About Protean Consulting

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With more than two decades as a law firm lawyer, and a decade of law firm leadership, Steve Miller has a passion for tackling the complex challenges of running a law firm. He founded Protean Consulting with one goal -- empowering law firms to reach their full potential. He brings a strategic mindset, an independent viewpoint, and pragmatic approach to problem solving the industry's most daunting challenges. And he found throughout his career that most law firm consultants lacked where it really matters: actual, in-the-trenches experience of running a law firm or managing a practice.  

Steve served as the Managing Partner of Graham & Dunn P.C., a Seattle-based firm with a century of history and tradition. During his first year in the role, Steve helped successfully negotiate the firm's combination with another hundred-year-old firm to form the regional powerhouse of Miller Nash LLP.  He helped overcome the anticipated (and sometimes unanticipated!) lawyer-like objections to change by developing a compelling business case and building consensus with partners on both sides of the deal. His role as an architect and shepherd for the combination remains his proudest professional accomplishment.      

Steve was privileged to be asked to co-lead the firm as the Seattle Partner-in-Charge for the next five years, leading the firm through its integration efforts and leading the charge on numerous strategic initiatives. He drove changes in overhauling the firm's compensation system to reflect a more disciplined data-driven approach, helped develop the firm's strategic planning and departmental restructuring efforts, and was a key author of the firm's first comprehensive diversity and inclusion initiative, just to name a few.

Steve founded Protean Consulting to employ his tenacity, problem-solving skill, and hard-fought knowledge for the benefit of others in the legal industry. 

Steve is a "Double Dubber" who attended the University of Washington as an undergrad (B.A. Political Science - 1997, summa cum laude) 

and then law school (J.D. - 2000, Honor Graduate - 1st in class).      

Thrust into leadership at an early age and with a bustling practice, Steve dug deep into study, voraciously consuming books, articles, and seminars on leadership, innovation, business strategy, giving and accepting feedback, change management, and office culture. He also benefited from tremendous mentors and worked with incredible colleagues along the way and hopes to pay those lessons forward.

As someone who enjoys analyzing situations and developing strategy, Steve saw law firm consulting as a way to put his skills and knowledge to use in helping lawyers embrace change.