Trailblazer: Mark Chinn, Chinn and Associates, PLLC

A few years ago I received a telephone call from a guy who wanted to talk to me about my book.I remember the call well, as I was sitting in a New York hotel when we finally connected. He began by telling me how much he enjoyed my book, Professional's Guide to Value Pricing, along with a lot of flattery I'm too embarrassed to repeat.He also told me about a pricing success story he had had, which obviously convinced him to become a Value Pricing convert. Since then, we've exchanged occasional emails, he has written a fantastic book, How to Build and Manage a Family Law Practice, and a White Paper, "Dumping the Billable Hour: One Lawyer's Experience." He's also written other recognized books.Well, I finally got to meet Mark Chinn at the Atticus Value Pricing Workshop in Orlando, Florida. He told the entire group that he's made over $500,000 more utilizing Value Pricing than he would have made billing by the hour, in the last couple of years. He knows this because he still maintains timesheets.I said it was time to take the training wheels off, as Mark's firm, Chinn and Associates, PLLC, has obviously made pricing a core competency, along with the practice of family law.He said he was going to go back and trash timesheets.Mark is an incredibly nice man, and I'm honored to have had the chance to meet him. Though I'm sure I'd never want him in the courtroom against me, he is a true gentleman. Poke around his Web site and you can see for yourself his accomplishments, philosophy and purpose. He even has a description of Value Pricing. All very impressive.Family lawyers are litigators. And to all those attorneys out there who think litigators can't offer fixed prices, Mark is empirical evidence they can. There are now other family law practices out there doing the same thing. So much for "it can't be done." Usually, people who say that are being bypassed by people who are doing it.I've always had tremendous respect for attorneys. I do believe it's a noble profession. The lawyers I've had the privilege of working with are smart, well-read, excellent debaters, have respect for abstract ideas, and cogent thinkers. I always learn much more from them than I impart to them.Congratulations, Mark! Your Team's progress has been amazing this past couple of years. I am honored and humbled to have played a role, no matter how small.Who knows, after a while living without timesheets, we may see your picture on the Fellow page of this Web site.I hope so.