As we edge towards the end of the third quarter of 2020 and a great deal of uncertainty still remains, the one conversation I’m having over and over again with lawyers is around how to keep current clients happy and bring in new work with them. While we’ve already addressed the importance of business development activities here on Zen, we haven’t talked much about client retention, which is clearly also essential – we all know the adage that it’s cheaper to keep a current client than to do the work of bringing on a new one.

Some of us may be walking on eggshells at the moment, hoping that if we are just quiet enough, clients will be grateful that we’re here and keep using us as they have been without making any changes. But I think we can all recognize that that’s a false hope. We’re ALL under increased pressure to find ways to cut costs and show more value. Lawyers who are able to have an open and honest conversation with their clients about the ways in which they’re doing this will be the ones who continue to be valued business partners of their clients – now, and in the future as the market picks back up. So, how do we do this? Continue Reading Client Retention: Tips for the Pandemic’s Secret Weapon

The ILN is proud to announce our latest firm of the month, PlasBossinade Advocaten N.V., the Netherlands!
PlasBossinade is a full-service law firm and one of the leading legal service providers in the Northern Netherlands. The firm looks after legal matters of a lot of large scale and smaller enterprises, public authorities, institutions and private persons in the Northern Netherlands and beyond. PlasBossinade provides clear, strategic and creative advice with a realistic view at the possibilities, risks and costs.

Continue Reading ILN Firm of the Month: PlasBossinade Advocaten N.V., the Netherlands!

Marie Macdonald is Chairman of Miller Samuel Hill Brown, in Glasgow, Scotland, a member of the International Lawyers Network. In this episode, we talk about the importance of communication throughout a crisis (be it pandemic or otherwise), how lessons learned in 2008/2009 prepared her to face the challenges of 2020, and the long-lasting impacts of this year. Tune in below! Continue Reading Law Firm ILN-telligence Podcast | Episode 12: Marie Macdonald | Miller Samuel Hill Brown

It’s true – running an organization that is built on in-person personal relationships has it’s challenges. But what doesn’t have its challenges in 2020, right?

A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog post about how lawyers and law firms can leverage their referral networks to achieve more value, whether these networks are formal or informal (I happen to run a formal one). There’s no reason that this has to stop because in-person events have been put on pause; in fact, many of our members have said they’ve never felt their membership has been more valuable than it has been this year. In part, that’s due to the historical relationships that they’ve built over many years. But we’re welcoming new firms too. And it’s possible to forge new relationships and create new business – it simply takes a little creativity. Continue Reading Leveraging Your Referral Network for More Value…During a Pandemic

Bruce Feuchter is a partner with Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, a Southern California law firm and member of the International Lawyers Network. In this episode, Lindsay and Bruce chat about the challenges of business development in a pandemic, why phone calls are better than email when it comes to your clients, and how to engage with your lawyers and professionals over the challenging issues that arise as part of a pandemic. Listen here! Continue Reading Law Firm ILN-telligence Podcast | Episode 11: Bruce Feuchter | Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth

Last week, I mentioned that I’d had the chance to sit down with LexBlog’s Bob Ambrogi to discuss all things ILN, podcasting, blogging and more. I wanted to share the full interview with you this week. You can check out a written digest of some of the highlights of the interview here, or watch the full conversation below:

Juan Pablo Schwencke is the founding partner of Schwencke & Cia, a Chilean law firm and member of the International Lawyers Network. In this episode, Lindsay and JP talk about launching a new firm in the midst of a pandemic, the pressures that a leader faces in the current moment, and why JP asks the members of his firm to give just 15% more. Tune in by clicking below!

Last week, I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with LexBlog’s Bob Ambrogi on “This Week in Legal Blogging,” their new Facebook Live interview series. Bob and I discussed the ILN, running a legal network during a pandemic, and the eleven years that I’ve spent blogging here on Zen (how did that happen??). Two of his questions touched on tips for bloggers who were either getting started in legal blogging, or looking to focus or amplify their efforts, so I wanted to share them here with you! These are my six tips for legal bloggers: Continue Reading Six Tips for Legal Bloggers

These are the words from David Ackert of The Ackert Advisory during a webinar that he gave for our ILN membership yesterday, and oh boy do those hit home.

I can say that as an organization, we’re not just “hunkering down” when it comes to our strategy for 2020, but is that something that sounds familiar to you for your firm or practice? When COVID hit, was there an immediate flurry of “batten down the hatches!” and everyone just hold on for dear life? Continue Reading “Hunker down” is not a growth strategy; it’s a survival strategy

Ziad Salloum is a partner with Salloum & Partners, an Emirati law firm and a member of the International Lawyers Network. In this episode, Lindsay and Ziad talk about the lessons that Ziad took from his own government’s preparedness efforts, how he handled the crisis and shift to remote working as a leader, and what he wishes he would have known at the outset of the pandemic. Tune in by clicking below! Continue Reading Law Firm ILN-telligence Podcast | Episode 9: Ziad Salloum | Salloum & Partners