Elevating Your Career: Personal Leadership and Management in Legal Marketing Presented by the West Region

LMA Body of Knowledge Domain: Marketing Management and Leadership Competencies: Firm Organizational Structure and Dynamics & Department Management, Leadership and Motivation

This session will explore necessary skills for leadership and management within law firm marketing departments. Our panel of experts will provide insights into cross-functional collaboration, defining and developing personal and professional identity, practical execution of strategies, and leveraging tools and technology for professional growth. Attendees will gain valuable strategies to advance their careers and contribute more effectively to their organizations.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify effective communication and collaboration strategies for working across different departments within a law firm.
• Discuss ways to define and align personal and professional identity with career goals in a legal marketing context.
• Explore practical skills, tools, and technologies that enhance personal productivity and support continuous professional development.

Presenters:

Jessie Spressart is the Founder and Managing Director of Optia Consulting. She brings nearly twenty years of experience in talent management and law firm professional development to her coaching and consulting practice. Jessie founded Optia with the mission to help legal organizations improve well-being through solutions designed to capitalize on the strengths of each generation in the workforce today. Optia provides consulting and training on management and leadership skills, mental health, and well-being in the workplace.

Britt Schmidt is Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Peasechief's legal talent & inclusion officer and is based in the Columbus office. She leads the legal talent department, oversees the firm’s legal recruiting, professional development, diversity, inclusion and retention strategies to drive growth and engagement across the firm’s ten markets. Her team provides dedicated resources to support attorney integration, professional development, mentorship and well-being in ways that advance their careers and elevate their experience at Vorys. She works collaboratively with firm leaders to align Vorys’ business and talent strategy and serves in various leadership roles throughout the firm including as chair of the Mentorship & Engagement Committee; vice-chair of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee; member of the firm’s Strategic Operations and Planning Committee and Hiring Committee; and as the firm’s Flexible Work Advisor. She reports directly to the firm’s managing partner.

Gene Gilmore is a lawyer, entrepreneur and certified coach who brings over a decade of professional development experience, insightful creativity and leadership to Cooley's unique culture. Gene leads a talented team devoted to supporting the ongoing professional development of all Cooley lawyers throughout their careers with integration and on-boarding programs, substantive skills training, stage-critical conferences, professional skills workshops and coaching, and on-demand e-learning resources. 

Cost: 
Members: Complimentary
Prospective Members: $79

Data Analytics for Law Firm Marketing: Measuring Success and Making Informed Decisions Presented by the Midwest and West Regions

LMA Body of Knowledge Domain: Technology Management
Competency: Data and Analytics

Join us for an in-depth exploration of how technology can drive effective marketing strategies within law firms. This session will bring together a panel of experts, who will provide insights into integrating marketing technology including CRM systems, website and data analytics, and intelligence and thought leadership analytics to enhance business development and marketing efforts. Learn how to measure success accurately and make informed decisions that can significantly impact your firm's growth and client engagement. This session is designed for those looking to harness the power of data to streamline and optimize their law firm's marketing initiatives.
Learning Outcomes:

• Strategies for Data-Driven Decision Making: Gain insights into how internal data can be leveraged for optimizing strategic decisions within law firms.
• Enhancing Professional Visibility Through Digital Media: Explore effective methods for using long-form content and digital media to increase visibility and influence targeted professional audiences.
• Advanced Marketing Integration for Firm Growth: Learn to integrate marketing, business development, and client engagement strategies to drive awareness, engagement, and retention in professional services.

Speakers:

Alyson Fieldman (moderator) is a seasoned marketing professional with over 20 years in professional services marketing. She currently works at Rockit Results as an independent consultant with high-growth professional services firms to achieve their strategic, marketing, business development, and client/employee experience goals. Alyson thrives on facilitating collaborative, cross-functional strategy sessions that result in actionable marketing plans, crafting impactful client experience programs, and building and leading high-performance teams.

Most recently, Alyson served as Chief Marketing Officer for Marcum LLP, a top-15 accounting and business advisory firm, where she worked closely with firm leadership to set the marketing strategy to build awareness, drive client value, and support firm growth. Previously, Alyson served as Managing Director of Client Services at One North Interactive, Portfolio Manager of Interactive Marketing at Hubbard One (A Thomson Reuters business), Account Manager at Greenfield/Belser, and Marketing Director for a small labor and employment law firm. Alyson’s clients have included some of the world’s largest and most reputable law firms, accounting firms, and consulting businesses – including Reed Smith, Skadden, Jones Day, Minter Ellison, CliftonLarsonAllen, and Navigant.

Jason Kennedy has worked at the intersection of marketing technology over the last decade plus, processes and data within professional services. He has lead technology implementations, data strategy initiatives, and data visualization projects. Jason is currently the Intelligence Solutions Manager for Holland & Knight, and has an MBA and Masters Degree in Marketing Analytics.

Adrian Lürssen is co-founder and VP of strategic development at JD Supra — a leading platform for content distribution and business intelligence — where, among other things, he heads many of the organization’s editorial initiatives. Adrian has spent his professional life working in new media, starting in the 1990s as an early Yahoo! employee when he built and managed the Internet pioneer's first team of editors and writers.  

The CI Practitioners Corner is a video campaign designed to spread awareness of CI principles and teach applicable skills that can be used immediately. The videos will be brief (often tutorial style) CI lessons about how to use free, paid or readily accessible tools to “do CI”. 

Sponsored by: Talent Development Committee
Domain: Marketing Management and Leadership
BoK Competency: Firm Organizational Structure and Dynamics

Design Thinking is a creative process for innovation. In the same way successful lawyers use a process for preparing for a court case or going about business development, Design Thinking is a process with five distinct steps to develop a better way to deliver legal services or solve a challenging problem. Legal Design Thinking (LDT) can be applied to develop new ways to combine human-centered design and technology to meet the ever-changing demands of the legal profession. Legal Design Thinking results in not only more creative and effective solutions, but also a closer relationship and collaboration between law firms and their clients, the legal departments.  

Learning Outcomes:

• Learn what is Design Thinking including the critical 5 steps
• Identify how this concept is applied to law firms and legal marketing
• Discuss how you can use Design Thinking to demonstrate leadership within your firm

Presenters: Mark Beese, Founder, Design Thinking Legal; President, Leadership for Lawyers Mandy Hicks, Director of Marketing & Communication, English Lucas Priest & Owsley, LLP

Exclusive for LMA Members

LMA Body of Knowledge Domain: Client Services
Competency: External Client Communications and Feedback 

The best way to improve client service is by listening and learning from your clients. Successful client feedback programs do more than collect opinions—they drive strategic actions that enhance client experiences, strengthen relationships, and foster loyalty. This program will present key insights from research, surveys, and interviews highlighting the most common themes, praise, and complaints shared by clients. Participants will also explore best practices from law firms that effectively use feedback methodologies to create actionable follow-up strategies that yield measurable results.

Learning Outcomes:

• Create practical follow-up strategies that turn feedback into action.
• Conduct successful debrief meetings that drive meaningful change.
• Identify and share key trends, common themes, and best practices to elevate client service across the firm.

Speakers:

Dan Herbener is Client Experience (CX) & Marketing Analyst at Benesch, an AmLaw 200 firm with more than 400 attorneys across seven offices. In this role, Dan helps lead Benesch’s client experience program, including driving the firm’s client feedback collection and analysis to ensure a top-notch client experience, gain insights about clients’ preferences and opinions, and adapt the firm’s services to best meet its clients’ needs. Dan is also heavily involved with the firm’s business development efforts, collaborating with attorneys and departments across the firm to drive new client acquisition and revenue growth. Dan currently serves as Co-Chair of the Legal Marketing Association’s Client Value Shared Interest Group, which focuses on understanding and enhancing the relationships that exist between law firms and their clients.

Laura Meherg is a founder and partner in the Wicker Park Group. She plays a key role in all programs offered by WPG. Laura previously founded Meherg Consulting, which later became part of WPG. Before that, she served as Director of Client Services at Burr & Forman, where she was responsible for every aspect of marketing, business development, client service and training (1998-2005). She developed the firm’s client feedback program, which produced measurable results, won universal praise from firm leadership and became a benchmark in the industry. The Elite Excellence in Legal Marketing Awards named her 2004 “Marketing Director of the Year” and she recently received the 2023 Legal Sales and Service Award: Consultant of the Year. She has conducted thousands of interviews over the past 25 years and worked with more than 120 law firms. 

Sponsored by: Social & Digital Media SIG
Domain: Communications
BoK Competencies: Reputation Management & Social Media and Engagement

Whether for personal or professional purposes, and whether you are an active participant or a passive consumer, social media can take a toll on mental health. Last year, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory warning about the effects of social media on youth mental health. During an election year, these stresses can be particularly heightened.

As legal marketers and the vendors who support them, staying "logged on" is often a necessity of the profession. We must also advise and guide lawyers as they navigate both the positive and negative aspects of social media use.

In this webinar, the LMA Social & Digital Media SIG will bring together professionals who are well-versed in managing the impact of social media on mental health. They will offer insights both as in-house and external advisors focused on law firm well-being, as well as from the perspective of a social media specialist.

Learning Outcomes:

• Explore the impact of social media on mental health.
• Identify tactics for developing a healthier relationship with social media.
• Discuss strategies for overcoming the negative emotions or vulnerabilities that may arise from social media use.

Presenters:
Tracy Fink, Founder, The Tortoise Institute
Krista Larson, Director of Well-Being, Stinson LLP
Abbey Schoenrade, Communications Specialist, Stinson LLP

Sponsored by: 
Domains: Technology Management & Marketing Management and Leadership
BoK Competencies: Consultant and Vendor Management & Website Development and Management

CMOs often have a vision of what they want to achieve, but working out how to get there can feel overwhelming. Knowing what to prioritize, what tech is needed, what should be integrated, where data should live and how to manage it, who within the organization needs to be involved, whether they have the right skills… the list goes on. With so many decisions to make, truly impactful projects get put off in favor of dealing with everyday tasks. This is where MarTech roadmap planning workshops can be extremely valuable. Join this webinar to dive into the story of how Sheppard Mullin and Litera plotted their way through the MarTech maze.

Learning Outcomes:

• Demonstrate the ability to recognize the need for a MarTech roadmap workshop
• Explain the benefits of participating in a MarTech workshop
• Analyze a case study of a law firm that underwent a MarTech workshop and evaluate the impact of the workshop

Presenters:
Barry Solomon, VP M&A Integration, Litera
Karen Campell, Senior Product Value Engineer, Litera
Christy A. Tedesco,  Senior Marketing Technology Manager, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Sponsored by: Client Value SIG
Domain: Client Services
BoK Competency: External Client Communications and Feedback 

Join the LMA Client Value SIG as we delve deep into the core questions that are center stage for legal marketers: What do buyers of legal services truly value in their relationships with external counsel? How does added value correlate with client experience? And how are these elements reflected in everyday interactions between clients and their legal advisors?

This program is designed to educate legal marketers looking to understand and enhance the value proposition they offer to their clients. We aim to analyze the concept of "value" from the perspective of the client, shedding light on what elements are sought after by buyers of legal services. Our discussion will explore the intricate relationship between added value and client experience. We'll provide insights into how these two aspects are intertwined and how they ultimately shape the day-to-day interactions between law firms and their clients. Join us as we demystify these concepts, providing practical insights and strategies that will help you strengthen your firm's client relationships and enhance your value proposition.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand Client Value: Understand what buyers of legal services truly value in their relationships with external counsel. Analyze the concept of "value" from the client's perspective, identifying the key elements that are most sought after by buyers of legal services.
• Explore the Relationship Between Value and Client Experience: Examine how these two aspects are intertwined and how they ultimately shape the day-to-day interactions between law firms and their clients.
• Strategies for Enhancing Client Relationships and Value Proposition: Apply the understanding of client value and its connection with client experience to marketing and business development strategies, leading to more effective client engagement and retention.

Presenter:
Alastair Beddow, Managing Director, Meridian West 

Sponsored by: Marketing Technology SIG
Domains: Technology Management & Marketing Management and Leadership
BoK Competencies: Client and Relationship Management (CRM), Department Management, Budgeting, Marketing Planning

As we pass the halfway mark of the year, it's time to reflect on the progress we've made. From tackling new projects and adopting innovative tools to beginning budget reviews—what a journey it's been!

Join the Marketing Technology SIG for an engaging roundtable where we’ll share and learn from each other’s experiences with marketing technology. Whether it's success stories, lessons from failures, or insightful moments, we’ll cover a wide range of topics, including CRM, Project Management, Intradepartmental Collaboration, Generative AI, Digital Marketing, and more.

The recording will consist of breakout room recaps and an open discussion, where everyone can share insights and takeaways from the program.

Breakout room topics include:

• Project Management / Project Tracking Tools
• CRM Woes & Wins
• Intradepartmental Collaboration – IT, Finance, Business Development & More
• Generative AI in Marketing Technology/Digital Marketing

Learning Outcomes:

• Share experiences with fellow Marketing Technologists
• Explore pitfalls to avoid and successes to emulate from peers
• Build confidence in your skillset in a variety of key topic areas

Facilitators:
Michelle Woodyear, Principal Consultant, Mount Insights
Walter McCorkle, LMA Marketing Technology SIG Chair
Yvonne Sexton, CIO, Bradley
Julie Fisher, LMA Social Media & Digital Marketing SIG Chair

Exclusive to LMA Members

Sponsored by: Solo Small Team SIG & Business to Consumer Practices SIG
Domain: Marketing Management and Leadership
BoK Competency: Budgeting

Budget season is fast approaching, and we’ve got the tools and real-life experience to help you tackle it head on. Join us for an insightful discussion specifically for solo or small team legal marketers on the basics of budgeting. Learn from in-house legal marketers from various backgrounds and their first-hand experience creating, managing, and justifying marketing budgets for their firms. Walk away with the insights you need to get the most out of your budget process this year. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Explore best practices for budgets, including how to structure them, timelines, and see templates that can help you get started
• Discuss how to effectively communicate budget needs to lawyers and leadership
• Identify budget justification tips
• Explore how to handle unexpected items and additions.

Presenters:
Andrew Laver, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer, Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C. 
Crystal Breede, Marketing Director, Huffman & Huffman 
Nikki Sherrill, Chief Business Development Officer, Parker Hudson