Legal Eagle — Jennie Compton with Shumaker

July 30, 2026

Jennie was named the first-ever firmwide managing partner for Shumaker last year. A Sarasota native and well-known civic leader in town, Jennie leads the strategy and direction for Shumaker, a top 200 law firm in the country. On this fast-paced episode, Jennie and Business Observer Managing Editor Mark Gordon talked about her career, striving for big goals and how she handles the pressure of her high-impact work.

3 Takeaways

(07:25) Always be learning
(08:22) Recommended reading: Extreme Ownership, Leading Through Change, and Leaders Eat Last
(09:10) Don’t be afraid to believe in innovative leadership

Timestamps

(00:00) Introducing Jennie Compton, Managing Partner, Shumaker
(04:45) What is your role as National Managing Partner?
(07:25) How did you grow into this role?
(09:00) What stands out that you learned from Harvard?
(10:30) How is Shumaker handling AI?
(15:15) Why did you become an attorney?
(16:10) What characteristic does every leader need?
(17:00) What lesson do you know now that you wish you knew earlier?
(17:50) How do you handle uncertain times?
(19:00) Hard to hear feedback
(20:10) How do you handle setbacks?
(22:00) What are you looking forward to?

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