43 Law Firms Clients Say are Winning in the COVID-19 World

New law firm rosters are part of the new reality.

The pandemic is redefining corporate counsel objectives and in some cases their core role. Top legal decision makers tell us how a few law firms have really stepped it up, jumped in, and are truly committed.

Clients point to 43 law firms leading the pack. These are the firms they would not only keep—but will go to the mat to keep if they are forced to choose. Please join me in congratulating the following firms earning this coveted spot:

Alston & Bird
Arnold & Porter
Baker McKenzie
Cahill
Cooley
Covington
Davis Polk
Dechert
Dentons
Faegre Drinker
Foley & Lardner

Gibson Dunn
Greenberg Traurig
Hunton Andrews Kurth
Jones Day
King & Spalding
Kirkland & Ellis
Kramer Levin
Latham & Watkins
Littler
Locke Lord
Mayer Brown

McDermott Will & Emery
McGuireWoods
Morgan Lewis
Ogletree Deakins
O’Melveny
Orrick
Pillsbury
Proskauer
Quinn Emanuel
Ropes & Gray
Sidley

Skadden
Squire Patton Boggs
Sullivan & Cromwell
Troutman Sanders
Venable
Williams & Connolly
Willkie
WilmerHale
Wilson Elser
Wilson Sonsini

A New Kind of Client Service

BTI identified 2 new aspects of client service in the BTI Client Service A- Team 2020 released last December: dealing with complexity and uniformity of service. These 2 new client service attributes are at the top of the current list clients point to as critical today:

—	Relishes complexity
—	Acts with uniform levels of understanding and urgency across the team including individuals who are part of COVID-19 resource centers
—	Anticipates needs
—	Moves quickly to meet these upcoming needs
—	Combines deep understanding of their client’s business risk and legal risk
—	Brings deep sensitivity to client risk tolerance
—	Advises and counsels – share clear opinions about what is best
—	Makes themselves uber-reliable
—	Are always available
—	Offers hyper-relevant, specialized knowledge and unique interpretations of the law

Still Time for Law Firms to Win

Plenty of clients are still assessing their panel. You can stay ahead of the trend and make the law firm panel redefinition work for you. Note, this reshuffling of law firm rosters is an informal process – clients are spending more time with the best performers – don’t expect announcements or discussions – it’s just unfolding in front of all of us.

How to Win Coveted Client Attention

Engage in informal and frequent dialogue with your client and share your opinions. You can engage in the best practices to develop clients and business in the COVID 19 era. Deep, probative, and engaging 3rd party client feedback also keeps you ahead of the curve – and on the permanent law firm panel. We are conducting telephone-based client feedback right now and our clients are learning exactly what their clients are concerned about, how it might evolve, priorities, and the issues to stay in front of next – and how to land the new COVID-19 related business.

It may seem like the pandemic will last forever – fortunately, it will not. Engage while client needs are being defined and your client’s need to unravel complex issues is acute. New relationships borne out of extreme change and risk are hard won – but harder to lose once developed. It’s worth every second of time.

Be well and be safe.

MBR

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