‘Opportunity in Crisis: Innovative Ways Law Firms Are Stepping Up Client Relationships’ [Jennifer Simpson Carr’s Article Featured in Attorney at Work]

In this article, Jennifer Simpson Carr shares firsthand knowledge regarding how law firms have supported their clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to her own perspective, Carr obtained insight and testimonials from business development experts worldwide regarding the innovative ways law firms have supported clients and strengthened business relationships during the pandemic.

Some key take-aways:

Anticipating Changing Needs

Mary Che, vice president of marketing, Connell Foley: “It was immediately evident to our firm that our role was to anticipate the questions and issues that our clients were going to face and provide them the information and resources they needed — before they could even ask the questions.”

Becoming a Trusted Resource on the Ever-Changing Legal Landscape

Vivian Coco, head of legal marketing and client relations, Licks Attorneys: “Licks Attorneys has invested in developing the capacity to conduct an exclusive search and real-time data analysis of the Brazilian Patent System’s official database, enabling anyone visiting our website to obtain in seconds essential and strategic information regarding the country’s patent landscape. We are also developing a series of different Business Information dashboards tailored to our client’s specific needs, concentrating all relevant information concerning their patent portfolio in Brazil.”

Bruna DeRegina, communication manager, Licks Attorneys: “Because most of our clients are foreigners with business interests in Brazil, Licks Attorneys created a dedicated page on its website entitled ‘COVID-19 Legal Lab.’ This is a multiphase project designed to keep our clients informed about the legal and regulatory consequences of the COVID-19 crisis in Brazil.”

Creating Custom Solutions to Client Challenges

Delisi Friday, director of marketing and business development, Cowen | Rodriguez | Peacock: “For us, we had to problem-solve for our clients, but we also had to be creative in how we marketed our firm to attorneys without being tone-deaf.”

Embracing Virtual Opportunities to Deepen Cross-Border Relationships

Hans Chang, marketing and business development manager, McMillan LLP: “One unique opportunity that we took advantage of during this COVID era is reimagining ‘client visits,’ which have become much more time– and cost-efficient. As the pressure to visit clients in person has all but disappeared, it’s become much easier to check in with our clients much more frequently and meaningfully. To that end, we have increased client-targeted education programs, workshops, and check-ins with institutional clients that have teams all over the world, which increases client satisfaction and generates more cross-selling opportunities.”

For additional content related to virtual program offerings, click this link: ‘Maximizing Opportunities in Virtual Event Planning with Susan DeLeva, Dentons.’

Harnessing the Power of Online Collaboration

Eric Gruis, senior client service manager, Eversheds Sutherland: “We’ve built sites to collaborate with both clients and co-counsel to manage pleadings, trial calendars, task lists, budgets and correspondence across multiple active matters through one virtual dashboard.”

Leveraging the Skills of Legal Operations Management

Jasmine Trillos-Decarie, chief client officer, Lathrop GPM: “At Lathrop GPM, we are continually reviewing our management structure to ensure we have the right people, in the right positions to expand upon the value we deliver to our clients. Earlier this year, our firm named Kate Tompkins the leader of the IP practice group. What’s innovative is that Kate is a business professional. She is focused on ensuring the IP practice operates efficiently and strategically supports the firm’s clients.”

Prioritizing Client Feedback

Brandi Michelle Hobbs, client strategy officer, Bell, Davis & Pitt: “Client service interviews, when done well, can be a valuable way to find out how individual clients feel about the experience they are having with your firm.”

Providing Cost Certainty Without Compromising Quality

Marcie Dickson, former CMBDO, Miles Mediation & Arbitration: “At Miles Mediation & Arbitration, we elevated the quality of client service by adding an ‘elite concierge team’ that collaborates with customer success, marketing, operations and finance to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience for every client.”

Taking a Personal Approach to Thought Leadership

Chris Postizzi, director of marketing and communications, WilmerHale: “With the outbreak of COVID-19, our lawyers have truly embraced the idiom ‘content is king.’ Not only have our lawyers upped their game with the amount of thought leadership they produce, but they are now keenly focused on the resulting metrics of those efforts.”

For additional content related to law firm content and data, click this link: ‘The Psychology and Data Analysis of Law Firm Content with Adrian Lurssen of JD Supra.’

Staying Connected

Erika Galarneau, marketing and business development manager, Cades Schutte: “It has been especially important during the pandemic to find innovative ways to stay connected with our clients and friends and act as a resource for any COVID-related legal issues they have. We immediately started by creating a Coronavirus Response Team and a dedicated page on our website (we were the first firm in Hawaii to launch this).”

Transitioning to Interdisciplinary Approaches

Mike Mellor, chief marketing and business development officer, Pryor Cashman: “Clients don’t care who forms the company or who does the securities work. They want to know that someone has their best interests at heart and can help them to make sense of an upside-down world. Our team created focused ‘speed-round’ sessions with different audiences, including medical owners and restaurateurs, and brought in attorneys from the firm’s finance, ERISA, labor, insurance and corporate groups to offer timely information on what clients needed to know and do during the next 30, 60 and 90 days.”

For additional content related to interdisciplinary approaches, click the link to this Law360 article: ‘Why The Future Law Firm Model Is Industry-Based Offerings.’

At Furia Rubel, Carr supports the agency’s clients with establishing competitive advantage, winning new business, and implementing strategies that impact long-term business objectives. Prior to joining Furia Rubel, Carr spent more than ten years leading business development and marketing communications strategies in-house at AmLaw 200 law firms in New York and mid-market law firms throughout the United States.

For the full article, click on the link, ‘Opportunity in Crisis: Innovative Ways Law Firms Are Stepping Up Client Relationships’