First Global IP Forum in China Sparks Interest
June 06, 2006
Just days before the U.S. government declared China one of 2005's worst infringers of intellectual property, two Needle & Rosenberg attorneys traveled to Beijing for what they say is the country's first-ever international intellectual property rights conference.
<b>Practice Building Skills:</b> I Need to Grow My Client Base: What Now?
May 31, 2006
Our experience working with attorneys and law firms tells us that the pressure to develop new business is on the rise. It is no longer good enough to be an excellent attorney; you are now expected to develop new business as well. Many attorneys that we coach want to develop more business; they are just not sure how to do it, or where they will find the extra time.<br>We've found that skilled and well-networked attorneys can utilize several methods to grow their business without taking much time away from billing clients. Some of the methods may initially be a challenge, but if you can move out of your comfort zone and learn some of these new techniques, you will have increased success in developing business.
<b>Media & Communication Corner: </b>Inside <i>Crain's Chicago Business</i>
May 31, 2006
This month, Jaffe's insiders look into Crain's Chicago Business. This business magazine, with a circulation of over 50,000 readers and over 125,000 registered users, has served as a source of local business news and information to Chicago's most influential business and legal executives for more than a quarter century. Crain's Chicago has sister publications in Cleveland, Detroit, New York and Mexico. Each of the Crain's business publications operates distinctly in the sphere of its home city, yet they share a similar look and interest.
<b>Meyerowitz on Marketing:</b> Creating Ambassadors of Goodwill
May 31, 2006
It takes a lot of effort and funds for a law firm to recruit and train its attorneys. If they stay for a sufficient period of time, improve their professional skills and start to bring in new business, the firm is likely to see a nice return on its investment.<br>These days, however, lawyers at some point typically leave the place that gave them their start; unlike days gone by when lawyers typically would stay at a firm for their whole professional careers. Today, they may go to a competitor firm, to a smaller firm, in-house or to a business that may or may not be a client of the firm. Yet, this does not necessarily mean that a law firm should just write off the time and money it spent on developing its former lawyers. Rather, as increasing numbers of law firms are coming to understand, a firm's former attorneys can play an important role in the firm's marketing and client development activities. To tap that resource, many law firms are creating alumni programs or are formalizing or expanding the basic elements of alumni programs that they already have in place.
Marketing By Association
May 31, 2006
Whether you service public, privately held or non-profit clients, the most direct path to marketing results is to affiliate with aggregations of prospects in their industry associations. The caveat is, however, that you must attend regularly and take a leadership role ' join a committee, participate on a task force or event ' so that you become known as a trusted partner. Referrals will happen.
Note From the Editor
May 31, 2006
MLF 50, MLF 50/II and MLF Canadian 20 submission update and criteria.
Turning Energy Into Matter(s)
May 31, 2006
The connection between energy and matter is a fascinating subject to explore. While it generally sounds like the stuff of science fiction, I have uncovered the secret to how it applies to our own special universe of law firms.<br>My inquiry began by going to the source. While conducting painstaking research into previously unknown aspects of Albert Einstein's past, I was astonished to learn that he had been commissioned by a consortium of law firms to come up with a system for generating revenue. Their reasoning for hiring Einstein? Since the physical laws of nature and business do not apply to law firms, they needed an explanation that would work for them.
Hiring a Media Buyer
May 31, 2006
Imagine fielding all those unsolicited calls and referring them to a professional whose full-time job involves learning your audience requirements and branding strategy, finding research or personally conducting ongoing market and competitor analysis, providing you with data-rich 'Point-of-View' (POV) assessments on how the possible media buys fit into your firm's priorities ' maintaining arm's-length but informed relationships with the myriad publications you might consider, but recommending only those publications that meet a sophisticated test of audience reach vs. cost. This professional then negotiates advantageous terms and specifics, such as date and page placement, and executes the details of the media plan, day-in and day-out. And who keeps the payments and discounts straight and sends you frequent updates for budget-tracking purposes.<br>That professional is a media planner/buyer. No stranger to corporate America, outside media planning and buying services are relatively new to law firm marketing, but their presence is increasing among the larger, more media-savvy firms. Just as the legal profession lagged in accepting and building marketing departments, it has been slow to appreciate the value of these media professionals. That's changing, however, as national and global law firms are recruiting more non-legal professionals to high-level positions; and that new blood is carrying over some well-known best practices found in other industries with longer track records in branding and advertising than law firm marketing.
Programs Keep Alumni Close to Old Firms
May 31, 2006
As firms strive to differentiate themselves through marketing techniques and stave off mergers through network affiliations, they are gearing up alumni programs to net referrals and maintain positive relationships with former employees.
