Company: Sedgwick Detert Moran & Arnold LLP
Agency: Blattel ProfessionalServices Group
Timeframe: 2006
When chief marketing officer Kathleen Flynn joined San Francisco-based law firm Sedgwick Detert Moran & Arnold in 2003, the firm didn't even have a policy for
speaking with the press. As a PR veteran who had owned an agency in her prior career, Flynn was suitably horrified. "What do you mean, you don't talk to the press?" she says now
of her reaction - only half in jest. She rolled up her sleeves, retained Blattel Professional Services Group, which does a lot of law firm PR, and got to work. (Prior to
joining Sedgwick, Flynn founded and for nine years managed Marketing Visions, a full-service marketing and public relations firm serving the professional services
sector.)
In 2003, Flynn notes, the firm had a grand total of 10 media clips to its credit. Her goals, and Blattel's, were to:
- Increase Sedgwick's visibility in each of its regional markets using key media outlets, including general business, daily, legal and industry trade press;
- Position the firm's attorneys as subject matter experts across all practice areas;
- Leverage media relations to support Sedgwick's business development and recruiting goals; and
- Increase the focus on building the firm's media placements and increasing the number of its attorneys taking part in the campaign.
The strategy for 2006 was two-pronged, comprising an internal and an external component. On the inside, the marketing team worked with the attorneys to boost participation in
and comfort levels with the campaign. The team hosted presentations in regional markets to talk about how the media works, provide tips for generating coverage, and reinforce best
practices for them to work with the marketing department and PR agency. In one-on-one meetings, the team talked with many of the lawyers about specific initiatives regarding their
projects.
Other initiatives across the entire firm are excellent fodder for ongoing media coverage. The example nearest and dearest to Flynn's heart is the Women's Forum. A
section of the firm's Web site notes Sedgwick's commitment to retaining and promoting women attorneys, an area of concern to many law firms. The firm in 2003 joined Catalyst, a
non-profit research and advisory organization dedicated to advancing women in business. In the same year, the firm became a signatory of the Bar Association of San
Francisco's "Breaking the Glass Ceiling Commitments," which comprised specific steps towards breaking the barriers to leadership positions within the legal profession.
The Glass Ceiling
In 2004, the firm kicked off the "Sedgwick Women's Forum," a group designed to provide a platform for Sedgwick's female attorneys to voice their professional development needs,
recommend programs to enhance the role of women in the firm and the profession, and develop programs that foster professional growth and networking opportunities for women
attorneys.
Flynn came onboard during the time when the firm was involved with the San Francisco Bar's glass ceiling initiative, and she pushed the idea of raising the bar, as it were,
within the firm itself. A partner who was in charge of recruiting, Stephanie Sheridan, loved the idea and passed it up the chain of command to the chairman, who said, in Flynn's
words: "Go for it."
In 2004, the firm chose a woman from each office and created a board of directors for the Forum. Again, the program operated in two tiers. Internally, training programs,
activities and events promoted the needs of women professionals. Many of the events were open to all members of the firm, addressing such topics as work/life balance and personal
finance. In addition, the firm hosted fashion shows to help new lawyers learn to dress for success while not losing their sense of fashion and style. Sessions on financial
planning helped newly fledged attorneys learn to handle their finances (including payment of those law school loans).
Externally, the Women's Forum reached out to clients and business professionals. Recognizing that many women do not play golf or even like the game that's so dear to the hearts
and pockets of businessmen, the Forum began hosting High Teas at such upscale hotels at the Four Seasons, Waldorf-Astoria and Ritz-Carlton. Guest speakers have
included the first American woman in space, Dr. Sally Ride, "20/20" correspondent Lynn Sherr, the first woman district attorney in California, famous women authors and women
executives. Other events have featured golf clinics for the women willing to give the game a try, book readings and wine and cheese parties.
The initiative generated tremendous media coverage. A story in California Lawyer magazine quoted Sedgwick partner Stephanie Sheridan as saying the program was "kind of
like a runaway train, in a good way." The story acknowledged that the events generate business for the firm and serve as valuable recruiting tools to attract more women lawyers to
the firm.
Women's Forum activities in 2005 alone included the sponsorship of the San Francisco Business Times' annual "Top 100 Women-Owned Companies" honors reception, which
recognizes the fastest-growing segments of the top women-owned businesses; the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession's "Annual Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of
Achievement Awards Luncheon" which pays tribute to talented women attorneys; and the "National Association of Women Lawyers Annual Awards Luncheon," which recognizes
the professional achievement, positive influence and valuable contribution to women in the law and in society.
In 2006, four women were among the six attorneys promoted to partner; within the firm, Sedgwick's women lawyers chair practice groups; and three women (out of 14) serve on the
firm's management committee. Sedgwick now has 23 women partners (out of 115 total partners) placing Sedgwick above industry standards according to the National Association of
Law Placement, which reports that 17% of the partners at major law firms nationwide were women in 2005.
Making Progress
Flynn speaks of the Women's Forum in glowing terms. "We get great turnouts. Women love it," she says. She notes that the initiative also has a corporate social responsibility
angle, through its support of women's organizations, such as Girls Inc., which helps underprivileged young women. The firm currently has a paid intern, a young woman with
an interest in the legal professional, from that organization.
The Forum has been so helpful in the firm's recruiting efforts that incoming lateral partners refer to the program. "When we go to law schools to recruit, that's the first
thing they ask about," adds Flynn. "We get letters now from women lawyers who are interested.
"I hope it goes a long way to enable women who are litigators to practice and have a family. Our firm is nationwide, so you could be doing a trial in Ohio tomorrow, which is
tough when you have kids at home in San Francisco. The Women's Forum raises those issues, which male parents feel, as well. It's providing a forum for discussion of how we
accommodate people, their personal lives, and professional goals."
All the hard work has clearly paid off. In 2003, you may recall, the firm had 10 media clips. "Today, after working on it for three years," says Flynn, "I'm already at 212, as
of the end of April. Last year, the total for the entire year was 284." In addition, she says, the firm has seen huge gains in bylined articles. In 2006, 27 bylined articles by
the attorneys made it to press. This year, as of April, the team has already placed 24 stories. "We're going big this year," says Flynn. "We're going gangbusters."
Contacts:
Kathleen Flynn, 415.627.3425, [email protected]; Blattel Professional Services Group (San Francisco office) 415.397.4811, [email protected]
When Lawyers Meet The Media
One of the main challenges of the Sedgwick campaign for chief marketing officer Kathleen Flynn was getting lawyers comfortable with the media. Her team went to every
office of the firm to conduct media training, talk about the value of the media, help the attorneys learn how to participate in media placements, and reinforce how good doing so
would be for their careers.
Once the ball was rolling, though, it was hard to stop. Lawyers, says Flynn, are motivated by competition, so once they saw one of their colleagues' names in print, they came
around, and fast. She gives the attorneys both "evidence and precedent" to show the value of media participation, while trying not to make it "scary" for them.
In addition, changing some of the lawyers' behaviors was a bit of a hurdle. Flynn needed to work with them to write for lay people on topics of interest to the audience. She
also had to manage expectations for such occasions as a media story that makes use of a lawyer's information but doesn't print his name.
The PR team trains the attorneys to comment on major cases that are receiving media attention. When a big Supreme Court decision is coming down, the lawyers directly involved
are barred from discussing the particulars, but attorneys from Sedgwick can present themselves as experts in the relevant fields and comment on the case's implications. Often,
they form lasting relationships with relevant media outlets.
Major pitfalls the attorneys need to avoid, according to Flynn, include talking about their clients without getting the client's permission. Flynn's team trains the lawyers to
work with clients, even letting the clients get their own 15 minutes of fame with the media. In addition, the team needs to check for conflicts of interest that may exist within
the firm before the attorneys comment on anything.
Outside Legal PR Pointers
When a law firm's marketing department is looking to hire an outside PR agency to help boost its image, it helps to keep a few pointers in mind. According to Kathleen Flynn,
chief marketing officer at Sedgwick Detert Moran & Arnold, that firm's relationship with PR company Blattel Professional Services Group "has been amazing." Says
Flynn, "They understand law, and they know what it means to track a decision that might be coming down."
A PR company that works with attorneys needs to "speak the language," says Flynn, as this is critical for an audience of legal minds. In addition, it helps if the PR team works
in a consultative way.
Understanding the nuances of the legal profession means keeping in mind the business model and "billable requirements that drive lawyers every minute," Flynn emphasizes.
"Marketing takes away from billable time, which doesn't happen with bankers, high tech, etc. We need to make sure we use the lawyers' time carefully."
Having a service provider that understands how the profession works is critical. The PR team needs to understand how to position stories in the most relevant way, and avoid
using such words as "company" and "customer" in talking about a law practice. Flynn says, "We are a firm, not a company. We don't have customers - we have clients. We are a
profession, not an industry. That's the biggest mistake some PR firms can make, if they come in acting like we sell widgets."
In addition, PR professionals working with lawyers have to learn to achieve the best results they can within a relatively limited contact timeframe. Knowing the pressures
attorneys are under, with billable hours and budgets, means accepting that the lawyers don't have unlimited time to spend on marketing initiatives.
To maximize results, go into every legal PR effort planning to make every contact serve many purposes. If a partner gives a speech, turn it into an article, post it on the
firm's Web site, get reprints of any coverage, add it to an internal newsletter. Conversely, if an attorney writes a bylined article, consider the potential for turning it into a
speech. With minimal intrusion into the attorneys' billable time, a PR pro can get a lot of mileage out of a modest input.