CC to energise practice areas with sector focus bid
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As part of its global reorganisation, Clifford Chance has begun using the banking industry model to market the firm to clients, creating 13 industry-focused groups that sit across practice areas.
Partners can select one or more sectors to specialise in while remaining in their current practice groups.
The aim is to make the firm more attractive to potential clients by partners becoming experts in clients’ specific sectors.
Global head of banking Mark Campbell and global head of corporate Matthew Layton are leading the scheme. Campbell said: “Clients want partners that are legal experts, but they also want lawyers that are knowledgeable about their business. Defining these sectors will help the firm do that. It doesn’t change the structure of the firm. It’s about how we market ourselves.”
The initiative is modelled on the banking sector, which has marketed its business on a sector basis for many years.
The sectors include financial services, retail, aviation, automotive and oil and gas. Partners for each sector will meet regularly to help develop business in that area.
Campbell said: “We’ve obviously been focusing on certain areas of business, such as financial services, for years. This is an extension of how we’ve been working in the past. The idea is to make the firm and our services much more attractive to the client base.”
Readers' comments (7)
Anonymous | 3-Aug-2009 3:19 pm
clients have for years been saying that what they really value is knowledge about their sector and their business. Why not go one step further in developing lawyers business skills and include 6 months secondment to a client as part of their training - now clients really woudl value that!!
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Anonymous | 3-Aug-2009 6:45 pm
If they just thought of this, they're in more trouble than they appear to be.
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Britomart | 3-Aug-2009 8:18 pm
Are CC turning into a bigger Dentons? Isn't this what all the medium sized firms have been doing for years?
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Anonymous | 4-Aug-2009 3:12 pm
This is hardly innovative. Freshfields did this after the last recession.
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Anonymous | 4-Aug-2009 3:31 pm
I'm not sure what is more worrying - 1. that they've only just realised that understanding the clients environment abd business might be a good idea 2. that they think its worth shouting about it or 3. that the lawyer think its newsworthy!?! Although maybe because it is such a groundbreaking leap for them it is newsworthy!
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Anonymous | 6-Aug-2009 7:20 pm
Hm! The Emperor's new clothes ... inside out?
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schlomo | 22-Aug-2009 9:32 am
I thought this had been enacted. They were certainly talking about it nearly a decade ago.
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