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The golden rules of successful 'marketing plan' implementation for lawyers

By Douglas McPherson

Douglas is Director at Size 10 ½ Boots, a business development agency that works solely with professional service firms. Tenandahalf help their clients grow by winning more new clients and by generating higher fees from their existing clients. Due to their innovative methods, the marketing of private client services is now an area in which Tenandahalf lead the market.

 

Three more golden rules to help you successfully implement your firm’s marketing plan:  

1# The carpenters' rule: measure … then measure again

Once you’ve got your measuring tools in place make sure that you use them. If you keep checking that things are on track you will be alerted to any potential shortfalls while they’re just a blip in need of attention rather than a black hole in need of disaster recovery. If you identify a missed deadline or a drop in activity, address it. From a management perspective, broaching the subject with those involved informally allows you to use the opportunity to motivate and reinvigorate which is so much more productive (and less time consuming) than having performance meetings further down the line.  

2# Written commitment beats spoken intent 

It’s all very well people nodding and even smiling at meetings as they agree to the tasks assigned to them but what happens when you ask for a catch-up for a progress report?  How many of the individual tasks have been forgotten or overlooked? How many weren’t really acknowledged at that first meeting?

This isn’t done on purpose. This is the result of having loads of other things to worry about as soon as you get back to your desk. If you want to make sure your team knows exactly what’s expected of them, make sure you drop each team member a short email (bullet points will suffice) summarising the key actions. This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, even less if you do it straight after the meeting when everything’s still fresh in your mind. Better still, design a simple template outlining the key activities required and get your fee earners to fill it in before you meet. Having them commit to certain activities without having to be volunteered makes it more likely the activities will be completed. As a manager it also gives you a template you can use to chart progress at future meetings.

 

3# Names and numbers

Don’t swim against the tide. You will move further faster if you use the contacts and potentially warm introductions you already have in the building. 

Once you have your objectives on paper and have agreed on the tactics you need to use to achieve those objectives, have a look at who you actually need to meet to make things happen. Once you have identified who you need to know, ask your colleagues who they know on that list so you can be introduced personally. Taking the time to conduct this exercise properly both speeds up progress and makes it more comfortable for fee earners to get in front of their key targets. 

Likewise, how many of the people you want to influence (referrers or prospective clients) are already on your database? A call out the blue is as hard to take as it is to make but if you can soften your targets up with relevant, valuable communications in between calls and, over time, they will be more disposed to taking your call and following up that call with a face-to-face meeting.

To find your next legal role, search and apply on TotallyLegal today  

Top Skills for Legal PA’s

 

Each year, we train hundreds of aspiring and existing Legal Secretaries across our Pitman Training centres in London and Manchester, so we get to see first-hand just how popular this career path is.

We’ve made a list of some of the top skills we believe are essential in order to get to the top as a Legal Secretary – first let’s talk practical skills:

• Strong knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite is a must, as is having a fantastic typing speed (we recommend 70 words per minute or above). If you can get your typing speed up to this level, you’ll increase your efficiency and get things done quicker – essential for busy Legal PA’s. 

• You’ll also need to be a trained audio typist. This forms part of the day to day job for the Legal Secretary; just take a quick look at the Legal Secretary job vacancies and you’ll see that audio transcription is a necessary addition to your CV. 

• Legal PA’s will often be tasked with proofreading and minute taking – we recommend learning shorthand or SpeedWriting to make this part of your job easier.

But don’t be fooled, being an excellent Legal PA is not just about having fantastic office skills, you need to be relaxed under pressure, a great multi-tasker and have an eye for detail.

Legal Secretaries also have to be trustworthy – they deal with confidential legal documents and client files, so it’s important to maintain discretion at all times.

Just as important is your attention to detail. Legal PA’s work with the intricacies of daily law practice, and as you can imagine, mistakes can cause big problems!

Lastly, you need to be a people person. Legal PA’s deal with all sorts of people, from clients to attorneys to judicial personnel, and they are often the first port of call between the company and the client, so giving a flawless first impression is vital.

 

What about the legal side?

Without any prior knowledge of the legal sector it will be unlikely that you’ll manage to secure a top position as a Legal PA, so if you haven’t already, it’s worth brushing up on your legal knowledge.

• A good start is our “An Introduction – Legal Secretary Course” which covers everything aspiring Legal PA’s need to know by way of an introduction to the work, responsibilities, practice and structure of the legal office, including terminology, procedures and duties of the Legal Secretary. 

• Then, we recommend that you move on to focus on an area of the legal sector, which will enable you to work for a larger, more specialist law firm. We have a selection of legal PA courses, such as Family Law and Civil Litigation, which can be taken individually or as part of our nationally recognised Legal Secretarial Diploma.

 

For more information on our Legal Secretarial Courses, or for a free careersconsultation, just give us a call or email us at htinfo@pitman-training.net.

Call 020 7025 4700 for London and 0161 923 6814 for Manchester.

 

To find a new role as a Legal PA or Secretary, search and apply on TotallyLegal

 

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Legal Professionals

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What do you expect from job interviews?

By Colin Loth

Colin is the Director of Robert Walters’ legal division and has 13 years’ legal recruitment experience. He joined the Group’s London office in 2011.

 

What do you expect from job interviews?

Our latest Whitepaper explores job seeker preferences when being interviewed for new roles.  Late interviewers are one of the biggest turn off for job seekers, while other peeves include a lengthy recruitment process and lack of feedback. 

In total, 82% are put off by a late interviewer. At the same time, 54% claim they have experienced rudeness or disrespect during the interview process, while 40% say they have experienced irrelevant questions. 

Job seekers are also united in their attitude to the treatment they think they should receive after the interview has taken place and how long the whole process should take. An overwhelming proportion (99%) think they should receive feedback on their performance, with 86% believing they should be contacted within four days of the interview taking place. But 74% claim they have been for a job interview and received no feedback whatsoever. This is clearly a big turn off, with one respondent claiming: “There is nothing worse than making a huge effort for an interview and then not receiving any feedback. It shows a complete lack of respect.” 

Around four fifths of our respondents prefer feedback by phone – or even better in person – than email. Qualitative responses included: ‘Email can only give you the basic facts. Phone, or in person is better, will provide much more insight to help for future interviews’ and ‘a two minute chat is so much more valuable than an email’. 

At the same time, 78% of job seekers say they expect a full interview process to take a maximum of four weeks but only 26% of employers say it takes this long in practice. So, there is clearly some discrepancy here. In truth, job seekers need to be a little more realistic – employers are scrutinising the value of each and every hire at the moment and are wary of making costly mistakes. It’s therefore unlikely the full process will be finalised within a month, particularly for permanent roles. In fact, it typically takes between six weeks and two months. In truth, qualitative responses to our survey seem to indicate that job seekers don’t mind the process taking slightly longer than they’d ideally like – what irritates them most is not being kept informed about this and instead being left in limbo. 

One thing our research shows indisputably is the overall importance of the interview process. Virtually all of those we surveyed (98%) say that the job interview process is important in shaping their perception of an employer, while 78% would turn down a job offer due to a poor interview experience. 95% of professionals also discuss their job interview experiences with friends so a bad experience can have a far-reaching and long-term impact.

Click here to download the Robert Walters whitepaper  

 

What do you expect from an interviewer and which of the above reflect your views? Feel free to leave your comments below. 

 

To find your next legal role, browse the latest jobs from Robert Walters on TotallyLegal

Podcast 5: When the past comes back to haunt you

Duties owed to the old firm and insurer

 

                           

 

Feel free to download it here to listen to on your commute to or from work.

 

 

 

 

To view the original transcript, please click here

To find your next legal role, search and apply on TotallyLegal today  

 

Forty per cent of legal departments set to expand by 2014

Legal departments’ desire to bring more work in-house is driving the expansion of internal teams in EMEA countries according to research from international legal recruiter Laurence Simons and global bar association, the Association of Corporate Counsel.

The EMEA Legal Department Benchmarking Survey 2013 reveals 24% of in-house teams have already made hires this year, and a further 40% expect to add to their team over the next year.*

A greater emphasis on dealing with finance and regulatory issues in-house rather than using external firms is a key reason. Fifty one per cent of departments said they would be bringing regulatory issues in-house this year compared with 31% in 2012. In terms of finance, departments are increasingly bringing areas such as insurance and reinsurance (30% up from 14% in 2012), banking and finance (24% up from 14%) restructuring and insolvency (17% from 11%) and tax (17% from 8%) in-house.

 

Areas brought in-house by legal departments 2012-13

The report shows almost twice as many lawyers (30%) expect internal budget increases as expect external rises (18%) over the next year. Likewise, 36% predict a decrease in external budgets, compared with 24% who predict a decrease in internal spend.

Naveen Tuli, Global Managing Director of Laurence Simons said:

“Legal departments bringing more work in-house reflect a desire for greater control and certainty as a fixed workforce allows for better forecasting of budgets. Many are making the decision that hiring extra permanent staff is more cost effective in the long run than continuing to outsource the work to law firms. The new regulatory and financial landscape also places these areas at the core of any corporation, where in-house teams can provide extensive internal knowledge which isn’t gained from placing the work externally.”

Greater internal hiring would continue the trend seen over the past year, as the average size of an EMEA legal department grew from 10.5 lawyers in 2012 to 12 lawyers in 2013, and has risen worldwide from 39 lawyers in 2012 to 53 in 2013.

When asked where they would deploy one extra team member, 54% of respondents said they would recruit in Europe, 22% in the UK, 10% in Asia and 8% in America. In terms of business areas, 44% would hire into corporate and commercial, 12% in regulatory and compliance, 10% into a general role and 6% into both contract and finance/insurance.

Currently, corporate and commercial dominates in-house activity with 86% of departments managing this where they can. Bribery/corruption/compliance (64%) and intellectual property (55%) round out the top three.

Veta T. Richardson, president and chief executive officer of ACC said:
"Traditional areas continue to dominate in-house department workloads, and those looking to make hires are recruiting for these specialities. However, reflecting the expanded brief of in-house teams, regulatory and compliance are also coming to the fore globally due to measures such as Basel III and Solvency II and there is also appetite for generalists who can switch between areas with ease."

 

Looking for a new legal opportunity? Search and apply for the latest opportunities from Laurence Simons on TotallyLegal  

 

*About EMEA Legal Department Benchmarking Survey 

In spring 2013, Laurence Simons and Association of Corporate Counsel invited law departments to complete a benchmarking survey about their teams in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). At the end of the research process, 182 legal departments had responded to the survey. General counsel accounted for the largest body (51%) completing the survey, followed by deputy/regional general counsel (19%) and legal counsel (18%). Of the remaining 12%, the largest single body of respondents were heads of regulatory affairs, or chief compliance officers. The companies represented were headquartered across the world, with 58% in Europe, 21% in North America, 12% in the UK, 5% in the Asia Pacific area, 2% in Russia and 1% in Africa and the Middle East.   

To request a copy of the full report, please contact Jane Holland, FiveTen Group on 020 7858 2022 and jane.holland@fivetengroup.com

 

 

 

ABOUT LAURENCE SIMONS

Founded in 1988, Laurence Simons is a specialist legal recruitment consultancy.  Laurence Simons covers the whole spectrum of permanent and temporary legal positions in both the Private Practice and In–House markets from Newly Qualified through to Partner and General Counsel level roles.   

 

Latest ABS developments and the implications for legal professionals

The introduction of the highly anticipated Legal Services Act in 2011 liberalised the legal services industry and opened it up to Alternative Business Structures (ABS). The initial impact was modest but more recently things have started to pick up. A plethora of businesses have entered the market and many established firms are now taking advantage of the new rules.

Impact on existing firms

Law firms now have several exciting new options, notably to give investors a stake in the business in return for cash and to combine legal practice with other services. 

More than 100 firms have been registered as ABS according to the Law Society, including Irwin Mitchell, Simpson Millar, Stephensons and Kingsley Law. However, there appears to be relatively little interest from top city firms. This could be because many operate in foreign jurisdictions that do not recognise ABS.   

The demise of the traditional law firm isn’t likely in the near future but lawyers, particularly in smaller firms, will need to focus on offering excellent value and client service. Understanding and appreciating the commercial significance of ABS rules is essential for those aspiring to senior roles in law firms, as rivals firms will now have real commercial knowledge to draw upon. 

New ABS firms

Some new legal practices have been started from scratch as ABS, such as Brilliant Law and Red Bar Law. The founders often have a background as entrepreneurs or other professions and bring new approaches to client service and business management. 

Several large consumer businesses have set up legal practices - the Co-op and SAGA being well-known examples. With well-established brands, massive client databases and expert industry knowledge they should be well-placed to make a successful leap into the legal sector. 

These new innovations in legal-service provision have created a lot of exciting career opportunities, although the long term success of many of the new ABS models is yet to be seen.

In-house changes 

Many organisations with legal departments have initiated plans to set up ABS in order to bring work that is currently contracted out to solicitors in-house. Examples include the London authorities in Southwark and Lambeth. 

Registering as an ABS also allows the in-house lawyers to carry out legal services on behalf of existing clients of the business. For example, BT has announced the launch of BT Law, which will serve corporate clients in the motor claims industry in conjunction with the insurance firm BT Claims. 

The changes have created many new professional opportunities for in-house practitioners. However, the perception of in-house roles as less stressful alternatives offering a better work life balance to private practise may come to change. 

Ultimately, there will be demand for knowledgeable, diligent and client-focused legal professionals in the foreseeable future. So the core skills for lawyers are not likely to change that much. However, it is clear that the legal services industry will change considerably over time. Being familiar with the new rules and capable of appreciating their impact in a commercial context is a huge asset to help you find your niche and achieve success in your career. 

 

This article for TotallyLegal by Contact Law

 

If you're looking for a new legal opportunity, search and apply here

Legal Salaries on the Rise

 

 

Overall contract rates for legal professionals are up 3.5% year-on-year in the UK, according to results from the 2013 Robert Walters Salary Survey. The research also reveals that permanent legal salaries have increased 1.2% in the same period. 

These figures compare favourably with other professions, with permanent salaries up 0.7% for banking operations professionals, 0.3% for IT specialists and down 0.1% for accountants and 0.7% for HR professionals. Similarly, contract rates have increased 0.4% for accountants, remained stable for banking operations professionals and decreased 1.2% for both IT and HR specialists. 

The largest increases in permanent salaries have been evident in the Midlands, where they have risen 2.1%. The comparable figure for London is 1.1%. However, contract rates in London are up 3.8% and remain stable in the Midlands.  

Most legal salary growth has been driven by the in-house market. London in-house permanent salaries are up 1.7% year-on-year (compared to 0.2% in private practice), while contract rates are up 3.5% (compared to 0.4% in private practice). These increases in contract pay are particularly marked in the banking and financial services sector, where they have risen by 8.5% over the past year.  

This positive sentiment is also reflected in the results of the Robert Walters Compensation Survey (conducted in November 2012), which revealed that 59% of legal professionals received a salary increase last year (compared to 55% of accountants, 53% of marketers, 53% of HR professionals, 53% of IT professionals and 40% of banking operations professionals). Expectations for this year are also high, with 65% predicting a salary increase in 2013 (compared to 62% of accountants, 61% of marketers, 54% of HR professionals, 57% of IT professionals and 51% of investment banking operations professionals).  

However, bonus pay outs have been less common. According to the same survey, 37% of legal professionals received a bonus in 2012 (compared to 42% of accountants, 42% of HR professionals, 53% of marketers, 58% of investment banking operations professionals and 34% of IT specialists). By the same token, only 45% expect a bonus in 2013 (compared to 61% of marketers, 49% of accountants, 46% of HR professionals, 59% of investment banking operations professionals and 38% of IT professionals).

Colin Loth, Director of Legal Recruitment at Robert Walters, says:

“While the majority of permanent legal salaries have remained relatively stable, they have still increased and at a faster rate than many other professions. However, the most significant growth in pay over the past year has been for contractors. Where headcount restrictions have been implemented, businesses have often not had the expertise to carry out certain projects. Rather than outsourcing to a private practice firm, many have hired contractors to carry out this specialist work. With this likely to remain the case, we expect demand for temporary and fixed term contract lawyers to continue to grow throughout the first half of 2013.”

 

About the Robert Walters Salary Survey 2013

The Robert Walters Salary Survey 2013 is a review of recruitment and pay trends across each of the 23 countries that the firm operates in globally. These figures are based on the difference between the average salary figures for each of the roles we have worked on from January 2012 to January 2013.

About Robert Walters

Robert Walters is one of the leading international recruitment consultancies, with a network of 53 offices spanning 24 countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Continental Europe, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, South Africa and South America.

About the Robert Walters Pay and Compensation Survey

The Robert Walters Pay and Compensation survey, conducted in November 2012, is based on the responses of 2,419 professionals working across a variety of sectors to questions about the pay and bonuses they received and their compensation expectations for the future. 138 of these respondents were legal professionals.

If you're looking for a new legal role, search and apply for the latest opportunities from Robert Walters on TotallyLegal 

 

Do you work in-house or with a Private Practice firm? Got a question for Robert Walters? Feel free to share your thoughts below.

Moving up in your Legal career- A game of snakes and ladders?

By Richard Flexer

Richard Flexer is a director of Brunel Professional Recruitment, a consultancy specialising in the recruitment of IP and Legal Professionals throughout the UK.  Richard has a wealth of experience in recruiting senior level candidates for a number of the UK’s leading IP and legal practices. 

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to fly up the career ladder whilst others always seem to be grappling with the snakes?

When looking at the salary information we gather what stands out most is the fact that some people get paid an awful lot more than others with seemingly similar levels of experience. This salary variance comes down to how individuals are perceived by managers and what these managers think of their ability to grow the business. 

Within every organisation there are individuals who become marginalised, or sidelined in terms of progression and reward and these people can soon become ‘cheap brains’. Often these individuals have technical competence which is at least level with but normally far superior to their business winning colleagues and yet they are paid less. 

So, how do you avoid slipping down the career snakes?

Technical competence is a ‘given’ when we are recruiting senior level candidates. It is what else they can bring to an organisation which is of real interest. As such, it is vital to have some business development or marketing ability to secure a good position in a growing organisation. Traditional business development or marketing activities can be thought of as a distraction by some and can also seem very daunting. As such, it slips down the priority list and is only ever given any thought in the few weeks every year just before appraisal time! These is where many people fall down and slowly but surely, start descending the career snake rather than climbing the ladders they intended. 

Successful people make business development personal. Traditional business development activities such as business breakfasts or networking events are not going to be for everyone. The key is to find a way to highlight the strengths of both you and your firm in a way that feels natural to you. Try to be creative and think about the activities that you feel comfortable doing. Then find a way to market your firm and your services whilst doing one of these familiar activities. 

So what sort of things am I talking about? 

Well, we had one candidate who had a keen interest in clay pigeon shooting, so he arranged an open day at his local club and invited clients, or potential clients along. We even heard of one individual who offered flights in his hot air balloon to give him an opportunity to explain what he felt he could offer. All sorts of things have been tried in the past and nothing should be off limits. The trick is to just find something you are comfortable with and give it a go.  The process of thinking through ideas, discussing it with colleagues, thinking about who you would invite and so on, is a major step in the right direction. 

Business Development is as much a frame of mind as it is your actions. The first step for many may be as simple as devoting one hour a week to call all old clients to have a general conversation. Find something you have in common with them and talk about it!  Again, it is about the state of mind and attitude. If you keep your head down be prepared to be side lined.  If you have the right attitude, have some creative ideas and work through them logically and consistently, you will be surprised what you can achieve and before you know it, you will be climbing your chosen career ladder.

 

 

To find your next legal role, browse the latest opportunities from Brunel Professional Recruitment  

Get your pension the easy way - from your employer

If you are of working age and you haven’t got round to starting a pension, now is the time to act. Pension enrolment doesn’t have to be hard. The government has introduced a new law designed to help people save more for their retirement. It now requires all employers to enrol their workers into a workplace pension scheme if they’re not already in one.

You can choose to opt out but the sooner you start saving for retirement the better because your pension pot builds up over time. What’s more, if you stay in, your employer will contribute to your pension as will the government through tax relief[1]. This means more money goes into your pension pot than just what you put in. 

 

     

 

To find out what pension enrolment means for you, and the benefits of staying enrolled, visit: www.gov.uk/workplacepension

The Age of UnLawyering

By Chrissie Lightfoot 

Chrissie Lightfoot is CEO of EntrepreneurLawyer Limited where she advises professional service firms (and their individual people) globally on marketing, personal branding, sales, social media, social networking and innovation. The (London) Times newspaper recently reported Chrissie as one of the Top Ten Best Legal Tweeters. She is a non-practising solicitor, an entrepreneur, international keynote speaker and author, best noted for her groundbreaking book he Naked Lawyer: RIP to XXX – How to Market, Brand and Sell YOU!    

 

A version of this article was first published in The Global Legal Post 26 March 2013 and is reproduced with kind permission.

The last couple of weeks have been yet another hum-dinger kick in the teeth for the legal profession.

I’ve been bombarded with RSS feeds full of reports from copious legal journals about personal injury practices facing financial meltdown as a result of the LASPO reforms. It looks like the demise of Blakemores (Lawyers2You) is only the tip of the iceberg as the SRA painted a miserable picture of financial instability among law firms in general and the Law Society revealed that the number of private practice solicitors has fallen for the first time.

Reshaping the high street

The society warning of the threat of ABSs reshaping the high street coincided with an article in The Times recently entitled ‘Farewell tweedy high street, hello online’ suggesting that “the mix of internet, reforming legislation and the demise of legal aid is creating an evolutionary jolt in the legal high street, consigning traditional practice to a museum of professional history.”

Let’s face it, the predictions for many years and depressing potential outcomes related to the changes and challenges for ‘traditional practice’ in a crowded marketplace from many respected legal strategists and consultants now appear to be the reality.

Radical change

In his recent crystal ball gazing captured in his latest book, Tomorrow’s Lawyers (2013), Professor Richard Susskind talks again about the future of legal services, wherein he predicts that legal markets will be further liberalized and the legal landscape is set to change more radically over the next twenty years than over the last two hundred.

Since the dawn of Man, humankind has experienced, embraced (not without kicking and screaming) and survived the many challenges, radical changes, disruptions and ‘Ages’ during its quest to evolve: The Ice Age, The Industrial Age, The Digital Age and The Data Age. In relation to these latter two Ages, and due to the evolution of the world wide web, we are witnessing the revolution of UnSales (relationship sales), UnMarketing (relationship marketing), UnBranding (relationship and social branding) and UnBundling of legal services throughout the legal marketplace.

Opportunity in adversity

Arguably, for us lawyers, consumers and businesses alike, we are now experiencing the Age of UnLawyering, where the traditional way of lawyering is being questioned, superseded and/or supported by other ways of operating and delivering legal services. I am confident that due to mankind surviving in the past, it will survive this transition (and transformation) too; but not without some serious casualties. However, when in adversity, there is opportunity...

We’re now experiencing the new face of law where the Americans, Aussies, Kiwis, Chinese and entrepreneurs have arrived in the UK legal market space. We cannot ignore the recent new entrants: Legal Vision, Brilliant Law, Legal Zoom and RocketLawyer. When Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic launches into space in 2014 who knows, the Martians may even arrive too with a new Virgin Law world order furthering the legal space frontier. Little green men aside, the rest are here to stay, agitate, disrupt and quite possibly, help...

The latest enabler

In the past fortnight, amongst the fall-out in ‘law law land’, I noted that Law Plain And Simple, a home-grown website and legal service, was launched as a response to legislative reforms, the demise of legal aid and the imported challenge to help consumers, businesses and law firms.

This latest kiddie on the block in ‘law law land’ is an online legal information and advice service linked to 400 law firms in England and Wales. The website was master-minded by Dave Lister, director at X-Press Legal Services Ltd., which has developed and funded the service, and has been providing property searches to law firms and licensed conveyancers for many years.

It's a win-win

The website explains the fundamentals of the law and its standard processes, as well as translating its terminology. It has step-by-step guides covering 39 of the most common legal categories, ranging from property law, bankruptcy, wills and trusts and business law to guidance about social media and social networking and even image rights.

Dave commented: “We wanted to take the mystique and fear out of the law for ordinary people. The website avoids legal jargon and has been written in very basic English to help people understand the law and how it might affect them in particular circumstances.” Law Plain and Simple has been written by qualified solicitors - no, this is not a misnomer or a joke. Co-director Lynne Lister says: “We intend that our website should give people the facts in words they understand, so they can move forward in resolving whatever difficulty they are in.  We believe that “A little knowledge is a wonderful thing.”

The idea for the website grew out of enquiries from members of the public directly to X-Press Legal  Services Ltd. about legal terminology, particularly in the housing market.  Dave and Lynne commented: “We recognise the importance and value of professional solicitors with their extensive experience and knowledge so we are keen to enhance the service they can provide – not detract from it.”

The website is free to use for consumers, businesses and the law firm clients of X-Press. The website receives no referral fees and doesn’t do data grabs. The law firms in the local search directory are clients of X-Press and these law firm clients set their own fee rates when advising the visitor who has come through the website, as well as providing a continuous stream of legal articles for visitors to read on the site.

With the numbers of users (consumers and businesses) visiting the website set to increase significantly due to publicity and awareness raising through offline and online activity by X-Press HQ, its 40 franchisees and 400 law firms in the network, and deals being struck with high traffic websites, this radical new business model and service is set to be a win-win for all concerned – consumers, businesses, law firm clients of X-Press who are in the directory and providing legal articles on the website, and X-Press itself. Clearly, as more visitors use the website and are pointed in the direction of the client law firms in the directory (whereby those firms may experience an increase in enquiries and instructions), X-Press may no doubt receive more conveyancing searches from those client firms succeeding in serving existing clients further as well as new law firm clients.

Egged on

I believe the real story behind the success of Law Plain and Simple is its history, business model, culture and ability to see around corners. For what the Law Plain and Simple website service is really about is X-Press helping their clients clients. They help their law firm clients to be more successful by marketing to, providing for, and helping the law firms clients by delivering a free helpful legal resource as a first point of call. This ‘client client’ strategy and model is common place for smart marketeers and savvy business people, and proves successful.

And to think, all of this started with a Cadbury’s creme egg ...

I dare say X-Press (and Law Plain and Simple) wouldn’t be what it is today if Dave didn’t manage to woo his childhood sweetheart, Lynne, with an enticing choccy egg during one fine Easter break. For X-Press Legal began many years ago as a husband and wife team, and is now a family run business with a nationwide network of franchisees with a totally entrepreneurial and customer-centric culture.

Perhaps what it will really take for lawyers and law firms to succeed in the Age of UnLawyering (at the very least) are these three things:

1) The ability to see around corners - to anticipate the radically unexpected; and

2) Create a service or product in readiness for the unexpected; and

3) Embrace a truly customer-centric business model which includes marketing to and

    providing for (and helping) your clients clients.

Back in August 2011 Stephen Mayson wrote an entertaining and thought provoking piece entitled ‘Breaking News: Humpty Dumpty falls off wall’ wherein he stated “it will come as a shock to many to hear that Humpty Dumpty (also known as the traditional law firm business model) has taken a tumble. Worse still, all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again. Yes, it’s true: however you look at it, Humpty is well and truly scrambled.”

Actually, it’s clear that in many instances, the traditional law firm business model is well and truly fried.

Lawyering but not as we know it

But all is not lost. We can pray along with our new Pope. A couple of weeks ago The Lawyer website bulletin stated: “The Catholic church and the legal profession have more than a few things in common. Both are ancient, slow to change and sometimes require senior members to wear ridiculous costumes. Oh, and both have a fondness for latin, though that probably harks back to the fact that both are a bit ancient.”

Dave Lister et.al will have no need for prayer. Law Plain and Simple doesn’t entertain any of these things, as is apparent in its homepage mantra: “No legal jargon. Certainly no latin.”

In this Age of UnLawyering if Dave and his X-Press crew happen to blag a seat onto the pioneering good ship Virgin Galactic, and bump into Captain Kirk on his Starship Enterprise at the final frontier, no doubt the conversation by those who boldly go where none of us have gone before would be:

“It’s lawyering Jim, but not as we know it.”

The Entrepreneur Lawyer

Author of The Naked Lawyer: RIP to XXX – How To Market, Brand & Sell YOU!

 

To find your next legal role, search and apply on TotallyLegal today  

Working overseas: opportunities and challenges for legal professionals

By Caroline Galtress 

Caroline is a consultant at DMJ Legal, part of DMJ Recruitment. 

Caroline began her career at DMJ Legal in 2010 and her team focuses on placing legal secretaries and other support candidates into some of the top UK and US law firms. Prior to joining DMJ Recruitment, Caroline spent four years working in both financial and legal recruitment.   

We recently hosted a think tank in conjunction with leading accountancy firm BDO LLP to discuss the intricacies of working in African markets. The general consensus of the panel – made up of legal professionals with varied experiences of working on the continent – was that the opportunities that exist in emerging markets are vast, but we should not underestimate the challenges that moving into unfamiliar territories can bring.

Deciding to spend time working abroad - whether it be short-term or on a more permanent basis - is a huge step. But making the leap can give your career a real kick-start.  

Legal professionals who are looking to accelerate quickly may find that looking for their next position internationally will pay dividends. This is particularly true in emerging markets throughout Asia and Africa, where candidates with UK qualifications and technical experience are in strong demand. The British legal profession has an unrivalled reputation across the world. And as a result, UK based candidates are being snapped up by western organisations who are building overseas operations.   

In my experience, ambitious individuals who thrive on adventure enjoy the variety of the work overseas, and the opportunity to rise quickly through the ranks. Even a short-term contract can provide a real boost to your CV, as well as the opportunity to experience a new corporate culture and way of life.

But despite these obvious advantages, we shouldn’t underestimate the challenges that moving into unfamiliar territories can bring. There are, of course, barriers to practicing in some nations. An experienced recruitment consultant will be able to advise you on where you are able to work, or what additional qualifications may be required. There are also the social implications to consider. It may sound obvious but bear in mind that the climate, culture, and food will all be different. Will you be able to handle time away from friends and family? And can you speak any additional languages? Building relationships is hugely important and only those who are able to slot into their new surroundings seamlessly stand any chance of success.           

There is no doubt that deciding to look for work overseas can be life-changing. And as the number of firms expanding internationally increases, so will the opportunities. Working abroad may not be for everyone, but for some lawyers and support staff it will be the best move they ever make. Have you got what it takes to make the jump?

 

To find your next legal role, browse the latest opportunities from DMJ Legal on TotallyLegal

Podcast 4: Defamately maybe

Risk management for law firm marketing professionals 

 

         

Feel free to download it here to listen to on your commute to or from work.

 

 

To view the original transcript, please  click here

To find your next legal role, search and apply on TotallyLegal today  

Lawyers' latent non-law competencies

By Nico Jansen 

Nico A. Jansen graduated in private law at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands and has a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Edinburgh Business School/ Heriot Watt University in Scotland. He holds the professional qualifications in marketing (A and B) of  the Dutch Institute of Marketing (NIMA) and the Diploma in Marketing of the British Chartered Institute of Marketing of which he is a Member and admitted as a Chartered Marketer. In his capacity as managing consultant of www.legalmarketing.nl he operates as an interim lawyer and marketer and holds a lecturing position in (European) Business Law at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration of the VU University in Amsterdam. In 2011 In 2012 he published ‘Law & Self-Regulation. Legal and business perspectives’.

'Positioning', is how you want the market to perceive your offering and it's a core strategic decision for lawyers who want to grow their  business and... which one doesn't?

The growth matrix, as developed by Ansoff in 1957,  provides companies with four growth paths. One way to do this is to develop new products for existing markets. A fundamental  rule in marketing is that products should ‘tap into’ the  needs of the market. Another fundamental rule is that the market, in casu companies, are not aware of what they need. The point now is that companies are in need of (but not aware of it) services which can be provided by lawyers, and not aware that lawyers can offer these services. 

 

So what services can be offered by lawyers because they have the competencies to do so?

 

A few examples:

(i) Drafting codes of conducts and business principles:  

Lawyers are trained to analyse existing texts and draft new ones and these ‘word skills’ can be used to draft the codes of conduct with which companies communicate their values and methods of operations to the company’s stakeholders. Lawyers are usually excellent copywriters capable of formulating short and precise notes, they just need to learn to ‘spice up’ texts by choosing words which communicate positive associations when writing for non legal documents like marketing and communications because that is what marketing and communications is about. 

 

(ii) Structuring websites to include soft law recommendations: 

Lawyers tend not to like what is not law. However many international organisations; for example the OECD and the European Union, develop soft law to steer the business world into voluntarily implementing principles such as on disclosure, transparency, and corporate social responsibility. Lawyers can and should, take the lead in developing policy to ensure that a company behaves responsibly by analysing soft law and indicating what companies should consider and how. The management of a company will then make a decision on the lawyers' proposals and subsequently the choices should be communicated to the stakeholders on the company’s corporate website in texts written by lawyers under ‘buttons’ proposed by lawyerss, such as ‘implemented soft law’, ‘voluntary disclosure, and ‘our human rights principles’. 

 

(iii) Translating the company's CSR principles into contractual clauses: 

By clauses in supplier contracts  companies can impose their voluntarily accepted rules upon their suppliers. Clauses are off course a typical lawyers issue but clauses for non-legal issues are not. However if  lawyers do so they are in the ‘driver seat’ of responsibilisation of supply chains.

 

All examples indicate that lawyers can be more actively involved in reputation management. Lawyers have the competencies to do so as they are trained in analysing and drafting texts. The market is willing to buy these services from lawyers but they are now reluctant to do because lawyers are seen as lawyers. 

So while lawyers can offer new services a repositioning strategy is required, for example from lawyer into a reputation consultant. Progressive lawyers will love the idea, conservative lawyers will not.  Who are you?

 

Did you find this post helpful? Do you struggle with marketing ? Feel free to leave your questions and comments below. 

 

 

To find your next legal role, search and apply on TotallyLegal today  

5 essentials to put your law firm's marketing plan in to action

By Douglas McPherson

Douglas is Director at Size 10 ½ Boots, a business development agency that works solely with professional service firms.Tenandahalf help their clients grow by winning more new clients and by generating higher fees from their existing clients. Due to their innovative methods, the marketing of private client services is now an area in which Tenandahalf lead the market.

1. Keep everything joined up

If you are to implement your plan successfully it needs to be directly relevant to every part of your business plan.

Your fee earners need to see:

• All of your key objectives are tackled
• That departmental objectives match the firm’s
• The overall financial targets match the sum total expected of each department
• That departmental targets are directly linked to individual billing targets
• The required activity targets match the financial targets

Most importantly your fee earners need to see all of the firm’s practice areas are involved and that, if this is going to work, they are expected to act in the interest of the firm, not to work in their own silos.

 

2. Nobody escapes

One of the easiest ways to derail the implementation of any plan is to leave yourself open to being asked “Well, they don’t do it so why should I?” 

There’s no credible comeback and once that particular elephant’s in the room, it’s impossible to persuade it to leave.

Everyone has to be involved in the implementation process in some way.  Everyone has to be accountable for delivering their part and the way those accountabilities are measured has to be the same for everyone.

Make any special dispensations to save difficult conversations or preclude anyone and you are create excuses for some to dip in and out as it suits them.  This will affect both engagement and financial return.

 

3. Clear personal accountabilities

To implement a plan properly everyone involved needs to know exactly what they’re doing and that doesn’t mean woolly suggestions, it means clearly spelled out targets, sectors, activities and timelines.

Create a working environment without any confusion and you will create an environment that works.

 

4. Adopt (and circulate) SMART targets

I don’t want to teach granny to suck eggs (or whatever that appalling phrase is) but I feel duty bound to remind you that if you are going to set goals they need to be:

• Specific (as in clear personal accountabilities)
• Measurable (up next!)
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Time-bound

 

I won’t insult you by offering definitions for each!  They are completely self-explanatory. 

 

5. What isn't measured isn't done

Alongside financial targets there needs to be performance indicators.  What do you need to do, how often do you need to do it, how many times are you going to need to repeat those activities if they are to bring in the success required to realise your financial targets?

If it takes 10 phone calls to fix 3 coffees to get one pitch opportunity then the targets need to start with the 10 phone calls, not with the proposal and definitely not with a number preceded with a £.

Those performance indicators then need to be added to a simple dashboard; somewhere your fee earners can record their activities quickly and easily.  This will allow you to monitor progress continually so you know everyone on the team is fulfilling their personal responsibilities.

 

 

Did you find this post helpful? Do you you struggle with marketing ? Feel free to leave your questions and comments below. 

 

 

To find your next legal role, search and apply on TotallyLegal today  

 

Bonuses up for Legal professionals says Laurence Simons

 

Total Legal Pay Falls 5% but Bonuses are Up 

• Total remuneration now £139,040, down from £146,500 in 2011. 
• Salaries fell 7% but bonuses rose from 32% to 34%. 
• Two thirds of lawyers considering a new role in 2013 
• Projected job growth of 6,794 new hires in 2013 

Contracting as a career choice in Legal

By Emma Walker

Emma Walker is a Senior Manager at Venn Group in Birmingham. Venn Group is the UK’s only company dedicated to the provision of contract and interim staff to organisations in both the public and private sectors across the UK. 

There’s no doubt that temporary and contract assignments have increased since the global economic crisis – and the legal sector is no exception. Organisations and law firms are increasingly turning to professionals who can enter the business on a short or fixed turn basis to ensure projects are maintained.  As a result legal professionals – from entry to senior level – are in heightened demand.

Yet despite this there continues to be a tendency by some job seekers to ignore opportunities that have the word ‘temporary’ or ‘contract’ alongside them.  However temporary work can be a fantastic opportunity to fast track a career, get into work at a time where many are struggling to keep their heads above water, and it can be very lucrative. 

Candice Manifold - a locum Solicitor in the Midlands - is a case in point. She has seen how temporary assignments can really kick start a career. “After completing my law degree and commencing the LPC at the height of the recession, trying to secure a training contract seemed impossible, yet the thought of doing temporary work was not on my radar until I heard of Venn Group.  Venn Group secured me a position almost immediately as an Employment Assistant at Birmingham City Council”.

By taking on a temporary position, Manifold managed to not only remain in work for a sustained period of time but also gain a coveted legal training contract. “Through the exposure I gained from completing two assignments to a high standard, I not only added to my skill set very quickly, but I was offered a training contract with Birmingham City Council enabling me to kick off my dream career of being a Solicitor”.

There is also a reluctance to consider temporary employment because of the need for financial stability and continued employment. However, many assignments can command high salaries and provide work over years, not just months – as Manifold has found. “Since leaving education and starting temporary positions, I have successfully been in employment for over three years and have seen my salary increase by fifty percent in that period – something that may not have happened if I had not explored this option”.

Manifold also notes that pursuing temporary employment can provide flexibility not afforded to many permanent positions. “The ability to choose contracts that fit around my lifestyle choice has been great. I have been able to take on work when I need it, but also pick projects that fit into the direction I want my career to go. Whilst I have been offered several permanent positions, the benefits of locum work I am now doing far outweigh the positives of permanent employment”.

At a time where economic uncertainty is affecting businesses and job seekers alike, perhaps it is time to properly assess the temporary and contract employment market. The opportunities are endless and can propel you up the career ladder in a short time. So what’s stopping you?

 

To find your next legal opportunity, browse the latest jobs from Venn group on TotallyLegal

US law firms make further inroads into London

By Guy Adams

Guy Adams is a qualified solicitor who has worked within the legal industry for the past 12 years. Guy co-heads our EMEA Private Practice team and focuses on Partner recruitment, strategic team moves and office openings. Guy recruits across various practice areas and has worked in Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Middle East, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia & CIS, Singapore, Spain, the Offshore jurisdictions and in the UK. 

Whilst the UK top 50 law firms shifted their focus somewhat away from London for the 2012 partner promotions rounds, senior lawyers with US firms in the capital appear to be fairing slightly better.

Although 2012 was a varied beast for different firms, most would agree that the financial year did not deliver all that was promised by the market at the end of 2011. In terms of partner numbers generally within London, statistics from the Solicitors Regulation Authority showed that this market uncertainty translated into a drop of 153 positions (up until 20 June), compared with 2,100 partner positions having been created in the two years prior.

For the top 50 UK firms, as well as partners leaving the partnership voluntarily or otherwise, the number of partner promotions in London in 2012 also fell by around 20% year-on-year. Interestingly, the total number of global partner promotions made by these firms stayed relatively constant between 2011 and 2012, indicating a shift of focus (deliberate or unintentional) by these firms to regions outside of London. Outside the top 50, the picture was even bleaker, with many firms reporting significantly lower numbers of partner promotions in London; some in the region of 70% less compared to last year.

On the other hand, partner promotions for US firms in London saw a modest resurgence in 2012, increasing from 54 last year to 61 this year (with the majority of the US firms having now reported their promotions). This 13% increase in London, coupled with a global 5% decrease in the total number of partners made up at US firms, meant that London accounted this year for an average of 12% of all partner promotions for US firms (up from last year’s 10%). In fact, only six US firms have decreased the number of partners that they have made up in London year-on-year, whereas fourteen US firms have made up the same amount as, or more than, last year.

It is also good to note that a little over 30% of the partners promoted in this round at US firms are female; not quite at the 50% level that some firms have stated they would like to achieve, but certainly better than the 27% average that the UK top 20 firms are currently promoting.

Of course, percentage comparisons are all well and good, and in real numbers UK firms are still promoting substantially more actual numbers of partners in London than their US brethren. However, it is perhaps fair to say that the above statistics are yet another example of how US firms are making further inroads into the London market, albeit a little at a time.

 

Networking your way to the top in Legal

By Caroline Galtress 

Caroline is a consultant at DMJ Legal, part of DMJ Recruitment. 

Caroline began her career at DMJ Legal in 2010 and her team focuses on placing legal secretaries and other support candidates into some of the top UK and US law firms. Prior to joining DMJ Recruitment, Caroline spent four years working in both financial and legal recruitment.   

 

Building relationships to benefit your career

Last month I blogged on the importance of social media, but although there is no doubt that social networking is an essential tool that legal professionals should utilise to further their career – there is no substitute for good old-fashioned networking.

It is a simple law of human nature that people like familiarity – employers prefer to hire people they know, or who come highly recommended by others whose opinions they value. If you are looking at moving up in your career you cannot afford to miss opportunities to meet people who may have the ability to enhance your professional prospects.    

Here at DMJ Recruitment we have found that that many of our successful placements originate from long-standing relationships with clients and candidates alike. We all know that building a network of like-minded legal professionals will boost our long term prospects, but some find forging these relationships awkward – particularly in the early stages of our careers. Here are my three top tips for networking your way to the top:

• Go it alone - It may be tempting to attend events with colleagues or friends for moral support, but arriving solo increases your chances of meeting new people. Without a safety net of familiar faces, you are more likely to approach strangers. And new contacts will feel more comfortable reaching out to you if you are on your own.   

• Practice your elevator pitch – introduce yourself efficiently by providing a short summary of you and your work. Your conversation openers, although rehearsed, should sound natural. Beyond initial introductions, it is imperative that you are up to date with current affairs and trends within the legal sector so that you can offer intelligent opinion on any subjects that arise.

• Ask questions – and listen to the answers. It is here that you will gather intelligence which may lead to future opportunities. In small groups an inquisitive disposition will make you seem switched on and passionate. And by asking intelligent questions in forums and meetings you could make a lasting impression on the group. When speaking with new contacts, remember details which will provide useful opening lines next time you meet.

And of course, once you have acquainted yourself with somebody that interests you, invite them to join your network on LinkedIn and follow them on Twitter. Nurturing relationships is just as important as building them, and you should set aside some time each week to connect with your network – even if you are not actively searching for another job.

Used in conjunction with a social media strategy, active face-to-face networking will raise your profile within the industry and help to put you at the forefront at the minds of hirers. Next time you are presented with the opportunity to network, build those relationships – it will pay dividends in the future. 

 

To find your next legal role, browse the latest opportunities from DMJ Legal on TotallyLegal

Female Lawyers Paid £50k Less than Men - But Gap is Narrowing

 

Female Lawyers Paid £50k Less than Men - But Gap is Narrowing

• Female lawyers’ average total remuneration is 68% that of men  
• Average female bonus is half that of men

However

• While male incomes have fallen £5k over the last year, women’s have risen £1,300
• Number of female Magic Circle partners has risen

The average female lawyer is paid £51,396 less per year than the average male lawyer according to the 2013 Market Report from specialist legal recruiter Laurence Simons.* The research among in-house and private practice lawyers found men received total remuneration of £162,689 in 2012 compared with £111,293 for women.

This difference extends to both bonuses and salaries. Female lawyers receive half the average male bonus - £23,622 for women compared with £47,496 for men. In terms of salary, women receive £87,671 compared with £115,193 for men, meaning women receive 76% of the average male salary.

 

Male and Female Lawyers’ Remuneration 2012 

However this gap is narrowing, as men have seen a fall in total remuneration of £5,228 from £167,917 since last year and women have seen a rise in total pay of £1,391 in the past year from £109,912 in 2011.

 

Lucinda Moule, Managing Director at Laurence Simons said,

“There is a long way to go to equalise pay between the genders. A situation where women are earning two thirds as much as their male colleagues is a stark imbalance that will need to be addressed. However it is positive to see the gap narrowing and perhaps is indicative of the efforts that organisations are making to rectify the remuneration disparities.”

 

Female Partners

Over the past year there has been a 2% rise in the proportion of female partners at the UK’s Magic Circle firms from 16% last year to 18% currently. Linklaters has the highest proportion of female partners at 22%.

“It’s encouraging to see female board representation rising, albeit slowly. Almost a fifth of the people at the top of the best legal firms in the UK are women, offering a shining example to those further down the ladder. In my opinion the first step to achieving more female representation at the top, and at a faster rate is equalising pay, this will enable firms to secure talent and improve employee retention.”

Looking for a new legal opportunity? Search and apply for the latest opportunities from Laurence Simons on TotallyLegal  

 

ABOUT LAURENCE SIMONS

Founded in 1988, Laurence Simons is a specialist legal recruitment consultancy.  

Laurence Simons covers the whole spectrum of permanent and temporary legal positions in both the Private Practice and In–House markets from Newly Qualified through to Partner and General Counsel level roles.