Stay Tuned…Marketing Partners Forum (#MPF)

Just a quick note before I leave Miami this morning and take the long trip north to Palm Beach Florida for the Marketing Partner’s Forum. I’ll be covering the event here on the VMO and on Twitter #MPF. I hope you’ll subscribe to VMO via email, grab the feed, or follow #MPF on Twitter—@melaniegreen (Baker Daniels) @MeganMcKeon (McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP) and @adriandayton (author of Social Media for Lawyers) will all be there.

The event is sure to have high impact participants, noting the great line-up of topics, panelists, presenters and keynote speakers. (see agenda below)  I plan to interview some peeps about their take on social technologies changing the landscape for business development and marketing for law firms in 2010, plus there’s a cruise ship load of other topics that I hope to cover as well. Stay tuned. (Full disclosure: I’m not being paid to promote this content.) If I’m up to it I’ll even report on the cocktail parties! NOT!

Here’s the agenda….

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Opening Remarks by Co-Chairs

Carolyn Rumpf Sandano, Director of Business Development, Proskauer Rose LLP

Mark E. Young, Chief Marketing Officer, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP

General Session Opening Keynote: Leading Excellence

Discover what it takes to deliver world-class customer service from Dennis Snow, acclaimed expert on the topic.  A book signing will follow the talk.

Setting the Stage:  Moving from Service to an“Experience” Economy

We’ve always been taught to focus on customer service.  What does it mean to focus instead on the customer experience? This panel will address making the change and why it is critical to law firm success.  Topics will include:

• Building client loyalty
• Adding value from a business perspective
• Bringing the Disney model of customer experience to your law firms

Moderator:

Simone Hughes, Chief Marketing Officer, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Speakers:

Paul Cushing, Legal Counsel, Partners Health Care System, Inc.

Tea Hoffmann, Esq., Chief Business Development Officer, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC

Wendy Tucker, Director of Business Development, SeyfarthLean, Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Envisioning the Law Firm of the Future

You hear a lot of talk these days about “seismic” changes to the business of law.  What does that really mean?   A panel of law firm leaders and visionaries will discuss the steps they are taking now—and how they are transforming their law firms today to compete well into the future.   Find out where your firm is at on the spectrum, and strategies to move your firm forward.    Specific topics will include:

• Building partner and firm accountability into firm strategies and initiatives
• Aligning the firm with the client expectations
• Responding to challenges while maintaining firm profitability
• Measuring results

Moderator:

Joseph B. Altonji, Vice President, Hildebrandt Baker Robbins

Speakers:

Doug Benson, Chief Operating Officer, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Claudia Gilman, Vice President & General Counsel International, Boston Scientific Corp.

David M. Weiner, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Lateral Integration:  What Really Works (and What Really Doesn’t)

We will define “integration” and offer best practices on how it works as we discuss headhunters, due diligence, the buddy system, marketing’s role in the process, and the client’s viewpoint.

Moderator:

Jeff Scalzi, Director of Marketing, Foley Hoag LLP

Speakers:

Ronna West Cross, Esq., Director of Client Initiatives, Patton Boggs LLP

Joanne McElhenney, Director of Marketing and Business Development, Brown Rudnick LLP

Jacqueline A. Simmons, Chief Marketing Partner, Baker & Daniels

Success on the Social Web: How firms are leveraging Social Networks, Blogs, Podcasts and more to drive business development and client growth.

Should your firm have a page on Facebook?  Do you know what social networking tools lawyers within your firm are using?  This breakout will discuss the evolving nature of online interaction, effective use of social media and networks, strategies for curbing ineffective use and best practices for firms entering these new areas.   We will also examine what’s effective from the client perspective.

Moderator:

John Simpson, Managing Account Director, Hubbard One

Speakers:

Gina Carriuolo, Director of Marketing, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP

Allen Fuqua, Chief Marketing Officer, Winstead PC

Melanie Green, Director of Business Development and Marketing, Baker & Daniels

The Challenge of Leading Change in Today’s Law Firm Marketing and Business Development Roles

How do you effect change at the CMO and Marketing Partner levels?  Learn how to build your leadership skills to make yourself more effective in managing up—and down, while leveraging staff talent and advocating effectively on behalf of your team.

Moderator:

Alvidas Jasin, Director of Business Development, Thompson Hine LLP

Speakers:

Bruce Alltop, Chief Marketing Officer, Holland & Knight, LLP

Christopher Carter, Chief Marketing Officer, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

John Childers, Esq., M.S. in Organizational Development, Hildebrandt Baker Robbins

Darryl Cross, Vice President, Client Development, LexisNexis

The World Today As Seen By Your Clients: General Counsel Roundtable

This perennial favorite features leading corporate GC’s and this year, Mike Roster, Steering Committee Chair of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Value Challenge.  The panel will discuss re-connecting the cost of legal services to their value and offer creative ideas for structuring partnerships between law firms and their clients.  The panel will discuss:

• Getting clients to focus on outcomes, not process
• Creative proposals versus discounts
• Examples of successful projects and new business models

Moderator:

Mike Roster, Steering Committee Chair, ACC Value Challenge

Speakers:

Elisa Garcia, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Office Depot, Inc.

Lon F. Povich, Esq., Executive Vice President and General Counsel, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc.

Joseph K. West, Esq., Associate General Counsel, Walmart

Process Management:  From Theory to Practice

With the inevitable shift to alternative fees—even if only for a small percentage of the firm’s overall work— “process improvement” is the phrase of the day.  This session looks closely at how firms approach fine tuning the legal work along with the delivery and internal support systems that offer value to clients and increase profitability.

Moderator:

Carolee Swallie, Chief Business Development Officer, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione

Speakers:

Beth M. Cuzzone, Director of Business Development, Goulston & Storrs

Susan M. DiMickele, Partner, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey

Christopher Mirabile, Founder and Managing Director, Race Point Capital Group LLC

What’s Not Going to Work Anymore. Effective Pricing Strategies for the “New” Economy.

This “how to” on billing principles, alternative fees, and project billing will share current examples of successful partnerships with clients on pricing issues—including rate increases.

Moderator:

James P. Naughton, Shareholder, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione

Speakers:

Cynthia J. Kretz, Esq., General Counsel, Cook Group Incorporated

Peter N. Tassie, Esq., Senior Automotive Litigation Counsel, Ford Motor Company

Barry Toone, Partner, Bowman and Brooke LLP

Evolving Partner Roles in Client Services, Business Development, and Sales

Firms seeking an effective business strategy know that client and business development require top tier leaders.  With titles like Business Development Partner, Partner of Client Relationships, Marketing Partner, and a host of others, the role is taking on the prominence it has long deserved.   Learn how to spend your time wisely, balancing the demands of the role with managing your time and building your own business.

Moderator:

Preston McKenzie, Vice President/General Manager, Thomson Reuters – Hubbard One

Speakers:

Paul Eyre, Partner, Baker & Hostetler LLP

James Pagliaro, Esq., Managing Partner, Client Relations and Practice Development, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP

Douglas J. Sorocco, Esq., Director and Shareholder, Dunlap Codding, P.C.

Finding and Working with Professional Service Providers on the Web

In 2000, The Brand Research Company and Greenfield/Belser survey changed the way firms designed sites and provided valuable insights into the Web behavior of American business executives.  In 2009, they did it again! Learn how, how often, where, when and why professional services buyers search for and work with firms like yours. Better understand Web site preferences and pet peeves to improve your overall Web presence.

Speakers:

Sue Stock Allison, Managing Director, The Brand Research Company

Burkey Belser, President and Creative Director, Greenfield/Belser Ltd.

Sounds like a full plate. I’ll try to do my best, for all you folks freezing up there north of Palm Beach…..I’ll talk with you soon…

JN