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22 July 2010 / James Darley
Issue: 7427 / Categories: Features , Profession
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The power of PR

James Darley proposes a new coalition of wig & pen

The quest for new clients is never- ending. In this, lawyers are no different from any other business. Marketing and promotion are as essential to the running of a firm of solicitors as to a stationery supplier. The vehicle by which new instructions arrive is generally the referral, and encouraging referrers has to become a way of life.

How law firms go about this, however, may take a little more care and creative thought than it would for a stationer. It is not difficult to get things wrong and face misunderstanding and criticism.

The more savvy law firms have accepted the challenge of marketing, defined their branding and distinctive positioning, and refined their online presence and offline materials. Some have sought the specialist external input of graphic designers, ad-men and PR consultants. Others have built up their in-house resources with business development and PR appointments.
The management of relationships and reputation is rightly recognised as a vital aspect of the responsibilities of the practice as a whole, while remaining a personal role also of

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Gateley Legal—Jack Kelly

Gateley Legal—Jack Kelly

Gateley Legal expands Midlands residential development team

Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees

Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees

Gibson Dunn adds employee benefits and executive compensation practice in London with partner Richard Surtees

Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron

Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron

Laytons ETL appoints new partner and head of intellectual property disputes

NEWS
A series of recent decisions has clarified important principles across property law, from perpetuities to lease renewals and public rights over land
Employers cannot rely on wellbeing services alone to defend workplace stress claims after a High Court decision awarding almost £1m to an overworked employee
Andy Burnham's brand of 'Manchesterism' could offer fresh thinking on legal aid and access to justice if it reaches Westminster, according to Roger Smith, NLJ columnist and former director of JUSTICE
The constitutional fallout from a change of prime minister, rather than the politics, is under scrutiny as questions arise over the limits of executive authority in a leadership transition
The legal profession is undergoing a fundamental shift from selling services to creating technology-enabled products, according to Professor Luke Mason, Head of School of Law at Regent's University London
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