The author, Barbara Koenen-Geerdink is head of global business development and marketing at Ince and previously worked for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Taylor Wessing.
The book includes the results of an in-depth survey of 152 junior lawyers and advisors, which found a gap between firms’ expectations of lawyers regarding business development and marketing and the training that they actually provide.
Half of the respondents said they had not developed any client base for themselves and only 10% said they currently have a well-developed client base. Koenen-Geerdink also drew this conclusion from a series of conversations with fee earners across numerous law firms who expressed concerns around building their practice and attracting clients.
Koenen-Geerdink said: ‘Over the course of my career, I have met hundreds of fee earners who have had difficulty in building their client portfolios and generating new leads.
‘Many have expressed a desire for additional training in this area, but there has been a lack of resources to accommodate this. Beyond Billable Hours gives lawyers a tried and tested blueprint to help them develop their business marketing skills, building up their client portfolio and exceed partner expectations.’
Koenen-Geerdink is also releasing a series of YouTube training videos to help junior lawyers work on their development while on lockdown due to the current COVID-19 crisis. The channel can be found at: www.youtube.com/channel/UC3RQXYv5YIKGtHL3Ws_sf2w.
For more information on the book, see: www.beyondbillablehours.com.
