The Oldest Law Journal in the United States 1843-2019 philadelphia, THURSday, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 VOL 260 • NO. 56

Legal Marketing Marketing Secrets to a Boutique Law Firm’s Success: One Firm’s Story

By Stacy West Clark Stacy West Clark Special to the Legal has been helping Be first at under- anko, Gold, Katcher & Fox Pennsylvania lawyers standing what is celebrating its 30th year and law firms successfully expand their practices and legal challenges may lay Mas one of the country’s lead- grow revenues for over 25 ing environmental, energy and land years. She is a former at- ahead for clients. No one use law boutique firms. Its success is torney with Morgan, Lewis not an accident, but rather one crafted & Bockius and was its first has a crystal ball, but marketing director. She is president of Stacy Clark by three decades of strategic market- Marketing LLC (www.stacyclarkmarketing.com). the firm takes deliberate ing and hiring practices. Starting with just seven lawyers, the firm now boasts positive workplace in which to flourish. steps to be able to spot 32 attorneys who only practice envi- It’s interesting where Joe Manko found trends, changes and ronmental, energy and land use law— his lawyers. When Manko walked out but most importantly—in every single the door of WolfBlock in 1989 to start potential problems. facet of those practices. While the an environmental law firm, he looked firm started off with a strong regional to the classroom to find great lawyers presence, its work is now nationwide, he could mentor. He and name part- and built their careers at the firm. and clients include Fortune 100 com- ner Robb Fox had started teaching Turnover is extremely low. Spergel at- panies. Since opening its doors, its environmental law at the University tributes that to the three-legged stool revenues have increased tenfold. of Pennsylvania Law School the year the firm has deliberately built focused I sat down with members of the firm before and because they were widely on: intellectually challenging work; recently, to understand how the firm has loved by their students, they had the excellent compensation and a happy flourished—particularly when it resides luxury of asking top students in the workplace; and a tremendous quality in the same geographic space as several classroom to be summer associates and of life. mega Am Law 100 firms in Philadelphia eventually permanent hires. Members • Form strategic alliances with law boasting strong environmental law prac- of the firm still teach at Penn Law and firms with whom you don’t compete. tices. I found their recipe for growth to now Drexel and Villanova, and they For years, lawyers have met with firms be informative and resounding in the too have continued to attract top talent throughout the area with no environmen- tenets of niche marketing I have been from law schools. Both the current and tal law practices to cultivate cross-refer- expounding for years. incoming managing partners, Jonathan rals. Manko Gold lawyers regularly go • Hire great people (both lawyers and Spergel and Carol McCabe, were stu- to other law firms and provide free CLEs staff) who love their chosen profession dents of Manko at Penn years ago as on site. This systematic matchmaking and have business development and a well as summer associates at the firm. has produced great dividends. commitment to client service in their Today 40% of the firm’s attorneys were • Be in your client’s head in a DNA and then provide them with a once summer associates. They stayed meaningful way and do things that really move the ball for them on a three technical consultants who know firm in view of our lower-rate structure regular basis. This is most definitely and understand the science behind what due to lower overhead and our ability to a marketing strategy. We know clients their clients are doing. Not only do staff matters more leanly.” care about cost and management of these technical specialists support the • Go visit clients. Manko Gold law- risk. In recognition of that, when the lawyers, they also do peer review work yers have strategically gone “on the recession hit, Manko Gold sent a letter for clients—and are hired to tell clients road” on a regular basis to speak with to all clients saying rates would not if their consultants are giving them the clients for whom they may be doing increase for two years. General coun- right advice. None of the large firms just a few matters to discuss expand- sel actually wrote and called saying in the region, to the firm’s knowledge, ing the representations, to hold client things like “this is the kind of firm we have similar experts on their teams and interviews, and to do on-site programs. want to partner with.” In addition, each take this multi-disciplinary approach. • Examine and plan for succession. January, the firm prepares and issues • Have a formal marketing and Despite the fact that the average age a gratis comprehensive environmental mentoring program in place for your of firm lawyers is 44, the firm has a and energy forecast and has made it a younger lawyers. Each associate has a formal committee currently looking point to provide in-person talks and Manko Gold mentor who takes them at each client relationship and which written updates to companies based on to marketing activities to see first- lawyers will be scaling back their actions of the Trump administration. hand how it is done. “Associates have practices in the next four to five years. • Be first at understanding what legal had and will continue to have critical Succession planning is also taking into challenges may lie ahead for clients. roles, including presenting ones at account “subject matter” expertise and No one has a crystal ball, but the firm major RFP interviews,” Spergel said. how that may change with retirements. takes deliberate steps to be able to spot • Be thought leaders. Write, speak This is smart marketing in my opinion. trends, changes and potential problems. and get out there. It is ingrained into My final observation about why Said Spergel, “Our lawyers are fortu- each new lawyer at the interview this firm may enjoy the success that it nate to have strong relationships with stage, that they will need to publish does is that it “walks the walk.” Their regulators who trust us. We are regular and present on key legal develop- offices literally show love for their participants in industry advisory groups ments and to do this often. And they practice area. Manko Gold is the first where we view first drafts of legislation, do. They also have key leadership po- law firm in the Philadelphia region to regulations and policy changes, so we sitions and memberships in numerous achieve gold level certification under can comment on these things and then high-profile industry, trade, municipal LEED for commercial interiors for its advise clients at the micro level. This and Bar organizations and are deeply office space. The office boasts huge nonbillable activity is hugely important involved in their local communities. natural light, occupancy censors, re- to us.” To continuously monitor every- • Plan for practice areas to come and furbished and sustainable furniture, thing as an institution, lawyers, parale- go within the niche by being very di- extensive recycling, low flow plumb- gals and technical support meet every versified within the niche. In the 1980s, ing fixtures and a program to reuse single Tuesday for lunch at the firm to there was an explosion of work involv- coffee grinds. All of this silently tells go over new developments in policy, ing Superfund and RCRA cleanups and clients, we get it. Does yours? • legislation and the courts. Based on his litigation. But this litigation would wind view of what the future holds, Manko down and according to Fox, when it believes the next wave of work may did, the mega firms began to scale down stem from climate change impacts and their environmental teams. He added, accordingly the firm is closely assess- “MGKF never had to do that—and ing these issues, among other potential indeed our market share increased be- challenges for clients. cause we were handling so many dif- • Figure out how to deliver a service ferent areas of environmental law for in your niche that no other law firms clients at that time. This depth created are delivering. Yes, they believe they huge market share.” Similarly, when the Reprinted with permission from the September 19, 2019 edition of The Legal Intelligencer © 2019 ALM have the largest number of environ- recession hit in 2008, and legal depart- Media Properties, LLC. All rights reserved. Further duplication without permission is prohibited. For mental, energy and land use lawyers in ments were getting squeezed, “many information, contact 877-257-3382, [email protected] or the region, but they also have on staff companies saw MGKF, as their go-to visit www.almreprints.com. # 201-09-19-03