🔗 Want to turn relationship data into strategic growth?
Join us at the 2025 LMA Midwest Regional Conference for “The Power of Connection: Turning Relationship Data into Growth Strategy”—a forward-thinking session moderated by Adam Stewart of Introhive, and panelists Dave Southern of Mayer Brown, and Roy Sexton of Vedder Price.
You’ll learn how to:
🔍 Use connected data to uncover whitespace and guide priorities
🤝 Strengthen collaboration and client engagement through relationship insights
🧑💼Drive smarter, human-centered growth across your firm
Walk away with a roadmap to elevate your data strategy and deliver impact where it matters most.
From InsidePractice: Ahead of November’s Law Firm Client Intelligence conference (Chicago Nov 5) – Join us for a dynamic virtual discussion on The State of Client Intelligence in today’s legal profession.
Join Pamela Cone, and guest speakers Roy Sexton, Chief Marketing Officer at Vedder Price, and Aubrey Bishai, Chief Innovation Officer at Vinson & Elkins to unpack the meaning of “Client Intelligence” and explore:
The competitive advantages it can unlock
The cultural and historical barriers holding firms back
The current state of maturity within the profession
DATE: Tuesday, October 7th, 2025 TIME: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM CENTRAL US TIME LOCATION: Inside Practice Community
Thrilled to be part of this myLawCLE program October 1 with the legendary Mo Bunnell, Heather Morse-Geller, and Ryan Grelecki, J.D. Fun fact: Mo and I grew up, literally one block from each other in a smallish town in Indiana – but we didn’t realize it until working on this project together! And Heather is one of my earliest friends and mentors in this industry, and, per usual, her great instinct to bring us all together prompted this heartwarming discovery.
As so many of us in marketing and business development roles frequently tell the attorneys we support, relationships do in fact matter, but it is the time you spend exploring – really talking about life and what matters – that makes those relationships significant and transformational.
Session description … “Beyond the Billable Hour: Mastering Relationship Development to Build a Thriving Legal Practice” is a dynamic, virtual training designed to equip legal professionals with actionable strategies to deepen client relationships, create demand, and grow their practices. This program focuses on shifting from transactional interactions to trust-based partnerships, prioritizing key relationships, and implementing a repeatable system for consistent engagement. Through practical tools and self-guided activities, participants will learn how to add value, stay top of mind, and build a thriving legal practice by focusing on what matters most: Relationships.
Key topics to be discussed:
The relationship mindset: How to shift from transactional thinking to trust-based, long-term relationship building
Relationship prioritization: Identifying and focusing on the relationships that matter most to your success
Actionable systems for growth: Implementing consistent, repeatable strategies to stay top of mind and deepen connections
Date / Time: October 1, 2025
1:00 pm – 3:10 pm Eastern 12:00 pm – 2:10 pm Central 11:00 am – 1:10 pm Mountain 10:00 am – 12:10 pm Pacific
No one quite prepares you for this phase of life. How could they? You want to help your parent(s) transition to their next phase, without encroaching on their autonomy nor seeming like you are selfishly agnostic to their needs.
You may be at a peak moment in your career/life, and you don’t want to squander the lead … but you also don’t want to become a careerist egomaniac and ignore the needs of loved ones.
You’d like to take a minute and pursue personal interests (read a book, watch a movie, take a nap) yet you feel riddled with guilt that you aren’t giving 110% of your energy to everything previously described. I don’t have children, but I can’t even fathom what complexity that adds to the mix.
Yet, here we are.
And then you have a meta moment like this: a poem your grandmother wrote in 1961 (about JFK), cross stitched by your cousin in 1985, the framed version of which resided in your parents’ home for nearly 40 (!) years … now hanging on a wall in your own home after a visit with your father where you strived to help him transition, struggling with your own emotional reaction to seeing your childhood home disappear piece by piece, wanting nothing but happiness for him, and fretting that you aren’t doing enough.
And then you read your grandmother’s words, and you marvel at how perfect they are. For us all. And you sigh contentedly in a moment of fleetingly relaxed gratitude.
Baby’s first keynote (sort of … at least one focused on such a substantive topic and not requiring costume changes, sequins, or showtunes). Thank you, Pamela Cone, ISSP-SA, Daniel Smallwood, Tim Hart, and Inside Practice. I hope you don’t live in regret of this decision. I truly am honored and looking forward to this dynamic program. November 5 in Chicago – see you there: https://www.insidelegalai.com/law-firm-client-intelligence
Me: “Beyond the Algorithm: The Human Side of Client Intelligence … Exploring how law firms can balance technology with the human factors that drive success; from fostering cultural change and building strong teams to setting shared values and cultivating critical thinking. Learn how accurate data, strong relationships, and people-centered strategies can amplify the value of AI-powered client intelligence.”
Join us for The Hidden Growth Killer: From Content Mayhem to Marketing Momentum, where we’ll explore how legal marketing teams are overcoming fragmented workflows and content chaos. Attendees can expect a dynamic panel discussion featuring real-world strategies, smart automation tools, and centralized content solutions that help firms reduce risk, improve efficiency, and focus more on strategy.
The true cost of disorganized content on employee efficiency and sales cycles
How brand compliance tools reduce risk and reclaim your team’s time
Real stories from firms modernizing their marketing materials and proposal processes
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn how to streamline your content workflows and boost your marketing momentum. Special thanks to our sponsor, Astute Review, for their generous support of this event. And thank you to Baker McKenzie for hosting. Register now!
Roy has a passion for solving problems, improving culture, facilitating business growth, and collaborating on long-term strategy. He has been a marketing, communications, and strategic planning professional for over 25 years in consulting, healthcare, legal, and college advancement. He is a longtime member of LMA and served as LMA International President in 2023.
Sarah McHugh Consultant and Fractional Chief Marketing Officer
Sarah is a strategic marketing and communications executive with a track record of driving growth through disruptive go-to-market programs. She has helped a wide range of industries develop strategies and create compelling content to connect with customers.
Our Moderator: James Hirchak President and Co-founder, Astute
Time: 11:30 a.m. – Noon: Registration and Networking Noon – 1 p.m.: Program
Location: Baker McKenzie 300 East Randolph Street, Suite 5000 Chicago, IL 60601
In this episode, Megan K. Senese & Jennifer Ramsey of stage are joined by the incomparable Roy Sexton (me?!), Chief Marketing Officer at Vedder Price, former International President of the Legal Marketing Association – LMA International, and one of INvolve People’s Top 100 OUTstanding LGBTQ+ Executives: https://share.transistor.fm/s/de26f09f
In this warm, funny, and deeply insightful conversation, Roy opens up about how he’s learned to lead without losing himself, including why he no longer ties his self-worth to professional validation, what helped him climb out of burnout, and how he approaches every CMO role with humility and curiosity. He shares the unexpected path that led him into legal marketing (spoiler: it involves penny loafers, a theater degree, and a rocking chair), his take on building true connection through content, and the power of karaoke.
Thank you, Melanie Scroggins of Scroggins Creative, for your expert production and kindness.
Megan wrote in her post: “We sang (a lot), we laughed (a lot) but we didn’t cry! Roy Sexton was the first stage spotlight. He has been a big online supporter of our content, our message and our brand. We are big fans of him. It’s hard to express how special it was to have him as a guest on our podcast. We had so much fun listening to his stories and talking to the person behind the profile. Did we mention there was singing?? Thank you, thank you, thank you Roy Sexton. You did great. Listen to our latest episode with Roy. Change your location: Change your perspective.”
LIVE at LMA 2025 with Roy Sexton, CMO of Vedder Price
Recorded live at the 2025 LMA Annual Conference, this episode features Jason Noble in conversation with Roy Sexton, Chief Marketing Officer of Vedder Price. Known for his charisma and candor, Roy shares why storytelling and narrative memory are the secret weapons of effective legal marketing.
He reflects on his first few months at Vedder Price, how he’s building on a strong foundation to drive innovation, and why vulnerability and humor are essential leadership tools. From attorney engagement to brand transformation, Roy’s insights are as thoughtful as they are entertaining. A must-listen for anyone navigating the evolving role of marketing in law firms.
It’s always a thrill to find my name in our beautiful Wabash College alumni magazine. But THREE times?! I nearly fainted from joy.
Thank you, Kim Carter Johnson, for including my thoughts on how my alma mater influenced my perspectives on the importance of #community building. I continue to benefit greatly from the foundation Wabash provided me.
And to be pictured alongside my beloved Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity brother, mentor, and friend Marc Nichols, when we both presented last year at the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association #LavenderLaw conference, is a lovely full circle moment for us both.
(Oh, how my late mom Susie Sexton adored Marc … I’ve told the story too many times how she marched up to him during freshman orientation when he was president of the house and inquired, “Can my son move in here right now?” 😅)
And thank you for the shout out for my Corp! Magazine recognition as one of their 2024 #MostValuableProfessionals in Michigan.
(Jennifer Deeb Kluge, I know I now live and work in Metro Chicago, but Metro Detroit will always be #home!)
My musings on community from the magazine:
“I learned at Wabash – through my fraternity, my faculty mentors, the theatre program – how collaboration and community were key to success and fulfillment. I’ve tried to expand those lessons learned in every professional and personal endeavor since. Most recently as international president of the Legal Marketing Association – LMA International, coming out of the pandemic that created pockets of isolation alongside self-discovery, it was crucial for me to lead with authenticity, humor, visibility, and quite frankly ubiquity. For our 4,000 members, I couldn’t be a leader that hid behind pre-packaged messaging, but one who shared the journey, warts and all. I guess that’s what I learned most at Wabash – be honest and let people see the mechanics behind decisions. With context, people feel connected and that they are part of something larger than themselves. It also doesn’t hurt to show up at the opening session of your annual conference at 8:30 am in the morning, wearing sequins head to toe, singing #BornThisWay, alongside drag queen #AthenaDion in front of 1200 screaming attendees … in Florida at the height of drag-phobia. Go big or go home!”
I’m excited to share that I’ll be joining Roy Sexton, Chief Marketing Officer, on an insightful podcast episode hosted by Umatta Consulting. It will be an insightful discussion on how law firms can stay ahead in a rapidly evolving marketplace. We will discuss what initially drew Roy into legal marketing and the driving force behind his enduring enthusiasm.
🔥 Key Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:
✅ Explore how the CMO position has transformed over the years and why adaptability is crucial.
✅ Learn about recent changes in legal marketing, from heightened competition to the rise of digital platforms.
✅ Hear tips on merging relationship-driven approaches with modern tech to maximize client engagement.
✅ Understand why authenticity and compelling narratives help build strong, recognizable brands.
✅ Get insights on focusing your marketing efforts to make the most of your time and budget.
✅ See how platforms like LinkedIn can amplify your firm’s voice and credibility.
✅ Find out how analytics can refine your strategies and measure ROI more effectively.
✅ Learn to preserve trust and credibility while embracing modern marketing methods.
✅ Get actionable advice on where to begin if you’re looking to transform your firm’s marketing.
🎙️Legal Marketing: Innovation, Strategy, & Digital Transformation
