Business boosters

THESE DAYS it seems that not a day goes by without some bleak warning about the impact of climate change, effects of global warming and the general downfall of society adorning the pages of the morning paper. With the seemingly endless press coverage comes the growing realisation that if such stark predictions are ever to be banished from our broadsheets it is up to us to instigate the changes needed to make that happen – be it through volunteering for a charity or simply making the effort to take a trip to the local recycling plant once in a while. So great is this need to make a difference, it has seeped into the corporate arena and today even the most traditional of law firms has a corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda of sorts focused on environment concerns, or on improving the lives of the local community and workforce. But is the growing popularity of such policies in the legal sector really only motivated by a desire to ‘do good’? This month we sought to clarify just that by examining the reasons why firms have adopted a CSR programme and the various ways in which doing so can boost your business (page 10).
In fact this whole issue focuses on how law firms can profit from change. And with Joseph Calve, Proskauer Rose’s chief marketing officer, revealing how he was able to develop a number one-ranking marketing and BD department (page 6) and Rollits’ marketing manager Pat Coyle and marketing consultant Bernard Savage discussing the benefits of using space to your advantage when managing client relationships (page 24) , I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
Indeed, should you wish to explore the ‘business of law’ further, Ark Group will be giving marketing and BD executives an opportunity to participate in boardroom debates and in-depth dialogue with other senior leaders on key strategic issues at the first Legal Marketing Senior Leader Retreat. This unique two-day conference, attended by speakers from leading international firms, will take place in the luxurious setting of Surrey’s Woodland Park Hotel from the 9-11 June. If you would like more information or to register for the event, contact Katie Whatmore at kwhatmore@ark-group.com.
As always, if you have any feedback or would like to contribute an article, I would love to hear from you. Contact me at lmcnulty@ark-group.com.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this issue.

Lucy McNulty, Assistant Editor