It’s no secret that General Counsel are becoming more elusive. In a world of creative fee arrangements and more companies bringing work in-house, it’s always helpful to be ahead of the game in terms of knowing what GCs are looking for today.
Below are a few snippets from the annual Legal Marketing Association’s Technology Conference, where GCs from Logitech Inc., RingCentral, Intuit Inc., and Chiquita Brands International spoke …
- Be more than an email relationship. Some issues require more direct communication like a phone call. Don’t put your client through the gauntlet of multiple emails to accomplish one task. The GCs at the conference said they know their outside attorney is a real person if he or she picks up the phone and calls them.
- They are more drawn to firms that make charitable contributions. That information should be readily accessible on the firm’s website.
- Complimentary MCLE presentations are never a bad thing. Whether it’s in-person or via webinar or teleconference, if the topic is relevant, they are interested.
- Technology is a not a huge concern for them. If their outside law firms are using advanced technologies for billing, case management, etc., that’s fine, but they don’t want the cost of high technology passed onto them.
- If a meeting via video teleconference is necessary, the firm should have a quality provider. This creates more trust and makes meetings more efficient.
- Gender and diversity continue to be a key consideration when hiring outside counsel.
What these tips boil down to is that GCs use three main credentials to hire outside counsel: affability, accessibility and expertise. Align yourself with the “Big Three” and follow the tips above to make your firm more appealing to this group.
