Podcast
Matt Smith
Avoid These Mistakes When Seeking a Better ...
Financial Planning, Podcast
Matt Smith
Avoid the Golden Handcuffs of Debt with LJ Jones

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 careers and the life they want to live.

Matt Smith
The Intersection of Law & Finance: Insights ...

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 technology through the intricate maze of immigration compliance, strategy, and workforce mobility.

The Intersection of Law & Finance: Insights from Hadeel Abouhasira

Big Law

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Tax Planning for Big Law Attorneys During Tax Season with Brian Leben

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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 underpayment penalties

  • Common gaps among high earners, including not maximizing pre-tax 401(k) and HSA contributions

  • Backdoor and “mega” backdoor Roth strategies, allowing after-tax contributions and in-service rollovers

  • A caution to popular social-media tax strategies (heavy vehicle deductions, conservation easements, intangible drilling costs, and the Augusta rule) are often inapplicable, complex, or not worth the hassle

  • Practical opportunities including properly applying composite/PTE state tax payments

Learn more about Brian Leben:

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About “Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money”:

You bill in 6-minute increments. Let’s get you some of that time back. “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.

This isn’t a money podcast. It’s a life-in-BigLaw podcast—with a CFP® in the host chair.

Watch or listen to more episodes of Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money:

Connect and learn more from your host, Matt Smith and Concert Financial Planning: