Legal Marketing: Then, Now, Tomorrow

Prepared by Jill Leonardis – Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

Panelists
Jason S. Dinwoodie, Director of Marketing & Communications, Dewey Ballantine LLP

Katherine D’Urso, Chief Marketing Officer, King & Spalding LLP

Jill Perry, National Director of Marketing, Sales and Communications, Greenberg Traurig LLP

Andrea Stimmel, Chief Marketing Officer, Blank Rome LLP

Moderator
Joy Newton, Herrick, Feinstein LLP

Summary
• The panelists have marketing experience in other industries such as accounting firms and software companies. The panelists identified processes used to market these industries years ago as similar to the processes incorporated by the legal marketing industry today.
• The panelists believe that legal marketing provides new and exciting opportunities for the young professional. As the legal industry strives to incorporate marketing and business development techniques into its traditional framework, young professionals have the opportunity to explore this “new frontier.”
• The panelists stated that excellent writing skills and a strong mentality toward client service are desired by law firms from their marketing staff.
• To best serve a firm, the panelists stated that a new marketer should make a concerted effort to understand the work of their attorneys. By attending CLE programs, reading publications and asking questions, the new marketer may be in a better position to serve their firm.
• A young legal marketer may gain a great deal of experience working in a small law firm, in which they will be exposed to multiple facets of legal marketing such as pitches, media relations, CRM and possibly direct contact with clients. In a large firm, the legal marketer may develop greater experience in one practice area or specific sect of marketing, allowing the marketer to acquire expertise in a specific field.
• Commenting on a current legal marketing industry trends, the panelists discussed how some marketing teams will “rotate” the staff in their departments, allowing marketers to try different tasks within the legal marketing profession. The panelists also addressed the use of the term “sales” as a buzzword, and how firms differ in their election to use this term.
• The panelists have noticed an increased professionalism in the field of legal marketing over the years. In the past ten years, as law firms have consolidated and increased in size, the panelists believe that firms are seeing a need for experts and specialists in marketing and business development capacities.
• One panelist believes that business development skills, such as the ability to recognize prospects and the ability to create effective pitches, will become essential skills as the legal marketing industry evolves.
• In order to “earn a seat at the table,” which is defined by the panelists as involvement in important issues at one’s firm, the young marketer must work hard to earn credibility. One panelist stated that if the legal marketer is informed after a decision has been made and is asked to “respond” to that action, the marketer does not have “a seat at the table.”
• One panelist stated that young marketers should try to “exceed expectations,” and recommended working longer hours early in one’s career.
• The panelists stated that law firm clients “live in a broader world” and the legal marketer should make a concerted effort to research companies, industry trends and stay informed of current news developments.
• The panelists, all with different educational backgrounds, stated that advanced degrees may help the legal marketer establish credibility. One panelist stated that the legal marketer does not require an advanced degree to succeed in this field if he/she has a strong knowledge of the legal industry, business trends and an understanding of key industry terminology.