Every year, the submission deadlines for work highlights and references to the directories can be found in the middle of summer. While everyone is on vacation the marketing department is frantically trying to track down the most striking cases for each section. Every year it’s another race against the clock to meet that deadline. There is no more time for proactive advice and producing a detailed, all-encompassing description of the highlights is nigh impossible. Yet, isn’t that what the sections are allowed to expect from the marketing team? Even though nearly every client we meet struggles with this process, we believe there is a simple, better solution. One without stress.
Throughout the year, collect the most important information regarding ongoing cases and clients of the sections. When the marketing team has a firm grasp on the progress of ongoing practice group cases and knows which issues are at play and which clients, lawyers, and opposition etc. play a role in said issues, all relevant information will be ready and available on time to prepare a submission.
Even if it does, you can help facilitate this process and prevent unnecessary stress. The dilemma within the legal profession is that a lawyer is expected to deliver the content, be the specialist, as well as act as account manager on behalf of his clients. To be both blue and red is a challenge. Communicating, sharing, and recording commercial information is often not a priority for partners or even a part of the system. However, this is essential for the firm’s marketing. After all, your only marketable elements are the success stories that prove you are a specialist.
