Opening Keynote
Jeffrey Zaslow, Wall Street Journal
The Last Lecture
Jeffrey Zaslow of The Wall Street Journal has spent his career writing about the significant events in human lives. His column "Moving On" focuses on life transitions—success and failure, changes, coping with illness and loss. Most recently, Mr. Zaslow co-authored The Last Lecture with Professor Randy Pausch, based on Pausch’s now-famous presentation at Carnegie Mellon University. Video of Pausch’s lecture has been viewed by millions online, and the book has soared to #1 on The New York Times best-seller list.
Client Impact Insight
Matt Miller of The Deal's Matt Miller to Spell Out
Business, News, Politics Impact
Matt Miller is a senior writer covering corporate dealmakers, technology, venture capital and bankruptcy trends for The Deal. He has spent more than twenty-five years in business journalism, with much of that time based in Asia for The Asian Wall Street Journal. Miller opened The Asian Wall Street Journal's New Delhi bureau, was bureau chief in Manila and an investigative reporter based in Hong Kong, where he broke stories on a number of major financial scandals. Matt brings his insight and experience to LMA New England to discuss how current events like the economic crisis and the new presidential administration are impacting our industry and the businesses and industries of our firms' clients.
Concurrent Morning Educational Sessions 10:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Options in Alternative Billing Methods
1A: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
During the first half of this session, we will take a closer look at the types of Alternative Billing Methods currently in practice in today’s most innovative firms. Learn the definitions of various types of billing methods and receive take-away materials with sample scenarios of how law firms use ABMs.
The second half will be an opportunity for interactive discussion on topics such as:
- Current trends in ABMs
- Client reactions to these methods – positive and negative
- Proposing ABMs in RFP responses
Presenter
- Terri Pepper Gavulic (Vice President, Hildebrandt International)
"Running with the Big Dogs"
1B: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
This interactive question and answer session will focus on how to succeed with a small or one-person marketing and business development team. A panel of veteran marketers will share their tips on how to prove results to management, stay focused, and use resources efficiently.
Panelists
- Audra Callanan (Director of Marketing, Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds)
- Sara Crocker (Director of Client Services, Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, P.C.)
- Howie Altholtz (Director of Marketing, Ruberto Israel & Weiner)
- Kirsten Lovett (Marketing Director, Lahive & Cockfield)
What is your Competitive Intelligence IQ?
2A: 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
LMA recently released a white paper on Competitive Intelligence (CI). Join us for an executive summary of the white paper, followed by a roundtable discussion on topics such as:
- Analyzing raw data and summarizing it for attorneys
- Supporting client teams with CI
- Translating information into action
- Applying CI to real life scenarios
Presenter
- Christina R. Fritsch, J.D. (President and Client Development Consultant, Client First Consulting)
Panelists
- Darryl Cross (Director of Strategy and Competitive Intelligence, LexisNexis)
- Patrick Fuller (Business Development Executive, Thomson West)
- Bill Fiora (Competitive Intelligence Manager, Nixon Peabody LLP)
Tracking Your Firm’s Business Development Efforts
2B: 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
This program will consist of a roundtable discussion of ideas and best practices on how legal marketing and business development professionals can create, implement and track a business development system that fits your law firm’s needs. Our panelists will also discuss ways in which this information is best communicated and shared throughout the firm.
Topics will include:
- Pitfalls to avoid
- What metrics are used to measure BD efforts
- How to create and implement a tracking system
- Best practices for presenting this data to firm management
Moderator
- Bob Greenbaum (Marketing Manager, Ropes & Gray)
Panelists
- Marc Busny (Director & Chief Marketing Officer, Tofias)
- Jay Wager (Senior Business Development Manager, Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, P.C.)
- Jeff Berardi (Chief Marketing Officer, K&L Gates)
Concurrent Afternoon Educational Sessions 2:20 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Reaching Digital Savvy Audiences: Which Digital Channels Are Best for Law Firms?
Session 1: 2:20 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.
Robert Ambrogi, a Massachusetts lawyer, writer and media consultant, is author of the book, The Essential Guide to the Best (and Worst) Legal Sites on the Web. He also writes the blog Media Law, co-writes Legal Blog Watch and cohosts the legal affairs podcast Lawyer2Lawyer. Robert will lead a program on..
- Adding digital and online avenues to your marketing campaign
- The new era of public relations
- Social and professional networking for legal professionals and law firms
Keys to a Successful Alumni Program: Creating, Implementing and Measuring Results
Afternoon Session 2A: 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Savvy legal marketers have tapped into law firm alumni as a critical vehicle for business development. Whether a direct sale situation, or in cultivating a referral network, leveraging the alumni of the law firm can often be a valuable constituency for growing business. This session will examine best practices in developing alumni networks and how to sustain them as a value-added part of any ongoing business development program. Topics to include:
- Budget and time guidelines for creating and implementing an alumni program
- Following best practices and avoiding problems
- Developing business via an alumni program
Moderator
- Dan Hampson (Director of Marketing & Business Development, Fish & Richardson)
Panelists
- Molly Nunes (Public Relations Manager, Wilmer Hale)
- Christopher Nicholson (Director of Development and Alumni/ae Relations, Northeastern University School of Law)
- Allison Nussbaum (Business Development Manager, Goodwin & Procter)
- Barbara Calautti (Director, Northeast Marketing, Deloitte)
The Event Planner’s Toolbox: Run the Perfect Law Firm Event
2B: 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Watch experienced event planners orchestrate a mock event from start to finish. Learn best practices following an event to help follow up on new business opportunities. Panelists will discuss concrete examples of events that went well and why, as well as events that did not go as planned and why. Leave with a checklist of everything you need to know to run a successful law firm event.
- Generating attendance for events/seminars
- Working with your presenters to prepare for the event
- Anticipating problems and handling challenges at events
- Working with vendors for events
- Measuring the success of an event/seminar
- Event follow up action steps
Moderator
- Deborah Scaringi (Marketing)
Panelists
- Philip Deschamps (Assistant Director of Catering, Four Seasons)
- Jennifer Paquin (Marketing Events Manager, Robinson & Cole)
- Mary Coch (Partner, Corinthian Events)
Vendor Program: Closing the Deal: Understanding the Sales Cycle at Law Firms
2C: 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Selling products or services to law firms can be a confusing and intricate puzzle. This session is designed to assist service providers in sorting out the pieces and putting them all together with winning sales plans. A panel of law firm decision makers will provide insight on the players, the process and best practices in this interactive question and answer session.
Topics that will be covered include:
- Identifying decision makers and influencers
- Understanding law firm and marketing department organizational structure
- Educating the buyers
- Becoming an approved vendor
Moderator
- Elonide Semmes (President, Right Hat, LLC)
Panelists
- Jeff Scalzi (Director of Marketing, Foley Hoag)
- Stephanie Hood (Director of Administration, Hemenway & Barnes)
- Jasmine C. Trillos-Decarie (Director of Marketing, Goodwin Procter LLP)
