Bidding 101: know the target

As 2019 drew to a close, I ran a training session with a law firm on bidding best practice. A little bit of down time over the Christmas break gave me time to reflect on a frankly critical aspect of the bidding process. Lawyers often bid for work without really...


Five resolutions to help boost your social media presence

“New year, new you!” come the cries every January – and the nation is divided into those who embrace this wholeheartedly and those who eschew the whole process. Social media divides lawyers in a similar fashion. Plenty welcome it, many half-heartedly attempt it and others ignore it completely.  Whichever camp you fall...


Harry and Meghan: a PR win or fail?

I’m possibly alone in having decided I am not a ‘royal expert’ - which fortunately frees me up to watch the unfolding media storm around the decision of ‘Harry and Meghan’ to quit public life and royal duties. I do have a particular communications interest in all this – in time...


Cool Britannia: the UK is having a cultural ‘moment’ – so how can we capitalise on this success?

The Golden Globes was another big night for British talent, and we’re getting used to receiving accolades for series including Fleabag and The Crown, which have been hoovering up awards for months on end. Sunday night’s 77th Golden Globes show also saw wins for other Brits, including Sam Mendes, Brian Cox,...


Thought Leader Interview: Chris Fowler

In our latest Thought Leader interview, Chris Fowler, General Counsel Technology at BT Group, talks about what he looks for in an external legal adviser, the influence of the legal directories and how technology has affected the delivery of legal services. What do you look for in your external legal adviser...


The biggest PR disasters of 2019

It’s been a big year for people and companies putting their foot in it, but which PR mistakes have been a meme-seeker's triumph, and which have been enough to sink a career?

How not to give an interview

If you’d told us a year ago that one of 2019’s biggest TV moments...


Directory mentions – you could do so much more with them

Taking entries and interviews for the legal directories is a serious commitment by law firms and chambers. For many, the cost of supplementing an editorial mention with a firm or individual directory listing is dwarfed by the internal resource they have dedicated – perhaps a third of a marketing or...


Greta Thunberg: a lesson in personal branding

Like the rest of the world, I am having a serious fan-girl moment over teenage activist Greta Thunberg, who has just been announced as Time's Person of the Year 2019 - the youngest in its history. Here are five reasons why her personal PR branding has been on point (and...


Are Christmas cards still in line with your brand?

It’s interesting to see some law firms are using social media posts as an environmentally conscious alternative to Christmas cards. People are urged to ‘like’ the post, with a promise to donate a small amount to charity for every like received. At first glance, this could be dismissed as a miserly...


An express lesson in how to mop up a PR disaster

Many years ago I applied to be a press officer for Prince Charles. I didn't get it and instead went on a journey to protect the reputations of the legal sector. So when the ginormous PR disaster of epic proportions unfolded recently starring Prince Andrew vs Emily Maitlis I felt...