UK agency Byfield Consultancy and French agency Eliott & Markus have forged a strategic alliance creating a formal agreement between the two partner agencies to work together on international legal sector clients who require European PR and wider EMEA representation and support. 

Partnership ‘first’

The agencies laud the move as the ‘first such partnership’ between two independent communications agencies dedicated to the legal sector. They say it will strengthen both agencies’ offering, and provide integrated cross-border support to legal sector clients. The strategic alliance will also act as the launch-pad for the formation of a global network of like-minded specialist legal PR and associated consultancies. Both E&M and Byfield have a track advising domestic, US and international law firms and currently collaborate on a range of cross-border legal PR mandates. A key driver for the new alliance is to capitalise on the on-going development of both London and Paris as leading legal centres of excellence, attracting ever more international law firms to do business in these global cities. The partnership will also provide clients with a gateway to profiling their services in Africa via E&M’s Casablanca office, in line with the significant opportunities offered by this fast-growing market.

Legal specialists

Gus Sellitto, managing director of Byfield, commented ‘the legal map of Europe continues to develop, with international law firms and legal sector businesses looking to expand into EMEA and beyond, as part of their growth strategies. Our own experience shows us that clients are increasingly demanding PR services from dedicated legal PR specialists who know their markets inside out, as a preference to larger, more generalist agencies offering a multi-country approach.’ Amélie Lerosier, managing director of E&M, said ‘there is a general concern for law firms to lean on a strong brand identity. For this reason, for the past 10 years, we have been striving to offer to our clients comprehensive advice, going beyond traditional expectations and borders.’