The knowledgeable team at The Legal Intelligencer led an informative and engaging webinar focused on PA law firms in the competitive market. The speakers on the session answered the ever-important question: "What do Pennsylvania law firm leaders see for their firms and the industry in 2022?" Among the speakers were Hank Grezlak (Editor-in-Chief), Lizzy McLellan (Senior Editor), Justin Henry (Reporter), and Max Mitchell (Pennsylvania Bureau Chief).
Hank started off the webinar by reviewing common trends in 2021 that swept the industry. He addressed the record-breaking marketing and advertising activity and quoted firm leaders he had spoken to by saying, "It's a rising tide lifting all boats". This goes to show how much the pandemic shed light on the importance of proper marketing and advertising, as we couldn't rely on face-to-face interaction anymore.
When it comes to 2022 predictions, much of the conversation during the webinar was centered around the ever-rising "war for talent" among firms. Lizzy touched on the importance of firms that are fully returning to the office vs. firms that are choosing to have a hybrid model. It seems that employers who are willing to give their employees flexibility are more greatly sought after by talent. She also suggested, "Firms that offer people more than a paycheck and firms that give people a path and mentorship, those are the ones that stand to make more meaningful gains."
It will surely be interesting for us all to watch the "war for talent" dictate the upcoming trends in 2022. In Hank's words, "It will most likely drive salary increases, bonuses, strategic decisions, mergers, technology, and changes in firm structure. You will probably see more flexibility and experimentation than we've seen in previous years."
I'm looking forward to keeping an eye out for these trends to see if they play out as predicted. Overall, it was an insightful and wonderfully led webinar by the team at The Legal Intelligencer and I am looking forward to the next.