2014 LMA Texas Conference - Texas Think Tank

The 2014 Texas Think Tank is the inaugural regional conference of the Legal Marketing Association - Texas Chapter (LMATX). As the first gathering of LMATX marketing professionals, our program will bring together members from city groups in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio in addition to many others from across the state.

The Chief Marketing Officers (or equivalent position) of nearly all of the twenty largest firms in Texas, along with many others legal marketing professionals from the state, have contributed to the program content. The conference will be a full day of conversations relevant to both seasoned law firm marketers and those new to the industry. We have been mindful to provide content that speaks to everyone from large, global firms to small shops operating on very limited resources.

This event is a time effective and cost efficient way to network with peers and learn about some of the latest ideas in the industry. Join us for the fun and education!

AGENDA

Thursday, November 6

4:00pm	Registration Opens
6:00-7:00pm	Opening Reception – Magnolia Hotel
7:00-9:00pm	Dinner at the Iron Cactus – Sponsored by Texas LawBook

Friday, November 7

7:30am	Registration Desk Opens
7:30-8:30am	Continental Breakfast – Sponsored by Thomson Reuters
8:30-8:45am	WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS Brandy Austin, Conference Co-Chair, LMATX President Elect, Cantey Hanger LLP Ashraf Lakhani, Conference Co-Chair, LMATX Immediate Past President, Porter Hedges LLP Christine Mitchell, LMATX 2014 President, Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP
8:45-9:30am	OPENING ADDRESS: BE THE BEST BAD PRESENTER EVER! INFLUENCE, IMPACT, AND IMPROV Karen Hough, Founder & CEO, ImprovEdge LLC Karen Hough will provide a guide for legal marketing professionals on how to leverage his/her authentic presence for maximum impact in a high-energy, engaging keynote. Managing perceptions and influencing others is critical whether you are in a one-on-one meeting or presenting formally to an audience of hundreds. Karen will demonstrate how the little known art of improv is all about thinking on your feet, reading your audience and reacting in the moment. It’s a critical part of being a powerful business person, and you will learn new ideas that you can put to use immediately.
9:30-10:30am	CHALLENGES FACING LEGAL MARKETING DEPARTMENTS As law firms continue to adjust to the rapidly changing market, marketing departments are continually facing new challenges. No matter what your role, level of experience, or the size of your team, law firm management is increasingly looking to our department to solve some of the most strategic issues critical to the future of the business. This group of senior Texas legal marketing professionals will walk through some of the current challenges at their firms and how they are addressing them. Deborah McMurray, Content Pilot (Moderator) Shawn Adams, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP Murray Coffey, Chief Marketing Officer, Haynes & Boone, LLP Amy Miller, Director of Client Relations and Marketing, Cox Smith Matthews Inc. Gillian Ward, Chief Marketing Officer, Baker Botts L.L.P.
10:30-11:00am	Break – Sponsored by Content Pilot
11:00-12:00pm	INSIDE THE LAW FIRM – HOW THE MESSAGE IS COMPOSED Breakout #1 Pricing, Profitability, Project Management and the Role of Marketing Revenue is key but profitability is king. Law firms now recognize that it is no longer sufficient to just win revenue; now it must be profitable revenue. This session will cover how law firms are adapting to the new paradigm, including the new role of pricing experts and how pricing, project management, sales and practice management are converging to enhance client relationships and improve Profits Per Partner. This hands-on, practical approach is designed to help legal marketers better understand law firm pricing and to take advantage of pricing as a marketing and business development tool. Toby Brown, Director of Strategic Pricing and Analytics, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Breakout #2 Navigating a Complicated Pitch/RFP through the Firm Everyone in law firm business development has to face a complex RFP or a pitch with many moving parts at some point. Each firm has a different system for coordinating with the internal stakeholders and getting to the final client-ready deliverable. This panel will share some best practices about how firms of different shapes and sizes organize their internal process to achieve maximum results. Michael Blachly, Director of Client Development, Gray Reed & McGraw (Moderator) Brian Dare, Director of Business Development, Baker Botts L.L.P. Josie Morgan, Business Development Manager, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP Vanessa Petrea, Proposal Manager, Andrews Kurth LLP
12:00-1:00pm	Lunch - Sponsored by PCT Solutions
1:00-2:00pm	OUTSIDE THE LAW FIRM – HOW THE MESSAGE GETS OUT Breakout #3 The Future of Public Relations and Law Firms As law firms continue to evolve into more client focused organizations, how they get the message out is critically important. This group of senior media professionals who cover the Texas legal beat will share their thoughts on where they see the future of law firms and media relations. John Eix, Regional Marketing and Business Development Manager, Hunton & Williams LLP (Moderator) John Council, Senior Reporter, Texas Lawyer Mark Curriden, Senior Writer, The Texas Lawbook and The Dallas Morning News Jess Davis, Senior Reporter - Texas, Law360 Bill Hethcock, Staff Writer, Dallas Business Journal Bustillo Miguel, Southwest U.S. Editor, Wall Street Journal Richard Ray, Anchor/Reporter, KDFW-TV/Fox 4 News Dallas Breakout #4 What Social Media Really Looks Like at Different Law Firms Everyone has heard that social media is changing how law firms communicate with their clients. What we do not hear is how firms of different sizes with different resources are doing their best to leverage the power of social media. This discussion will allow you take specific ideas back to your firm to improve your social media outreach. Eric Fletcher, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer, Liskow & Lewis (Moderator) Rachel Allen, Marketing Director, Ford Nassen & Baldwin P.C. Ellen Henderson, Communications Manager, Jackson Walker L.L.P. Michelle McCormick, Director of Communications, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP Shannon Tipton, Public Relations Manager, Winstead PC
2:00-2:15pm	Break
2:15-3:15pm	CAREER LESSONS YOU WON’T FORGET Hear directly from some of the most experienced legal marketers in Texas on how they got to their positions, some of the lessons they have learned over the course of their careers, and their best advice for those who are just starting off in legal marketing. Eric Fletcher, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer, Liskow & Lewis (Moderator) Catherine Austin, Chief Marketing Officer, Norton Rose Fulbright Allen Fuqua, Chief Marketing Officer, Winstead PC Deborah Grabein, Director of Business Development, Andrews Kurth LLP Paul Grabowski, Chief Marketing Officer, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP
3:15-4:00pm	CLOSING ADDRESS: LEGAL INDUSTRY TRENDS – 2014 AND BEYOND Kent Zimmermann, Partner, Zeughauser Group (Introduction by Catherine Austin, Chief Marketing Officer, Norton Rose Fulbright) Kent Zimmerman will walk us through some of the biggest trends in the legal industry in 2014 and provide some insight into what to look for in 2015. As we all know, Texas has been one of the most active legal markets in recent years and Kent will give us some big picture perspective on where our state fits in the domestic and international legal landscape.
4:00pm	Closing Remarks and Adjourn