Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money
Sidebar with a CFP®” is your space for candid conversations about life inside BigLaw—the real stuff they don’t teach in law school or show in recruiter brochures. Hosted by Matt Smith, CFP® and founder of Concert Financial Planning, this show pulls back the curtain on what it actually feels like to climb the ranks, navigate transitions, and make big decisions in a high-stakes career. You’ll hear from Partners, Associates, and experts across law and finance—each sharing stories, surprises, and strategies for building a life (and career) that works for you.
Episodes
Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money with Matt Smith, Episode 11
In this episode of the Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money, Matt Smith continues his breakdown of futures contracts from Episode 10, this time moving from the corn field to the stock market to show how the same simple agreement becomes a more capital-efficient way to invest.
Tune in to the episode to h...
Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money with Matt Smith, Episode 10
In this episode of the Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money, Matt Smith speaks about what a futures contract is and how it works, tracing the tool back to its origins in agriculture and commodities to show how locking in a price ahead of time gives buyers and sellers certainty.
Tune in to the episode to...
Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money with Matt Smith, Episode 09
In this episode of the Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money, Matt Smith speaks with Demetrio Vargiu, CPA and Founder of Vargiu Professional Services, an independent Houston-based accounting and advisory firm focused on tax planning, tax preparation, business consulting, and financial guidance for indiv...
Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money with Matt Smith, Episode 08
In this episode of the Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money, Matt Smith speaks with Elaine Block, a Law Business Owner specialized in mediation and arbitration of civil lawsuits with 20 years of experience as a mediator and 32 years of experience as a lawyer.
Elaine began her mediation career in 1991, h...
Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money with Matt Smith, Episode 7
In this episode of the Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money, Matt Smith speaks with tax advisor Brian Leben, partner of Lulloff, Leben & Taylor, LLC, a tax advisory firm.
Tune in to the episode to hear about:
* Tax planning considerations for big law attorneys during tax season
* Avoiding steep under...
Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money with Matt Smith, Episode 6
In this episode of the Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money, Matt Smith, speaks with Luke Sanders, owner of River City Screen Printing and Embroidery in San Marcos, Texas, which was founded by his parents in 1978 and grown to 85+ employees across multiple buildings.
Tune in to the episode to hear about:
...
Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money with Matt Smith, Episode 5
In this episode of the Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money, Matt Smith speaks about the challenges and changes associated with transitioning from associate to equity partner with an aim to prepare attorneys for the financial realities that come with that career transition.
Tune in to hear about:
* Equit...
Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money with Matt Smith, Episode 4
In this episode of the Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money, Matt Smith speaks with Amanda Pierson, owner & attorney at Heights Law Group, a full service Estate Planning and Probate law firm.
Tune in to the episode to hear about:
* Common estate planning mistakes that can leave your loved ones facing...
Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money with Matt Smith, Episode 3
In this episode of the Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money, Matt Smith, speaks with Alison Ketabchi, Director of Recruiting at Baker Botts, an international law firm, recognized as a leader in the energy, technology and life sciences sectors.
Tune in to the episode to hear about:
* What it really takes ...
Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money with Matt Smith, Episode 2
In this episode of the Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money, Matt Smith speaks with fellow Texas Longhorn, LJ Jones. LJ, a CPA and a CFP, is principal and founder of Developing Financial LLC, where he services young lawyers, helping them make the right financial decisions so they can focus on their care...
Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money with Matt Smith, Episode 1
In this inaugural episode of the Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money, Matt Smith speaks with Hadeel Abouhasira, an attorney at Holland & Knight. Hadeel specializes in U.S. business immigration law, guiding multinational corporations across industries like manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and t...
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