Parker Poe, a business law firm with seven offices across the Southeast, is building on the success of its annual initiative called “The Path” that deepens relationships integral to client development. The focus this year is on partnering with clients on a variety of projects that will add value for them and for our firm. We are calling this part of the initiative “TeamUP.”
With the help of the Legal Lean Sigma Institute, Parker Poe will be the first law firm in North Carolina to host a combined process improvement and project management certification course geared specifically for the legal profession. The Yellow Belt Certification course on July 25 and 26 will be an opportunity for our clients and attorneys to learn together about increasing efficiencies and better aligning workflows. Registration is available here.
“The Yellow Belt Certification course is one example of how we’re responding directly to client feedback,” says Kristen Leis, Parker Poe’s chief marketing and business development officer. “Clients are telling us they want firms to be more proactive about collaborating, gaining efficiencies and anticipating needs. Hosting the course is a way for us to invest in exactly those things so we can maximize value.”
Parker Poe launched The Path in 2015 in response to clients saying they value attorneys who think like businesspeople. The initiative has included educational workshops on business development, strategy, leadership, project management and process improvement. We also utilized gamification to drive engagement that first year. Attorneys teamed up to navigate an online game board, accruing points as they met with clients outside the office.
The Path 2.0 last year brought an innovative yearlong “Mini-MBA” program that helped attorneys, paralegals and senior administration further refine their business acumen. Parker Poe was the first law firm in the country to formalize an in-house program of that nature. It followed a traditional business school curriculum that was customized for the law firm environment, including classroom-style lectures by experts from a variety of fields. Each course offering was streamed live to all seven offices and included question-and-answer sessions.
In Path 3.0 this year, TeamUP will also include attorneys developing their own joint projects with clients that are custom-tailored. Parker Poe recognizes that this type of collaboration is essential to best serve our clients and understand their needs.
About Parker Poe
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has more than 200 lawyers in seven offices located in major markets across North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. The firm provides legal counsel to large commercial and public organizations on litigation, corporate and regulatory matters.
Parker Poe is a member of TerraLex, one of the world’s leading international legal networks. With more than 155 top independent law firms and more than 19,000 attorneys in 100 countries, TerraLex members provide the legal resources and expertise needed to conduct seamless business worldwide.