Lessons on Growth from Inc 5000 Law Firm Owner Eric Toscano (Ep. 107)
Scaling a law firm requires more than just attracting new clients; it's about building a robust team and refining your business strategy. On the latest episode of The Lawyer Millionaire Podcast, we sat down with Eric Toscano, founder and CEO of the rapidly growing Tenant Law Group. Eric shares how he transformed his firm into one of the fastest-growing private law firms in the United States, a consistent presence on the Inc 5000 list. Here's a closer look at the strategies that fueled his success and can guide your law firm to new heights.
Recognizing Disruption as Opportunity
Eric kicked off our interview by discussing the evolving legal landscape, particularly the entry of corporate giants like KPMG into the legal industry. While some see this as a threat to midsize and boutique firms, Eric perceives any form of disruption as an opportunity. For law firm owners, the key takeaway is to adapt and look for innovative ways to leverage market changes to benefit your firm and clients.
The Power of Vision-Driven Growth
According to Eric, scalable growth is deeply rooted in the owner's vision. Initially driven by personal circumstances, his motivation evolved to focus on delivering exceptional services and making a meaningful impact on the lives of others. Whether you're just starting or looking to expand, take time to define your vision. Ensure it evolves with your experiences and the needs of your team and clients. A dynamic vision keeps the fire alive for law firm owners, preventing complacency and fueling continued progress.
Hiring with Intent
Recruiting top talent remains one of the biggest challenges for law firms. Eric distinguishes his hiring process by seeking candidates who match the firm's needs, focusing less on prestigious academic backgrounds and more on skills like negotiation and problem-solving. He now prioritizes lateral hires with proven track records of success in civil court settlements, emphasizing the need for candidates who can contribute significantly from day one.
Leveraging Data and Systems
Law firm owners can massively benefit from data-driven decision-making. Eric shares that implementing a strategic business framework like Vern Harnish's Scaling Up has been instrumental for Tenant Law Group. This involves not only establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) but also aligning daily tasks with long-term company objectives. By maintaining a strong focus on critical numbers and systemic processes, law firms can optimize their operations for growth and sustainability.
Creating a Lasting Impact
Beyond profitability, Eric's goal is to amplify the positive impact his firm has on clients and communities. For other law firm owners, this means thinking beyond immediate financial gains. Align your firm's purpose with genuine client benefits to enhance loyalty and market reputation.
Set Audacious Goals
Eric’s strategic implementation of a BHAG—a big, hairy, audacious goal—demonstrates the importance of setting long-term, ambitious objectives for law firms. This type of goal-setting fosters innovation and keeps the team focused on achieving remarkable feats. It serves as a guiding star for all strategic planning, ensuring efforts are aligned toward transformational growth.
By adopting these insights, law firm owners can transform their practices into thriving, high-impact businesses.
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About our guest:
Eric brings more than twenty years of entrepreneurial and legal experience to his role as Chief Executive Officer of Tenant Law Group, a law firm recognized by the San Francisco Business Times’ as one of the Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Bay Area in 2024; by Law Firm 500 for the past five years as among the 100 fastest growing law firms in the United States; by Inc. 5000 in 2022 and 2024 as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States; and by Great Place to Work® every year since 2021 as a Great Place to Work. In less than nine years, Eric has grown Tenant Law Group from a de facto solo practice to the largest law firm in California (and possibly in the United States) dedicated exclusively to the representation of tenants.
Named a Super Lawyers® Rising Star every year from 2015 to 2019, and a Northern California Super Lawyer® every year since 2021, Eric is passionate about entrepreneurship, trial advocacy, and social justice. Although he was a practicing attorney in the firm from 2016 to 2020, he now dedicates 100% of his time to running the firm.
As Chief Executive Officer, he focuses primarily on leading a team of nearly fifty legal professionals, recruiting and retaining top legal talent from around the world, attracting and onboarding new clients, building the firm’s technological infrastructure, overseeing all firm finances, and continuing to scale the firm to serve approximately 17 million California renters.
Born in the South Bay and raised in the Central Valley and Wine Country, Eric earned an undergraduate degree in economics from Stanford University, where he was active in Stanford Student Enterprises (a student entrepreneurship organization); studied overseas in Florence, Italy for a quarter; and played on the Stanford Rugby Team.
Before attending law school, Eric spent three years living in Italy. There, he founded an English school (The English Language Institute of Montebelluna) in Montebelluna, Italy, and launched an online company helping people with Italian ancestry become recognized as Italian Citizens (Italian Citizenship & Genealogy Services).
He earned his law degree from UC Davis School of Law, where he was Student Bar Association President, a member of the Moot Court Board, and one of ten students in his class selected for membership in The Order of Barristers, a national honor society dedicated to excellence in oral advocacy. During law school, Eric also worked as an intern in the Government Division of the Office of the City Attorney of San Francisco, and as a judicial extern to the Honorable Morrison C. England, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California.
After law school, he spent two and a half years working on behalf of large technology companies as a patent litigator for an international law firm. Although he found the work interesting, he was frustrated by the lack of trained management and clear expectations (beyond billable hours) and by a culture he felt was driven by organizational hierarchy and office politics.
When he founded Tenant Law Group (originally, Toscano Law Group) in January 2016, his goal was to build a different type of law firm: one that encouraged critical thinking and innovation; that focused on the personal, professional, and financial growth of its team members; that operated by clearly documented policies, systems, and procedures; that offered a positive, supportive environment and took no team member for granted; and that was committed to growing rapidly to serve an expansive and underserved clientele (tenants).
While an attorney at Tenant Law Group, Eric dedicated 100% of his practice to tenant rights. He defended tenants in unlawful detainer (eviction) proceedings and pursued affirmative matters against landlords on behalf of tenants arising out of illegal evictions from rent-controlled apartments, harassment, defective conditions and repair issues, rodent and other pest infestations, floods, and fires.
Eric has given back to the legal community through his involvement with the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF), San Francisco’s Eviction Defense Collaborative, and his alma mater, UC Davis School of Law (King Hall). He served on BASF’s Barristers Club’s Board of Directors for two years (and as Board Vice President for one of them); and was named a 2014 Barrister of the Year. From 2015 to 2019, he served on the Board of Directors of the Eviction Defense Collaborative, a San Francisco nonprofit that helps low-income tenants fight unlawful detainer (eviction) lawsuits. Since April 2020, he has served on King Hall’s Alumni Association Board of Directors, and is currently serving his second three-year term. He routinely returns to King Hall as an alumni panelist for the school’s Legal Research & Writing and Lawyering Process courses. He has also spoken to students at UC College of the Law (formerly UC Hastings) about entrepreneurship and tenant rights law.
Outside of work, Eric enjoys spending time with his wife and two young sons, visiting his family in the Wine Country, traveling, camping, training for half marathons, and volunteering as Cubmaster for his older son’s Cub Scout Pack. He speaks fluent Italian, conversational Spanish, and some French.
Hobbies & Activities:
Hiking
Star Wars
Training for marathons
