Interview with Jordi Fernandez, Head of Communication at Cuatrecasas
Law firms remain very traditional, but adapting for the new challenges of the 21st century is increasingly important. We caught up with Jordi Fernandez, Head of Communications at Cuatrecasas, to explore how communication strategies need to evolve before he joins us at the Law Firm Marketing Summit on our thought leadership panel.
LFMS: Why do you think it’s important to have a conference that unites the business development and marketing decision makers from law firms across Europe to explore current trends and issues?
JF: The legal sector has been traditionally rigid and reluctant to change. These days, it’s evident that a fundamental pillar of any company is a consolidated and ambitious marketing strategy. This summit fosters the sharing of ideas and experiences, and facilitates collaboration between experts in the sector.
LFMS: What do you consider to be the biggest opportunity for law firms over the next three years? And what would you consider to be the biggest challenge arising?
JF: The greatest opportunity is to gain efficiency thanks to new technologies and to offer a less commoditised, more sophisticated service.
And reputation management is the biggest challenge, especially when it comes to communication, due to information overload, fake news, constant feedback in social media and other consequences of digital globalisation.
LFMS: What do you consider to be the key buzzword in law firm marketing and business developments, and do you think that it deserves the hype?
JF: Legal tech doesn’t deserve all the hype in this context. Everyone bandies the word around but many companies haven’t even implemented legal tech.
LFMS: When you’re looking at other professional service firms, is there any single innovation that you think law firms should be emulating?
JF: The legal profession is a traditional sector and although great efforts have been made to revamp it in recent years, it continues to lag behind other professional services, such as the big tech companies in the field of innovation. These companies have many examples of models to follow, both in staff management (including horizontal teams and flexible time management) and in implementing digitalisation to promote efficiency and employee well-being. Here at Cuatrecasas, we have been implementing these new working models for several years now.
LFMS: With more millennials on client panels, do law firm business development and marketing teams need to adapt their approach for the new generation of clients?
JF: Of course. The way we communicate with younger generations should be quicker and more direct. The ways and means used to send a message to different receiving profiles must be chosen carefully.
LFMS: How can law firms future-proof themselves for any potential crises?
JF: They should have predefined strategies and plans of action for all kinds of crises. That way, should a crisis occur, they can move directly to the implementation stage without losing time or opportunities in defining the steps.
LFMS: What is your top tip for elevating a content marketing strategy into a comprehensive thought leadership programme?
JF: Continuously optimize the strategy through metrics, and also identify the company’s key users and prepare a training plan, so that the employees themselves are brand ambassadors and can strengthen the content.
LFMS: Is there a space for law firms on social media? Why?
JF: Of course. They should define and strengthen their brand image, like any other company, as well as approach potential clients and society in general. These days, communicating what you are doing and how you are doing it, and creating added value through circulating information, are key elements to a company’s strategic plan.
LFMS: Which session at the Law Firm Marketing Summit (other than your own!) are you most looking forward to attending?
JF: Trust and reputation: 21st century thinking for an 18th century profession by Robert Phillips.
Jordi will be joining us in London on the 5th November. View the agenda HERE.
