Partners in the Press Legal sector communications during COVID-19
flagshipconsulting.co.uk Contents Page Introduction 3 Most quoted legal firms during COVID-19 lockdown 4 UK top 20 law firms’ media coverage compared year on year 5 Partners in the press 6 Recommendations 9
Methodology 10 Introduction
This report uncovers an array of valuable insights found through research into legal firms’ presence in the press during COVID-19, providing actionable advice on how legal firms, regardless of their size, can improve their company’s reputation through any economic cycle.
In the space of just six months, the For better or worse, the legal firms that COVID-19 crisis has had an unparalleled build their reputation in the media, and impact on the world, irreversibly changing make sure that the right people see them the way we live our lives. The pandemic during this period of change, improve has transformed the communications their odds of success. landscape, and this has had knock-on effects for a variety of industries, including To that end, Flagship PR conducted a the legal sector, where top UK firms have study into how top legal firms in the UK been battling for their share of voice used media communication as a tool during the lockdown. to make their brand stand out and build their reputation during the lockdown. A firm’s reputation in the press matters The study looks at how often legal firms a great deal – especially at this time. secured media coverage during the Businesses across all sectors are continually lockdown, comparing it with the same adapting to unprecedented events – timeframe in 2019 to demonstrate how and looking for expert opinion to COVID-19 has impacted firms’ presence help them navigate. in the press.
Research has shown that 80% of business decision-makers are happy to turn to firms’ insights to gain new perspectives on pressing business issues. Flagship’s research into the decision-making process of General Counsel has shown the vital importance of a lawyer’s reputation in both the selection of a firm and the saliency of their guidance once on board.
Partners in the Press: Communicating through the COVID-19 crisis Page 3 Most quoted legal firms during COVID-19 lockdown
Throughout the lockdown, there were clear winners and losers when it came to media coverage during the crisis.
Top five firms during lockdown 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10
Number of articles in top tier media* 0 CMS Pinsent Masons Eversheds Sutherland Linklaters Hogan Lovells
CMS, Pinsent Masons and Eversheds The firms who were able to get their Sutherland led the way in terms of press voice heard found the most success coverage during this period, all securing through connecting with a broad range more than twice as many pieces of of publications, and having comments coverage for their spokespeople as reused across a variety of outlets by the mean amongst the top 20 firms. striking a chord with the media agenda, as we will see in more detail in the next section. • The average coverage tally amongst the top 20 firms was 22 pieces. • Of the top five firms in the UK by revenue, only one (Linklaters) made the top five in terms of coverage. • CMS, Pinsent Masons, Eversheds Sutherland, Linklaters and Hogan Lovells were the top five most successful firms. • Six firms failed to secure more than ten 1 pieces of coverage – Allen & Overy, Clyde & Co, Slaughter and May, 2 3 Simmons & Simmons, Bird & Bird and Womble Bond Dickinson.
*between March 23 and August 1
Page 4 Partners in the Press: Communicating through the COVID-19 crisis UK top 20 law firms’ media coverage compared year on year
Comparing the lockdown period to the same period in 2019, according to Statista, many Brits report their consumption of media increased significantly across news [50%] social media [24%] and broadcast [32%].
Total appearances compared year-on-year 80
67 70 64 59 60 57 51 50 40 42 40 34 34 32 30 27 26 23 23 80 19 20 16 18 14 13 15 14 14 11 11 11 12 12 8 9 10 7 6 6 6 6 5 3 3 0 Number of articles in top tier media 0
CMS BCLP Ashurst DLA Piper Linklaters Bird & Bird Clyde & Co Gowling WLG Allen & HoganOvery Lovells Taylor Wessing Clifford Chance Pinsent Masons Slaughter and May Simmons & Simmons Norton Rose Fullbright Herbert SmithEversheds Freehills Sutherland Womble Bond Dickinson
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Law firms’ spokespeople collectively • Ashurst saw a rise of 136% in how many improved their performance, generating times their spokespeople were quoted 442 pieces of press coverage compared in comparison to the same period in to 417 in the comparison period - 2019, the highest of any firm. showing that communications were not • DLA Piper, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, abandoned during the crisis. CMS, Eversheds Sutherland, BCLP, This rosy overall picture splinters when firms Ashurst, Slaughter and May, Gowling are looked at individually, with some firms WLG and Simmons & Simmons all doubling their spokespeople’s appearances increased their coverage during and some witnessing major drop-offs. the lockdown.
Ashurst, BCLP, CMS and Gowling WLG Plainly, some firms were able to maintain all saw increases of at least 100% in their this core reputation building strategy – partners’ media appearances, and five and some firms were not. A deeper look other firms improved their performance. at the findings indicates how success was On the other hand, ten firms went the generated, and where failings might lie. other way, with Clyde & Co, Bird & Bird and Clifford Chance all dropping more than 40%.
Partners in the Press: Communicating through the COVID-19 crisis Page 5 Partners in the press
According to Flagship internal research, when searching for legal representation many General Counsel prize partners whose opinion carries authority over the reputation of the firm in general. Put another way, building a great reputation in the press can enhance fee revenue, which is why securing media coverage is such a competitive endeavour – those partners that feature consistently in the media have an advantage over those that do not.
Most quoted spokespeople during lockdown
Mark Hammerton 11 Stephen Scholefield 5 Eversheds Sutherland Pinsent Masons
Clive Chalkley 7 Andrew Tuson 4 Gowling WLG BCLP
James Horton 5 Jonty Warner 4 CMS Bird & Bird
George McLellan 5 Matthew Layton 4 DLA Piper Clifford Chance
Diane Gilhooley 5 Jonathan Kewley 4 Eversheds Sutherland Clifford Chance
Christian Ahlborn 5 Alasdair Steele 4 Linklaters CMS
Elizabeth Budd 5 Pinsent Masons
Page 6 Partners in the Press: Communicating through the COVID-19 crisis Mark Hammerton of Eversheds Sutherland who was the most quoted spokesperson during the lockdown, notched 11 pieces of coverage from one single comment. He did this by crafting a comment that gave practical advice on the government’s furlough scheme. The insight could be used as appropriate on multiple occasions by national publications when journalists were seeking to assuage their audience’s concerns during uncertain times.
KEY POINT FOR COMMUNICATIONS KEY POINT FOR COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONALS: PROFESSIONALS: Prepare early by advising journalists that Build the commentary machine – setting comment on emerging major issues will appropriate expectations with partners. be forthcoming, guide partners to deliver Fast, short, newsworthy comments tend to short, media-ready insight punctually, score more coverage and take less time and be highly responsive to increase the to prepare – but expect that much of success rate. what is put out there will not be used by the press– don’t take it personally and It is also worth noting that where firms don’t quit, consistency builds secured multiple pieces of coverage for performance over time. a comment, much of this repeat coverage often came from the same publication, demonstrating the importance of building relationships with journalists and outlets.
deliver short, media-ready insight punctually, and be highly responsive to increase success rate
Partners in the Press: Communicating through the COVID-19 crisis Page 7 • There were 282 individual spokespeople quoted in the press during the lockdown period, however more than half of these spokespeople only made one appearance in the press. • 180 spokespeople only featured once in the press, with a further 69 receiving two hits for their commentary. • Four of the firms who made the top five for total coverage had spokespeople who featured in the top ten for individual appearances. Individual contributions matter at the firm level.
All firms’ coverage during lockdown by gender Male Female
2020 31%
2019 35%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
A notable observation that can be • Just two firms had more female made about these top spokespeople is spokespeople quoted than male that, of the partners highlighted in the during the lockdown period, Norton previous section, just two are women. Rose Fulbright and Ashurst.
This is echoed in coverage as a whole, • Three firms had no as less than a third of all appearances appearances from female during lockdown came from female spokespeople during this spokespeople. On top of that, female timeframe. presence is also down when compared • When compared with the same to the same period in 2019, when 35% of period in 2019, ten firms saw a appearances came from women. decrease in the proportion of their spokespeople who were According to data from the Financial female. Times looking at London law firms, there are more women practising law than men in the UK. However, as noted in the FT’s research, only about a fifth of senior lawyers are female.
Page 8 Partners in the Press: Communicating through the COVID-19 crisis Recommendations
Commenting on the findings, Mark Pinnes, Managing Director at Flagship PR stated: “The voices of leading legal minds need to be heard in the public discourse, and this is even more important in times of uncertainty such as these. Top tier journalists we interviewed for this study told us that lawyers help the public to make sense of new regulations in a time of great uncertainty and cut through some of the divisiveness in the current media landscape.
The pandemic has caused all firms to work BE REPRESENTATIVE – if diverse voices are in new ways, and some have become more available to represent your brand, share out prolific in the media, winning the share of the exposure intentionally. If they are not, why voice battle over their competitors - the not start communications training with some following key takeaways provide important new voices? lessons for all: BE CONSISTENT – engage your partners BE PROACTIVE –take the front foot and to pursue regular media success, have a think about how you can help journalists consistent brand message and publicise tell their stories. Stay on top of the regulatory your media successes inside and outside the agenda and advise them that commentary firm as appropriate. It builds confidence in is coming in advance. the company internally and helps persuade general counsels to select you. BE RESPONSIVE – consider what value your partners can bring to public discourse as it BE HUMBLE – Even the best comments evolves – the news happens today; respond sometimes don’t get used. Many top partners to the media as you would your most react to this negatively. Knowing before you important client. begin that much of your effort won’t get used is just part of the cost of succeeding in this environment”
Partners in the Press: Communicating through the COVID-19 crisis Page 9 Methodology
Flagship PR took the top 20 legal firms in the UK by revenue and used Factiva, an international news database produced by Dow Jones, to examine how many times spokespeople from these firms were quoted in the press between March 23, the date when Boris Johnson announced lockdown measures in the UK and August 1, the date when shielding was brought to a close and changes were introduced to the furlough scheme to reduce the government’s contributions. The same analysis was then carried out over the equivalent timeframe in 2019 to compare the media landscape.
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