Michael S. Etkins

Michael S. Etkins is the Managing Director of Practice Administration for the firm. He leads the Firm’s Department of Practice Administration, which includes Section Directors, Managers and Specialists, to ensure the delivery of optimized and efficient operations across the enterprise.

Michael’s leadership encompasses several key areas:

• Strategic Planning – Working with Section Directors on setting and executing on their Section’s strategic priorities.
• Practice Management – Financial, profitability and other goal setting and engaging to help achieve those goals.
• Capacity – Monitoring and maximizing production of personnel.
• Information Conduit – Serving as an information conduit for and between all Firm administrative departments and legal professionals.

Prior to assuming the role of Managing Director, Michael served as the Director of the Litigation Section for over a decade. In that role he managed the day-to-day business operations of the Section. Examples of Michael’s leadership as a Section Director include:

• Managing workflow and capacity levels across all titles.
• Financial management including setting competitive billing rates, crafting and approving alternative fee arrangements and management and approval of expenses.
• Attorney and para-professional development, including administering the firm's annual performance review and compensation processes.
• Driving the annual performance planning process for attorneys.
• Overseeing the Litigation Associate annual training program and bi-annual mock trial.

Prior to joining Buchanan, Michael worked for a national law firm in Philadelphia as the practice group administrator of the firm’s Environment & Energy, Government & Regulatory Affairs, Labor & Employment and Real Estate Practice Groups. Michael also served as a business development manager for the Labor & Employment Group.

He began his legal career as a legal assistant focusing on mergers & acquisitions and financing transactions.