N RESPONSE SPOTLIGHT
SSO
LLETIER
ULLIVAN:
BIRD SPREADS ITS WINGS
As managing partner of the law firm, the majority of Sullivan’s
time is dedicated to “steering the ship.” This involves supervising
staff members, managing the firm’s financials, establishing
protocols to maximize efficiency, scheduling office meetings,
and most importantly, focusing on marketing efforts that make
the phone ring. He relays that it was far easier for him to learn to
be an effective lawyer than it was (is) to learn to run a business.
Sullivan noticed the first major hit to the firm’s revenues
in mid-March. Historically, St. Patrick’s Day had been the
busiest day of the year for his firm. More accurately, the day
after St. Patrick’s Day. With licensed liquor establishments
closed due to the pandemic, the number of DUI-related
arrests fell radically, nearly eradicating the supply of cases.
Sullivan recognized that there was no magic wand or silver
bullet that would serve as a “quick fix.” Rather than thinking
about the short-term, he elected to focus on a long-term solution
designed at immunizing his practice from future disruptions.
THE PROS OF THE PANDEMIC
Although the number of arrests has gone down, the firm is
still receiving calls from the few individuals that are being
arrested in the county. Sullivan knows this because he keeps
tabs on the arrest rate daily to compare the conversion rate
for his firm. The continued demand indicates that the firm’s
marketing strategy is still effective; the DUI market was
simply responding to a temporary restriction of supply.
Additionally, Sullivan found that his team has responded
extremely well to the change in circumstance of all attorneys
and staff members working from home. As a law firm,
RPS is considered an “essential business” and could have
continued to operate as it always had. Nevertheless, Sullivan