Agenda
The 10th anniversary of the Tech Program is coinciding with the emergence of marketing technologies that are a must have for the future of marketing and business development in law firms. Ten years ago, pre-Y2K, lawyers claimed that their firms didn’t need websites, they were faxing instead of attaching, legal research was moving from books to CDs, and few were talking about business development. In celebration of the Program’s 10th Anniversary, let’s laugh about 10 years ago for a few minutes and then focus on the future of marketing and technology in our firms. Web 2.0 technology, social networking, blogging, viral marketing and other online media are giving firms new channels to leverage technology investments and boost their competitive edge. These technologies not only pose a challenge to traditional marketing models, but also transcend current views on branding, PR, advertising and relationship management. We will explore how innovative technologies that are being buzzed about in our law firms will help your firm increase its potential to serve new clients and new markets by building a stronger brand, developing a “connected” community and winning client loyalty.
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9:00 - 9:30 am
Registration & Breakfast; Exhibit Hall / Internet Café Open
9:30 - 10:45 am
Keynote Session: Marketing 2.0: Challenges and Opportunities for Legal Marketers
While most of our law firms have finally come to terms with Web 1.0, the rest of the tech world has already moved on to Web 2.0. Web 2.0 describes the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users, i.e. clients and potential clients. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, twitter, and blogs. How are these non-traditional marketing tools going to affect how law firms engage and interact with prospective or current clients in the future? In an industry adverse to change, will lawyers accept these dynamic lines of communication that can literally spread the word far and wide? How can law firms use Web 2.0 to their advantage, to help build their brand and develop business?
We are pleased to host Rick Klau, veteran tech marketer now with Google, to walk us through the Web 2.0 maze and set the stage for the rest of the day’s topics. No new media is off limits, so please join us for a keynote that will not disappoint!
Speaker:
Rick Klau, Strategic Partner Development/Content Acquisition, Google, Inc.
10:45 - 11:15 am
Break; Exhibit Hall / Internet Café Open
11:15 am - 12:30 pm
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
1. The Blogging Attorney -- From Words to Riches
Experienced bloggers say it takes close to "super-human" strength to start and maintain a great blog over time. That may be less true for subject-expert attorneys who are experienced writers and communicators, and are therefore perfectly suited for great blogging. And, there is no question that a good blog that provides valuable and informative content will usually find an audience. So, what is stopping attorneys from blogging? The answer lies not only in getting the blog started and setting aside sufficient time to contribute content, but also understanding and appreciating the value that a well-done blog provides to an attorney’s practice and bottom line. This "soup-to-nuts" session shows how attorneys can use blogs to reach out to and engage an online community, especially for the purpose of developing client relationships. This panel will consist of experienced blogging attorneys and legal marketers who usually are needed to set up and maintain the effort. Law practice issues of blogging will also be discussed.
Moderator:
Carol James, Director of Marketing and Business Development, Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro LLP
Panelists:
• Adrian Lurssen, Director of Communications, JD Supra
• Tim Stanley, CEO, Justia, Inc.
• Richard Stim, Attorney, Nolo.com
2. The ERM Showdown -- There’s Gold in Them Thar’ Databases
In a "first-time" exclusive, we will present an all-vendor panel of Enterprise Relationship Management (ERM) vendors BranchIT Corporation and Contact Networks, along with Client Relationship Management (CRM) vendor LexisNexis, to introduce ERM and explain how it promises to help attorneys discover relationships and develop business through the analysis of e-mail databases and other data. Each vendor will have a unique opportunity to discuss the "pros" of their product and the "cons" of those from their competitors -- all in a friendly and moderated presentation. Although ERM has been around for several years, many law firm marketers are still unsure about this technology and how it works with existing CRM installations. After this session, attendees will have a better understanding of these products and how their firms can use them for social networking and business development.
Moderator:
Deborah Holt, President, DH Training & Technology Consulting
Panelists:
• Darryl Cross, Vice President, Client Development, LexisNexis
• Geoffrey Hyatt, CEO, Contact Networks
• Josh Yuster, CEO, BranchIT Corporation
12:30 - 1:45 pm
Lunch & Post-Lunch MORE Sessions:
Network with colleagues and speakers during a delicious sit-down lunch! Immediately following, gain further insights about leading technologies and topics of interest while speaking directly to leading industry experts at our MORE (Mentoring Opportunities with Real-Life Experts) tables. No questions are off limits and you will certainly reap the benefits of some up close and personal attention from our moderators, who will provide educational insight and the opportunity for you to further explore the variety of legal marketing topics discussed during the morning Keynote and panel sessions.
More Table Moderators:
• Blogs: Kevin O’Keefe, LexBlog, Inc.
• Business Intelligence: Anthony Paredes, Capital IQ
• Content Marketing/Publication: Adrian Lurssen, JD Supra
• CRM: Deborah Holt, DH Training & Technology Consulting
• Electronic Newsletters: Peter Darling, Peter Darling
• Public Relations: Traci Stuart, Blattel Communications
• SEO/Analytics: Tim Stanley, Justia, Inc.
• Selling Tech Internally: Darryl Cross, LexisNexis
• Web Site Design & Content: Debra Kamys, Inherent, Inc.
1:45 - 2:15 pm
Dessert Break in Exhibit Hall / Internet Café Open
2:15 - 3:30 pm
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
1. The Future of E-mail -- What the World Needs Now
Few have embraced e-mail communication with more zeal than lawyers. While we undoubtedly communicate more, do we really communicate better? E-mail represents a rare technological shift, in which an arguably inferior technology (e-mail) has replaced a superior one (the telephone) as the basis for workplace communication. This technology-driven downshift threatens to bring productivity to a halt. Distraction, information overload and inefficiency is so acute in today’s workplace that competitors such as Microsoft, Google, Intel, and IBM have teamed together to address potential solutions. If those companies think there is a problem, maybe our firms should too. What will the future bring in terms of better - not more - communication? Come with an open mind (and yes, please check your Crackberry at the door)
Moderator:
Brian Colucci, Director of Marketing, Townsend and Townsend and Crew, LLP
Panelists:
• Christian Faulconer, COO, CrimeReports.com
• Geoff Johnston, Google, Inc., Google Talk Consumer Operations Product Specialist
• John Porter, IT Manager, Bingham McCutchen LLP
2. Online Social Networking -- A Virtual Cocktail Party
Since the dawn of law firms, networking has been a successful tool for bringing in new business. In the world of Web 2.0, networking has taken on a new angle with online social networking websites such as LinkedIn, Legal OnRamp, Facebook, and others. This panel will explore what social networking is, how it works and what the technology does for law firm marketing and business development. Expert panelists will offer insights and case studies to better understand the nuts and bolts of social networking and why it will be important for law firms to leverage relationship tools to build their brand, attract clients and recruits, and gain an advantage over their competition.
Moderator:
Kevin O’Keefe, President, LexBlog, Inc.
Panelists:
• Paul Lippe, Founder, Legal OnRamp
• Scott Rechtschaffen, Managing Shareholder - Knowledge Management, Littler Mendelson
• Scott Roberts, Senior Director - Business Development, LinkedIn
3:30 - 4:00 pm
Break; Exhibit Hall / Internet Café Open
4:00 - 5:15 pm
General Session: In-House Counsel Panel
In years past, this panel of leading in-house attorneys has provided valuable and rich insights directly from the perspectives of law firms’ target clientele - The General Counsel’s Office. This year, we continue the tradition by inviting in-house counsel to explore and test the principles of the new marketing and PR paradigm presented throughout the day. Topics of discussion will include the challenges and issues facing in-house counsel, such as spiraling legal costs, risk management, outsourcing legal work, personal liability, and what law firm marketing professionals can do to better help attorneys understand these client pressures, thereby improving the relationship experience between legal services providers and their clients. This panel will also provide insight into how law firms can better identify what is or is not important in how law firms approach and communicate with in-house counsel, and whether current communications, i.e. branding and marketing efforts of internal law firms, are effective
Moderator:
Nat Slavin, Former LMA National President and Partner, Wicker Park Group
Panelists:
• Janine Bloch, Senior Managing Counsel, Marvell Semiconductor, Inc.
• Patrick Dunkley, Senior University Counsel, Stanford University
• Mary Fuller, Executive Director and Associate General Counsel, Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
• Doug Luftman, Senior In-House Counsel, Palm, Inc.
• Priya Sanger, Associate General Counsel, Wells Fargo
• Jeff Shieh, VP, Business & Legal Affairs, Gorilla Nation
