Five Tips on Marketing to General Counsel
Barbara Kolsun, SVP and General Counsel of 7 for All Mankind, a denim clothing company in New York City, outlined her 5 tips for how law firms can get business from corporations. She spoke today at the Marketing Partner Forum in Florida.
1. Lean and Mean
In-house staffs are leaner than ever and our instructions are to do as much of the work in-house as possible. Outside counsel fill in the gaps from litigation to highly specialized areas like immigration and patent law.
2. Show What You Can Do
In-house lawyers need to earn CLE credits. Law firms should offer CLE breakfasts, lunches and cocktail hours offering credit (including ethics). It's a great way to audition and show the depth of your practice.
3. Law Firm Sales and Branding
Focus on what you're really good at, not on what you'd like to be good at. For example, a law firm with a history of representing fashion clients held a session on breaking into the fashion industry, featuring young designer Zac Posen and veteran Norma Kamali to discuss business issues involved in fashion. Invitees included general counsel of design companies.
4. Evaluating Law Firms
"I use firms I know, but am open to new blood, usually highly recommended by other in-house counsel. Examples include: trademark and copyright, immigration, high profile litigation, patent, anti-counterfeiting, foreign associates," Kolsun said. Her criteria are:
- Cost
- Expertise
- Reputation
- High profile litigation
- Insurance issues
- Staffing
- Consolidation of outside counsel
- Willingness to tell you the truth
- Willingness to take direction and communicate with the GC.
5. Law Firm Web sites
They should be easy to find, easy to navigate and contain basic information like telephone numbers, location of branch offices (including cross streets and nearest subway stop), texts of recent opinions in important cases litigated and bios of lawyers.
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