A cultural affair.

AuthorOmenya, Linda

There are a number of strategies and tactics that firms in France find effective. Training sessions tailored to various clients provide partners with the opportunity to discuss current events that are of interest to those clients and a forum to showcase their expertise as well. The niche firm approach is increasingly appealing to GCs who no longer do their "legal shopping" at one firm. There are several success stories in France as far as niche firms are concerned (e.g., Laude Esquier Champey in litigation). Certain small firms participate in all sector-specific trade fairs and forums, say for a year, and establish themselves in

the market as the go-to firm in a given sector. For example, Kalliope has employed this strategy in the renewable energy sector in France We are also seeing more elaborate client presentations than before, with more attention paid to layout and branding. And firms are organizing exclusive group retreats for clients and potential clients (in small groups of around 30 to 50), such as bringing prominent Chinese investors to a high-class venue to discuss issues that affect them.

For marketing and business development staff to define strategies, they have to exist in the first place. Few law firms in France have marketing and/or business development staff, particularly independent French firms. On the other hand, the few who do rarely allow these staff to engage in the strategic decisionmaking process Usually...

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