Erika R. Royal

About Erika R. Royal

I am a Harvard-educated attorney, former AmLaw 100 Employment Partner, former CEO of a multi-8-figure coaching business, and founder of Royal Influence®. I operate at the intersection of firm economics, legal risk, and internal power dynamics.After 22 years defending employers in high-stakes litigation and leading a multi-8-figure company, I learned a fundamental truth: inside elite organizations, excellent work is just the baseline. Success requires legible value, political capital, and equipped people. STRATEGIC ADVISORY FOR BIGLAW ATTORNEYSFor senior associates, non-equity, and partner-level attorneys—especially underrepresented professionals—hard work keeps you safe, but leverage dictates compensation.I provide confidential advice to help high-performing lawyers translate excellent work into strategic leverage. We focus on the practical realities of BigLaw:• Credited Value & Origination: Positioning yourself for the credit you\'ve earned and securing strategic matter leadership.• Profitability & Leverage: Translating everyday contributions into the firm’s bottom-line language.• Evaluation Narratives: Equipping you with the framework to advocate during compensation and promotion reviews.(I help clients navigate these dynamics by drawing on my experience in the rooms where those decisions are made). CORPORATE CULTURE & COMPLIANCE TRAININGMy litigation background shapes how I view workplace culture: not as a soft perk, but as a powerful risk management strategy. I partner with HR teams, C-suites, and legal organizations on training that bridges legal compliance and resilient leadership.• Employment Law & Compliance: High-stakes, risk-mitigating training that is actually engaging.• Leadership Alignment: Facilitating Everything DiSC® and Agile EQ™ to resolve culture tension.• Success Reimagined Coaching™: Advisory for executives ready to align their next chapter with who they actually are. MY APPROACHMy methodology is built on lived experience. I navigated elite legal machinery as a first-generation professional, chaired my firm’s Black Affinity Group, and advised leadership on personnel decisions. Having trained Fortune 500 corporations on every aspect of employment relationships, I combine the analytical rigor of a BigLaw partner with behavioral tools that drive sustainable change.When I’m not working, I’m with my husband, our three kids, and our puppy, Waffle. LET\'S CONNECTIf you need a confidential Partner Trajectory Diagnostic, or compliance training that actually sticks—send me a DM.

Experience

1. CEO & Founder

   Royal Influence

   Jan 2024 — Present · Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL, US

   Founder of Royal Influence®, a leadership coaching and consulting firm serving law firms, HR teams, and high-achieving professionals who are ready to stop waiting for permission and start owning their influence, visibility, and career trajectory.I help legal professionals and leaders master the skills their firms expect but rarely teach:→ Business development that doesn’t feel transactional→ Influence, internal visibility, and leadership→ Law firm economics and profitability strategy→ Emotional intelligence as a driver of power and resultsThrough flagship programs like the Partner Influence Blueprint™, emotionally intelligent compliance training, and 1:1 executive coaching, I help clients become the trusted leaders, rainmakers, and culture drivers their firms need.

Education

• Harvard Law School

  J.D., Law

• The Life Coach School

  Master Coach Certification

• Florida State University

  BA, English Literature

• Tufts University

  Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies

• Center for Executive Coaching

  Executive Coach Certification

Skills

• Personal Injury
• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Copyright Law
• Discrimination
• Immigration Law
• Corporate Law
• Civil Rights
• Dispute Resolution
• Courts
• Employment Law
• Employment Contracts
• Product Liability
• Business Litigation
• Insurance Law
• Litigation
• Construction Law
• Intellectual Property
• Competition Law
• White Collar Criminal Defense
• Employee Handbooks
• Mediation
• Trials
• Legal Assistance
• Criminal Law
• Bankruptcy