Passle CMO Series Podcast

In this special Thanksgiving edition of the CMO Series Podcast, we bring together an inspiring group of legal marketing professionals to reflect on the people and experiences that have shaped their careers. From the mentors who instilled the value of continuous learning to the strategies that help achieve work-life balance, our guests share heartfelt gratitude, invaluable advice, and insights into building resilience and thriving in the industry.

Thank you to all our guests for sharing their gratitude, wisdom, and experiences. 

Stay tuned for part two, where more industry leaders join us to discuss their inspirations and the value of boldness in legal marketing.

Looking beyond the legal marketing industry offers invaluable insights and fresh perspectives that can drive true innovation. In today’s episode of the Passle CMO Series Podcast, Will Eke welcomes Halina Kochanowicz, Chief Commercial Officer at IPH Ltd. Halina brings a wealth of knowledge from her extensive experience leading marketing for top-tier, magic-circle law firms to her current CCO role, where she continues to shape business strategies at the highest level.

In this conversation, we’ll delve into Halina’s unique journey, exploring the key lessons law firm marketers can learn from other industries. 

Halina and Will explore:

• Halina’s career journey to Chief Commercial Officer at IPH

This week's special episode of the CMO Series Digital Masterclass was recorded live in London where Charles Cousins sat down with Sophie Bowkett, CMO at Bird & Bird, for an insightful conversation about the firm's remarkable digital transformation journey.

In this episode, Charles and Sophie delve into the story behind Bird & Bird's comprehensive rebrand and the development of a scalable digital infrastructure designed to support their global teams. They discuss the importance of thought leadership, lawyer activation, and self-service tools in crafting a bold market presence.

Sophie shares her experiences and insights on managing large-scale projects, the challenges of implementing behavioural change across a vast network of 1,700 lawyers, and the strategies Bird & Bird employs to ensure their brand resonates with a human-centric approach.

Learn how Bird & Bird is leveraging technology to democratize data, enabling their lawyers to take charge of their personal branding and business development. Discover the synergies between various projects, including the Activator BD and sales training, and how they align with the firm's five-year strategic plan.

This episode is packed with practical insights and real-world examples of how a forward-thinking law firm is navigating the digital landscape to enhance its market presence. Whether you're in the legal industry or interested in digital transformation, this conversation offers valuable takeaways for building a world-class digital presence.

Building a world-class digital presence is often associated with big budgets and large teams. In this episode, we’re exploring how to achieve online success with a leaner approach. 

Charlie Knight welcomes Karen Wilcox, former Head of Marketing at Taylor English and previous Marketing Director at Kilpatrick to the CMO Series Digital Masterclass. With a foundation in Big Four consulting, Karen now leads as President of Marketing Speaks, bringing years of expertise in driving effective digital marketing strategies.

Join us as Karen shares her unique insights on how firms can develop and implement impactful digital marketing approaches with a lean team. She’ll offer best practices and actionable advice for firms of all sizes looking to make a big impact with streamlined resources.

Karen and Charlie explore:

• The starting point for implementing a digital strategy with limited resources

Thought leadership is essential to professional services marketing - it provides firms with a powerful platform to showcase their expertise while delivering value to clients and prospects. 

In today’s episode of the CMO Series Podcast, we dive into a new approach to thought leadership, one designed to maximize its strategic business impact.

Ed Lovatt sits down with Jeff Berardi, former Chief BD and Marketing Officer at Arnold & Porter, CMO at K&L Gates and Ankura, and now a marketing consultant at Berardi Consulting, to discuss his 7-step model for driving business value through thought leadership.

Jeff and Ed cover: 

• Why marketers and BD professionals need to look at thought leadership differently, and why they should sit up and pay attention to this 7-step model

You can read more about Jeff’s 7-step process in this LSSO article. 

A firm's brand establishes credibility and attracts clients, while individual attorneys' brands build trust and showcase expertise. Together, they create a synergy that enhances the firm’s reputation and market reach.

In this episode of the CMO Series Digital Masterclass, Charlie Knight is joined by Amanda Schneider, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Epstein Becker Green. With 20 years of law firm leadership experience, Amanda discusses how CMOs can effectively balance integrating a firm’s overall brand strategy with the individual brands of its attorneys online.

Amanda and Charlie Cover:

• How firms balance between their law firm brand and the brands of their individual attorneys

In this special episode of the CMO Series Podcast, we revisit a memorable session from the CMO Series Live held in New York.

Eugene McCormick set the stage for an engaging discussion with Alison Arjoon, the Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Fragomen, and Luke Ferrandino, the Chief Marketing Officer at Paul Weiss. Together, they explored how AI is ushering in a new era of collaboration and transforming the Business Pyramid.

Alison, Luke and Eugene Cover:

The role of technology and the challenges faced by both traditional and non-traditional law firms

Strategies for effectively leveraging technology to streamline processes

How AI contributed to project successes and fostered a new way of collaboration 

The evolving role of AI and its current and future impact 

Welcome to the CMO Series Digital Masterclass. A successful website build for any professional services firm begins with a well-crafted RFP. Today, we're joined by Anders Holt, CEO of Novicell, and Chris Eatherton, Head of Digital Marketing at AlixPartners, who will share their expertise on the complexities of website projects and the nuances of crafting a winning RFP from both the agency and client perspectives.

In this episode, we discuss the biggest challenges firms face when drafting an RFP, the importance of involving technical experts early on, and how to approach a project with a clear understanding of both functional and non-functional requirements.

If you're a CMO planning a website overhaul, stay tuned for actionable insights and expert advice on how to set your project up for success from the very start.

While many firms strive to put clients first, today we’re exploring what it truly means to be 'client-shaped' and how the role of the CMO is evolving to instil that mindset across organisations.

No one is better equipped to delve into this topic, in today’s episode, Will Eke is excited to welcome Laura Ottley, Chief Marketing Officer at Addleshaw Goddard, to the CMO Series Podcast.

Laura has played a pivotal role in redefining Addleshaw Goddard’s approach to client engagement. She joins the series to share her leadership journey, the innovative campaigns that have set the firm apart, and discuss how embracing a client-shaped philosophy has transformed both their external impact and internal team culture.

During their conversation, Laura and Will cover:

• Laura’s career path and the steps that led her to the CMO role at Addleshaw Goddard

In this episode of the CMO Series Digital Masterclass, Charlie invites Julie Chodos, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Axinn, and Duncan Shaw, Chief Creative Officer at Living Group to guide us through Axinn’s rebranding journey, fresh off the back of its launch.

Julie, working alongside Duncan, has just unveiled Axinn's new brand and website and joins the series to share her insights on the entire journey, from setting the project's scope to managing change within the firm. Duncan shares his perspective as a partner in the process, revealing some of the secrets to successfully delivering a legal rebrand that aligns with the organization’s goals.

Julie, Duncan and Charlie Cover:

• Julie’s decision to deliver a full rebrand and how it was necessary in building a strong digital presence

You can check out Axinn’s new brand and website here.