Diana Jennen in Líder Legal: "Lawyers are communicating more and leaving behind the fear of exposure"

In a constantly evolving environment, the legal sector faces new challenges and opportunities in communication and marketing. On this subject, Líder Legal has produced a special report exploring the trends and strategies that will shape the sector’s communication landscape in 2025, covering the objectives and challenges set for this year, as well as the trends and best practices that will become more established.

Our partner Diana Jennen shares her insights in this report alongside Carmen Castillo (Ceca Magán), Michelle Martínez de la Nuez (DLA Piper), Ana Tortosa (Freshfields), and Ana Delgado (Pinsent Masons).

What communication objectives have been set for 2025?

Our partner explains that at Gericó Associates, we are focusing on three key strategic pillars:

Gericó Academy, the latest project from our firm, launched in the second half of 2024. It is the first Spanish-speaking legal business school, specialising in strategy, legal marketing, reputation management, and business development. The academy has two rooms designed to transform the culture and business approach of law firms:
- Rainmakers Room, inaugurated in July 2024, brings together a select group of mid-sized and large firms with revenues close to €20 million, guiding them towards strategic and sustainable growth.
- Next Generation Room, aimed at boutique firms, launched on 13th January 2025. It will offer weekly mentoring sessions every Monday throughout the year, equipping these firms with practical tools and business leadership skills.
Gericó Academy positions itself as a platform for cultural change within the legal sector, promoting business knowledge acquisition and training lawyers to become rainmaker leaders. Our mission is to build a community committed to growth, innovation, and the shared development of best market practices.
Continuing to optimise law firms’ strategies in business, marketing, and communication to help them expand their market share.
Further strengthening reputation management and litigation PR for law firms and their clients, both in Spain and internationally.

Can you list five challenges for this newly started year?

This year, we have set out to organise 8 events—4 in Spain and 4 internationally—to continue building bridges between law firms and decision-makers responsible for hiring legal services.
Additionally, we are continuing to expand and grow in the areas of Litigation PR, reputation management, and crisis communication.
Furthermore, it is essential for law firms to effectively implement the proposed actions. This is the mission of Gericó Academy and its membership system, which includes weekly mentoring sessions across different groups, catering to large, mid-sized, and boutique firms alike.
We aim to continue integrating artificial intelligence effectively while maintaining privacy and prioritising human judgment.
After a year of close collaboration between the PR firms in our international Mirovia network—particularly with the UK and France—we are committed to strengthening this global partnership, covering countries such as Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, India, and Singapore.

Regarding business development and communication strategies, what trends will become more established in 2025?

Partners are increasingly aware of the importance of these areas within the legal sector. The challenge lies in investing in specialised, senior teams, whether internal or external, and ensuring continuous training for internal teams.

It is also essential for firms to mobilise and raise awareness among senior lawyers, encouraging them to align with and engage in communication and business development strategies.

Lawyers are communicating more and leaving behind the fear of exposure, but they still represent a minority. In the coming years, this trend will undoubtedly continue to grow.

What best practices will remain in place in 2025?

Client-centred storytelling: Continuing to build strategies that prioritise clients’ real problems and needs over self-promotion.
Interdisciplinary collaboration between marketing, communication, and business development to create effective synergies.
Clear metrics and ongoing performance tracking to adjust strategies in real-time.
The value of traditional networking, complemented by digital tools to strengthen long-term relationships.
Commitment to continuous training in communication and marketing, ensuring that law firms stay up to date in an ever-evolving sector.

How do you see the future of legal marketing?

Legal marketing will continue to evolve towards a more digital, personalised, and ethical approach. Law firms will increasingly recognise that their differentiation is not only based on technical expertise but also on how they communicate their value proposition and build trust.

Sometimes, the legal sector forgets that the first step in legal marketing is strategy, and key questions must continue to be asked: What type of firm am I and do I want to be? Who is my target audience? What objectives should I define? What roadmap should I follow to achieve the right brand positioning and, therefore, my goals?

For all these reasons, I envision a future where:

Technology will play a crucial role, but always in service of human and authentic strategies.
Digital reputation will be as important as in-person reputation, leading firms of all sizes to invest in their online visibility.
Specialisation will remain key, with legal marketing focusing on niche markets to connect more deeply with target audiences through business development and communication.

The challenge will be to strike a balance between innovation and humanisation, ensuring that the essence of the legal profession—client service and ethics—remains intact.

You can read the full article here.

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Gericó Associates is the leading legal marketing and legal communications consultancy in Spain and Latin America. If you need advice for your law firm, contact us.