Many law firms are focused on differentiating themselves from competitors. But what separates one firm from another in the eyes of the client, talent or the market? Years ago, many firms cited culture or quality as the characteristics of their firm which distinguished it from others. However, in today’s legal industry, most clients view quality as ‘table stakes.’
In an effort to better align services with client needs and differentiate the firm from competitors, many law firms have adopted some form of an industry focused strategy. These efforts have seen varying degrees of success, in part driven by the firm’s internal organization of the industry effort. Like many aspects of running a law firm, there is no one size fits all model.
As we begin 2018 it is a good time to reflect on the past year and anticipate the coming year.
Useful lessons can be learned from traditional change management approaches.
Over a decade ago, corporate and law firm strategists developed 5 and even 10 year strategic plans. Yet years of disruptive change have rendered stagnant 5-10 year plans ineffectual.