Case study: <strong>Mishcon</strong> <strong>de</strong> <strong>Reya</strong>marketing talent isn’t with some lawfirms, however I’m not convinced that<strong>the</strong>ir advice is actu<strong>all</strong>y being listened toand acted upon.An appetite for changeI joined <strong>Mishcon</strong> because it was clear<strong>the</strong> management of <strong>the</strong> firm wantedto dramatic<strong>all</strong>y improve <strong>the</strong> way thatit marketed itself. They believedthat someone with over 15 years ofexperience in <strong>the</strong> communications andbusiness-<strong>de</strong>velopment world would beable to help transform <strong>the</strong>ir marketing.This belief, I know, is unusual in <strong>the</strong>industry – it takes an entrepreneurialattitu<strong>de</strong> to make that <strong>de</strong>cision in <strong>the</strong>first place, and to continue to back up<strong>the</strong> proposals for changing <strong>the</strong> profileof <strong>the</strong> team and <strong>the</strong> marketing output.Creativity applied to everything we sayand do is now central to <strong>the</strong> business<strong>de</strong>velopment ethos at <strong>the</strong> firm.The process has been straightforward:<strong>the</strong> first step was getting everyone toagree that:•We want to be focused on fosteringa ‘<strong>client</strong> first’ culture:•Talking <strong>about</strong> ourselves is not goingto help us differentiate;•We will be ruthless and singlemin<strong>de</strong>din our pursuit of being<strong>client</strong> focused at every touch point;•We want to articulate our position ina fresh non-clichéd manner;•We will hire talent that is going toch<strong>all</strong>enge <strong>the</strong> status quo;•We will bring in a range of differentskilled people to <strong>de</strong>liver against <strong>the</strong>various complexities that marketingand <strong>de</strong>veloping a professionalservice firm encounters; and,•We will use external experts whereappropriate to <strong>de</strong>liver internal an<strong>de</strong>xternal communications that aregenuinely ‘best in class’ and that areas good as <strong>the</strong> best of o<strong>the</strong>r nonlegalcompanies.Structure and process need to be right,but <strong>the</strong>y won’t solve <strong>the</strong> problem alone.Structures have to be elegant andprocesses need to be both workable andsimple to un<strong>de</strong>rstand. However, <strong>the</strong>sefeatures alone do not guarantee <strong>the</strong>right results.Getting <strong>the</strong> best out of thosepeople already involved with business<strong>de</strong>velopment has been a critical part of<strong>the</strong> plan. Four lawyers at <strong>the</strong> firm nowwork closely with <strong>the</strong> rest of <strong>the</strong> business<strong>de</strong>velopment team; Lisa Hommel ispractice <strong>de</strong>velopment director workingacross <strong>all</strong> <strong>the</strong> practice areas; SusanFreeman, a real estate partner, alsofocuses on business <strong>de</strong>velopment; MilesGeffin, a legal director in family, is <strong>the</strong>practice’s professional support lawyerEmplployoymementSememininarBusiness CardLawSoft ContactSporting EventCase ReviewCommercialTraransactionLawSoft CRMRegular WorkLawSoft’s integral workflow engine ensures more of your contacts turn into <strong>client</strong>swww.pilgrimsystems.cominfo@pilgrimsystems.com+44 (0)131 555 9700One Database, One Supplier, <strong>the</strong> Whole Solutionwww.legalmarketingmag.com 17
Case study: <strong>Mishcon</strong> <strong>de</strong> <strong>Reya</strong>and, Alexandra Fawcett, a solicitor in<strong>the</strong> public advocacy group, focuses on<strong>de</strong>veloping <strong>the</strong> practice.Addition<strong>all</strong>y, <strong>the</strong> <strong>de</strong>partment’s linkwith <strong>the</strong> firm’s knowledge managementteam and <strong>the</strong> information services (IS)function has been streng<strong>the</strong>ned. Therestructured teams now sit toge<strong>the</strong>r ineach practice area; business <strong>de</strong>velopmentand professional support lawyers sittoge<strong>the</strong>r with IS people hot-<strong>de</strong>skingaround specific tasks.New talent by <strong>de</strong>signThe new team is a collection oftalented individuals from notablyvaried backgrounds – most of <strong>the</strong>mhave not previously worked in <strong>the</strong>legal sector. Toge<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>the</strong>y cover <strong>all</strong><strong>the</strong> critical bases for <strong>de</strong>veloping an<strong>de</strong>xecuting a strong marketing andbusiness-<strong>de</strong>velopment strategy.from professional network business,Winmark, where she led <strong>the</strong> generalcounsel network. She un<strong>de</strong>rstandswhat drives general counsels, what<strong>the</strong>y are looking for, and has personalrelationships with many of <strong>the</strong>m. At atime when off and online communitiesare so important to business<strong>de</strong>velopment, hiring someone with sucha profile is critical.The new position of strategicanalyst, filled by Charlotte Bienvenufrom Hil<strong>de</strong>rbrant managementconsultancy, was created to <strong>de</strong>livergenuine business insights into ourwork with current and future <strong>client</strong>s.Insights that would ensure that a<strong>client</strong> felt we wanted to un<strong>de</strong>rstand<strong>the</strong>ir business before we offered legaladvice in a vacuum. She has a Mastersin International Law – so again shepossesses an affinity with <strong>the</strong> law.strategy to life. This will manifest itselfonline and off, in media, our pitchapproach, our approach to product<strong>de</strong>velopment and marketing, ourfocused approach to <strong>client</strong> <strong>de</strong>velopment,our approach to building meaningfuland useful communities for our<strong>client</strong>s and referrers to be part of,and, of course, in a concerted internalcommunications drive. We will betough on ourselves and measure <strong>the</strong>effectiveness of what we do. None ofthis can happen unless <strong>the</strong> team is partof <strong>the</strong> business of <strong>the</strong> firm ra<strong>the</strong>r thanmerely supporting it.Going forwardThe future will require us to change<strong>the</strong> solutions we think are right today.The pace of both technological an<strong>de</strong>conomic change will require us torethink our specific solutions. TheCreativity applied to everything we say and do is now central to <strong>the</strong> business<strong>de</strong>velopment ethos at <strong>the</strong> firm. Structure and process need to be right, but <strong>the</strong>y won’tsolve <strong>the</strong> problem alone.The new business <strong>de</strong>velopmentmanager for litigation and private<strong>client</strong>, Verity Roberts, is from leadinglegal insurance broker, The Judge. Shecomes with a <strong>de</strong>ep knowledge (equal ifnot more than most lawyers) of <strong>the</strong>seinsurance products, as well as a goodoverview of most of <strong>the</strong> elite law firms– having met <strong>the</strong> majority of <strong>the</strong>m over<strong>the</strong> past year. She has a law <strong>de</strong>gree anda natural affinity with, and interest in,<strong>the</strong> law.The new business <strong>de</strong>velopmentmanager for corporate and employment,Faye Gardiner, is from a leading UKbrand consultancy, FutureBrand. Shehas experience of branding, <strong>client</strong>management and business <strong>de</strong>velopment.She also has a law <strong>de</strong>gree and anenthusiasm for, and interest in, <strong>the</strong> law.The new senior business<strong>de</strong>velopment executive in corporate an<strong>de</strong>mployment, Jenny Stebbing, comesUn<strong>de</strong>rpinning <strong>all</strong> this new talent<strong>the</strong> talent that already exists within <strong>the</strong>firm to <strong>de</strong>liver against <strong>the</strong> importantwork that requires a pre-existing insi<strong>de</strong>knowledge of how a law firm functions.This inclu<strong>de</strong>s submitting entries todirectories and awards as well asgraduate recruitment processes.Connection to <strong>the</strong> businessThe team, once assembled, would onlywork well if <strong>the</strong>y not only un<strong>de</strong>rstood<strong>the</strong> business of <strong>the</strong> firm, but <strong>the</strong>y alsoplaced <strong>the</strong>mselves ‘in <strong>the</strong> hub’ of firmbusiness processes both physic<strong>all</strong>y(<strong>the</strong>re is no central area for <strong>the</strong> team –everyone sits in <strong>the</strong> practice areas) andintellectu<strong>all</strong>y. I am asking a lot of <strong>the</strong>team. I want <strong>the</strong>m to un<strong>de</strong>rstand what<strong>client</strong>s re<strong>all</strong>y need beyond what we and<strong>the</strong> lawyers might think <strong>the</strong>y need.We will be engaging in a numberof areas that will bring <strong>the</strong> ‘<strong>client</strong>-first’messaging will change; <strong>the</strong> form inwhich we engage in pitches willchange; and, <strong>the</strong> nature of <strong>the</strong> productswill change. But what will not changeis our <strong>client</strong>-focused approach. Thatwill <strong>de</strong>fine how we articulate whatwe do and how we behave towardsour <strong>client</strong>s and prospective <strong>client</strong>s.By <strong>de</strong>finition, our <strong>client</strong>s’ needschange rapidly; many of <strong>the</strong>m have anentrepreneurial mind set. We alwaysstrive to un<strong>de</strong>rstand this because ourun<strong>de</strong>rstanding will lead to <strong>de</strong>eper andmore profitable relationships with<strong>client</strong>s. Our mantra is shamelessly stolenfrom Procter and Gamble’s simplestarticulation of <strong>the</strong>ir approach: ‘<strong>the</strong><strong>client</strong> is always <strong>the</strong> boss’. As long as westick to that, we’ll be okay.Elliot Moss is business <strong>de</strong>velopmentdirector at <strong>Mishcon</strong> <strong>de</strong> <strong>Reya</strong>. He can becontacted at elliot.moss@mishcon.com18 October/November 2009