If your law firm isn’t focusing on inclusivity and diversity in its marketing, you may be missing out on opportunities to grow your business and provide legal help to those who need it.
Being inclusive with your law firm marketing might be difficult when you have no idea where to start. But you will need to figure out how to show people from all different types of backgrounds that you’re the law firm for them with your advertising and marketing efforts.
Audit Your Law Firm’s Current Marketing Strategies
In order to be more inclusive, you first need to get really honest with yourself about where your law firm is currently at in terms of diversity and inclusion, and which systems you might have in place that have prevented your firm from becoming more inclusive in your marketing approach.
Start off by auditing the content your law firm has already released. You should be looking for any unintentional messages about who your law firm is, what matters to you, and who you will or will not work with. For example, does the content on your website use terminology such as “his or her”, or “he or she”? To be more inclusive, your content should always address your target client as “they” to be most inclusive.
Comb through your social media profiles, your attorney bio, and every piece of media you’ve created and analyze them. Are there ways that you could have been more inclusive to ensure that people from more diverse backgrounds recognize that you’re the law firm that can help them?
What Photos Does Your Law Firm Use?
One of the first things you should go through when you’re reviewing your law firm’s marketing materials are the photos you have used. Any images on physical materials, and more importantly, online, should be carefully considered. Do all of your photos and images have people of the same nationality, gender, or race? What about individuals who have disabilities? There are a few different ways you can go about being more inclusive when it comes to your photos.
First, you should start hiring with inclusivity and diversity in mind. This means hiring people from varying backgrounds to work with you and your law firm. It is the most natural and authentic way to be more inclusive with your marketing, because your law firm is living it.
Another way to be more inclusive in your marketing photos is by engaging with and participating in your community. Volunteer with organizations that care about inclusivity and diversity. Host fundraising events where possible. These are just a couple of options, but ultimately you want to immerse your law firm in the community that you want to be representing.
Have You Thought About Accessibility?
Another way to be more inclusive in your marketing is to take accessibility into consideration. Is your current website accessible for those with visual, neurological, cognitive, or auditory impairments?
Are there ways that you could make it easier for clients to find you and interact with the current materials your firm has already created? Some easy upgrades to make your website more accessible could include adding keyboard navigation capabilities, adding ALT Text to your images, and descriptive URLs.
Consider Language Barriers
When you live in a particularly diverse area, and when you want to take steps to be more inclusive, you should take into consideration the fact that not all of your prospective clients are going to speak English as their first language. Some clients may not speak English at all. By having lawyers in your team who can speak multiple languages, you may be able to uniquely bridge a language barrier gap that your competitors may not be taking into consideration.
Make sure you let your future clients know that a language barrier won’t be a problem with your law firm, because you have people on staff who speak their native language. This is not only a great marketing benefit, but provides your client with an overall better experience with your law firm.
Establish a Solid and Ongoing Review Process
Most attorneys know that getting a bad review online can have a significant impact on your law firm. One of the best ways you can be more inclusive and diverse in your marketing is by establishing an ongoing review-getting process.
If successful, you could be seen as a law firm with a solid reputation. If your reviewers leave open and honest feedback on their experience with your firm, those searching for an attorney could resonate with your client’s experience and view you as the best option for their legal representation.
You should also be sure to respond to any negative feedback or reviews you might receive. And be sure to utilize constructive criticism that may be holding your law firm back from achieving optimal inclusivity.
Technology plays a vital role in our everyday lives and has vastly improved the way we communicate to friends, family, and colleagues alike. During these unprecedented times, technology has played an even greater role, including using it for law firm marketing efforts. While a pandemic has certainly ceased much of our normal lives, below are four ways you can use technology to keep your marketing and public relations efforts alive.
Live Stream on Social
Many social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram feature a live stream option, allowing users to broadcast directly from their home in real time. A great way to use this tool is to host Q&A sessions to discuss trending topics related to your practice area. Consider promoting the Q&A 2 to 3 weeks prior and allow people the option to submit questions ahead of time via direct message or email.
Webinars
Since most states have implemented stay-at-home orders, nearly every in-person event has been cancelled for the foreseeable future. However, that doesn’t mean presentations, seminars, or lectures aren’t possible to conduct. One of the main benefits of hosting a webinar is the ability to present from wherever and have your attendees tune-in from anywhere. Use this opportunity to adapt your presentation to be more visually appealing to a broader audience and incorporate a few real-life examples to keep your audience engaged. Be sure to also promote your webinar 2 to 3 weeks prior to maximize attendance. Additionally, for lawyer-attended webinars, consider getting your presentation CLE-certified as an added incentive for lawyers to fulfill their required CLE hours.
Newsletters & Email Blasts
If you have an up-to-date contact list, distribute a newsletter or email blast detailing how your company is helping those affected by COVID-19. This is a great way to communicate with your network and offer valuable information. Additionally, by using distribution platforms such as MailChimp and Constant Contact, you can view your newsletter/email blast’s performance analytics, including how many people viewed your content and which links were clicked the most. If you don’t have an up-to-date contact list, use this time to create or update one.
Google Analytics
This free feature offered by the search engine giant allows users to collect website traffic information and identify the number of unique monthly visitors, among other data. Since Google Analytics tracks data in real time, you’re consistently informed of how your website is performing against your competitors. You can also generate weekly reports to pinpoint relevant keywords and search terms embedded in your URLs that drive people to your site. With this information, you can better understand the behavior of your customers, and update text or content on the backend of your website to improve your ability to reach your target audience.
With plenty of adjustments and creativity, the legal industry churns into August. The legal industry has shown remarkable ingenuity as law firms adapt to the challenges of COVID-19 and the ancillary impact of the pandemic. Below we highlight some law firm hires, law firm innovations and accolades, and legal technology news.
Law Firm Hires and Lateral Attorney Moves
Labor and employment lawyer Ryan McCoy rejoined Norton Rose Fulbright as a partner. McCoy split the past seven years between Baute Crochetiere Hartley & Velkei and Alston & Bird, previously spending eight years as part of Norton Rose Fulbright’s dispute resolution and litigation practice from 2005 until 2013.
McCoy represents clients from the healthcare, pharmaceutical, retail, insurance, transport and insurance industries, focusing his practice on wage and hour class actions, discrimination suits, wrongful termination and retaliation, commercial litigation, and complex insurance coverage. He has also defended clients before the American Arbitration Association in wage and hour violations, sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, disability discrimination as well as meal and rest period disputes.
“Ryan impressed us as a young lawyer, and we are thrilled to have him return in his prime. The client demand for employment and labor law seems to be at an all-time high during this unusual time for businesses,” said Shauna Clark, Norton Rose Fulbright’s U.S. head of employment and labor.
“I am delighted to return to Norton Rose Fulbright and collaborate once again with these talented lawyers. The firm’s unmatched global reach and wide range of offerings will benefit my clients significantly,” McCoy said.
Mr. Yanney focuses his practice on all aspects of patent law, ranging from patent litigation, opinions and counseling, to Patent Office prosecution, and has experience in handling a wide range of technologies including RFID, cellular systems, medical electronics and devices, signal processing, communication systems, electronic tolling, and elevator control systems. Yanney has prosecuted more than 2,000 patent applications and written more than 100 patent opinions, in addition to arguing several cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Patent Trial & Appeal Board.
“I’m excited to welcome Pierre Yanney to our New York office. Pierre is known for the breadth and depth of his IP experience. It’s rare that you come across someone like Pierre who can write a patent application, get it allowed at the Patent Office, and also litigate patents in district court. His talents and business insights will be a positive addition to our active Corporate and Commercial practice,” said Bressler New York Managing Principal, Mark Knoll.
Labor and employment attorney Scott Nelson joined Hunton Andrews Kurth as a partner in the law firm’s Houston office. Nelson previously was a partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP, and led Baker McKenzie’s domestic U.S. Employment Counseling and Litigation practice.
Nelson’s practice focuses on complex employment litigation, specifically wage and hour class and collective actions, ERISA litigation, and trade secret and restrictive covenant matters. He also counsels clients on employment law compliance, including international employment law issues, restrictive covenants, wage-and-hour matters, internal investigations, executive terminations, mass layoffs, employee policies, employee training and due diligence.
“Scott’s thorough understanding of the many complex issues our clients face and his impressive track record of experience handling ERISA litigation and advising on international employment law matters complement the strengths of our comprehensive labor and employment practice,” said Emily Burkhardt Vicente, co-chair of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s labor and employment group. “We are pleased to welcome him to the firm.”
Bergeson & Campbell attorney Timothy D. Backstrom passed away on July 24. Backstrom joined Bergeson & Campbell in 2007, and was an expert in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, also contributing to the law and regulation of fuel and fuel additives under the Clean Air Act.
“Tim was an incredibly gifted lawyer, respected by his peers, loved by his fellow colleagues here at Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., and a wonderful man, husband, and father. He is survived by his wife Lydia Cox Backstrom, his (step) son Christopher Blancato, his brother Paul Backstrom (Kathy), and his cousins Dan and Don Backstrom,” Bergeson & Campbell said in a statement following his death.
Backstrom grew up in Illinois and Wisconsin, later moving to the East coast to earn his undergraduate degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He earned his law degree at Yale Law School, and then went on to work for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of General Counsel on pesticide, toxic substances, and air quality issues for 25 years, developing a deep understanding of FIFRA.
“We will miss Tim’s uncompromising commitment to legal excellence, his passion for the law, his exuberance for any work composed by Gustav Mahler, and his unrelenting belief that the rule of law will ultimately prevail over the societal challenges we are now experiencing,” Bergeson wrote in a statement.
Law Firm Innovation
Winston & Strawn announced the formation of an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Advisory Team, designed to help companies navigate their ESG profiles. The advisory board will be co-chaired by Winston & Strawn partners Mike Blankenship and Eric Johnson, and utilizes the firm’s experience across disciplines to oversee the ESG issues companies are facing during these challenging times. Blankenship identifies the correlation between successful businesses and their attention to ESG values, saying, “successful businesses are placing ESG principles at the forefront of their core values and leveraging those principles to chart a path for financial success and future growth to the benefit of all their stakeholders, including employees, customers, vendors, local communities, and stockholders.”
The team includes Chicago partners Mike Melbinger, Eleni Kouimelis, Cardelle Spangler, and Rex Sessions, of counsel Stephanie Sebor; New York partner Tara Greenberg, London partners Peter Crowther and Anthony Riley. The group will focus on ESG disclosure and messaging, Board oversight of ESG risks, shareholder activism, corporate governance and regulatory compliance. With an eye to these principles, the Winston & Strawn ESG team will “work closely with clients to develop and execute ESG-related initiatives that best fit their specific needs to the benefit of all of their stakeholders,” Eric Johnson says.
To date, Hughes Hubbard & Reed has identified 110 coronavirus and CARES act cases brought by the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission, with 12 state attorneys general bringing cases. Pennsylvania’s attorney general’s office has been the most active with COVID-19 related legal actions. Forty percent of cases involve alleged criminal violations, and 30 percent of coronavirus related cases include a suspension of securities trading by the Securities and Exchange Commission, with the number of cases growing steadily since April.
The tracker can be accessed here with detailed information on each case, including links to court filings and relevant statutes.
DLA Piper law firm received the 2020 Beacon of Justice Award from the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA), recognizing the growth of the firm’s pro bono practice focusing on the needs of immigrant children facing abuse, neglect and abandonment. The NLADA also recognized the firm’s collaboration with the American Bar Association to develop habeas corpus petition template pleadings and practice advisories for unaccompanied children.
“We are honored to play a role in advocating for the rights of vulnerable individuals and families seeking a better life in the US,” said Lisa Dewey, pro bono partner and director of New Perimeter, DLA Piper’s nonprofit affiliate that provides long-term pro bono legal assistance in under-served regions around the world. “I am proud of the dedication to serving immigrants that our lawyers have demonstrated through their pro bono service, and we look forward to continuing this important work.”
Jay Bender, a partner at the Birmingham, Ala. office of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings law firm, received the Alabama Commendation Medal from the Alabama Army National Guard for his work on the “Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need Act of 2019” (HAVEN Act; H.R. 2938).
The HAVEN Act was signed into law last year, changing bankruptcy laws to protect disabled veterans experiencing financial hardship. Bender worked pro bono alongside other Bradley attorneys on the law, serving as co-chair of the Legislative Committee of the American Bankruptcy Institute Task Force on Veterans and Service Members Affairs – of which Mr. Bender is a founding member.
“We congratulate Jay on this prestigious recognition of his many years of work and unwavering commitment to protecting disabled veterans in financial distress and ushering the HAVEN Act into reality,” said Bradley Birmingham Office Managing Partner Dawn Helms Sharff. “This recognition is reflective of Jay’s outstanding work and the importance of this landmark law in helping disabled veterans and their families achieve financial stability.”
The settlement involved allegations that a testing laboratory owned by Cordant Health Solutions paid kickbacks to two major clients of the laboratory to encourage further testing referrals to the laboratory from those clients. The whistleblower, who was a former employee of Cordant, filed the lawsuit under the qui tam provision of the False Claims Act five years ago. Cordant agreed to pay the government $11,942,913 to settle the claims. The government awarded the whistleblower approximately $2.4 million, or 20 percent of the settlement amount.
“This settlement shows that the False Claims Act works,” Tycko said. “Through the qui tam provisions of that law, our client was able to bring the kickbacks to the attention of the government in a way that led to both criminal and civil remedies. We are proud and humbled to represent brave whistleblowers, such as the individual who brought this case.”
“We are grateful for how seriously the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and all the government lawyers and investigators who have worked on this matter, took our client’s allegations, and for the work they did to reach this settlement,” said Luna.
Bryan Cave Leighton & Paisner recently announced that Denver associate, Ivan London, was recently elected to serve on the Board of Advisors for Western Energy Alliance. Comprised of 300 member companies, the Western Energy Alliance focuses on environmentally responsible exploration and production of oil and gas in the region. The Western Energy Alliance supports policies to encourage investment and job growth in the region. London’s practice with Bryan Cave focuses on regulation in energy, environmental and with other natural resource matters.
Legal Technology Innovations
At the end of July, Clariviate Plc announced an agreement to combine with CPA Global, a global leader in IP software and tech –enabled services. The transaction will be all-stock with an enterprise value of approximately $6.8 billion. The transaction is expected to go through regulatory approvals, is expected to close fourth quarter of 2020. By combining efforts, CPA Global and Clarivate will provide an IP solution that provides market-leading software, data, technology and services throughout the IP lifecycle, from academic research to IP portfolio management.
Jerre Stead, CEO of Clarivate indicates the company’s share similar core values and expects the partnership to lead to more innovation. He says, “This is a transformative combination with a strong strategic fit between the two companies. It will create a full-service IP organization which will provide customers with a wide range of products and services to help them make faster and smarter critical decisions.” Simon Webster, the CEO of CPA Global, echoes the sentiment, calling the move “a natural next step.” He says, “The fit between our respective product offerings across the innovation and IP lifecycle, the commonality of our vision for the future of the industry, and the alignment of both companies’ cultures and values makes for an extremely exciting future for our customers, employees and shareholders alike.”
Leading accounting firm BDO USA, LLP launched Athenagy, a business intelligence platform for legal professionals, designed to provide the legal department with transparency and critical insight throughout the litigation cycle. Athenagy is designed to integrate with Relativity®One and can provide critical insight into where data lives and what it does through the steps of a legal hold, providing information to legal professionals.
Daniel Gold, managing director of BDO Managed Services practice, says “Athenagy solves persistent problems that legal departments face when it comes to managing their data. By providing transparency and detailed analytics throughout the data lifecycle, Athenagy is empowering legal professionals to make better, more informed decisions at every step of the e-discovery process, and beyond.”
Business development, marketing and public relations initiatives can be intimidating to even the most-seasoned legal veteran. The idea of creating a successful plan seems daunting, much less the prospect of executing, maintaining and measuring the plan’s performance metrics. The steps to effective business development are rooted in creating visibility and thought leadership that successfully position both you and your firm within the marketplace and that translate into new clients and business referrals.
Here are five business development myths that make creating and executing a successful business development plan seem impossible. It is important to remember that most attorneys did not go to law school or begin their legal practices with the aspiration of becoming a seasoned marketer. However, it is possible to become successful at business development by reevaluating how you measure success and how you focus your efforts — and debunking these myths.
Myth #1- There Is a “One Size Fits All” Marketing & Business Development Plan
Each individual’s marketing and business development plan should be customized to highlight not only their unique strengths but also to incorporate their priorities, experience, capabilities and commitment level. For example, if you’re more extroverted, your plan could include large networking events or speaking engagements. If the idea of speaking to a group of strangers is intimidating, then perhaps your plan includes writing articles or providing your expertise in small roundtable discussions. Additionally, before creating a business development plan, each individual needs to evaluate factors like where they are in their career, what their short-term and long-term goals are, and what they need to get out of their business development initiatives to be considered effective.
Myth #2- Being Successful at Business Development Means You Are a “Rainmaker”
There is often a stigma that the successful business developer is defined as a rainmaker. Business development success should be measured on an individual level and not compared to the firm as a whole or measured against any other attorney’s business development contribution. There are too many factors for each person and their experiences and circumstances to label only the rainmaker as successful. Just like a law firm requires many layers of expertise to run smoothly, there are different levels of contributors to business development, and each level should be valued and encouraged if individuals are participating to the best of their ability and expanding their business development experience.
Myth #3- New Clients Are the Only Measure of Business Development Success
While the obvious end goal of all business development initiatives is more business which equals more billing and revenue, signing new clients is not the only measure of successful business development. Expanding your network to broaden the exposure of your expertise is a fundamental part of a successful business development plan. Often, attorneys get too focused on cultivating the relationship with a potential client and miss opportunities to connect with valuable referral sources, thus limiting their network.
There are also other business development initiatives that can be measured as successful beyond singing a new client- including getting a bylined article published, being honored with a significant award or ranking, or being quoted in the press. Each of these things help to create an integrated and effective business development plan that sets up the foundation for long-term success.
Myth #4- Executing Your Plan Needs to Be Done Alone
Simply because your business development plan “belongs to you” doesn’t mean you have to execute it on your own. Working with someone to hold you accountable is crucial to the process. This is not to say you need to immediately run out and find a business development coach to be successful, but you do need someone to discuss which initiatives are working in your plan and identify any challenges you’re facing. This should include regular check-in meetings to make sure your plan is progressing the way you’d like and to ensure your goals are being achieved. It also includes evaluating the success, or lack thereof, of initiatives and adjusting or revising goals to be more effective.
Having a mentor or aspirational influence is also a helpful tool for both planning and execution. While you don’t have to model your plan to mirror someone else’s, there is value in knowing where you’d like to be and seeing someone else achieving that level of success. A mentor will serve in a more interactional role, but if that model doesn’t fit with your personality or your business, identifying with a person or people whose success you would like to emulate is helpful when crafting a strategy and long-term goals in your business development plan.
Myth #5- Business Development Is a Fancy Term for Networking
Many people declare they don’t need a business development plan because they are “active” within their industry and regularly attend events. Event attendance is a piece of a larger initiative that creates a successful and measurable business development plan. Often, attorneys put all their marketing eggs in one basket. They become frustrated when those efforts are unsuccessful and give up. An integrated approach is key to being successful in business development. This includes not only networking but also incorporating other things like writing, ranking and honors, digital strategy, and public relations.
It’s easy to focus on client work and push business development initiatives to the side or add them to a to-do list. The idea behind breaking down these common myths is to empower everyone to feel they can create a manageable business development plan, use the tools and resources they need to execute these plans successfully, and to execute these plans with short-term and long-term goals that are easily achieved. Business development does not need to be intimidating, overwhelming or time-consuming if your plan is personalized to highlight your strengths, comfort level and readiness. The goal of business development is not just to meet people and hope they’ll hire you, but to create lasting impressions through initiatives and actions that enhance your visibility and position you as a thought leader.
Rent is one of the largest expenses for law firms, sometimes taking up as much as 10 percent of their gross revenue. Too, it’s not uncommon for workers in large cities to have hour-plus commutes to their offices. The majority of today’s clients are more interested in efficiency and reasonable prices than how glamorous their lawyer’s office is. As a result, firms are choosing another way to work: virtual offices.
With a virtual office, you can’t pop into a colleague’s office or bump into them in the hallway. You won’t see what they’re doing on a daily basis, so you need to trust that they share the same goals, work ethic and commitment to firm culture as you. Marcia finds that people who have worked together at a brick-and-mortar firm before going virtual tend to work best, because an in-person relationship and sense of trust is already established. If you’re going virtual, find colleagues you already know personally, or at the very least, spend plenty of in-person time with them before committing to anything.
Understand your tech tools
It’s impossible to have a virtual firm without the help of cloud-based technology tools. To have a successful virtual firm, everyone must be an expert on those tools. Law firms are notorious for buying software, then failing to learn how to use it—that won’t fly with a virtual firm. You need remote systems and procedures that streamline your practice and benefit your clients, and everyone must be comfortable using them. At a minimum, you’ll have to invest both money and training time in document management software, video conferencing software, client portals for paying bills, collaboration tools and, of course, encryption and data security tools.
Cultivate communication
How to delegate work, how to offer feedback, how to manage work among teams, when and how to have meetings—these questions are equally important at virtual or brick-and-mortar firms. But at virtual firms, it becomes even more critical that you discuss them openly and have communications systems in place. When communication is only happening by email, it can easily break down. Video conferencing, phone calls and planned communication are the antidote to this problem. Virtual connection also needs to be backed up with in-person events like retreats and social gatherings, at least annually. Maintaining communication at a virtual firm isn’t just important for client work, it’s also crucial to maintain firm culture.
Working from home sounds great, but it’s not for everyone. Some people get lonely working remotely. Others get distracted or they lack the motivation to work if they’re not in an office. Just like lawyers, support staff must have the right personality and skillset to work virtually. Another element to consider with support staff is wage and hour law in your location. Most support staff are non-exempt, and you have to consider supervision, insurance and the myriad of issues that arise when you have staff working remotely. Management issues don’t go away when support staff is out of sight.
Take advantage of time to network
Virtual work doesn’t mean staying home staring at your computer all day. The majority of work might be done from your home office, but networking can still happen in person. Join organizations, go to meetings and attend events to stay connected to your profession and your colleagues. Virtual work also offers more flexibility to meet with clients and attend events important to their industry. You’ll get to know your clients at a deeper level, which they’ll appreciate, and it will get you out of your work-from-home routine—a win for everyone.
If you can’t go fully virtual, start small
Not every firm is suited to virtual work, but many firms can use some of its elements to their advantage. Especially in large cities, more firms are using co-working spaces or opening small satellite offices that are more convenient for lawyers to get to. With more attorneys working outside of the main office a few days a week, the next logical step for some firms is to encourage office sharing. It’s a huge cultural shift for partners to share an office, but it can offer tremendous space and cost savings, and this concept typically doesn’t faze young associates.
A new in-depth report from the American Bar Association, Left Out and Left Behind: The Hurdles, Hassles and Heartaches of Achieving Long-Term Legal Careers for Women of Color, draws on data and interviews to tell the story of what life is like for women lawyers of color. The report, authored by social scientist Destiny Peery, past ABA president Paulette Brown and Chicago attorney Eileen Letts, demonstrates why, despite increased efforts by firms and the profession generally, to improve diversity and inclusion, women of color continue to face barriers to advancement and are much more likely than white women counterparts to leave the profession.
This report is essential reading for any law leader who is serious about making true substantive changes that will improve the retention and advancement of women of color — particularly those leaders whose firms are posting “Black Lives Matter” messages in internal communications and on social media channels. Becoming an antiracist law firm does not end with a slogan or “messaging” — it requires an honest examination of formal and informal policies and practices, and a reckoning with the impact of those policies on lawyers of color. Then it’s time to reimagine how your firm runs to make sure opportunities are fairly distributed.
While it’s very important to hear and sit with the stories individual lawyers share from their experience of implicit and explicit bias, if I know my audience of driven, task-oriented marketers and communicators, you will be skipping to the end, where the report recommends next steps for firms that want to take action. Below I outline those general recommendations, and then consider the role of the marketing department in helping to make them a reality.
Adopt Best Practices for Reducing Biases in Decision-Making. “[P]revious research that has shown that high levels of subjectivity in promotion standards, selection for assignments, compensation decisions, and performance appraisals are often colored by stereotypes and serve as institutional and structural barriers to the advancement of women of color and other underrepresented attorneys.”
What Marketers Can Do: How does your department determine which partners receive marketing and communications support as they work to build their business? Is there a way to distribute those resources — help with individual lawyers’ social media channels, assistance writing and placing thought leadership, nominations for awards and key boards of directors — more fairly to elevate your firm’s diverse attorneys? How can you help advise up-and-coming partners on which opportunities will be the best use of their limited time and make the biggest impact on their business development?
Improve Access to Effective, Engaged Mentors and Sponsors. “[W]omen of color are especially likely to report that they lack access to mentors or sponsors who are well-connected and have power and influence to both clue them into important dynamics of the workplace and effectively advocate for them.”
What Marketers Can Do: Marketers have a great opportunity to help create mentorship and sponsorship relationships through the business development and proposal-writing process. By now, most rainmakers and practice leaders understand that business clients demand to be served by diverse teams. So they’re being thoughtful about including diverse attorneys in pitch decks and other materials. You can help move that inclusion to the next level by adding a follow-up communication step to your BD process in which all named/pictured team members de-brief and offer feedback. This is a simple way to build a platform upon which younger and diverse attorneys can demonstrate their value in front of the senior partners who can shape their career opportunities. In addition, you can use channels like the internal firm newsletter to educate more senior partners on how to effectively advocate for diverse attorneys — and, in doing so, help the firm stand out as a leader on an issue that matters very much to clients.
Take an Intersectional Approach to Addressing Diversity and Gender. “[B]lindness to or ignorance of the ways that gender and race (as well as other social identities) can interact to create distinct experiences” has so far limited what firms have been able to achieve. Firms must acknowledge that, while they are still disadvantaged, white women’s careers develop differently because of their access to privilege. They navigate networking differently, are viewed differently by colleagues, clients, and judges, and receive distinct treatment when it comes to work distribution and performance evaluation.
What Marketers Can Do: Take a look at how you use words like “diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion” in internal and external firm communications. Do you grapple with intersectionality — that is, the way that experiences of race and gender (and class and sexuality and ability) intersect for your attorneys — in your messaging? Are there ways that your “diversity” initiatives and communications erase the experience of women who are not white? How could you make changes to address this issue?
“[O]ur participants mentioned again and again the myriad ways that the culture of the legal profession interfered with their abilities to succeed, to feel valued, and sometimes to persist in the legal profession.”
What Marketers Can Do. So much! 1) Take a look at your firm’s (pre-Covid, in-person) events. Where are they typically held? Do you always choose locations and activities that are most comfortable for wealthy white men? How might you change things up? 2) Does your firm have a written editorial style guide? If so, does it include a section on inclusive language so that everyone knows how to use language in the most inclusive ways possible? 3) If your intended audience for your internal firm communications is “everyone,” are you sure your language and framing actually accomplish that goal, or are you unintentionally treating a white reader as the default? 4) What other unexamined policies, practices, habits and conventions may implicitly communicate to diverse partners that they don’t fully belong? Learning how to spot potential for “othering” and exclusion in communications and other marketing activities is an important skill your department needs to teach its junior members and encourage them to practice.
True change that makes law firms into more equitable and inclusive workplaces for all lawyers must happen on both the systemic and individual levels. While many of the most sweeping and necessary changes are out of the hands of junior and senior legal marketers, there are plenty of things we can do within the scope of our influence that will make a difference. And the time to start is now.
Marketing is the backbone of your law firm’s growth. Think of it this way: a bad attorney can still drum up a substantial amount of business with an impressive marketing plan, but an excellent attorney’s skills will not save them from a weak or nonexistent marketing plan. If you are wondering if you have outgrown your current marketing plan, look for these signs that you need an outside professional.
1. Marketing Takes Up More Than 15 Minutes of Your Billable Time
As an attorney, you should spend most of your time doing what you do best. If you spend more than 15 minutes per day writing and scheduling tweets, checking marketing metrics, or optimizing your blog posts, you are wasting time that should be spent researching, meeting with clients, or preparing for court. Outsource these tasks to a professional.
2. Your Returns Have Plateaued
Seeing big returns on your law firm’s marketing efforts is exciting, which is why plateaus are so disappointing. Without in-depth marketing education and experience, you are unlikely to know what it takes to overcome those plateaus. And while there is a wealth of online information on how to do it yourself, it is a better use of your time and skill to involve a professional consultant that can highlight new ways to bring in potential clients.
3. You Want to Take Your Marketing to the Next Level
No matter how brilliant and creative you are when it comes to selling yourself and your practice, you would be amazed at the opportunities and ideas that a professional can bring to the table. Whether it is identifying a potential sub-market that could grow your law firm, or developing new branding ideas that speak to a different demographic than your typical client, an outside marketing consultant can enhance your current strategy and increase your return on investment.
4. A Big Change or Event is Approaching
An important event or big change in your firm is a massive marketing opportunity, but can also be a massive source of stress. With so many small details to consider, as well as pressure for the event to be successful, a holistic marketing company can provide you with wrap-around support for your event. Not only can they show you the best ways to market your event, but may also offer event planning services, subcontractor management, and even discounted purchasing on your behalf.
5. Your In-House Team Has Become Complacent
In-house marketing teams can work as well-oiled machines, properly allocating their efforts across different team members and projects. In some cases, though, they become complacent and stop giving your firm the time and effort necessary to bring in new clients. Instead of trying to motivate a team that has lost passion for seeing your law firm succeed, consider adding an outside marketing eye to your mix. Often legal marketing consultants offer hourly consultation rates that are perfect for when you simply want a fresh perspective and a new direction without a long-term commitment.
6. You Are Striking Out on Your Own
Starting your own law firm is a significant accomplishment. Avoid the trap of saving money by engaging in DIY marketing. Although it may seem like a good way to cut costs at the outset, shoddy marketing and tone-deaf messaging can actually do far more financial damage than the amount you might save. From logo design and business cards to innovative pay-per-click campaigns and social media marketing, it is better to start out on the right foot with a solid marketing team or consultant that can give you a solid foundation for the future.
7. Circumstances Call for Rebranding
No one is perfect, and every law firm has had its fair share of blunders. However, when a huge mistake smears your name and causes any Google search of your firm to reflect poorly on your brand, it is time to call in a professional legal marketer. They can help mitigate reviews, consult on best next steps, and develop a re-branding strategy that can save your business before negative press starts affecting your bottom line.
8. You Do Not Have Time to Pursue Further Credentialing
In the legal world, reputation is key to success. For many lawyers, this means participation in cause marketing, leadership in relevant associations, and pursuing awards and credentialing opportunities. Unfortunately, not every lawyer has the time, means, or energy to research these opportunities and develop them. A good outside marketing consultant will be able to review your experience and professional strengths and use them to find appropriate places for you to speak, guest author, and submit yourself for public recognition for the good that you do.
9. You Want Help Understanding Your Marketing Analytics
Whether you work with an in-house marketing team or do your own law firm marketing, detailed analysis is a vital part of knowing what is working with your marketing strategy. This can become very frustrating, especially if you are receiving or running reports that you do not understand. Instead of trying to give yourself a full marketing education, turn them over to a specialist. An outside legal marketing consultant can review your analytics with you, highlight the areas that are meeting expectations and give suggestions on how to improve those areas that are slow.
10. Blog Upkeep is Getting Away From You
Companies with blogs get, on average, 67% more leads than companies without blogs, according to Demand Metric. It is not enough to create a new post whenever your schedule allows; blogging has to be a scheduled and highly prioritized part of your marketing plan. If your updates are becoming more and more infrequent, a marketing specialist can create a content calendar and even help you hire a ghostwriter to ensure that the posts keep coming.
11. Your Presentation and Publication Schedule Is No Longer Manageable
If you are not on top of your presentation and publication schedule, a marketing specialist can help you organize, prepare for, and promote these important parts of your marketing strategy. Remember, every presentation you make and every publication you produce is a chance to reach new clients. It makes sense to hire someone who knows how to best identify new avenues for this kind of credentialing and can take the time to ensure that everything is in order so that you are set up for success with no stress on your part.
12. Client Prospects Are Drying Up
Every law firm has slower spells and busy times. Still, if you are noticing a downward trend, it is time to analyze whether it is a normal dip in activity or a problem with some element of your marketing plan. If you have already exhausted your current networking and marketing efforts but business is still not picking up, a marketing professional can give some much needed insight.
13. Your Online Properties Are Out-of-Date or Poorly Managed
Your image is everything. Attorney websites with broken links, attorney bios that have not been updated in years, and abandoned blogs can lead clients to think you are no longer practicing. Hire a marketing specialist to consolidate online properties and manage their upkeep.
Choosing the right marketing expert can breathe new life into your client prospects and take your success to the next level. With the right support, your law firm can be flexible and relevant, able to identify new opportunities that will keep your law firm growing into a legacy worth having.
Blogging is one of the most straightforward ways to share your legal expertise, strengthen your reputation amongst peers and potential clients, and become a valuable resource to your community. Once you know basic SEO principles and have a writing schedule that you stick to, it can be fairly simple. You already have the expertise. Now, learn how to share it by creating an engaging, educational, and helpful legal blog.
Before All Else, Know Your Law Firm’s Target Market
Being an expert in your area of practice is one thing; effectively sharing that knowledge with your target market is another. One issue that legal professionals run into while blogging is failing to write to their audience. When writing to non-lawyers, avoid using legal language that lay people do not understand, cite sources in a way that does not interrupt the flow of your writing, and avoid an overly formal tone.
You already know who your target market is: your clients and potential referral sources. If your goal is to connect better with potential clients, write in a way that appeals to their needs and is easily readable. It is easy to write about complex, multifaceted issues in a technical and legally accurate manner, but it is an art form to write about those same topics in a way that a person with no legal background can digest.
If your target market is lawyers—as is the case when you rely primarily on other attorneys for referrals—feel free to write in a way that connects with other attorneys. Still, avoid jargon and make sure that your work is clear and concise, as unnecessary “filler” bogs down your writing and can lose readers.
Regardless of who you are marketing your blog to, make sure that your tone matches your branding as well as your intended audience. If you are not writing in a way that connects with your audience, the time you put into your blog will not pay off.
Top SEO Tips for Law Firm Blogs
Knowing just a handful of common SEO tricks and techniques is enough to get you started. As you expand your legal blog and spend more time using it as a marketing tool, you may wish to invest in marketing services that allow you to expand your reach. To begin, use these techniques in your writing:
Make the first 50 words pop. The first lines of your blog post are important for catching both readers’ and search engine robots’ attention. Increase your SEO score by including key terms in these first 50 words including your location and specialty area as well as the keywords for your article.
Take advantage of location-based keywords. Instead of targeting a phrase like “bankruptcy lawyer,” which is nearly impossible to rank for organically, use your city name and the names of neighboring cities to find people who are looking for specific local advice in your area of law.
Choose a handful of supporting keywords for each post. These are terms that have lower search volume than your main keywords, but are relevant to the main keywords. This casts a wider net with your piece.
Check the readability of your piece with online tools like WebFX. If your average visitors reads at a ninth grade level and your piece is written at a 12th grade level, you are losing potential readers.
Make use of links. Linking out to authority sources increases the authority of your blog post, and getting your post linked to by others boosts its trustworthiness. Be sure to link back to pages on your own website as well if you can.
Diversify Your Law Firm Blog Posts
This is a tough balance to strike. You want to be narrow enough that people know what type of topics to expect every time they visit your blog, but you also want to be diverse enough that people do not get bored. Mix up your content between evergreen topics and trending topics. Articles that are not contingent on timely topics bring in readers over years, while trending topics can bring big boosts of readers as they are relevant to current events. Both are necessary to maintain high traffic and get new eyes on your website.
In addition, consider diversifying blog post lengths. Data from HubSpot indicates that long-form posts perform best, with the target range being around 2,000 words. Still, if 200, 500, or 1000 words will suffice, padding it out to 2,000 words is a waste of your readers’ time. What this does mean is that you should spend considerable time crafting in-depth posts that answer questions and offer clear value to readers. The shorter posts can also be helpful when the point is clear and they are meant to be quickly read through.
Make Law Firm Blog Posts Engaging and Attractive
No one clicks on a blog post and wants to be hit with a wall of text. There are many ways you can make your posts easy to digest, attractive, and welcoming. Make use of subheadings and bold text within your posts, which not only break up your information, but signal important key topics to search robots. White space through paragraph breaks is a great way to increase readability of longer posts.
In addition, posts with relevant images get 94% more views than those without images. To avoid copyright issues, use royalty-free image sources like:
You can also create or commission infographics that sum up the main points of your post into an easy-to-share format.
The Power of Consistent Action
When you commit to blogging, commit fully with a realistic schedule. When lawyers begin blogs, they often plan on posting whenever their schedule allows. Unfortunately, this often translates into occasional posts or an empty blog. A blog that has not been updated for weeks or months tells potential clients that you may not be active, that you may be too busy for new clients, and that you may not even be in business anymore. By creating a consistent blog schedule, you can get into the habit of producing high-quality content and steadily increasing your readership each week.
Your legal blog could help you reach an entire new audience. From new professional connections to new clients, the benefits of a legal blog are endless.
While the world has been hunkered down at home, participating in Zoom calls and getting jobs done from kitchen tables and home offices across the country, the legal industry has continued to innovate, respond and move forward, even during these troubled times.
Read on for a sampling of legal industry changes from May 2020.
Hiring and Law Firm Moves
Last week, Perkins Coie announced that Jill Louis joined the Corporate & Securities practice as a partner in the Dallas office, in a move that further augments their capabilities in the Lone Star state. Randy Bridgeman, the co-chair of Perkins Coie’s Corporate & Securities practice praised Louis’s entrepreneurial spirit and her in house and leadership experience. He says, “Jill’s background in M&A and representing private equity-backed healthcare, infrastructure, and technology companies will be highly valuable to our clients across Texas and beyond.”
Jill B. Louis Perkins Coie
Louis has experience working with public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, franchise transactions, corporate governance matters and working in industries including retail, technology and healthcare. She has worked with large and small companies, from startups to Fortune 50 corporations, and has worked both in house and in private practice during her career. Dean Harvey, the Dallas office managing partner, says, “Jill’s arrival aligns with our ongoing strategy of expanding our corporate offering in Dallas to support our growing technology and privacy capabilities.”
Up in the northeast, Pierce Atwoodadded bankruptcy and creditors’ rights attorney Alex F. Mattera to the firm’s Boston office. Mattera focuses his practice on creditor and debtor rights, commercial bankruptcy, bankruptcy litigation and insolvency. He represents secured creditors, focusing on the collection and workouts of defaulted and troubled loans, creditors’ committees, debtors, trustees and other parties involved in bankruptcy.
“Alex’s expertise in bankruptcy and creditors’ rights matters, particularly his loan workout experience, will really help us serve our lending and business clients. This is the third major recession Alex has been through,” said Pierce Atwood Business Practice Group Chair Keith J. Cunningham. “That kind of experience is so valuable in times like these. We couldn’t be happier to welcome him to the firm.”
Mattera has presented and sat on panels for the American Bankruptcy Institute, as well as Massachusetts Continuing Education and the Boston Bar Association.
“Alex’s expertise in workouts and collections will provide the firm even greater depth on the backend of loan transactions as we continue to provide a comprehensive suite of services to creditors and banks,” said Bruce I. Miller, Pierce Atwood’s real estate lending partner.
Devon Williams Ward and Smith
With an eye to the future and succession planning, North Carolina firm Ward and Smithelected labor and employment attorney Devon Williams as the firm’s co-managing director elect. Williams will assume the new role at the end of 2020. She will serve alongside Brad Evans, who has served as the Ward and Smith’s managing director since 2017. Williams is preceded in the co-managing director position by Ken Wooten, who is retiring from Ward and Smith at the end of this year.
“Succession planning is essential to all businesses, including our own, and choosing a strong leader enables seamless continuity in client service, and maintains stability within the firm,” Wooten said. “I think it says a lot about our firm that we’re selecting a millennial leader to take us into the next decade. Devon will bring a unique, and much needed perspective to the perennial concerns of a fully-engaged law firm.”
Since joining Ward and Smith in 2012, Williams has led the firm’s Labor and Employment Section and co-chaired the Raleigh Geographic Team.
“I’m grateful for and enthusiastic about the opportunity to build upon the legacy the firm has experienced under Ken’s leadership while working in tandem with Brad to continue our efforts to innovate efficient legal solutions for our clients, and attract and retain top-tier talent,” Williams said.
As co-managing director of Ward and Smith, Williams will maintain her labor and employment practice, where she advises employers on wage and hour issues, federal contractor compliance, prevention of employment discrimination, employee discipline and retaliation and harassment claims.
Life sciences attorney Frank Rahmani joined Sidley Austin as a partner in the firm’s Palo Alto, Calif., corporate practice, and will be a member of the Global Life Sciences practice. Ramani counsels CEOs, boards of directors, founders and investors on financings and public offerings, strategic collaborations, licensing matters, technology acquisition and spin-off transactions.
“Frank has a well-earned reputation as a trusted adviser, which is built on enduring relationships and breadth of experience representing high-growth, cutting edge life sciences and technology companies and investors at all stages,” said Martin Wellington, managing partner of Sidley Austin’s Palo Alto office. “He has great energy, a high-quality practice and a clear vision for growth that aligns with ours. Frank’s arrival signifies our strategy to build out Sidley’s presence in Northern California.”
Gitter joined Womble Bond Dickinson in 1962, when Womble had about a dozen attorneys. Gitter was the lead attorney in over one thousand cases filed in North Carolina state and federal courts between 1964 and 2009. Many lawyers who are now partners with the firm tried their first cases with Gitter, including Gemma Saluta, Murray Greason, Rachel Keen, Jim Morgan, Rick Rice, Bill Raper, Ellen Gregg, Alison Bost, Brad Wood and Chris Geis.
Gitter was inducted as a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1982, and served as an Advocate in the American Board of Trial Advocates. He loved legal research and the law, but his interests also included coaching the Tiny Demons Pop Warner football team and his work at the Children’s Center, a facility devoted to the education and care of children with chronic health issues. He put himself through law school in part with his work as a night radio deejay on the campus radio station, employing his trademark sign-off at the end of the night: “Remember never to buy bad dreams.”
Gitter is survived by his wife of 32 years, Sandy; three children, Alison, Kent, and Ryne; two step-children, Wendy and Rob; multiple grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Law Firm Innovation, Awards and Accomplishments
Redgrave LLP, a law firm focused on information governance and eDiscovery law, formed a Restructuring Discovery Team, working closely with law firms and advisors on litigation readiness and discovery for all types of restructurings. The Redgrave team handles data collection, preservation and review efforts during pre-petition and after a bankruptcy has been filed.
“We are proud to be the nation’s leading eDiscovery law firm, and we are very excited to formalize our experience in restructuring discovery,” said Redgrave partner Christine Payne, head of the firm’s restructuring team. “Many people do not realize how different discovery can be in the restructuring and bankruptcy contexts, as opposed to typical civil litigation. There is significant client need in this area, and we want to support that.”
IP Stars covers IP practice areas in over 70 jurisdictions, making it one of the most comprehensive guides in the industry.
In a decision that could provide a roadmap for local Marijuana dispensaries, A Kutak Rock team including litigation partners Andrew King and Fred Davis, and intellectual property counsel Sara Gillette representing Conway, Arkansas-based Harvest Cannabis Dispensary (“Harvest”) secured a preliminary injunction in a trademark dispute. Natural State Wellness Dispensary, LLC (“NSW”), and Natural State Enterprises, LLC, were using the name “Harvest” in for cannabis facilities across Arkansas, something the preliminary injunction now prohibits.
After an evidentiary hearing conducted over Zoom, Circuit judge Susan Weaver rejected the argument that The NSW Entities were authorized to use the name “Harvest” through their connection with Arizona-based Harvest Health & Recreation, Inc, a company using the Harvest mark in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Florida prior to the opening of the Arkansas Harvest dispensary. The court looked at precedent set by the USPTO and other federal courts, indicating products containing more than 0.3% THC are illegal under the Controlled Substances Act and therefore do not enjoy Trademark rights under the Lanham Act. Furthermore, Harvest adopted its name in 2017 and opened its facility in October of 2019, providing the dispensary with state-law trademark rights in Arkansas.
Kutak Rock partner Andrew King: “The Faulkner County outcome is the first of its kind, where a local cannabis dispensary prevailed under state trademark law against a multi-state operator for which federal trademark protection is unavailable. This outcome could provide a road map for local cannabis companies in states where cannabis has been legalized.”
Law Firm and Legal industry Response to COVID-19: A Sampling
COVID-19 has upended business as usual across the country; injecting terms like “flatten the curve”; “PPE” and “Contract Tracing” into everyday conversation. The National Law Review has covered some of the steps firms and other legal industry groups have taken to have a positive impact during these challenging times. For example, DLA Piper has signed on to the Ascend’s Five Point Action program, demonstrating a dedication to mitigating the disparate impact of COVID-19 on minority communities. Additionally, to broaden the reach of Coronavirus information and regulatory developments, Cornerstone Research worked with Stanford University to provide a database of legal articles and memos. Below are some more instances of law firms and other legal industry groups taking steps to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19.
Mintz Law Firm provided pro bono counsel to Partners in Health (“PIH”), a Boston global health nonprofit, helping with the development of the Massachusetts COVID-19 Community Tracing Collaborative (“CTC”). The CTC is an initiative that works with PIH, the Massachusetts COVID-19 Command Center, Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority and Massachusetts Department of Public Health to train, hire and deploy workers who will work with individuals exposed to Coronavirus. This veritable army of “contact tracers” will provide individuals with information about the virus, social support to facilitate self-isolation or quarantine, and provide appropriate next steps so individuals can stay healthy and protect their families; ultimately enhancing the Commonwealth’s ability to respond to COVID-19. Dr. Joia Mukherjee, PIH’s chief medical officer, says on contact tracing:
Access to this information helps contacts to know how to protect their loved ones, and to get tested or cared for themselves,” she said. “Without knowing our own status, without being able to specifically protect our loved ones, we are all living in the dark. (And) we know that there is significant anxiety in this darkness.
An interdisciplinary group of Mintz attorneys worked with PIH to facilitate this partnership on a pro-bono basis, helping this critical work get off the ground. Attorneys involved were Dianne Bourque and Ellen Janos, Members in Mintz’s Health Practice, Elissa Flynn-Poppey, Chair of the Government Law Practice, Julie Korostoff Chair of the firm’s IT Transactions & Outsourcing Practice, Andrew Matzkin, a Member in the firm’s Employment practice, and Corporate Associate Daniel Marden.
“Mintz is pleased to have been able to assist PIH in its efforts to change the course of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth,” said Mintz Member Ellen Janos. “It has been deeply rewarding to work on such a critically important project.”
Another group working to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 is the Diverse Attorney Pipeline Program(“DAPP”), a group with a mission to diversify the legal profession by expanding opportunities for women of color law students to secure summer positions at law firms and corporations following their first year of law school, an activity that greatly increases the likelihood of an offer of paid employment after graduation. DAPP was founded by Tiffany Harper and Chastity Boyce, both women of color who graduated from law school during the previous recession, and are passionate about mitigating the negative effects on women attorneys of color.
Recognizing the disruption that COVID-19 has had on everyone, and specifically law firm internships, DAPP is launching a fund and fellowship for students who are unable to complete their law firm internships this year. Started with seed money from the organization, DAPP has a goal of 100,000 to fund this program, and is requesting support from law firms, corporations, bar associations, and other nonprofit organizations in the form of earmarked donations.
“As law firms and businesses are forced to cut their summer internship programs, we hope they’ll consider contributing to this fund to support our work of infusing the pipeline to the legal profession with talented, highly qualified women of color in order to address the dismal statistics surrounding the number of women of color who are hired, retained and promoted at large law firms across the nation,” said Harper.
Students who receive the stipend will receive financial support as well as intensive professional development; involving volunteer legal work to facilitate skill development and meaningful training for participants. Additionally, the awardees will be matched with lawyer mentors, be provided with professional development and coaching.
“This is not a time to give up on diversity and inclusion efforts; it’s a time to refocus our efforts on preparing the next generation of lawyers for the challenges they’ll face in a diverse, global marketplace,” added Boyce.
To better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the commercial litigation community, IMS ExpertServices conducted analysis and gathered input during the first half of April from more than 400 attorneys, in-house counsel, experts, and stakeholders throughout the commercial litigation community.
In this special podcast feature, you’ll hear commentary from the April 30 Analysts Briefing hosted by IMS on the study’s top findings and other key trends for commercial litigators, with discussion from a panel of thought leaders including:·
· James Crane, Chief Revenue Officer at IMS ExpertServices
· Rudhir Krishtel, Certified Co-Active Coach and Facilitator with Krishtel Coaching, Former Senior Patent Counsel at Apple, Former Partner at Fish & Richardson, and IMS Thought Leader and Contributor
· Nate Robson, Litigation Editor at The American Lawyer
· Eilene Spear, Operations and Project Manager at The National Law Review
· Ty Sagalow, Commercial insurance expert and IMS thought leader and contributor
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