Innovation in a

Boutique Firm

BCFamilyLaw.ca
Presented by: Lorne MacLean
MacLean Family Law Group
Nov 2009
Winner: 2003 LMA Best
of Show "Most
Innovative" Award
MacLean Family Law Group Strategy:

– Position ourselves as a niche

firm in medium to high net
worth family law practice

– Rebrand to move upscale and

get away from commoditization
of family law fees ending up
with repositioning in market
place and identity change that
won LMA best of show 2003

– http://www.fishmanmarketing.
com/?t=26&PR=47
Benefits of opening a branch in a small town
Be a big fish in a small pond 2006

• Keep an open mind and don’t let

your ego block you from taking risks
and thinking outside the box
• We decided to accept files from a
small North Eastern BC boom town
called Fort St John BC and
discovered more millionaires there
per capita than Vancouver
• We built a brand new office with no
real competition – booming fees
within days of opening
It is clear that change is upon us and we need
to embrace it and swim with the current, not
perish by swimming against it
• Family Law clients have long been price sensitive and are
clamouring to speed the process and reduce costs and we
face competition from:
• Do it yourself kits and unbundled legal services
• Mediation/Collaborative Law
• New family law settlement franchise companies
• Who knows but I suspect the next killer iPhone App
for $9.99 will be called BC EASY FAMILY SPLIT UP!
What works & what does not work?

• What are the Pros and Cons of fixed fee and alternative fee
arrangements for litigation boutiques?

• Do individual clients as opposed to large companies really

want a fixed fee or alternative fee arrangement?

• Disincentives to prompt settlement from fixed

fee arrangements
How can fixed fee and litigation budgeting work for a
small boutique litigation firm? Examples:
• Shepherd Law Group in Boston USA
• http://www.clientrevolution.com/
• http://www.clientrevolution.com/2009/08/how-do-you-set-your-
prices.html
• http://www.shepherdlawgroup.com/approach.php

• Valorem Law Group and Founding Partner Patrick Lamb-9 man

firm- business litigation
• http://www.valoremlaw.com/
• http://www.valoremlaw.com/what/value-line-adjustment.html
• http://www.patrickjlamb.com/archives/cat-hourly-rates-and-
alternatives.html
• Traverse Legal-Internet and IP law 6 man firm
• http://www.traverselegal.com/about/
• http://greatestamericanlawyer.typepad.com/greatest_american_lawyer/v
aluebased_billing/

• Chinn and Associates 3 man divorce law firm

• http://www.chinnandassociates.com/value.html

• Rosen Law Firm

• http://www.rosen.com/
• http://www.rosen.com/feecalculator/

• Illinois Divorce-unbundled services

• http://www.illinoisdivorce.com/
2009 Time to refresh &
leverage social media
• Cut marketing costs and broaden reach by being in vanguard of social media

• Use social media and video including BC Family Law TV to extend reach and
position as the go to BC family law firm

• Be the first to build an online network through social media

– Facebook business page, Twitter profile, LinkedIn profile, Flickr etc…

• Leverage social media marketing to build your brand

– Build a “family law” minded community surrounding your brand
– Reach out to your community of potential customers
– Follow like minded individuals on social networks & learn from them (LinkedIn)
Reach out to your networks for answers!
Announcing a new business initiative
For example: Fixed fee & Litigation budgeting
• Advertise
• Facebook Cost Per Click
• Google (Adwords)

• Build supporting content and

organic search rankings
• Website
• Blog
• Twitter

• Distribute and share content

• RSS Feeds
• Twitter
• Facebook business page
Advancing your reputation as the
“go to firm” for high end family law
• Interact with your social media community

– Provide feedback to comments and questions on Facebook

– Engage with other like minded individuals on Twitter

• Find out what your competitors are saying online & induce your brand and
expertise into their conversations

– Reply to their Twitter feeds

– Comment on their blogs
• Twitter: @bcfamilylaw
• Blog: http://www.bcfamilylaw.ca/resources/blog/
• Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcfamilylaw/
• Website: www.bcfamilylaw.ca
• Email: lorne@bcfamilylaw.ca
• Facebook Business Page : BC Family Law - MacLean Family
Law Group
Supporting Material

What is Social Media Marketing?

Slides 9-12

What did we do?

MacLean Family Law Case Study
Slides 13-25
What is Social Media?

Social media is an umbrella term that defines

the various activities that integrate
technology, social interaction, and the
construction of words, pictures, videos, and
audio.

But that doesn’t quite do it…

Social Media allows people to
engage, participate, and share
their ideas online

Social Media is:

• open
• decentralized
• real time
• impact
• transparent
• measurable
Social media has reach!
• 346,000,000
number of people globally who read blogs
• 700,000,000
number of photos added to Facebook monthly
• 273.1 minutes
time on average spent watching online video
each month
• 55%
internet users who have uploaded and shared
photos
• 57%
internet users who have joined a social network
• 93%
Americans online expect companies to have a
social media presence
Benefits

• Low-cost

• Increase Profitability

• Community/ Supporters

• Primary + Secondary Traffic

• Better Search Engine Rankings

What did we do?

What we did?
New Site
New Blog
New Twitter Account
New Facebook Business Page + Facebook Advertising
New LinkedIn Profile Page + LinkedIn Advertising
New Yelp Business Listing
Measuring Success
Measuring Success
Measuring Success – Facebook + Demographics
Measuring Success – Facebook + Community Interaction
Twitter – Growing Followers
 The social Internet is a major
opportunity for brands,
advertisers and marketers - it
allows for a much more positive
relationship with consumers /
potential customers

3 themes must be embraced for a

SMM campaign to succeed:

CREATIVITY
INTERACTION
PARTICIPATION
Online Marketing and Social Media
Marketing for MacLean Family Law
Group by 6S Marketing Inc.

http://www.6smarketing.com

Lyn Wilson
Manager, Client Services
6S Marketing Inc.
phone. 604.282.7605
lyn@6smarketing.com