A report from industry experts HubbardOne  – which surveyed more than 40 in-house legal officers working in multinational companies across the US, UK and Europe – suggested that in-house lawyers now look for customised methods of communication with external law firms, and the onus is on private practice lawyers to prove they are capable of providing a targeted, tailored service.

Attracting clients

ALM’s Corporate Counsel web site reports that the survey focussed mainly on the methods that were used by firms to attract corporate clients, such as web sites and social media.
John Simpson -- senior director of interactive marketing at Hubbard -- told Corporate Counsel that the ability of law firms to modify their services to a client could be more important than pricing. He said: ‘We’ve heard from general counsel that expert knowledge of a company’s sector is more important than pricing now.’
According to the report, a simple look at a law firm’s web site can give potential clients a hint as to how tech-savvy a firm is, and how accessible they can make relevant information. Lawyer profiles raked highly among GCs when asked about important pages on law firm web sites, while many also linked the appearance of the web site with the firm’s reputation.