Category: Law Firm Newswire – Law Firm Marketing

Lincolnshire, IL (Law Firm Newswire) August 13, 2014 - The Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) announced today a partnership with NESSO Strategies to develop strategic leadership programs and interactive educational content for law firm leadership.

"High performance leadership is essential to success in today's legal environment,” states ALA Executive Director Oliver Yandle. “We are thrilled to partner with Nesso Strategies in delivering this engaging and insightful educational program."

The two organizations will collaborate and leverage respective strengths, ALA providing solutions to critical challenges faced by professionals in the legal business industry; and NESSO Strategies bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise in successful leadership development and strategic business planning for law firms.

"We are delighted to partner with ALA,” says NESSO Strategies President Judy Hissong. "To be able to create and deliver impactful leadership programs and content alongside the Association dedicated to legal management is an opportunity to elevate legal leaders and the law firms they work in.”

About the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA)
ALA is focused on the delivery of cutting-edge management and leadership products and services to the global legal community. It identifies and provides solutions to the most critical strategic and operational challenges its members and customers face today, and prepares them for the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow. For more information on ALA, visit http://alanet.org.

About NESSO Strategies
NESSO Strategies partners with law firms to develop people while focused on profit-oriented strategies required in the competitive business environment. NESSO looks for opportunities to elevate leadership in the legal environment, providing cutting edge attention to business practices so law firms move intentionally and consistently forward in their client relationships. For more information on NESSO Strategies, visit http://www.nessostrategies.com/

For more information on ALA, visit http://www.alanet.org

Association of Legal Administrators
75 Tri-State International, Suite 222
Lincolnshire, IL 60069-4435

San Francisco, CA (Law Firm Newswire) August 8, 2014 - A recent study released by Software Advice showed an interesting trend. Consumers needing an attorney trust Yelp more than any other website, including traditional lawyer-specific directories. There is more to learn behind any numbers, and Custom Legal Marketing Lab decided to dig a little deeper and produce a report for its CLM Lab.

The initial Software Advice study was based on 3,465 participants. Yelp was their most popular and trusted source to search for attorneys, even ranking above named lawyer directories. The study also revealed that “70 percent of prospective clients would travel further to see an attorney with better online reviews.”

The value of online reviews is growing, and this data only amplifies that realization. Yelp may be more trusted than legal peer-review directories because it influences so many other choices customers and clients make, from restaurants to new dentists.

The research team at Custom Legal Marketing, a company that specializes in mid-size and large law firm marketing, wanted to find out if Yelp's popularity and most-trusted status also allowed the site to bring the most conversions and new clients to a firm. Good Yelp reviews are powerful, but do they refer more web traffic to law firms than other sites do?

The CLM Lab Report (available for free download) based its research on 357,570 website visits to the pages of law firms based in the United States across multiple regions. Each practice area was equally represented.

As local networks like Google+, Yahoo Local, and Bing Local show local results within search engine results, those networks were omitted from the study.

Law firms can find out which directory drives the most traffic to U.S. firms by downloading the free report at http://www.customlegalmarketing.com/lab/yelp-is-popular-for-lawyer-seekers-but-does-it-deliver-web-traffic/.

Learn more at http://www.customlegalmarketing.com/.

Custom Legal Marketing
An Adviatech company
1111 Kearny St.
San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone: 1.415.449.1985
Toll Free: 1.800.789.6451

Custom Legal Marketing's Blog

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• How Law Firms Should Adapt to Mobile-First Indexing
• The 2018 Content Marketing Plan for Law Firms

Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) July 17, 2014 - In 2014's June/July Issue, BLF takes a two-pronged approach to maximizing your law firm's business potential. With strategies to attract, accommodate and keep your web visitors, BLF helps lawyers reach out to prospective clients. Then, to build your firm from within, the issue covers new technologies and new mindsets to enhance your expertise and marketing impact.

This issue's feature advises legal marketing teams to “Design for All.” More and more seniors are heading online – in fact, they belong to the fastest-growing web demographic. Yet few websites cater to their unique needs and preferences, and it is easier to frustrate older, less experienced web users with design roadblocks. BLF's Art Director, Kristen Friend, breaks down the best strategies to make your website senior-friendly while enhancing it for users of all demographics.

Diane Dean-Epps gives readers “The 411 on 404 Pages,” offering advice and inspiration to keep visitors happily with you even when they reach a dead end.

Falsifying social media popularity is a terrible idea. Buying support goes against the policies of almost every website in existence. But even if your firm abstains from such shady practices, it can still fall victim to click farmers and fraudulent followers who damage your brand for their own gain. Brendan Conley tells readers how to fight back in “If It's Fake, It Will Cost You.”

Few law schools offer courses in marketing one's firm. But in today's competitive legal industry, lawyers need business and advertising savvy to survive. Fortunately, games and learning programs can build that knowledge in as few as five minutes a day. Kerrie Spenser reviews the options in “Gamification for Business Development.”

Over the last few years, quality content generation has become the key to SEO success. But what exactly makes a blog entry high-quality? How does a firm get started on useful articles? In “Content Creation Best Practices,” Ryan Conley demystifies this important but abstract goal with concrete and actionable steps.

TrackMaven, the rapidly expanding competitive intelligence agency most recently seen at SXSW 2014, preaches the power of “Harnessing Competitive Intelligence for Legal Marketing.” Cara Tucker sat down with TrackMaven's Sabel Harris to learn the benefits of and secrets to unlocking information about one's competitors to make better-educated, more effective marketing plans of one's own.

Which is important for a law firm's website to establish: authority or popularity? In “The Future of Search,” Brendan Conley pulls apart the differences between these two often-conflated elements of search engine ranking algorithms.

Digital convergence knits the wide variety of legal marketing technologies together to work in harmony. IT, entertainment, electronics and telecommunications can combine to fulfill a wide variety of needs in a single stroke. As Justin Torres relates in “Digital Convergence: From Maybe to Mandatory,” law firms can create an excellent client experience by uniting their online and in-office efforts.

In this issue's “Taking the Law Into Your Own Handheld,” Kerrie Spenser elucidates the pros and cons of Viivo, a new encryption service designed to interact with online storage. Extra encryption may provide the additional security and peace of mind a firm's most sensitive documents need in the cloud.

In his “Obiter Dicta,” Adviatech founder Jason Bland details the evolution of directories on Google's search engine. A proliferation of gateways will no longer bring new clients; useful content and honest voices will. To jump to the top of the list, a firm needs to stop reporting on its practice area and start speaking for it.

To learn more about how to build a Bigger Law Firm, visit https://www.biggerlawfirm.com

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• Google Limits Search Results Per Domain for More Diversity – How Does This Affect Law Firms?
• Big Results for Big Law Firms
• The Role of Cybersecurity in the Legal Field
• SEO Hierarchy of Needs: A Guide for Beginner Law Firms
• Should Law Firms Use Chatbots Rather Than Mobile Forms?
• Outside the Box: Non-Standard Lawyer Website Inspiration
• Does Your Firm Need a Legal Credit Card Processor?
• How Facebook’s New Political Ad Guidelines Are Affecting Lawyer Advertising
• Why Law Firms Need to Use VPNs
• Why Newsletters Fail and How Your Law Firm’s Newsletter Can Succeed

Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) June 23, 2014 – SEO | Law Firm, an Adviatech company, was awarded Best in Category in the Horizon Interactive Awards for work on the McDevitt Law Office website.

While family law can sometimes create bitter disputes, attorney Lisa Lane McDevitt wanted her web visitors to feel at home, surrounded by a warm design. The site was built to make users feel as though they are sitting in a family room, utilizing several interactive features (none of which rely on Flash).

The unique design of the McDevitt Law Office website, www.mcdevittlaw.net, caught the attention of the Horizon Interactive Awards. The judges gave the website the high honor of Best in Category among all legal entries (https://www.horizoninteractiveawards.com/web-site-awards/2013/legal).

The website built by SEO | Law Firm, an Adviatech company, was a favorite among its development team and was selected to compete based on that pride. While the award went to Adviatech, the team behind the website says their client deserves a great deal of credit.

Adviatech Art Director Kristen Friend said, “It's always a pleasure to work with someone who wants to look past what other lawyers are doing and focus on a design that communicates with their clients. It was a pleasure to work with Lisa and translate the warmth, experience and personal dedication that she gives to her clients into a creative design.”

The international panel of judges consisted of industry professionals with diverse backgrounds and an end-user panel. The judges evaluated categories ranging from online advertising to mobile applications. The winning 2013 entries showcase the industry’s best interactive media solutions including websites, mobile applications, print media, interactive displays, public exhibits, online advertising, video and email.

“The 2013 competition is undoubtedly one of the best showcases of outstanding interactive media in our long competition history,” said Mike Sauce, founder of the Horizon Interactive Awards. “The continued trend of the convergence of multiple forms of digital media into a single interactive experience has yielded a new level of interactivity with technology and blended artistry. For the most part, designers and developers of interactive media experiences have embraced the concept that we can no longer assume how users interface with technology. That is seen in the fact that most of the web sites are built on responsive code sets to optimize the viewing experience no matter what type of device being used. In addition, entries have pushed the boundaries of traditional thinking in terms of expanded features, blended media and integration of multiple marketing and technology channels. Winners in this year’s competition highlight the best blend of technology, cutting-edge thinking, outstanding user experience and overall aesthetics.”

About SEO | Law Firm
SEO | Law Firm, an Adviatech company, provides design, branding and search engine marketing services to law firms. Since 2005, the group has been dedicated to helping law firms grow. Adviatech is also the parent company of Law Firm Newswire, Bigger Law Firm magazine and Custom Legal Marketing.

About the McDevitt Law Office
For more than a decade, Lisa Lane McDevitt has been taking the guesswork out of complex legal issues for clients in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Drawing from her problem-solving skills and comprehensive legal knowledge, she helps simplify the estate planning and family law process so her clients can find peace of mind and focus on their futures.

To view Adviatech's award-winning website, visit http://www.mcdevittlaw.net. Learn more about SEO | Law Firm by visiting http://www.seolawfirm.com.

SEO | Law Firm
An Adviatech company
3016 N US Highway 301, Suite 350
Tampa, FL 33619
1.800.728.5306

Learn more at http://www.mcdevittlaw.net

Lisa Lane McDevitt
2155 Bonaventure Drive
Vienna, VA 22181
Phone: 571-271-1446
http://www.mcdevittlaw.net/

Chicago, IL (Law Firm Newswire) June 3, 2014 – The Law Office of Michael Ian Bender proudly announces the reopening of its Chicago family law firm. Located at 70 West Madison Street in downtown Chicago, The Law Office of Michael Ian Bender concentrates in the complex issues pertaining to family law. The Honorable Michael Ian Bender, a former Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, reopened the firm with a mission to end child abuse.

“I firmly believe that ‘there is no excuse for child abuse’ and I have built my firm upon this belief,” says Bender. “While on the bench I heard thousands of domestic relations cases and recognized the opportunity to protect minors available in private practice. I am proud to reopen my family law firm in Chicago where I can fiercely advocate for the rights and welfare of children.”

Bender reopened The Law Office of Michael Ian Bender after retiring from his meaningful tenure as a Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County – a position also held by his father, Judge Gerald C. Bender, a prominent and respected Divorce Court Judge. Michael Ian Bender originally opened The Law Office in 1993 where he offered a broad range of legal services. Bender later joined the law firm of Nadler, Pritikin & Mirabelli, LLC where he concentrated on family law and advocated for the rights of at-risk youths. In 2008, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed Bender as a Judge for the Circuit Court of Cook County where he was assigned to the Domestic Relations Division, Parentage and Child Support Section. During this time, he heard matters involving child abuse, custody, support, parentage, visitation, and college contribution.

Bender stepped down from the bench in 2013 to reopen The Law Office and concentrate on family law, and to protect the rights of children. He represents minors in court by serving as a child’s representative, guardian ad litem, and attorney for the child in Cook County, Illinois. Additionally, The Law Office of Michael Ian Bender provides personalized legal guidance and support through all facets of family law, including: mediation, prenuptial agreements, divorce representation, child support and custody disagreements, paternity and parentage disputes, visitation agreements, and division of property. Bender is also experienced with protecting the privacy and interests of high-profile and high net worth individuals, including athletes and entertainers.

The Law Office of Michael Ian Bender is located at 70 West Madison Street, Suite 2222, in Chicago Illinois. For more information about the firm, please call 312-236-1500 or visit www.eliminatechildabuse.com.

About the Firm
The Law Office of Michael Ian Bender in Chicago provides personalized legal guidance and support through all facets of family law, including mediation, prenuptial agreements, divorce representation, child support and custody disagreements, paternity and parentage disputes, visitation agreements, and division of property. Michael Ian Bender, a former Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, reopened the firm with a mission to end child abuse. Bender vigorously advocates for the rights of children by serving as a child’s representative, guardian ad litem, and attorney for the child, in Cook County, Illinois.

Press Contact
Karolyn Raphael, Winger Marketing
Phone: 312-494-0422
Email: stefanie@wingermarketing.com

Lincolnshire, IL (Law Firm Newswire) May 23, 2014 Lincolnshire, IL (Law Firm Newswire) May 23, 2014 – At its Conference & Expo in Toronto this week, the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) inducted its board of directors for 2014-15. Leading the association and serving as President for 2014-15 is Paula Barnes of Burr & Forman in Nashville, Tennessee and Paul Farnsworth of Woods Oviatt Gilman, LLP in Rochester, New York continuing his service as Past President of the Board.

The Board includes the following individuals:

President:
Paula K. Barnes
Burr & Forman, LLP
Nashville, TN

President-Elect:
Teresa Walker
Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP
Nashville, TN

Past President:
Paul Farnsworth
Woods Oviatt Gilman, LLP
Rochester, NY

Region 1 Director:
Karen Glowacki
Sherin and Lodgen LLP
Boston, MA

Region 2 Director:
Gary Swisher, CLM
Clark Partington Hart Larry Bond & Stackhouse
Pensacola, FL

Region 3 Director:
Cheryl A. Nelson, CLM, PHR
Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi, LLP
Minneapolis, MN

Region 4 Director:
Greg Madden
Rhodes Hieronymus Jones Tucker & Gable
Tulsa, OK

Region 5 Director:
April Campbell, JD
Perkins Coie LLP
Seattle, WA

Region 6 Director:
Linda E. Quindt, CLM
Marks Finch Thornton & Baird, LLP
San Diego, CA

At-Large Director:
Mark Bridgeman, CLM
U.S. Attorney's Office Northern District of Illinois
Chicago, IL

At-Large Director:
Katie Bryant, CLM
Udall Shumway, PLC
Mesa, AZ

At-Large Director:
Laura J. Broomell, CLM
Greene Espel P.L.L.P.
Minneapolis, MN

About the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA)
ALA is focused on the delivery of cutting-edge management and leadership products and services to the global legal community. It identifies and provides solutions to the most critical strategic and operational challenges its members and customers face today, and prepares them for the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow. For more information on ALA, visit http://alanet.org

Contact
Sander Rosen
Marketing Manager
Association of Legal Administrators
Phone: 847-267-1252

For more information on ALA, visit http://www.alanet.org

Association of Legal Administrators
75 Tri-State International, Suite 222
Lincolnshire, IL 60069-4435

Lincolnshire, IL (Law Firm Newswire) May 23, 2014 Lincolnshire, IL (Law Firm Newswire) May 23, 2014 – The Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) presented The “Outstanding Association Volunteer Award” to five ALA members for his/her exceptional and continued service at ALA’s 2014 Annual Conference & Exposition in Toronto.

2014 Outstanding Association Award recipients include:

1. Roslyn Hazzard, Human Resources Director of Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP, Indianapolis, Indiana. (Indiana Chapter) Hazzard has served in both regional and national leadership roles since 1993, including Regional Officer and Region 3 Director. She also participated on the 2010 Conference Committee and most recently on the IDEA AWARDS Committee.

2. Charly Doe, CLM, Executive Director of TraskBritt, PC in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Greater-Phoenix-Valley of the Sun & Utah Chapters) Doe first served in multiple volunteer roles in ALA’s Greater-Phoenix-Valley of the Sun Chapter but relocated to Utah in 2005. Since then, she has assumed chair positions on both ALA’s Certification Committee and Intellectual Property Retreat Planning Committee.

3. Steven M. Morris, CLM, Office Administrator of Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP in San Francisco, California. (Orange County & Golden Gate Chapters) Since 1995, Morris has served in leadership roles for two California Chapters including Regional Officer, Region 5 Director and a recent appointment to ALA’s new Professional Development Advisory Committee.

4. Carol Anne Nitsche, CLM, former Principal Administrator of Karr Tuttle Campbell in Seattle, Washington. (Puget Sound Chapter) Nitsche has been a member of ALA since 1996, having recently retired in 2014. During her career, she wrote and spoke on several legal topics and served as Regional Officer, Region 5 Director and as a trustee for the Foundation of ALA.

5. Clara Onderdonk, Office Manager of Ernstrom & Dreste, LLP in Rochester, New York. (Rochester Chapter) Onderdonk has been active in the Rochester Chapter since 2000. Noteworthy accomplishments include chairing ALA’s Regional Nominating Committee, serving on the Annual Conference Committee and being named to the Region 1 Leadership Team.

About the Association of Legal Administrators
ALA is the largest international association providing support, high-quality education and services to professionals involved in the management of law firms, corporate legal departments and government legal agencies. With nearly 10,000 members in 30 countries, ALA represents legal administrators who are leaders and industry experts on legal management issues such as finance, human resources, systems and technology, facilities, marketing and practice management. For more information on the Association, visit About ALA.

Contact
Gwen Biasi, CAE
Director of Marketing and Communications
Phone: 847.267.1377

For more information on ALA, visit http://www.alanet.org

Association of Legal Administrators
75 Tri-State International, Suite 222
Lincolnshire, IL 60069-4435

Lincolnshire, IL (Law Firm Newswire) May 23, 2014 – The Association of Legal Administrators’ (ALA) IDEA Awards program recognizes new practices that deliver great value and transformational impact to the legal community through innovative achievement. Awards are presented to ALA chapters, committees, regions, individuals, firms, or organizations (including business partners) that create unique and innovative programs, services, and events. Recipients of the inaugural IDEA Awards include:

ALA Regions 1 & 3 Conference Planning Team: “Transgender Insights & Perspectives”
The team convened a panel of transgendered legal professionals to address conference attendees in October 2013. Through a candid and honest dialogue, this project helped raise awareness of the unique challenges faced by members of the transgender community.

ALA Indiana Chapter: “L.I.F.E. Beyond Shortridge”
Life is all about looking ahead to new opportunities. But members of the Indiana Chapter did more than look – they took action. The L.I.F.E. (Leaders in Firms Emerging) project partnered with an inner-city school (Shortridge) to help its students discover new careers in law.

ALA Greater Los Angeles Chapter: “Professional Legal Management Global Summit – Brazil and Beyond”
ALA members spoke before a Brazilian national conference on the United States’ legal management best practices. This single event is shaping the future of Brazil’s judicial process while broadening ALA’s global reach.

ALA New York City Chapter: “Foot in the Door”
The Business Partner Advisory Council of the New York City Chapter had a problem: How could it get a foot in the door with members? The creative solution involved chocolate and incentives that hit the sweet spot with everyone!

Farella Braun + Martel LLP: “Growing the Community – Growing Diversity in the Legal Profession”
By developing two groundbreaking programs, The Diversity Pipeline Internship Program and The Law and Justice Credit Recovery Program, this law firm is helping more students graduate, go to college and explore new career options.

Complete details regarding ALA’s IDEA Awards program can be found at www.alanet.org/awards.

About the Association of Legal Administrators
ALA is the largest international association providing support, high-quality education and services to professionals involved in the management of law firms, corporate legal departments and government legal agencies. With nearly 10,000 members in 30 countries, ALA represents legal administrators who are leaders and industry experts on legal management issues such as finance, human resources, systems and technology, facilities, marketing and practice management. For more information on the Association, visit About ALA.

Contact
Gwen Biasi, CAE
Director of Marketing and Communications
Phone: 847.267.1377

For more information on ALA, visit http://www.alanet.org

Association of Legal Administrators
75 Tri-State International, Suite 222
Lincolnshire, IL 60069-4435

Lincolnshire, IL (Law Firm Newswire) May 23, 2014 – The Association of Legal Administrators’ (ALA) IDEA Awards program recognizes new practices that deliver great value and transformational impact to the legal community through innovative achievement. Awards are presented to ALA chapters, committees, regions, individuals, firms, or organizations (including business partners) that create unique and innovative programs, services, and events. Recipients of the inaugural IDEA Awards include:

ALA Regions 1 & 3 Conference Planning Team: “Transgender Insights & Perspectives”
The team convened a panel of transgendered legal professionals to address conference attendees in October 2013. Through a candid and honest dialogue, this project helped raise awareness of the unique challenges faced by members of the transgender community.

ALA Indiana Chapter: “L.I.F.E. Beyond Shortridge”
Life is all about looking ahead to new opportunities. But members of the Indiana Chapter did more than look – they took action. The L.I.F.E. (Leaders in Firms Emerging) project partnered with an inner-city school (Shortridge) to help its students discover new careers in law.

ALA Greater Los Angeles Chapter: “Professional Legal Management Global Summit – Brazil and Beyond”
ALA members spoke before a Brazilian national conference on the United States’ legal management best practices. This single event is shaping the future of Brazil’s judicial process while broadening ALA’s global reach.

ALA New York City Chapter: “Foot in the Door”
The Business Partner Advisory Council of the New York City Chapter had a problem: How could it get a foot in the door with members? The creative solution involved chocolate and incentives that hit the sweet spot with everyone!

Farella Braun + Martel LLP: “Growing the Community – Growing Diversity in the Legal Profession”
By developing two groundbreaking programs, The Diversity Pipeline Internship Program and The Law and Justice Credit Recovery Program, this law firm is helping more students graduate, go to college and explore new career options.

Complete details regarding ALA’s IDEA Awards program can be found at www.alanet.org/awards.

About the Association of Legal Administrators
ALA is the largest international association providing support, high-quality education and services to professionals involved in the management of law firms, corporate legal departments and government legal agencies. With nearly 10,000 members in 30 countries, ALA represents legal administrators who are leaders and industry experts on legal management issues such as finance, human resources, systems and technology, facilities, marketing and practice management. For more information on the Association, visit About ALA.

Contact
Gwen Biasi, CAE
Director of Marketing and Communications
Phone: 847.267.1377

For more information on ALA, visit http://www.alanet.org

Association of Legal Administrators
75 Tri-State International, Suite 222
Lincolnshire, IL 60069-4435

New York, NY (Law Firm Newswire) May 20, 2014 – Today, Cushman & Wakefield launched its second annual National Legal Sector Benchmark Survey in partnership with ALM Legal Intelligence, a leading provider of detailed business information and competitive intelligence about the legal industry to top U.S. and international law firms and their clients, including The Am Law 100 and 200.

The survey focuses on the key drivers influencing real estate decisions at law firms across the United States and explores topics which ultimately affect the business, financial and operational success of every competitive firm in the profession.

Administered by Cushman & Wakefield’s Legal Sector Advisory Group (LSAG), and drawing on input received from a broad range of experts and executives in the legal sector, the survey targets law firms across the United States with 75 questions aimed at delving into the challenges and opportunities they face.

"Understanding the changing needs of our legal sector clients and those of the competitive landscape are critical to the design of our strategic plans. This survey provides unmatched data,” said Jim Underhill, CEO of the Americas for Cushman & Wakefield. “Collecting and leveraging this knowledge helps us transform our clients’ real estate into a competitive asset supporting their growth and success"

Sherry Cushman, Executive Managing Director and Head of LSAG, added, “The results we collected in 2013 have been shared with over 500 legal professionals, representing over 250 law firms in 26 cities, informing them of the trends and developments in real estate within the legal sector. Both large and small firms have benefitted from and used this assembled knowledge to improve their standing in a very competitive marketplace.”

In response to the success of the inaugural survey, Cushman & Wakefield partnered with ALM Legal Intelligence this year to prepare and distribute the survey. ALM Legal Intelligence is a leading provider of detailed business information and competitive intelligence about the legal industry to top U.S. and international law firms and their clients, including The Am Law 100 and 200.

During the next 90 days, LSAG professionals will work to confidentially gather completed surveys from the legal community, including Global Real Estate Directors, Chairmen, Executive Directors, Managing and Real Estate Partners, and Senior Administrators throughout the United States. Cushman & Wakefield will analyze the data and produce a detailed, statistics-based report—one that includes future industry projections on how law firms can capitalize on real estate to leverage their position in the marketplace.

Information submitted by individual firms will be collected in a blind fashion and is therefore completely anonymous. The collective data, however, is extremely valuable to participating firms as it offers a comprehensive perspective of how a firm stacks up against its peers in relation to real estate expenses, location and efficiencies. This is important from a competitive standpoint because it provides insight into how similar-sized firms use real estate as a vehicle to decrease overhead, improve overall operations and increase profits.

Cushman & Wakefield will compile the confidential survey results after the survey closes on August 31, analyze the data, and produce a detailed, statistics-based report for survey participants that will include future industry projections. In 2013, 286 law firms responded to the LSAG survey, including, 26 percent designated as Am Law 200 firms (signifying the largest 200 U.S. law firms based on revenue). Firms from every region of the United States responded.

Law firms interested in participating in the 2014 National Legal Sector Benchmark Survey should contact Sherry Cushman (sherry.cushman@cushwake.com; 202-471-3595) to request a hard-copy survey or an online link.