Who's Hot and Who's Not?

7/31/2009

In the last five years, the work of plaintiffs’ firms has shifted. Defense firms are crossing the line looking for many of the same clients plaintiffs' firms seek. And plaintiffs' firms have blurred the line by calling on large organizations that once ignored them.

But that’s not all. The federal courts have been stacked with judges unfriendly to their business model. Congress has made it more difficult to bring cases against shareholders.

Finally, the battle to win individual clients is ramping up as plaintiffs’ firms become more internet-savvy and more firms join 
the fray.

What’s the difference between those firms who are hot and those who are not? Are they better lawyers? We don’t think so. Better marketers? We guess “Yes.”

Case study 1

COHEN MILSTEIN

Building a caring, empathetic brand is step one for plaintiffs’ firms. Expanding that brand to include a sophisticated corporate defense is step two.

Cohen Milstein has built its reputation as a Plaintiffs' Hot List firm through a deep commitment to plaintiffs’ rights as well as effective representation of companies both in class-action suits and opting out.

You have too few opportunities to make an impression on your clients and prospects to waste a single one. Cohen Milstein has integrated logo and letterhead into the overall brand campaign to remind buyers they’ve hired a contemporary, professional firm.

Case study 2

THE MURPHY FIRM

The story behind The Murphy Firm is an interesting one. Billy Murphy, its founder, is a colorful trial lawyer well-known in the Baltimore community. The firm manages the usual roster of work common to plaintiffs’ firms—personal injury, corporate negligence, employment discrimination, etc. But large corporations also hire The Murphy Firm to manage important fights where the racial composition of the jury is a concern. So, not only is the firm selling to corporations, it is also selling to the defense firms who represent those corporations. Therefore, creating a balanced message that would appeal to corporations as well as injured individuals was a strategic necessity.

Greenfield/Belser has worked with over 300 law firms on both sides of the bar. These two examples represent some of our most recent work. Visit CASE STUDIES for additional client success stories.