Navigating a Practice Pivot While Facing Life’s Hardest Trials - with Randy Kramer
How a litigator balances a new solo firm with a wife’s cancer diagnosis and his own journey through depression
For most of his career, Randy Kramer was the kind of litigator who defined his success by how late he stayed at the office. For nearly twenty years, he went all out for his clients, holding out for the best settlements and mastering the art of the grind.
But his priorities have shifted.
In this episode of The Wellness Esquire Podcast, I sit down with Randy to discuss a series of professional and personal pivots that would test anyone’s resolve. From leaving a decades-long litigation career to launch a solo practice in international trade and customs, to navigating his wife’s Stage IV colon cancer diagnosis and his own battle with depression and anticipatory grief, Randy’s story is showing what it looks like to keep showing up when and to talk about the hard stuff when you’re really not okay.
What We Cover
In this conversation, Randy Kramer and I discussed:
The challenge of switching practice areas after twenty years in the law.
Why he chose to start a solo firm instead of going in-house or joining a larger firm.
The “perfectionism trap” and why 98% is often better than 100% for your quality of life.
How his wife’s cancer diagnosis shifted his perspective on work-life balance and “workaholic” tendencies.
Navigating “cancer ghosting” and the importance of support during long-term illness.
Moving from Toronto to Montreal and the unexpected hurdle of mastering “Legal French” later in his career
Memorable Quotes
“The two to three percent more to get to 100% is absolutely so exhausting and really not worth it for quality of life purposes.”
“I realized that having a bad client is much worse than having no client.”>
“My wife is out there living and creating more moments with me and our children to remember. I wish I had that attitude, because I’m more on the fearful side.”
Listen to or watch our conversation on The Wellness Esquire Podcast anywhere you find your podcasts!
About Randy Kramer
Randy Kramer is an international trade and customs attorney based in Montreal. After nearly twenty years as a civil and personal injury litigator, he launched his own firm focusing on international contracts, transportation, logistics, and maritime law. He is an advocate for mental health awareness within the legal profession, sharing his personal experiences with depression and caregiving on social media to help break the stigma.
The Wellness Esquire Podcast
The Wellness Esquire Podcast is hosted by me, Ariella Cohen Coleman. I chat with lawyers and other professionals in our industry about all the things — well-being, burnout, anxiety, depression, imposter syndrome, addiction, alcohol, health (physical and mental), and how we can build impactful careers that fit into the lives we want.