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Claudia Schieblon gives an insight into the legal profession and professional marketing in the shadow
of the Eiffel Tower.
Paris is renowned as the city of great monuments, romantic hide-aways, superb restaurants and the seat
of the French government. But it is also the heart of the French legal profession and the home of nearly
all the professional services marketers working in France. In a population of 61.3 million, there are
35,000 lawyers in France and 40% of them work in Paris. This resembles the London-centered legal
market in the UK but when you take a closer look there are many differences between France and
other markets in Europe.
The legal divisions of the big four accountancy firms are very strong in France, with Fidal
(a spin-off of KPMG), Landwell, Ernst & Young and Deloitte & Touche. In addition there are
large French firms like Gide Loyrette Nouel and Bureau Francis Lefebvre. The typical Paris
law firm is a boutique firm, owned by a handful of partners and not willing to merge internationally.
There are a lot of very profitable firms, such as Bredin Prat & Associates or Darrois Villey Maillot
Brochier, with no need to merge. The exception is Siméon et Associés, a 35 partner
firm with offices in Paris and Brussels, which, in 2001, merged with Lovells. Unlike the numerous
German mergers, the length of the firm name did not grow with their headcount (see such German
firms as Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw Gaedertz or Wilkinson, Barker, Knauer, Leitermann & Partner,
names which are likely to be shortened before long), but agreed on being called Lovells.
"The idea was that we are creating a new firm - a firm in transition," emphasised Corinnet
Billet, in charge of marketing and PR for the firm in Paris.
About 50 foreign firms started setting up offices over the last 30 years, first practicing
their own law specialisms. Over the years these firms hired local specialist who are now in
the majority among the foreign partners. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Paris recruited
the first French partner in 1981, nine years after the opening of their Paris office. Now
they have 32 partners of which 25 are French. Also firms like Allen & Overy, Linklaters or
Clifford Chance provide a wide range of French and international legal services.
Foreign firms had a big influence on the French market. One aspect was the declining impact of the
'personal factor' between the client and his lawyer. Generally for the French it is very important
which school or university you attended and the relationship between graduates of the same (elite)
universities are very close and lead to a lifelong relationship - even as client and lawyer.
Nowadays the lawyers are used to promoting themselves in beauty-parades, where reputation,
service and price is much more important than knowing a key decision maker within the client's firm.
Foreign firms in Paris began by publishing colourful, modern brochures according to their corporate
design and not adapting to the French market, where print material tends to look much more conservative.
However now foreign firms, as well as stronger competition in the French capital, are changing firms'
attitudes. According to foreign firms the clients accept their different style but they have to make
sure to translate their material properly and according to the local tone. The well-educated French
are fluent in English but they are very proud of their culture as well as their language and prefer
to have material produced in French.
As in Germany, bar rules changed in France about six years ago allowing law firms to provide
information to anyone who asked for it, but forbidding the use of any method to acquire a new
client (like cold calls, mailing to non-clients, etc.). Unlike Germany however, firms in France
are free to publish their turnover but not all of them do so. "For us, the firm's turnover is one
of the most important figures for benchmarking against the local market and it therefore seems
obvious to provide it to the public," says Isabelle Epp, Senior Marketing & Communication Manager
at Allen & Overy in Paris. Others, like Lovells, prefer not to divulge this information, as it
might give a very narrow and misunderstood view of the firm's work.
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Twelve years ago the first marketer started work in a law firm in France - Florence Henriet at
Freshfields. Now about 40 marketers are working in Paris law firms. The marketing and communication
departments are made up of between one and eight people and most of them separate the role between
communication (internal and external communication, PR and media relations) and marketing
(all activities towards the client including cross-selling and preparation of beauty parades).
Breakfast meetings for clients are very popular, where the firm invites their clients in the morning
to share 'café au lait et un croissant' as well as knowledge of a certain legal aspect.
The marketers, especially the head of marketing, are mainly female. In France women do not have to
decide between a career and a family as there are excellent child care facilities (nannies and baby
groups for the little ones, full day schools for the older ones). In Paris working women don't ask
"Do you have children?" but "How many children do you have?"
But it was not only international firms that recruited marketers. UGGC is a typical French firm,
which was founded in 1992, when bar rules allowed the creation of a firm which included lawyers,
tax advisers and accountants. Since then the firm has rapidly grown to 150 fee-earners. Their marketer,
Nathalie Rehby, started one and a half year ago. Her tasks include internal and external communication
as well as explaining to her colleagues why marketing and communications are so important for a firm
these days. She dreams of having a marketing team in a few years. At Gide Loyrette Nouel they already
have a team of eight people. This 500 fee-earner strong French firm has thirteen offices in major
cities such as New York, Moscow, Hanoi and Peking. They are pleased to work with the foreign firms
in Paris. "In France the 'confraternité' is an important ethics rule," Martine Parant, the
International Marketing Manager declares. "We very much believe in 'gentlemen's agreements' and
fair play between the firms."
But life isn't always that simple for French marketers. As in other countries not every lawyer
thinks marketing is worth the money and time spent. "For the typical French lawyer the growth of
his practise is more a 'intuitu personae' relationship with his client. So he will leave marketing
to the British and American firms," says Béatrice de Lavaissieére, in charge of marketing
at SJ Berwin in Paris.
Caura Barszcz, a French journalist, recently asked Paris law firms about their marketing.
She found that firms are recruiting their marketers according to their attitude towards marketing.
A conservative thinking firm might put the marketing tasks on a secretaries shoulders, while another
firm who sees itself as a legal service provider will look for a senior and experienced marketer.
Her research also proved that the majority of French lawyers find marketing indispensable (81%)
or very important (14%) for client relationship. But only a quarter of the same lawyers think
that marketing activities can support new business for them.
Like in many other countries the personal reputation of a lawyer is still stronger than the
branding. The client selects to work with a lawyer rather than a firm. So marketers are
providing their service to support the lawyers in their efforts to offer the best work
and service. "We provide haute-couture marketing for the partners and the clients,"
Emmanuelle Vignes, Marketing Manager at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer explains.
"New partners are especially surprised with what we can do for them." The eight marketers at
Freshfields want to become part of the client team. To this end, each of them shares an office
with a lawyer, lunch together and try to adapt their life to their legal colleagues.
"When lawyers trust you in 'normal' life the working relationship between marketers
and lawyers becomes stronger," comments Emmanuelle.
French legal marketing is developing but, as in Germany, it won't adapt to UK nor US marketing habits.
International firms have found out that they cannot force every country to adapt to their worldwide
marketing concept. They have to adjust to the local needs and rules. As the European Union and
increasing globalisation brings people together, they are even more likely to stick to their
traditions and identities.
Claudia Schieblon
Leitung PMN
Marketing für Anwaltskanzleien
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