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"Everyone knows Bird & Bird," says Carola Heinig in a statement that could sound arrogant coming from another firm. But it does not sound arrogant because it is true. Anyone who has followed the international legal market for any time will know that the European- and Asianbased Bird & Bird has a far clearer image than some of the largest firms which pull in revenues six times as large.
But the firm – whose global income was euro 225million in 08/09 – has gone through huge change in the last decade. Not only did it transform itself from being a largely UK firm into a genuinely European one but it also broadened out from being something of a niche operator into a full services firm. "We got away from the image that we are an IP (intellectual property) boutique," says Heinig. "We have turned ourselves into an international law firm with capabilities in all areas." The marketing team plays a "crucial" role in the development of the firm, says managing partner Alexander Schröder-Frerkes.
Two of its hallmarks along this journey have been its courage in meeting these challenges head on and its willingness to try out new ideas. So, for instance, it now also has three offices in China and an association in Singapore, (and so Bird & Bird now calls itself an international law firm, rather than a European one). The German practice – which, with its revenue of euro 45.5million, accounts for over 20 per cent of Bird & Bird international turnover – is an exemplar of this approach. Its first office, in Duesseldorf, has only been in existence eight years. But, despite being so young, Bird & Bird in Germany has no fear of trying out ideas before anyone else. Its marketing department also follows this approach.
To take one example, Bird & Bird is running "the first ever law camp in Germany" this month. Over 100 clients and contacts will arrive at its Frankfurt office on a Saturday morning for a day-long session of discussions in and around the area of IT law. But there will be no final agenda set out beforehand. Only parts of the speaking slots are fixed with speakers of companies such as IBM, Nokia and Deutsche Bahn."The participants decide what they want to discuss exactly," explains Heinig. This happens in the first meeting of the morning. "It's really spontaneous," says Heinig, trying to describe the flavour of the occasion. The IT lawyers suggested the idea to Heinig and, on top of that, they managed to bring in the sponsorship of IBM.
This relatively small but significant example shows just how fortunate Bird & Bird is. The fact that it has such strength in IP also means that it has strength and depth in IT, corporate/M&A and public law. And the partners in those groups thrive on change – a characteristic which makes them ideal collaborators with an open-minded marketing team. "IT for example is automatically connected to a fast-moving community," says Heinig. "You can't really be old-fashioned."
Heinig herself is relatively young, at the age of 30, for the top marketing post. She joined Bird & Bird fresh from university and, after a two-year stint at Shearman & Sterling, she returned in April 2009 to take the top marketing post when her ex-boss transferred to Bird & Bird London. "There are now three people in the marketing department in Germany," she says. She and her two colleagues are doing the marketing for 34 partners,another 106 lawyers and another 160 support staff across its three offices in Frankfurt, Munich,as well as Duesseldorf. And,while most of the work is done in-house, outside resources are also used – for PR, for example, and for design and graphics.
Bird & Bird organises its marketing on both international and national lines. Since 50 per cent of the firm's work in Germany is international, this approach fits in neatly. So, for instance, 2010 will see a reinvigorated key account programme introduced internationally. On one level, this might not entail much change in Germany as the firm already has client management programmes in place. But, as anyone knows who runs such a programme, there are many different ways of carrying out and recording such a scheme – so there is bound to be a fair amount of change on a practical level. But 2010 will also see various national initiatives. For example, the firm has many international newsletters across various industries, but this year a new German language newsletter will be published on energy and renewables – a response to the increasing national activity around energy supply as Germany phases out its use of nuclear power.
Germany will also take the lead for the whole firm on another marketing issue as it will develop an international bulletin for the automotive sector.Led by the Frankfurt partner who heads the automotive group,the German marketing team will support the marketing initiatives that address the crisis in parts of the automotive sector and the need for motor manufacturers to cut down CO2 emissions in future."This is an ideal time for marketing to focus on the automotive sector as marketing is, more or less, counter-cyclical," says Heinig."You improve and invest when there is a downturn."
Spotting changes in another area, Bird & Bird Germany is also now starting to train its lawyers to write directly for newspapers.In February,it had its first session on this subject for a group of its lawyers – "one or two from each practice" – with the aim of building up a 'press pool'The lawyers are being trained, by a journalist,to act like journalists,meeting short deadlines and writing articles in a journalistic style. If ever there was a time to do this it is now. Many newspapers around the world are laying off their own staff and dramatically increasing the amount of copy they take from outside sources.
But ideas do not have to be totally new for Bird & Bird to try them. Ladies@Bird is based on such a basic human tendency – that of women to talk together more freely,at times,without men. While it could be accused of being politically incorrect in some quarters,it is simply a networking opportunity for successful women who come to one of Bird & Bird's offices to hear two short talks on a topical artiissue and its legal implications, and enjoy some cocktails afterwards. Suggested by the (male) chairman of the firm, Ladies@Bird has been a success since its 2006 launch (with talks on the 2006 football world cup which was held in Germany). Nearly 60 women attended the last such event, and the aim is to hold three of these meetings a year, one in each office. Heinig is so impressed with the success of this initiative that she has just begun thinking of the idea of a Gentlemen@Bird.
Men at Bird & Bird Germany are, in fact, highly visible in ways that occur far less amongst law firms in other countries – they are seen out on the football pitch together. On the idea of German managing partner Alexander Schröder-Frerkes,Bird & Bird launched the Twobirds Cup when it started in 2002 which now includes about 20 German law firms competing every August,for this trophy. "It's good fun," says Heinig. "And every year it is a topic the local press are interested in." As well as serving to keep relations harmonious with legal rivals and collaborators, the Two Birds Cup is not wasted as a marketing opportunity.Juve, publishers of the German commercial law firm handbook, sponsor a 'fair play' award, and Frankenheim, the great Duesseldorf brewery,provide the beer.
Bird & Bird's activities seem to demonstrate a natural approach to marketing coming from the lawyers themselves, rather than illustrating a totally centralised system which is imposed on reluctant fee-earners by a marketing team.
Given what Bird & Bird in Germany has achieved in the last eight years with a marketing team that only reached three last October, then its current potential could well be far greater. The firm seems to have several people, from the chairman down who are coming up with their own successful marketing plans. The revival after the recession will be a crucial time for all major law firms and Bird & Bird Germany seems to have many of the qualities which could make it push ahead in these interesting times.