(Memphis, TN/February 15, 2007) The marketing department of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC has been ranked among the top in the country by Marketing the Law Firm, a national newsletter published by Law Journal Newsletters. In "The Second Annual Marketing the Law Firm 50: The Top Law Firms in Marketing and Communications," Baker Donelson was ranked number 11 on the list of 50 law firm marketing departments, receiving recognition for the creation and implementation of two attorney training programs.
The first program, PracticeAdvance, is a joint initiative of the Firm's Marketing and Professional Development departments. The program offers year-round training classes covering a variety of topics, including the delivery of excellent client service, time management and business development. A more comprehensive eight-session course is also offered with classes that focus on areas such as the importance of creating a life/work balance, developing individual attorney marketing plans and handling initial client meetings.
"By creating PracticeAdvance, the Firm's Marketing and Professional Development departments have invested in the Firm's greatest, client-focused assets: Baker Donelson attorneys," said Laura Hine, Baker Donelson's Chief Marketing Officer. "Participants gain the tools necessary to be more effective, efficient attorneys, while allowing them to prioritize and achieve real satisfaction in their practice and lives. The Firm's attorneys are the Baker Donelson brand, and the PracticeAdvance program builds upon the strength of that brand."
The response to PracticeAdvance was so positive that an extension of the program was introduced. The "20 Over 40" program is geared toward attorneys aged 40 and up. After being organized into groups of 20, the participating attorneys within each group begin with a retreat to set goals, and then are held personally responsible for those goals by the other attorneys in their group. "When the 20 Over 40 program was announced, we thought we would start with only one group of 20," said Tea Hoffmann, Baker Donelson's Director of Client Development. "The response was so overwhelming that more groups were created. Now, 78 of the Firm's attorneys are participating in the program."
The "Marketing the Law Firm 50" list was published in the December 2006 issue of Marketing the Law Firm. This is the second consecutive year Baker Donelson's marketing department has been included in the "Marketing the Law Firm 50" list, receiving recognition on the previous year's list for development of the Firm's overall strategic marketing plan.