Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Continues Integration, Adding First Global Marketing Chief
Gillian Ward comes on board as CMO about a month after Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner named a global chief people officer, which the firm says is another indicator of its post-merger integration efforts.
October 16, 2019 at 06:04 PM
4 minute read
The original version of this story was published on The American Lawyer
(Courtesy photo)
A lot of changes have been implemented since Bryan Cave and Berwin Leighton Paisner merged to become Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in April 2018.
Unlike other transatlantic or international combinations that maintain relative independence among firms, such as through a Swiss verein, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner's merger has involved full financial integration. That meant coping with different tax and other laws, as well as harmonising technology and other internal processes.
The firm also amended its pay system, hired a post-merger innovation team and saw its legacy Asian team essentially disappear.
All of this has been in the name of making Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner one firm, a task that continues with the hiring of the firm's first post-merger global chief marketing officer (CMO), Gillian Ward.
Gillian Ward, global chief marketing officer with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.Ward, who was previously CMO at Canadian firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin from 2006 to 2014 and then at Baker Botts from 2014 to 2019, is a legal industry veteran who Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner has tasked with coordinating the marketing efforts of a team of 90 spread across more than 30 offices around the world.
Ward said the move from Baker Botts came about after she got a call from a recruiter and that she really hadn't intended on leaving. But after meeting some of the team at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, she said she was won over both by the firm's strategic direction and by its people.
She said managing the firm's business development, branding and marketing efforts worldwide was a challenge she was eager to accept.
"What sort of clients are going to need global support?" Ward asked. "How can I bring ideas to the table that are going to help drive bottom-line revenue? It's interesting on a platform this large to be able to ask those questions."
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner said Ward will be working closely with firm co-chairs Lisa Mayhew and Therese Pritchard, along with co-chair elect Steve Baumer, to develop and implement strategic marketing and business development initiatives and help structure service offerings for Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner's clients.
Ward comes onboard about a month after Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner named Hannah Kozlova Lindsay as global chief people officer, which the firm said is another indicator of the continued efforts it is making to integrate the two firms.
"I am thrilled to be a part of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner's exciting future," Ward said in a statement. "The firm has made tremendous strides in the past year since its merger and continues to stand out as a legal trendsetter."
Mayhew added: "Gillian's extensive international experience and business-oriented approach to marketing legal services made her a clear choice for our firm as we continue to advance global brand recognition for BCLP."
The 2018 merger created a new global giant, with 1,400 attorneys and 30 offices in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The coupling between the two legacy firms hasn't always been smooth, with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner losing far more partners to lateral moves than it gained in the last two years, according to ALM data.
The firm also took a revenue hit from 2017 to 2018 reported numbers. Bryan Cave and Berwin Leighton Paisner had a combined revenue generation of $963 million in 2017. The revenue of the new firm reported for 2018 was $899 million, according to ALM.
As the firm continues its integration and the speed bumps that go along with that, Ward said she is going to be travelling to meet as many of her new colleagues as possible.
She said that although she will be based in the firm's St. Louis office – Bryan Cave's legacy headquarters – she doesn't expect to be there much in the upcoming months.
"I'll be sleeping out of a carry-on suitcase," she mused. "But I like the work. I like the type of clients I get to work with and the discussions we have."
Read more:
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Brings Together 2 Leaders, 2 Firms
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Shifts to Merit-Based Pay System
BCLP Puts Together Post-Merger Innovation Team
How the Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Merger Fell Apart in Asia
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