About Us
Brian Hammer, M.A., J.D. /President and Course Facilitator
Brian
Hammer is the owner and primary facilitator for
The Likeable Lawyer. The Likeable Lawyer offers
CLE courses to lawyers nationwide on topics important
to lawyer success including: communication, trust
and relationship-building, ethical persuasion
and client satisfaction.
Brian practiced law for over 14 years and has spent the past seven years as an educator and facilitator on the topics of leadership, team-building, communication skill, diversity and relationship-building. Brian has designed and delivered highly-praised programs to law firms, corporations and organizations nationwide. His CLE courses have received over 99% participant satisfaction evaluations from the thousands of lawyers who have attended. He is a frequent speaker at bar conventions, law firm events and other professional association meetings.
Brian is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, the University of North Carolina School of Business, and holds a Masters of Psychology degree from the University of Santa Monica.
Brian Shapiro, M.A./ Course Facilitator
Raised by a family of attorneys in Los Angeles, Brian Shapiro has been teaching communication courses nationally for over a decade. Brian was part of the consulting team gathered to develop The Likeable Lawyer's initial course offering. In addition to facilitating courses for The Likeable Lawyer, he is the lead full-time faculty in Communication at Berkeley City College in California. Brian is also a performance artist and artistic director for CultureWorks, a performance company he founded in 1999. Brian holds a M.A. in Communication Studies from San Francisco State University and pursued a Ph.D. in Communication Studies at The University of Texas at Austin.
Jeffrey Stec, J.D./ Course Facilitator
After practicing federal multi-district litigation at a large Cincinnati firm for three years, Jeffrey Stec opened his own family law practice. This led him to focus on mediation and collaborative law training. In addition to facilitating courses for The Likeable Lawyer, Jeffrey works with cities and citizens as a
community engagement facilitator to reach consensus on civic planning issues. Jeffrey graduated with honors from the University of Michigan Law School, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with high honors from the University of Michigan.
Robert Anderson, M.A., J.D. /Course Facilitator
Robert Anderson, M.A., J.D. has been practicing law since 1973. He also serves as an arbitrator and mediator in significant matters before the American Arbitration Association, the U.S. District Court in New Jersey, the New York Stock Exchange, the NASD, and the New Jersey Superior Court. Robert received his JD from Columbia Law School, a Masters of Psychology Degree from the University of Santa Monica, and is currently completing his LLM in Alternate Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University.
Chris Layton, J.D. /Course Facilitator
As co-founder of a law firm in Charlotte, North Carolina, Chris Layton has developed a real estate practice which embodies both the spirit and content of The Likeable Lawyer. Along with his law degree, Chris has a background in improvisation which he utilizes in his practice and as a facilitator for Likeable Lawyer. Chris holds a B.A. in Journalism from The University of Maryland at College Park and a J.D. from Wake Forest University.