LMA Europe 2025 - Building your Personal Brand

In an industry built on trust, reputation, and relationships, personal branding isn’t just for rainmakers - it’s essential for legal marketing and business development professionals too.

The LMA Europe Conference facilitated a brilliant session exploring this, with a discussion moderated by Shirley Meyers (Head of Marketing, BDBF). The panel consisted of Vanessa Montero (Chief Communications Officer, Hogan Lovells), Corinne McPartland (Assistant Director of Communications, Skadden), and Daniela Conte (Senior Director of Brand, Gibson Dunn), who each shared practical advice on identifying your strengths, clarifying what you stand for, and using your personal brand to guide career decisions and build visibility.

Your Brand Is the Impression You Leave Behind
Personal branding, as Daniela Conte noted, is less about logos and more about perception. It’s how colleagues, partners, clients, and future employers see you. A strong personal brand can open doors, earn trust, and influence internal decision-making. Legal marketers often focus on amplifying the voices of their lawyers, but the panel made a compelling case for investing in your own visibility.

Whether you're positioning yourself for leadership, or building influence across a global firm, your brand should reflect a few deliberate traits. Daniela shared how embracing her directness, rather than masking it, helped her stand out. The message? Be authentic and intentional. Decide what you want to be known for.

Leverage Digital 
LinkedIn is now a critical tool for visibility and credibility. According to the panel, a well-curated profile and regular activity can build trust before you’ve even met someone in person. Vanessa Montero emphasised the power of consistent, purposeful content, ideally with a good mix of valuable insights and professional updates.

Legal marketers should see LinkedIn as both a publishing platform and an industry radar. Use it to spot trends, connect with peers, congratulate colleagues, and build micro-communities. As Corinne McPartland noted, don’t over-engineer your content. Be consistent, play to your strengths, and let your authentic voice come through.

Relationships Still Matter, Online and Offline
In-person interactions remain invaluable. Vanessa credited her early career success to purposeful networking, asking the right questions, and not just exchanging business cards. Whether it’s press parties or industry panels, you should approach events with curiosity and intent.

Internally, legal marketers have a unique opportunity to lead by example. Champion others, share knowledge, and build your team’s collective brand. This industry is small, and reputation travels.

The AI Opportunity and Risk
AI is becoming part of the communications toolkit. When used well, it can help draft LinkedIn posts or structure thought leadership. But the panel was clear: it should never replace your voice. AI-generated content still needs human refinement to ensure authenticity and accuracy.

Marketing leaders should guide their teams on how to use AI responsibly, offering training and clear guardrails. Daniela put it best: “AI is a tool, not a shortcut.”

The Key Takeaway
You don’t need to become a thought leader overnight. Just be visible. Be helpful. Be intentional. Building your brand is a long game, but it starts with a single post, a thoughtful comment, or a meaningful conversation. And for those in legal marketing, it’s time to practice what you preach.