Client relationships and litigation departments in law firms

Our partner, Guillermo Bayas Fernández, a lawyer specialising in Dispute resolution, answered questions posed by Centrum Magazine regarding client relations and dispute resolution departments in law firms.

As highlighted by Guillermo in the article published by Centrum Magazine, client relationships in law firms vary considerably depending on which department we are talking about. And when it comes to dispute resolution, there are important differences that need to be considered when developing a marketing plan or client relationships.

As an example, clients that face a litigation – be it as plaintiffs or defendants – often just want to hear that they are going to win and ask their lawyers for assurance in this regard. In such situation, it’s easy to be swept up by our client’s expectations and confirm their, more often than not, too optimistic forecast (“of course, this case is won”, “do not worry, the plaintiff has nothing to do, his claim is ridiculous”). Do not fall in this beginner’s trap and, think about your long-term strategy with your prospective client because, if such predictions are later not confirmed and your client loses the case, they will also lose any faith they had in you or, even worse, they will think that you lied to them in order to be hired. Eventually, your client will walk away, and this might damage your reputation too. Therefore, if a prospective client asks the big question (“So, are we going to win?”), be very earnest in your prediction, even if they are convinced of their chances of success.

“A reasonable client will understand you are giving them the best advice and respect you for being firm and not being swept up by their enthusiasm. An unreasonable client might walk away and look for a litigator that confirms they wrong expectations but, then, who wants to have unreasonable clients?” recommends Guillermo.

About Centrum Magazine

Centrum Magazine is a newspaper published by PSMG (Professional Services Marketing Group), an international membership organisation for marketers in professional services. Founded in 1989, PSMG is an independent, forward-thinking partnership focused on the education, training and empowerment of all those who play a role in marketing and business development within the sector.

To read the full article, please click here.

If you would like more information on this subject, please contact us.