Law Firm Client Relationships

Although we understood how important in-person listening was before the pandemic, the background listening was something we used to take for granted. Here are five ways to practice active listening and remain engaged when we can't be in a physical environment.

Partnerships are relationships, ideally relationships built on trust and a common goal. Successful partnerships require all parties working together — working together to service a client fully, generate revenue and to build a business. This requires openness and coordination.

The common interest doctrine can be a powerful tool when used to block discovery of relevant and sometimes critical evidence. However, a determination of when it can be invoked requires a highly fact-intensive analysis.

The current circumstances are giving rise to conversations about pricing, and driving both sides of the law firm-client relationship to seek common ground — both in the form of tried-and-true alternative fee arrangements and those that reflect a more innovative approach.

A recent UK High Court ruling has provided lawyers everywhere with a stark reminder on the scope of privilege for electronic communications: just because an email itself is privileged does not automatically render the documents attached to that email privileged.

With GCs and other business leaders facing such incredible challenges, how do lawyers continue to manage clients' transactional, litigation, compliance and regulatory needs, among others, while simultaneously providing professional, and even personal, support?

Instead of sharing my insights, experience and opinions as a 20-year vet in legal public relations, I went directly to the source – the ALM Media editorial staff. Here is what they had to say about the impact of COVID-19 on the industry as a whole and what they want and expect from law firms and PR pros in 2021.

Networking is not the business development panacea many would make it out to be. In fact, I think networking can do more harm than good. To make my point, here are 7 ways "connecting" is better than "networking."