Canadian Lawyer

marketing alliance is to inform individuals who have been seri- ously injured that the decision on which lawyer to retain is not one to be made lightly. "We want to get the message out to the public. If you have been seriously injured, do your homework. A catchy jingle is fine. But that is not the way you should choose your counsel. There is objective criteria that the public should consider, which Mandel suggests should lead potential clients to choose one of the three firms in the alliance. The Personal Injury Alliance campaign, with its greater pro- " duction values and soſter sell in its commercials, backed by the good reputations of the firms involved, is provoking discussion among other lawyers with similar practices. So far though, it has just been discussion. "It is a novel concept. Everyone took notice, says Brian Grant, managing partner of the Toronto litigation of- fice of Lerners LLP. "We have to define our understanding of our market position, to reach who we want to reach." Lerners decided to increase its online presence in terms of con- " of clients," says Joseph Campisi, a lawyer at the firm and adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall law school. "We are encouraged to be in the community and part of charitable organizations." The firm still receives most of its clients from referrals and in its limited direct advertising, "we try to be as tasteful as possible, all styles and sizes are engaged in regularly, it is sponsoring spe- cific charity events or safety campaigns. At the Ontario Safety League, its president Brian Patterson regularly turns to law- yers and law firms to sponsor events, such as one trying to in- crease awareness of the importance in wearing bicycle helmets. "This group of lawyers has been instrumental in raising the safety message. Personal injury lawyers have made a real dif- ference, If there is one marketing aspect that personal injury firms of " says Campisi. tent, SEO, as well as more publications by its lawyers. "Our experi- ence when ramping up Google is you get an increase in calls. You don't necessarily get an increase in good calls," says Grant. "It will be interesting to see what change, if any, the Personal Injury Alli- ance advertising campaign will have on their referral experience, he says. Other firms such as PI boutique Carranza LLP in Toronto " are advertising, but in a more targeted way, primarily in ethnic publications. It bills itself as the largest ethnic personal injury law firm in the city. "We speak 24 languages. That attracts a number legal profession that is oſten maligned by the public. The safety and charity events, usually sponsored in conjunction with local communities or hospitals, create goodwill for the firms and a form of marketing personal injury firms have participated in for a number of years. It may also be one of the few things in common for those who " says Patterson, effusive in his praise for an area of the practise in southern Ontario and lawyers in other provinces. The high-volume advertising by personal injury lawyers in the U.S. and now in the Toronto-area does not appear to be in vogue else- where. Rose Keith, a former president of the Trial Lawyers As- sociation of British Columbia, says she is aware of only a limited amount of advertising on television, mostly during the daytime. "In terms of attracting clients, the web has changed everything, " With more than 1,400 pages of essential legal references, Ontario Lawyer's Phone Book is your best connection to legal services in Ontario. Subscribers can depend on the credibility, accuracy and currency of this directory year after year. More detail and a wider scope of legal contact information for Ontario than any other source: postal codes Lists of: Federal and provincial judges Federal courts, including a section for federal government departments, boards and commissions EARLY BIRD MULTIPLE COPY DISCOUNTS CANADIAN LAW LIST Untitled-1 1 www.CANADIAN Lawyermag.com N O VEMBER / D ECEMBER 2012 31 12-10-17 10:07 AM Ontario courts and services, including a section for provincial government ministries, boards and commissions Small claims courts Contact information that is current, up to date and easy to find: and stay flat "Blue pages" to highlight government listings THIS SPECIAL OFFER EXPIRES DECEMBER 1, 2012 On subscription or One time purchase Canadian Law List, a Thomson Reuters business Prices subject to change without notice, and to applicable taxes. Visit carswell.com or call 1.800.387.5164 for a 30-day no-risk evaluation

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