In November, I’m presenting to law students about plain language and the importance of good communication. As always when preparing for a presentation, my first consideration is ‘who is my audience’ and ‘how best can I deliver my message to this audience’. In this circumstance, who my audience is and the impact on their communications has become the message.

The majority of these students will be in their mid to late 20s: Millennials on the upper end and Generation Z on the lower end. In the 20 years since I graduated with my fellow Gen Xers, communication channels, styles, preferences . . . [more]

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

[This is Part One of a two-part series on Strategic Growth in the Legal Services Market and the foundation for the first half of my September 2024 keynote address to the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association in Calgary, Alberta.]

In 2008, a global financial crisis considered the worst since the Great Depression of the 1930s marked the end of the traditional law firm’s 20-year bull run.

Since then, life in the global legal services . . . [more]

In professional services organizations, launching a new practice group can be a game-changer for firms looking to expand their offerings, enter new markets, or capitalize on emerging trends. Whether you are in law, accounting, recruitment, planning, engineering, or any other sector, the process of establishing a successful practice group requires careful planning, strategic execution, and a deep understanding of client needs. Although the idea for a new practice may come quickly, launching that new area requires careful consideration, including the eleven tips below.

1. Research

Before you begin telling everyone about your new practice, it is critical to research what . . . [more]

Quit the AI theatrics and get on with the business of legal service.

I’ve had it. Had it with the legal industry’s incessant blither blather, adjective-laden hyperbole, and histrionic pearl-clutching – hello, law firms – pertaining to the perils and rarely the pluses of artificial intelligence.

The continuous and roiling notions around AI, its impact on the legal market, and how services will need to be offered, provided, and priced strikes me as a crazy collision of Marx Brothers movies, “A Day at the Races” and “A Night at the Opera.” Wacky, zany, and clear over the top.

AI will . . . [more]

The ability to craft compelling proposals is not merely a skill but an art form. Whether responding to a request for proposal or proactively seeking new business with unsolicited proposals, the process demands finesse, strategy, and a deep understanding of client needs.

Why Proposals Matter

Proposals represent more than mere submissions; they represent an opportunity for your firm to stand out among your peers. Each proposal is a testament to your expertise, understanding of client needs, and a roadmap to solutions. Crafting a proposal is about showcasing capabilities, forging trust and establishing credibility with prospective clients.

Crafting a Winning Proposal . . . [more]

Why be mediocre? Smart strategy developed thoughtfully and executed astutely ignites success that is stratospheric.

Strategy within many law firms is considered optional. These firms prefer to do what they’ve always done, then sweat and bleed to grind out results.

That’s because they choose to play it safe and run with the rest of the competitive herd. But running with the herd does not protect you from harm, it simply makes you one of many.

Playing it safe is a prevalent trait within the risk-averse legal services industry. But how tiresome and dull, not to mention frustrating. This is precisely . . . [more]

Auditing your firm’s marketing activities allows you to examine all marketing and communication efforts to evaluate their effectiveness and alignment with the firm’s overall objectives. Below is a short guide on performing an audit, what to look for, and areas to focus on.

1. Define Objectives and Goals

One of the early items in the audit is to ensure that your marketing activities align with the firm’s overall strategic goals. This will help measure the success of marketing activities against defined benchmarks.

• Review the firm’s strategic plan.
• Identify specific marketing goals, such as increasing client acquisition, improving brand awareness, or

Legal service is a business. Run it that way.

Many law firms are successful by accident.

Anyone who knows anything about traditional law firm structures knows they are perilously fragile. It doesn’t take much to bring them down.

Up until this latest debacle—the 2024 collapse of Minden Gross—Canada’s highest-profile law firm failures were Heenan Blaikie in 2014, Goodman and Carr in 2007, and Holden Day Wilson in 1996.

Canadian law firms are not alone in this plight. For example—and this is only a small sampling—lawyer exits and merger failure brought down U.S.-based Stroock & Stroock & Lavan at the end . . . [more]

In the world of professional cycling, the most revered athletes are those who excel in a variety of disciplines. From mountain climbs to time trials and sprints to the finish line, world tour cyclists must master a diverse set of skills to be champions. Lawyers can draw valuable lessons from these elite athletes, realizing that specialization in various legal disciplines can lead to a well-rounded and successful legal career.

Versatility Matters:

Much like a cyclist aiming for victory in a grand tour, lawyers should strive to be versatile in their practice. Legal professionals will encounter a diverse range of cases . . . [more]

The winning strategy of being one of one drives value and growth.

Leading law firm. Full service. Client focused. These throw-way platitudes are hallmarks of those who are indistinguishable in the legal services market and, as a result, are doomed to compete.

Be distinct. Stop competing. Own your market.

These are the hallmarks of smart and sustainable business.

Be Distinct

Distinct means being different from something else of a similar type.

According to the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, “Canada’s 14 provincial and territorial law societies govern over 136,000 lawyers, Quebec’s 4,200 notaries and Ontario’s 10,600 independent paralegals…” . . . [more]

In legal as in all service-based industries, client feedback can be a powerful tool that shapes a firm’s reputation and play a significant role in the firm’s success. We often look at feedback solely from a client perspective and how we can improve that client’s experience; we may be missing out on trends that our clients share. When we look at feedback at a macro level, there is information we can take away for prospects, management, competition, and clients.

For prospects:

Client feedback reflects a law firm’s general performance. Positive testimonials and reviews contribute significantly to building credibility, and potential . . . [more]

One of those old truisms that floats around, no less accurate for its long tenure: everybody likes buying stuff, nobody likes being sold to.

It’s a seeming paradox – you’d think that buying and selling would be a perfect match. Except that lots of the time, the selling being done is terrible and gets in the way of what would otherwise be a pleasant buying process. See also, buying literally everything online so you don’t have to interact with a salesperson.

Stuff happens in our brains when we shift into sales mode: the other person (the prospect… how’s that . . . [more]