Nearly three years ago, after sensing that clients’ expectations were shifting, with growing numbers becoming far “less patient” with the profession’s billable hour model, McCarthy Tétrault LLP began an unlikely undertaking for a law firm — and started evaluating the use of a discipline that has long been a staple in engineering and information technology to manage budgets and resources.
Today, a year after launching its legal project management program at the beginning of 2010, McCarthy is beginning to take advantage of its jump start. At a time when many major North American law firms are just starting to explore the possibility of implementing legal project management programs, McCarthy recently unveiled an advertising campaign that seeks both to refresh their brand and enhance their image by rejuvenating their website and promoting its new project management approach, which they hope will draw new business and retain existing clients.
“We’re highlighting our new brand, our visual identity,” said Richard Higa, the chair of the McCarthy Tétrault’s project management committee. “We think it’s important in our brand to get the message to the market that project management and cost management is something that we’re highly focused on – and we want to be the market leader. We think it’s going to provide us with a competitive edge.”