In a crowded market with exceptional M&A lawyers, what elevates one firm above another? The answer for some practitioners knee deep in deal work is M&A league table rankings. While these rankings may reflect legal excellence and demonstrate a proven track record, they are table stakes and don’t differentiate one firm from another. The real distinction lies in firms that have built the strongest media presence and reputational equity through consistent, strategic communications.
Strategic communications requires a disciplined approach to keep your brand in front of target audiences and reinforces your authority in a competitive landscape. For transaction lawyers, maintaining this presence is imperative for business development initiatives.
A clear understanding of why strategic communications matters and how to execute it effectively can transform how transaction lawyers influence their media share of voice. Here are a few building blocks of an effective communications strategy:
Proactively Communicate the Deal, Own the Share of Voice
Most law firms recognize the importance of announcing their deals because it demonstrates credibility and leadership in the legal advisory and M&A market. Yet many attorneys, under pressure to move on to the next deal, fail to communicate their client wins or milestones to external stakeholders. At a minimum, this should be done by ensuring they are included in a buyer’s or seller’s press release.
Better yet, lawyers can provide context, showcase expertise, and emphasize key issues such as:
- Why is this deal significant now?
- What market trends does it reflect?
- Why is the firm uniquely suited to handle this deal?
- What does this signal about the firm’s practice and strategic direction?
When transactions are positioned within broader industry dynamics, they create new opportunities for media coverage and tell a compelling story to stakeholders.
Taking a proactive approach like this can generate more substantial media coverage, positions the firm as an industry thought leader, and defines specific sector knowledge, ultimately supporting broader business development goals. You can also highlight your client’s expertise to augment their efforts.
Know Your Deal Reporters
Private equity and M&A transactions operate in a highly specialized and competitive media landscape where reporters are shaping perception of the key players in the market and influencing audiences that matter the most to law firms: general partners, and limited partners, co-investors, regulatory agencies, and other industry stakeholders.
Savvy transactions lawyers understand this landscape and, through their strategic communications partners’ support, cultivate strong relationships with reporters covering their sectors and provide timely, incisive commentary. These relationships are built on clarity, transparency, responsiveness and mutual trust—and they become invaluable when the deal news breaks.
Many reporters and editors are open to meeting with transactions partners to learn more about their practice, sector focus, key trends, headwinds and tailwinds shaping the growth of the industry. These conversations help journalists develop deeper context for current and future reporting and ensure partners are in reporter’s rolodexes as credible, go-to-experts on complex matters.
Commentary that Builds Credibility
As dealmaking becomes increasingly influenced by macroeconomic and regulatory factors, the role of a transactions lawyer is evolving beyond just offering legal counsel and execution. By offering meaningful commentary on industry trends—from regulatory changes to trends shaping sector-specific deal activity—transactions lawyers can elevate their profile as an industry thought leader and contribute to the business development effort.
For the media, lawyers who can break down the complex legalese to simple, clear and timely insights become trusted sources of the market trends. For potential clients, that reinforces trust as they look for advisers who are attuned to forces driving the market beyond individual transactions.
Having a sustained media profile can save countless hours of building new relationships when it’s time to announce a deal, supporting the practice’s business development goals.
The Final Note
Building communications competency is part of the same skillset of expanding the firm’s business development initiatives. By cultivating strong media relationships, commenting on industry trends, and taking a proactive approach to deal announcements, law firms can significantly increase their share of voice in the legal and deal media landscape and generate meaningful business leads.
By Sneha Satish, Director
About Stanton
Stanton is an award-winning New York City-based public relations firm with additional presence in California and Toronto. Founded over thirty years ago by Alex Stanton, our agency pairs deep industry knowledge and creative insights to go above and beyond for our clients. We create strategic communications programs that enhance reputation and support business goals of both B2B and B2C organizations. Our clients are attracted to “The Stanton Difference,” a practitioner model with our most experienced professionals actively involved in the work to deliver results that advance and successfully position their business objectives in the marketplace. Learn more about our services or get in touch today!