“We want to be able to say to our clients,” said Carman, “we have a large group of people who understand your industry from top to bottom. And that, to me, is the biggest change I’ve seen in almost 30 years.”
In a similar vein, some of Kutak Rock’s large institutional clients may want the firm to build a practice group around the client needs, structured finance for example. Said Bob Keim, “I think that’s the way it’s been for the last 10 to 15 years.”
The last three or four years, Lathrop & Gage’s national office has been focused on intellectual property, said Tom Stahl. As the firmed moved into different, larger markets, the firm promoted both its expertise and its Kansas City prices. “It was easier to try to expand the firm instead of trying to be all things to all people when you go to a national office,” said Stahl.
“To me,” said John Snyder, “even with all these changes over the years, it’s still a relationship business.” By this he meant that you have to get out and show the client what the firm can do. “You always need to be thinking about what your clients are doing.”
Self-Definition
The question was asked as to how law firms today define themselves in regards to their mission and their capabilities. At Kutak Rock, said Jay Selanders, the message is “National Scope, Local Results.” As to the “elevator speech,” Kutak Rock’s is that theirs is a Midwest firm with Midwest rates and Midwest values with offices on both coasts and an international presence.
When asked, Pete Smith tells prospects, “Our law firm leads with the lawyers and not the law firm. My lawyers care a lot about you winning or getting you a good result. That’s what we try to do.”
George Halper, a partner with McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips, said his firm’s slogan, only half-jokingly, is “We serve the entire metropolitan area.” MVP happens to have long-term roots in Wyandotte County and their headquarters now straddles the state line.
Summary
“The one take-away I have is that the Kansas City legal market is a little more insulated throughout the past five years than other markets,” said John Snyder. “Other markets did not have as good a past five years.”
“This was a time when we all came to realize that we’re in a national or international market that has changed and is never going to change back,” said Larry Tucker. “It has created higher expectations by clients for efficient and effective delivery of legal services.”
“If you’re not moving really fast,” said Scott Kreamer, “you’re going to fall behind, and that’s a take-away we all knew, but it’s just reinforced by listening to what everybody’s said.”
“You have to take care of your existing clients first,” said Joe Hiersteiner, and if you do that very well and you’re very careful about expenses, and you’re a flat organization with low overhead, “I think that we’re all going to be OK.”
“It seems to me we’ve got some structural, competitive advantages in Kansas City in providing legal services throughout the region, maybe even throughout the country,” said Patrick Whalen, “and I think that’s going to continue to be the story for all of our firms.”
On this final point, all seemed to agree.