BigLaw Does Law Firm Marketing at Invitation-Only Events with GCs
In the face of a withering recession that has depressed the legal profession since 2008, large law firms are taking business development more seriously. Rather than seek out booths or speaking gigs at large legal conferences, "BigLaw" firms are sending one key partner to attend intimate, invitation-only networking events for corporate general counsel, like the Consero Corporate Counsel Forum.
The forum in Palm Springs, CA, on May 15-17, will have only 45 chief legal officers and GCs in attendance, to hear programs like "Managing a Global Legal Department to Support Corporate Growth" and "Navigating High-Risk, High-Stakes Litigation."
Among them will be only 10 lawyers in private practice who have paid in excess of $20,000 for the privilege to attend the 2 1/2 day event, dine at five networking meals, have one-on-one meetings with GCs who elect to meet with them, and get profiles of the GCs so the lawyer can follow up. The May event is bringing lawyers from WilmerHale, Baker & McKenzie, Paul Hastings, Fish & Richardson, McDermott and Squire Sanders.
In terms of legal marketing, the lawyers can moderate a panel, but do not get a speaking gig. Each GC was personally invited by Consero. The law firms contacted the Bethesda, MD, law conference company to purchase admission.
Consero is the invention of CEO Paul Mandell, who previously practiced law at Arnold & Porter and Sullivan & Cromwell. He was frustrated with the ABA annual mega-meeting and its thousands of attendees and massive exhibit hall, and with the Association of Corporate Counsel meeting where firms buy expensive booths and put highly-paid partners on the exhibit floor. "We think that's a broken model," he said. "We've done away with the gauntlet of booths."
"We set up meetings between in-house counsel and relevant law firm partners based on mutual interest," he said. "Because it's invitation-only, we can profile the in-house counsel to learn what their priorities and challenges are, and we match them with law partners."
So if you've got the money, honey, there are upcoming forums on IP in July in Utah, technology in September in San Diego, litigation in November in Austin, and another Corporate Counsel Forum in December in Naples.
