Name: Jonathan (Jon) Mattson
Title: Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer
Firm: Tucker Ellis LLP
Education: MBA, Wake Forest University and BA, Eastern Illinois University
Where did you grow up? Chicago Suburbs
What was your first job? I worked at a mall pet store named Noah’s Ark. Dogs are easy but cleaning bird cages and fish tanks is brutal.
What would you be doing if you weren't in your current job? Teacher. That’s still in the plans when I ease into retirement.
What is currently on your iPod? I am a big Eric Clapton fan but my taste is fairly eclectic so depending on the week you may find Pink Floyd, Toby Keith, Jimmy Buffett, Bob Marley or Little Feat, amongst others.
Where is your favorite place to go to relax? The Lowcountry in South Carolina
What is your favorite TV show? Favorite movie? I read more books than watch TV. My favorite movie is The Graduate.
What is your favorite cuisine? That’s a toss-up between Chinese and Mexican.
If you were stranded on a desert island, who or what would you want to have with you? Tough question. I guess I’d have to say my family but do I really want them stranded??
Who are the most important/ influential people in your life? My immediate family for sure, two daughters and my wife. My grandparents were very big influencers in my life and perhaps a high school track coach who talked me into pole vaulting, which I did through college as well. Not so much for the pole vaulting but the work ethic he instilled in me. He was tougher than my college coach and any managing partner I’ve ever worked with.
What is the first thing you read in the morning? My email on the iPad or iPhone. Sorry, but it’s a holdover from my Big Four days, working for a global firm, when I really would get emails from China, Europe, etc., overnight. Old habits die hard.
How did you get into legal marketing? Completely by accident. I started as an accountant for one Big Four firm (then Big Six), really didn’t like being an accountant but liked developing business so was a BD coach and marketing manager for another Big Four firm. Then went to my third Big Four firm in a pure client facing, business development role. I joke I could have gone to that fourth firm and then written a book, but a couple of other influential people helped me find my way to legal marketing and I love it.
What is the best thing about your job? Not knowing what’s going to happen today. Sure I have a list of the things I would like to accomplish but opportunity knocks and we’re off to the races. I never get halfway through the list before I have run out of daylight.
What advice would you offer a new entrant to the world of legal marketing? Follow what you love doing, do it well and you will be successful. I started out as an accountant, realized it wasn’t for me but the failed opportunity led me to many successful ones.