We’re a few weeks out now from the CLOC (Corporate Legal Operations Consortium) Institute in London, and I’m finally jumping into some recaps. There was some truly excellent content during the conference, and not just for legal operations folks, but with transferable lessons for everyone in the legal industry. Over the next few weeks, I’ll dive into a few of the sessions and look at what we discussed, starting with Steve Harmon’s presentation on the Evolving Role of the Corporate Legal Department & the Implications for Legal Operations Teams. Harmon is the Deputy General Counsel at Cisco and General Counsel at Elevate, and a CLOC board member. Continue Reading
ILN Firm of the Month – Fenno Attorneys-at-Law, Finland!
The ILN is proud to announce our latest firm of the month, Fenno Attorneys-at-Law, Finland!
A regional Finnish law firm, Fenno Attorneys at Law is an experienced and youthful firm providing legal services for both corporate and private clients. Fenno was founded in 2016 and their approach to practicing law is solid, modern and innovative.
Fenno Attorneys at Law operates wherever their clients are. Their offices are located in Helsinki, Tampere, Jyväskylä, Mikkeli, Järvenpää and Salo. They also hold remote consultations when necessary.
Super Bowl Commercials – The Ugly of 2019
It’s the post I know you’ve all been waiting for – as ads have gotten milder the last few years, each season, I wonder whether there will be any commercials worthy of the “ugly” moniker. This year, we had three!
Before we dive into the ugly commercials, there is one interesting choice I want to discuss – Skittles’ decision this year to forego a Super Bowl commercial in favor of a one-time only, thirty minute live show in Times Square to 1,500 people, with proceeds going to the nonprofit organization, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Mars Wrigley also planned to donate up to $50,000.
In an industry where companies are spending obscene amounts of money on (for the most part) lackluster commercials, this is really a standout. I generally don’t like Skittles commercials, I’ll admit. They’re a bit on the weird side (and I’m a bit on the weird side, so that’s saying something). So to instead create buzz around an event starring a celebrity (C. Michael Hall), make it exclusive, donate the proceeds to charity, and in the end, spend less than you would on a Super Bowl commercial, while probably getting more views and interest for it, is really brilliant. Hats off to them. What can lawyers and law firms learn from that?
- You don’t have to follow the crowd. I know the running joke in the legal industry is that lawyers love to be first to be second, but what if you DIDN’T do what everyone else was doing? A crowded playing field is just that – crowded. What if you found the way to stand out and did it?
- Be true to your brand. This is definitely unusual for a brand, to have a Broadway-type show instead of a Super Bowl commercial. But Skittles is an unusual brand, so it fits with who they are. Unlike what Verizon did, trying to shore up their image with first responders, Skittles stuck with their brand message. Who are you as a firm? Don’t just say that with your marketing – DO it with your actions. The projects that you engage in, the charities that you supports, the innovations you embrace – let them all reflect who you are as a firm.
Super Bowl Commercials – The Bad of 2019
Most of the commercials that I saw during the Super Bowl fell into what I’d call the “meh” category. They weren’t terrible, but they didn’t blow my socks off either. But there are a few that I’ve got squarely in the “bad” and “ugly” categories for you, and based on some of the YouTube comments, they may surprise you.
Let’s take a look at what these spots are, and what we can learn from them.
Super Bowl Commercials – The Good of 2019
Most of us can agree that the Super Bowl this year was a bit of a dud. In a similar theme, most of the ads were a bit uninspiring too, though there were some notable exceptions to that. Considering how much money is being invested in these ads, I’m wishing for much more creative, exciting, and inspiring results than we’re getting – even the controversial ones aren’t that controversial.
But despite that, there are some things to discuss (and I don’t mean Tom Brady’s sixth Super Bowl win – but HOW ABOUT THOSE PATRIOTS?).
That’s right, it’s time for my annual review of Super Bowl Commercials.
In my book, there are a couple of clear winners, with lessons for lawyers and law firms, to share with you. You may think I’ve omitted some important spots, but you’ll understand why when we get to those next week. Stay tuned…
Rainmaking Recommendation from Jaimie Field: Networking Everywhere
Jaimie Field is bringing us a great post for networking week today, focused on the an idea that I fully embrace, that networking happens all the time, everywhere.
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Monday, February 4th was my birthday. (Yes, this is a shameless plug for you to send me belated birthday wishes.) After a long day at the office, I went to see my favorite musician play at a wonderful location in New York City.
The interesting thing about his location is that it is sort of like dinner theater – there are tables and bar tops set up around the venue. If you do not purchase all of the seats at the table, you will be sitting with people you may not know. Nothing wrong with this, particularly if you know that you should network with the people at your table.
Which I did. Continue Reading
Freshen up Your Networking with Three Unusual Tips
Happy International Networking Week!
We’ve talked a lot about networking here at Zen, and covered a lot of the traditional ideas:
- Use social media to prime your contacts before an event.
- Don’t skip anything.
- Don’t hang around with only the people you know.
- Use the event organizers to help introduce you to people.
And more. Continue Reading
Leveraging Women in Legal – What’s Your Scorecard?
I’m bringing you a treat today, Zen readers! A post from the ILN’s own Jenn Smuts – and it’s a good one. Prepare to get uncomfortable and start asking yourself the hard questions.
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Last week Lindsay asked the Zen audience about whether they were still feeling inspired with the arrival of the new year, then she afforded us three “inspiration” ideas. This post is going to take her ideas: reading, writing and thinking, and elaborate on one goal – leveraging women in the profession. Continue Reading
If You Build it (a Good Practice), Will They Come?
A few years ago, I wrote a post centered around the idea of needing a strong audience in order to make the content that you’re writing valuable. While content development is a piece of the overall puzzle, this idea is easily expanded, especially in today’s market. Something that I’ve heard a LOT from lawyers is that to be successful, you simply need to be a good lawyer. So that’s the question that we’re looking at today – if you build a good practice, will clients just show up?
The short answer is no. And in your hearts, you know that.
It’s simply not enough to be a good lawyer these days. You could be the BEST lawyer there is – the most technically gifted, the best educated, even the most experienced. But if no one knows who you are, does it even matter? Continue Reading
Lawyers: Three Ways to Inspire Your Practice in 2019
We’re almost through a full month in 2019 – are you still feeling fresh and inspired about the new year? Or are you feeling bogged down by your routine and flagging resolve already?
If you’ve thrown your resolutions out the window, never fear – I’m not a big believer in them anyway. What I DO believe in is finding ways to find new inspiration that will allow you to freshen up your goals, your thinking, your business development, and ultimately, your practice. Continue Reading
