Ep. 552 - Melone Hatley P.C. COO Dan Cuneo - How Smart Ops Leaders Really Dominate New Markets
Second in Command: The Chief Behind the Chief with Cameron Herold
Second in Command with Cameron Herold
4.9 • 224 Ratings
🗓️ 10 February 2026
⏱️ 39 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Struggling to scale your law firm or lead expert teams without burning out or losing your edge?
You’re not alone. In this episode, Cameron Herold brings you an unfiltered, radically honest conversation with Dan Cuneo, COO of Melone Hatley. Dan reveals the surprising truth behind law firm growth, why lawyers love culture but hate change, and the communication systems driving results in a multi-office, 100+ employee business.
What does it really take to compete, attract talent, and thrive when AI, client demand, and team alignment keep shifting? Get the inside playbook, raw stories, and proven systems to finally build sustainable scale, without sacrificing humanity or profit.
Listen now, because the biggest risks are waiting, hoping, and copying what every other law firm is already doing. This episode delivers exclusive, actionable strategies that win with today’s top talent and future-proof your firm.
Timestamped Highlights
[00:00] – The one business skill most lawyers are missing (and why it holds firms back)
[04:10] – How Melone Hatley picks winning markets and why they avoid the “big city trap”
[07:25] – Recruiting smart attorneys: drive vs. ambition, culture fit vs. pure skill
[10:54] – Topgrading and the secrets to high-impact, low-turnover legal hiring
[13:21] – Can a non-lawyer run law firm ops? Why Dan says “it depends,” and what really matters
[15:31] – From band-aids to sustainable hires: scaling up, alignment, and culture that actually sticks
[17:15] – The silent killer: how misalignment eats into growth (and what to do about it)
[20:18] – The real impact of AI in law: opportunity, risk, and what Dan refuses to automate
[25:26] – Marketing channels that don’t work anymore and how Dan finds blue ocean opportunities
About the Guest
Dan Cuneo is the COO of Melone Hatley, a rapidly scaling multi-state family law and estate planning firm known for its aggressive, people-first approach to talent and market expansion. With 100+ team members across multiple offices, Dan is a rare law firm leader who combines litigation experience with a relentless business-building mindset. He’s a TEDx speaker, champion of culture-first leadership, and a voice for operational innovation in a tradition-resistant industry.
Mentioned Resources
- Topgrading (hiring methodology)
- Scaling Up (business operating system)
- EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)
- Next Level Growth
- Google Ads / PPC
- Geofencing marketing
- Fairway Divorce (referenced client)
- Hennessy Digital (SEO for law firms)
- TEDx Tampa (event)
- Who (book by Geoff Smart)
- Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni
- Jim Collins (concepts on communication, leadership cadence)
Important Links
- Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn
- Explore the COO Alliance - The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in Command
- Get Cameron’s book: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book
- Take his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)
- Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi
The Second in Command Podcast is an original production hosted by Cameron Herold. Brought to you by COO Alliance. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | No, you don't really need that to be a good CEO at a law firm because I think what separates |
| 0:05.4 | a law firm that's successful versus a traditional law firm is treating it like a business. |
| 0:10.9 | And attorneys are bad business people, which is very surprising to me. |
| 0:14.0 | But I think having that litigation mindset and experience is helpful, but it's also helpful |
| 0:19.3 | in relating to the team and to the firm |
| 0:21.2 | and be able to help shepherd things through and implement and really get that that buying. |
| 0:25.5 | So I think having someone that at least litigated before and was an or is an attorney |
| 0:30.0 | is probably a little bit beneficial. |
| 0:37.2 | Welcome to the Second and Command podcast, produced by the C.O. Alliance and brought to you by its founder, Cameron Harold. |
| 0:45.6 | In the Second in Command podcast, we talk to top COOs who share the insights, strategies, and tactics that made them the chief behind the chief. And now, here's your host, |
| 0:56.9 | Cameron Herald. All right, you're going to love this podcast today. We've got a C.O. Alliance |
| 1:05.6 | member, and he's the chief operating officer of a large law firm based in the United States. They operate in eight |
| 1:11.9 | different markets. The company is called Malone Hatley. And Dan Cunio is the C-O-O-O-Chief Operating |
| 1:18.3 | Officer of Malone Hatley. It's a family law practice. They have operators operating again in eight |
| 1:23.5 | offices, about 100 employees, 30 attorneys. He's going to talk about AI and what's that |
| 1:28.7 | doing to the industry, what marketing works and does not work inside of the industry. He's going to |
| 1:33.1 | talk about some of the content that he covered in his TEDx talk in Tampa around people over |
| 1:37.8 | profits, what it's like leading smart lawyers and experts and actually his growth as a leader |
| 1:43.3 | over the years in running an organization. |
| 1:45.4 | You'll love this episode. You can listen to all of our podcast episodes all the way back to |
| 1:50.2 | episode number one. We've done about 520. Anywhere that you listen to podcasts like Apple and Spotify, |
| 1:55.2 | you can also watch all of our podcasts on our Second and Command podcast channel. Remember to like |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Second in Command with Cameron Herold, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Second in Command with Cameron Herold and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.