A new director of strategic advisory services has joined Michael Best & Friedrich LLP's Denver office, and he's bringing some unusual hardware: a Super Bowl ring.
The firm announced Wednesday that former NFL wide receiver-turned-business coach Bennie W. Fowler III recently joined the firm's consulting branch, bringing with him both the motivation that fueled him on the field as a pro ball player and the business prowess he has built coaching more than 150 business owners and executives since 2019.
Speaking to Law360 on Friday, Fowler said he would be taking the drive he brought to the gridiron into the boardroom for Michael Best. "I'm definitely carrying that same intensity to everything that I do, only because I've been fortunate to win championships in high school, college and the pros," Fowler said. "Winning a championship at Michael Best can look totally different, but there's … still a team aspect, there's still things that this organization, this firm, wants to achieve, and I want to be a part of that."
Fowler's new non-attorney position came about through a relationship he built with Michael Best's managing partner for its Colorado offices, Shawn Stigler. Fowler said he met Stigler at a Denver networking event in 2022, and the two built a natural rapport, with Stigler offering some guidance on private equity and venture capital.
Over the past year or so, Stigler "became a great resource and a great friend," Fowler said. For his part, Stigler said bringing Fowler onto the team was a good match for the firm's strategic goals.
"Bennie is a natural connector whose distinct background gives him the ability to identify unique opportunities for businesses," Stigler said in a statement provided by the firm. "His drive and passion, coupled with our talented team, will help our clients bridge any gaps necessary to take their strategy and vision to the next level."
When it comes to his future with the firm, Fowler said he has set one-year, five-year and 10-year goals, but didn't share any details except that he wants to help Stigler grow the firm in both prestige and revenue.
Fowler, who took on the role in January, said learning about the full-service firm's vast platform, tools and personnel resources has been staggering — "like drinking through a fire hose" — but the experience has been "great" so far.
"Michael Best has built an incredible platform and is doing incredible things," Fowler said.
Prior to beginning full-time work at Michael Best, Fowler became a certified coach through the Co-Active Training Institute and developed his own training program — Mindset, Vision & Performance, or MVP. He earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Michigan State University, where he was a four-year letterman and helped lead the Spartans to victory in the 2014 Rose Bowl Game.
After graduation, Fowler joined the Denver Broncos, with whom he won the Super Bowl in 2016. He retired from the NFL in 2021.
Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP employs about 350 attorneys and professionals in 17 offices around the United States, including its full-service law firm and two consulting branches — one for growing businesses, and the other for regulatory consulting.
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