Business Development in the Middle East

10th & 11th May 2010

Providing the definitive networking and discussion forum for business development leaders

The Lawyer’s 2nd annual conference on Business Development in the Middle East will this year focus upon the increasingly international approach of both regional companies and law firms based in key centres such as Dubai and beyond to meet the dual objective of:
-propelling growth in the region
-maximise the Middle East’s potential as a springboard for outward looking expansion

With the Middle East strategically placed to take advantage of the growing trade links with Asia, the Near East and the Caucasus, it is vital that law firms are able to implement strategies that will allow for success both at home and in these markets. It is no longer good enough to merely import US and UK practices into the region and successful firms will need to transform their strategies into a new international approach – specifically one that understands the cultural nuances of key markets such as China, India and Russia. These needs are relevant to all law firms in the region, who are looking to work with national giants such as Saudi Aramco and Sabic who are actively investing in these markets.

In addition to this, the ‘new Middle East’ of Lybia, Syria and Iraq are ripe for development and law firms with a base in the Middle East are ideally placed to take advantage of this business – IF they are able to adapt their strategies, develop the right partnerships and show a genuine knowledge of local cultural and business practices. These key skill and business development knowledge fields will be delivered to you by thought leaders from the legal and professional
services industry and the kind of in-house counsel you will be working with on these projects.

This interactive theme is developed further through a series of interactive masterclasses on:
1. Business development skills for lawyers
2. How to implement a value adding CRM function that will help improve knowledge management and relationship building
3. Essential marketing tools and techniques you need to know to
take your marketing and BD skills to the next level
4. Brand development: essential steps your firm should be taking to show your clients that you have the right team and package for the job
5. Developing partnerships: this session will include speakers from firms operating in key markets, who will work with you to explain best practice marketing and partnering strategies in these regions.

In addition to the masterclasses, the conference will include interactive presentations and roundtables, and keynote presentations on the challenges firms will be facing in the coming year. Including:
• How the Middle East is changing and how your clients are changing with it
• Business development strategies for the Middle Eastern region
• Developing marketing and business development strategies that reflect the new reality of Middle Eastern business objectives
• Law firm selection criteria in the new world order of doing business in the Middle East
• Essential recruitment, retention and training strategies for law firms in the field of marketing and business development
• Strategic trends and developments of companies based in the Middle East and how should law firms respond to these changes

Last year: Across two days in April 2009, over 50 leading Managing Partners, Partners and Business Development professionals from law firms in the Middle East gathered to forge the right strategy, build relationships and discuss how to meet clients’ requirements in the region. It was an excellent networking event and a great platform for sharing ideas and initiatives on creating revenue streams in the Middle East.

The 2009 event included 31 speakers, 3 panel sessions, 3 indigenous firms and 11 client perspectives generating a variety of opinions and providing valuable insights. We would like to thank all our speakers, the chairman, sponsors and delegates who attended – we hope you agree with the overwhelming feedback we received praising the quality of the speakers and testifying to the value of the sessions.

 If you wish to explore the benefits of becoming a sponsor or exhibitor, why not get in touch with our sponsorship team?