The Best Lateral Partner Announcement, Ever
When two partners returned to Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone after a five-year hiatus, the firm felt as if it had won a contest. Jubilation echoed throughout the 30-attorney firm on Long Island, leading it to create the best lateral partner announcement, ever.
Managing partner Lew Meltzer turned to his ace marketing consultant Cecilia Alers, to do something special. She had created ads, a brochure and marketing campaign for the firm over the previous two years.
The returning lawyers had left the firm on very good terms, just after the former head of the employment and labor department had departed. The two young lawyers moved to a firm that already had an established practice.
After five years of building their skills and reputation, they decided to move on. "They could have gone to any firm they wanted to in the area, and they chose Meltzer Lippe," Alers said.
Instead of mailing announcements the firm decided to take out an in the local business paper. The ad cost about $2,000 to run.
The purpose of the ad was twofold -- to serve as a recruitment tool to attract other laterals and to announce the expansion of this practice area. "We decided to create an ad that would look like an actual newspaper story. So I wrote a headline and subhead using the rules of journalism, added the graphic and wrote the story 'By staff reporters,' including the quotes which looked like an interview," Alers said.
The ad reads, "We pursued all our options," said Jon Farrell, an employment and labor law partner who has unique labor experience practicing before the National Labor Relations Board. He and his partner, Michael Masri, went on to say, "Returning to Meltzer Lippe was the best option for our clients and the best option for our legal careers." They have a solid corporate practice and a renowned tax practice. "Combined with their legal experience in executive compensation this was the perfect fit," Meltzer said.
The ad created such a buzz, they ran it again.
I've actually done that trick in the past, though mine failed to create a buzz. Here's a tip from my experience: Call the newspaper you're going to run the ad in prior to laying out the article. Ask to speak with someone in their layout department, and ask that person what font the paper uses for its body text. That way, it looks even more seamless. (Hey, maybe I did *too* good of a job making mine look like a real news story - and that's why I didn't get any buzz for it??)