Chris W. Kirby

Email: 

chris.kirby@markmaraia.com

Phone: 

512-281-5721

Chris Kirby has been actively licensed to practice law in Texas since 1993 and in Arkansas since 1990.  Though Chris has practiced in both his own firm and those of others, for more than a decade now he has focused on coaching and training attorneys and other professionals in all aspects of professional and personal success.  

Having worked with attorneys from more than 37 states and the District of Columbia, Chris possesses a depth of experience and perspective rarely found in the attorney coaching arena.  He is recognized and highly sought after for his ability to coach everyone from the seasoned veteran to the newly minted associate in skills ranging from networking and business development to negotiation to effective presentations.  His expert application of The Maraia Method makes Chris an invaluable member of our coaching team.

Chris’s experience working with partners of many of the most successful firms in the country (including extensive work within many of the AmLaw 100) provides in-depth perspective of what has worked for many of those who have “arrived” at the pinnacle of our profession.  At the same time, Chris’s affable yet direct approach to coaching provides a wonderful framework in which to successfully expand and enrich business development skills regardless of how “success” might be defined.

In addition to his work within law firms, Chris has coached and trained extensively within corporate America as well – predominately within Fortune 200 corporations.  Through this work, Chris has interacted with individuals from more than 40 countries and from widely divergent industries.  This unique experience provides Chris with a unique insiders perspective of corporate America which he routinely passes on to his coaching clients.  

Chris received his Bachelor of Arts from Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee and his Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas.  He is a life member of the Order of the Barristers and a former multi-year member of the Million Dollar Round Table.  Chris is also a member of the State Bar of Texas and has been a member of its statewide Law Practice Management Committee since 2008.  Chris lives with his wife and two young children outside of Austin, Texas.  

FAVORITE TESTIMONIALS:

“On my computer desk is a post-it with WWCS, “What Would Chris Say?”  I now use that as a filter to process marketing opportunities and ideas.  Whenever I hesitate or look for an excuse, I think WWCS and lean into it rather than stepping out of the box.”

Michael Kirk, JD  (Kentucky),  AGC, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and former partner at Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs

“Our law firm used Chris Kirby for business development coaching with great success. His personalized approach enabled him to work with the many styles of the attorneys, as well as help them discover approaches to client service and client development that best worked for them.  [His] training is not just 'in and out', rather it is coaching that facilitates long-term change that leads to positive results.”

Kathy Lester  (Minnesota), Marketing Consultant and former law firm Marketing Director

"The coaching I received from Chris Kirby helped me find practical ways in which to use my social connections and everyday interactions to further business development goals. Chris' coaching has helped me to integrate business development as a priority in my daily routine. One example of a promising new business opportunity came as a result of a relationship that began at the Mark Maraia seminar I attended at the Manatt office in Los Angeles. As luck would have it, I sat next to Amy Briggs at the seminar, who was also coached by Chris. Through the exercises of the seminar, Amy and I identified a number of her contacts to whom my expertise in patent law might be useful. Just last week Amy and I had dinner with yet another of her contacts, who is the patent manager at Sony Computer Entertainment America. That dinner resulted in a commitment for new patent prosecution work from SCEA. Amy and I have since identified another of her contacts who will be our next "target". In addition, Amy and I have joined with Timi Leslie and Eric Newsom, also participants at the Mark Maraia seminar, in an "accountability group" that meets roughly monthly to coordinate business development efforts and share successes."   

Shawn Hansen, Manatt Phelps & Phillips