Solutions Delivered: Recent Episodes

PP&C Consulting

Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP&C Consulting, offers nuanced perspectives on the legal market – and discusses how law firms of all sizes can appeal to clients and enhance their competitive position while adapting to the new dynamic. Get market intelligence from leaders of the legal industry, actionable strategies to generate revenue, best practices in client service, business intelligence, and new technology solutions implementation. Our weekly podcast is hosted by members of the PP&C Consulting team.

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Thoughtful thought leadership can have many benefits for law firms. In the second of a two-part series, Passle’s Sam Page talks with PP&C Consulting’s Michelle Murray and Tom Mariam about what thought leadership means for law firms and lawyers and how they can make thought leadership meaningful.

They’ll discuss best practices for launching and promoting a practice group, what kind of content resonates the most with target audiences, how much time is involved and how it can promote diversity.

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Thought leadership has become a critical component of law firm marketing. In the first of a two-part series, Passle’s Sam Page turns the page on why and how lawyers can become thoughtful thought leaders in this discussion with PP&C Consulting’s Michelle Murray and Tom Mariam.

What the benefits to investing the valuable time and effort into thought leadership? What are the best ways to gain such exposure and develop business? How can law firms use thought leadership to shine a light on lateral hires?

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Perhaps the greatest threat to law firms in 2021, if not all of society, is a cyber attack. This edition of Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP&C Consulting, looks at cybersecurity and what firms can do to protect themselves and their clients with Monty Hall, principal at TransformITy Solutions and one of the leading authorities on cybersecurity in the legal sector. What can firms do in advance to avoid losing sensitive and critical information to ransom threats? How should they react if one occurs?  

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At the midpoint of the year, PP&C’s Yolanda Cartusciello, Michelle Murray and Tom Mariam use their 2021 vision to look back at how the legal industry has fared. Which expectations came true? What trends surfaced? What surprises did law firms encounter in the first six months of 2021? Find out what happened in an energetic discussion that also looks ahead to the second of the year, including what firms need to do as we emerge from the pandemic and create a new normalcy.

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In our latest discussion on law firm branding, this edition of Solutions Delivered, the PP&C Consulting podcast, looks at the Power of Brand Symbols. PP&C’s Yolanda Cartusciello talks with special guest Ian Stephens, the founder and CEO of Principia Consultants, about the ubiquity of brand symbols.

They cover such key concerns as what a brand symbol is, what makes a good brand symbol and how can it stand out, especially in an industry where differentiation is not obvious, including a lesson from Apple.

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The highly anticipated Am Law 100 has just been released – with surprising results. American Lawyer editor-in-chief Gina Passarella and executive editor Ben Seal join PP&C’s Tom Mariam in this edition of Solutions Delivered, the PP&C Consulting podcast, for a wide-ranging discussion about the 2021 Am Law 100.

How did the largest firms fare during the pandemic year of 2020? How did this year’s Am Law 100 differ from last year? What role will BD and marketing play in who moves up the list in the future?

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Many law firms responded to the pandemic last year by producing swarms of content. But quantity is not nearly as critical as the quality of the content. In this edition of Solutions Delivered, the PP&C Consulting podcast, PP&C’s Yolanda Cartusciello and Tom Mariam discuss how your content can break through the noise of all the content that is being produced by so many organizations.

What should your content cover? When and how should you deliver it – and to whom? How frequently should content be shared?

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Many law firms responded to the pandemic last year by producing swarms of content. But quantity is not nearly as critical as the quality of the content. In this edition of Solutions Delivered, the PP&C Consulting podcast, PP&C’s Yolanda Cartusciello and Tom Mariam discuss how your content can break through the noise of all the content that is being produced by so many organizations.

What should your content cover? When and how should you deliver it – and to whom? How frequently should content be shared?

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Mental Health has become an increasing concern within the legal industry – even more so during the pandemic. In this edition of Solutions Delivered, the PP&C Consulting podcast, PP&C’s Yolanda Cartusciello and Tom Mariam talk with special guest and veteran law firm marketing executive Lisa Smith, author of Girl Walks Out of a Bar, the memoir of her struggles with substance abuse. They will discuss why mental health is such a big issue for law firms and what they are doing to help their lawyers and staff.

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How a law firm literally looks goes a long way towards how it is perceived. Visual design is a critical part of a law firm’s brand. In this edition of Solutions Delivered, the PP&C Consulting podcast, PP&C senior consultants Tom Mariam and Michelle Murray talk with special guest Brandie Knox, the leader of Knox Design Strategy, a studio which has brought many law firms to life visually. Find out what are the key factors in designing a law firm brand – and which factors are key to making it successful.

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Branding is how law firms distinguish themselves from one another. But branding is more than a catchy slogan or an image. In this edition of Solutions Delivered, the PP&C Consulting podcast, PP&C senior consultants Tom Mariam and Michelle Murray discuss the substance of what is a law firm brand.

They will talk about building a brand, maintaining it and, most significantly, using it to grow the business. Find out why some law firms succeed in branding themselves and why so many others come across as generic.

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The change in the White House means change for law firms, too. Karen Dunn, who has served in all three branches of government and is now a litigation partner at Paul Weiss, discusses with Michelle Murray in this edition of Solutions Delivered, the PP&C Consulting podcast, what the legal industry can expect from the Biden Administration’s policies and programs. Which practice areas are likely to experience increased demand? What will be the impact on regulatory enforcement, investigations and legislation? 

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Good2BSocial’s Guy Alvarez, one of the early advocates of digital media as a marketing tool for law firms, joins PP&C’s Michelle Murray and Tom Mariam for a wide-ranging discussion of trends in digital marketing for law firms in this edition of Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP& Consulting. Find out which digital marketing tools are – and will be – most effective in 2021 as lead generators, how to turn digital marketing initiatives into revenue, and how to measure successful campaigns.

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More and more law firms are taking an account-based approached to marketing: expanding their business by expanding the scope of their work for existing clients. PP&C’s Michelle Murray and Good2BSocial CEO Guy Alvarez discuss, in this edition of Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP& Consulting, how firms are evaluating their client base to determine which accounts are generating the most revenue and could potentially buy even more legal services from their firms.

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Law firms are entering the second year of the pandemic trying to determine costs and revenue with foresight for Year 2 based largely on hindsight from Year 1. PP&C’s Yolanda Cartusciello and Jeff Miller discuss, in this edition of Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP& Consulting, how law firms are likely to spend their financial resources and where they may cut back. They’ll discuss how the only certain thing is uncertainty and the impact of not knowing if and when firms will return to their office space.

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Most law firms survived - and many even thrived - during Year 1 of the Pandemic. But what challenges will law firm executive directors have to confront as we move into Year 2? PP&C’s Yolanda Cartusciello discusses what law firms will be facing in 2021 with Scott Cocker, executive director of Modrall Sperling, on this edition of Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP&C Consulting. How should firms handle a return to the office and other key issues such as morale, vaccines, office space, budgets, and branding?

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What is the best way for law firms to differentiate themselves? Start with the client experience. PP&C’s Michelle Murray shares with Tom Mariam what law firms can do to make their clients comfortable and satisfied from start to finish and want to come back for more.

Michelle discusses the significance of pleasantly surprising the client throughout the journey, and shares some examples including what lawyers can learn from the Ritz Carlton and Nordstrom’s, as well as the importance of client feedback.

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PP&C’s Yolanda Cartusciello discusses the importance of client feedback, and what clients are saying, with the man who talks to law firm clients more than anyone: David Burgess, publishing director at Legal 500.

Find out why “the journey is as important as the destination” for lawyers and why “human skills,” especially listening, are a “differentiating factor” and even more critical to success than legal skills. What do clients most want their lawyers to know and understand? How do you get proper feedback?

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Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP&C Consulting, rings out the old – and rings in the new – year with a panel discussion featuring our own consultants Yolanda Cartusciello, Bob Robertson, Michelle Murray, & Tom Mariam with 2020 hindsight and 2021 vision.

What were the new trends most impacting law firms last year? Which ones will carry over into – and beyond – the new year? Did the pandemic change the world of law firms temporarily – or forever? What will be the keys to success in the new dynamic?

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Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP&C Consulting, gets into the holiday spirit by presenting “The Holiday Turkey Approach to Campaign Marketing” with senior consultants Tom Mariam and Michelle Murray.

Preparing a marketing campaign is similar to preparing a turkey for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other occasion: you put a lot of work into it for the original meal but then reap the benefits by serving it many different ways into the future, just as campaigns can reach targets in many different forums.

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This edition of Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP&C Consulting, discusses business plans at law firms for practice groups and individual lawyers, as well as the firm itself.

PP&C’s Michelle Murray talks about their importance, what makes them effective, and how to engage lawyers in the process with Samara Abrams, Business Development Director at Shearman & Sterling, and Lauren Piccolo-Ingram, Managing Director for Client Development at Goodwin Procter. Get the best practices on practice group BD.

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This edition of Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP&C Consulting, looks at the increasing appetite law firms have developed for outsourcing many business functions, including marketing and business development. PP&C’s Bob Robertson discusses this evolving trend with Mike Raposa of RR Donnelly.

How has the pandemic changed attitudes at law firms for outsourcing key activities, including BD? What are the cost factors to determine whether to keep marketing in-house or outsource it? How do you manage it?

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Senior consultants Michelle Murray and Tom Mariam in this edition of Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP&C Consulting, expand their previous conversation about client communications to discuss the key tools to use. From published articles to social media to videos and podcasts, law firms are using multimedia approaches to reach their clients about important business issues in a personal way. Find out which tools work best for which audiences and how to take full advantage of them together and separately.

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Senior consultants Michelle Murray and Tom Mariam discuss, in this edition of Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP&C Consulting, the importance of reaching out to clients and strengthening relationships. Find how law firms have changed their approach to marketing communications by focusing on key issues and finding new ways to deliver their lawyers’ insights to their most important constituents. Learn how to determine what clients really want to know from their lawyers and how to do so effectively.

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Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP&C Consulting, focuses on how law firms recruit new lawyers and then incorporate them into the firm. PP&C’s Yolanda Cartusciello talks with Scott Love, founder of The Attorney Search Group, about how firms can identify the right candidates and what will attract them to make a career move.

Once a firm has acquired new legal talent, how can it most effectively integrate its laterals with its attorneys and clients? What has the pandemic meant for lateral recruiting?

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Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP&C Consulting, focuses on how the legal industry is reckoning with the issues of race, institutional bias, and diversity. PP&C’s Aric Press talks with Judge Patricia Brown Holmes, Managing Partner of Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP about how law firms can - and should - build a stronger awareness internally of the realities facing lawyers of color.

How do firms move beyond simply hiring a diverse group of lawyers and make them truly feel part of the fabric of the firm?

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Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP&C Consulting, focuses on how law firms have had to change due to the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. PP&C’s Aric Press talks with Judge Patricia Brown Holmes, Managing Partner of Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP about how the pandemic is impacting the relationship law firms and lawyers have with their clients – and with each other.

Which changes are here to stay? What issues are clients asking outside counsel to help manage in addition to their usual work matters?

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This edition of Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP&C Consulting, focuses on how law firms and their lawyers can develop business by turning client listening programs into opportunities to adjust relationships with in-house counsel.

Special guest Eric Hartline, counsel and head of legal operations & strategy at Guardian Life, joins PP&C’s Michelle Murray to Identify techniques to create and foster client referrals. Learn what in-house counsel seek from their outside counsel and how to best approach them.

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The premiere edition of Solutions Delivered, the podcast of PP&C Consulting, focuses on how law firms can adapt their business development efforts to succeed in the new dynamic created by the pandemic.

PP&C’s Yolanda Cartusciello and Bob Robertson host a forward-looking discussion with their special guest, organizational design consultant and strategist Seth Appel.

How is client service being impacted? What new roles are emerging to generate revenue? What new law firm models could materialize?