading Law Firm Survey measures and how it differs from traditional rankings focused solely on revenue and headcount

• How Bloomberg Law weights its four scoring pillars — and why the tech and innovation section is getting an expanded role this year

• What the survey data reveals about AI training and technology adoption across small, mid-size and large firms

• How firms can participate, what to submit and how to use the results for business development and internal benchmarking

Molly Huie is a team lead for Bloomberg Industry Group News on the Rankings, Surveys and Awards team. Her team runs all quantitative programs — law firm and legal team rankings, industry thought leadership surveys, and other data-driven programs. Molly holds both a bachelor's and master's degree in psychology, with specializations in research methodology, design and statistics.

• Check out bloomberglaw.com

• Follow Bloomberg Law on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram

• Connect with Molly Huie on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Steven Gallo speaks with Sonya Bohmann, Executive Director of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention, about the mental health crisis hiding in plain sight across the AEC industry. Suicide claims more than five times as many construction workers' lives each year as on-the-job injuries, yet many firms still aren't talking about it. Sonya breaks down the risk factors driving that statistic, the most common mistakes firms make when they try to address mental health and what communications and marketing professionals can do to lead the charge internally.

• About CIASP and its mission to create a zero-suicide construction industry

• The risk factors that make construction workers disproportionately vulnerable to suicide

• How firms can start the conversation — and why something as simple as an email signature can be a first step

• Why mental health must become a core value, not a one-time priority

• How the largest construction clients are now requiring mental health components in the proposal process

Sonya Bohmann is the Executive Director of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2018 with the goal of creating a zero-suicide construction industry. CIASP's mission is to provide and disseminate information and resources for suicide prevention and mental health promotion across the construction sector.

Sonya comes from a construction background, having spent more than a decade in the commercial remodel, refresh and facilities maintenance space. That experience gave her a firsthand understanding of how the industry works and the mental health challenges construction workers face daily — and has shaped her perspective on how companies of all sizes can tackle this crisis.

• Learn more about The Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP)

• Follow CIASP on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram

• Connect with Sonya Bohmann on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.

In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Michelle Calcote King sits down with Barnaby Merrill, US editor at Legal 500, to unpack everything legal marketers need to know about one of the industry's most established rankings programs. Barnaby walks through what makes a strong submission, how referee feedback actually influences ranking decisions and why firms new to the process may be closer to a strong ranking than they think. He also shares what's new with the US Elite rankings — a partner-led, jurisdiction-specific program now in its second year — and explains how Legal 500's data is increasingly shaping the answers AI tools serve up when corporate clients search for outside counsel.

• What Legal 500 looks for in matter highlights — and what to leave out

• How referee feedback factors into rankings (and why low response rates aren't the dealbreaker firms fear)

• The biggest misconception about breaking into the rankings for the first time

• What's different about the US Elite rankings: partner-led, interview-driven and jurisdiction-specific

• How Legal 500's rankings are surfacing in AI-generated law firm recommendations

Barnaby Merrill is the United States editor at Legal 500. He has been at Legal 500 since 2019 and took on his current role in 2023. In this role, he oversees all research into the US private practice market, including the national Legal 500 United States and the state and city-based US Elite rankings, which are in their second year having launched in February 2025. Barnaby is passionate about the US legal market in all its forms, with a strong interest in the intersection between client service and market growth with a view to the long-term future of law firms.

• Check out Legal500

• Follow Legal500 on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram

• Connect with Barnaby Merrill on LinkedIn

• Say hello to Michelle Calcote King on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Reputation Ink.

Founded by Michelle Calcote King, Reputation Ink is a marketing and public relations agency that serves B2B professional services firms of all shapes and sizes across the United States, including corporate law firms and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms.

Reputation Ink understands how sophisticated corporate buyers find and select professional services firms. For more than a decade, they have helped firms grow through thought leadership-fueled strategies, including public relations, content marketing, video marketing, social media, podcasting, marketing strategy services, creative services and more.

To learn more, visit www.rep-ink.com or email them at info@rep-ink.com today.