Legal marketing can be tough, but does it have to be? Want to uncover the secrets to thriving in this challenging field? Curious about successful legal marketing strategies?
Thrilled to have been interviewed recently by Ashley Robinson, Owner of Green Cardigan Marketing. In this interview we discuss tips on how to shine in the legal marketing field.
Watch the full interview where Ashley and I dive into the dos and don’ts of legal marketing!
And thank you, Ashley Mejido, for all your lovely support here!
Every year, Corp! Magazine’s Most Valuable Professionals, Entrepreneurs and Young Professionals Awards honor business leaders who have made Michigan a better place to live and work through their careers, their community involvement and their passion:
MVP honorees are deserving members of the community who are creating job opportunities, driving economic growth, nurturing community advancements or leading successful companies.
MichBusiness President and CEO Jennifer Deeb Kluge said the organization believes “it’s important to celebrate” the people who are moving Michigan forward.
“It’s important to recognize their new ideas, products and services, all of which make our state’s communities stronger,” Kluge said. “That is the focus of these awards … to truly recognize achievements among a diverse group of professionals in a variety of areas.” …
Roy Sexton is director of marketing at Clark Hill, a full-service commercial law firm with targeted legal service across industries and practices, including corporate law, healthcare law, and more.
With more than 25 years of experience in marketing, communications, business development and strategic planning, Sexton leads Clark Hill’s marketing, branding, and communications efforts.
Sexton said he’s “proud of how DEI has become so fully integrated” into his professional efforts. Clark Hill received Mansfield Certification for its efforts in the DEI space as well as conducting firmwide allyship training, all led by its HR team, supported by the marketing team on external messaging, including a series of DEI-focused videos.
“This year I was tapped to host a digital series through Expert Webcast entitled ‘All the World’s YOUR Stage: Authentic Culture Drives Authentic Growth,’ featuring thought leaders, authors, academics, and other professionals discussing the benefits of personal branding and bringing our full selves to the workplace,” Sexton said. “Each episode has had a digital reach of around 20,000, which is very gratifying.”
His most important lesson came from his boss: Take the pause.
“We live in such a wired world and, while responsiveness will always have its place, being measured and thoughtful, listening and learning first, and then collaboratively coming to solutions always wins the day,” he said. “This has been transformational advice for me.”
The piece of advice he’d give others? Be open and inquisitive to all adventures before you.
“Every task represents an opportunity to learn, and nothing should be ‘beneath us,’” he said. “Obviously, know and hold your worth, but sometimes working on that presentation with a colleague is an opportunity to see how others think, to help shape narrative, and to expand your skill set.”
I had a remarkable couple of days in our nation’s capital, visiting our Clark Hill Washington D.C. office and presenting at the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s LavenderLaw conference on client value and personal/professional branding. Caught up with some old friends and made some new ones. Grateful for this profession and industry and firm, celebrating our diversity, encouraging our voices, and honoring us all.
Thank you to my Clark Hill colleagues Maram Salaheldin, Mark Ludwikowski, Sally Alghazali, Kelsey Christensen, Kendall Smardzewski, Taylor Tremont, Jennifer Cook, and more for their hospitality and kindness, excellent conversation and commiseration.
Kudos to my dear friend Angelica Crisi of Coston Consulting for organizing such a remarkable panel, facilitating so beautifully, and treating us to an epic Italian dinner. She is a true gem. And not just because she titled our panel after one of my favorite Janet Jackson songs “What have you done for me lately?”
Catching up with my Wabash College Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity brother Marc Nichols in person for the first time in 30+ years (I think?) will be a memory I will treasure a very, very long time. His panel on board governance was required viewing for anybody in this space. Exceptionally well done.
Running into the ever fabulous Lee Ashby Rogers on the career fair floor was an unexpected and delightful surprise. She means the world to me.
And lovely seeing former colleague Elizabeth C. Jeffries who is really lighting the world on fire not to mention meeting her original gay (OG!) “uncle”/mentor Michael R. Komo, Esq. Truly a delightful individual, and I’m sorry he and I didn’t get more time to chat.
Feeling so grateful. ✈️🌈💕
Kudos to these remarkable leaders on their continued journey – Legal Marketing Association – LMA International members please take a moment to review and ratify this slate here: President-Elect Rachel Shields Williams, Treasurer Elect Jessica Haarsgaard, Secretary Diana Lauritson, RLC Chair Morgan MacLeod, Member-at-Large Jessica Aries, and Member-at-Large Amber Bollman. Collectively, these humans have already had such an incredible and positive impact on our profession and industry, and I, for one, can’t wait to see where they take things next!
As immediate past international president of LMA, it has been one of my great honors to help shepherd the nominations process this year, and I want to give special thanks to our 2024 LMA International Nominating Committee for all of their hard work, dedication, insight, and heart: David Ackert, Terra Davis, Emily Schweitzer Hillman, Brenda Plowman, Kate Shipham, and Arthur Uratani. And kudos to LMA CEO Ashley Stenger and LMA Client Operations and Project Management Senior Coordinator Jennifer Weigand for their exceptional support throughout this process. You all should be so proud of the work you’ve done here.
And last but not least, thank you to EVERYONE who expressed interest in these roles and who took time (they likely didn’t have!) to complete the application and interview process. Your commitment and your contributions to LMA are appreciated greatly, and I am personally thankful for all you’ve done and continue to do.
Thank you, Society 54! Honored to be one of your Outlaws! This intro tho (blushing!) … wow!
“Discover the extraordinary leadership of Roy Sexton, the driving force behind Clark Hill Law’s marketing, branding, and communications triumphs. With over 25 years of rich experience in the fields of marketing, communications, business development, and strategic planning, he’s a true mastermind. His crowning achievement? Serving as the 2023 International President of the Legal Marketing Association – LMA International. Together with his exceptional team, Roy is forging a new path in professional services marketing. Meet the man steering the ship to success.”
Roy is a highly accomplished professional with a wealth of experience in marketing, branding, communications, and business development. He has spent more than 25 years in the industry, honing his skills and expertise to become one of the most sought-after experts in his field.
Throughout his career, Roy has worked with numerous organizations across different industries, helping them develop and implement effective marketing strategies that drive growth and success. He is known for his exceptional abilities in strategic planning, identifying new opportunities for businesses to expand their reach and improve their bottom line.
Enjoy getting to know the Outlaw, Roy Sexton!
Q: What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? A: Being in a particularly boisterous crowd who won’t let me finish one story.
Q:Where would you like to live? A: Narnia, Wonderland, or Oz … my hubby would like to move one day to Portland or Seattle (but we probably should visit there first!)
Q:What is your idea of happiness? A: Having a quiet, slightly rainy day with zero requests from anyone, my husband on the couch napping with our dogs Henry J and Hudson, and me in my chair with a big pile of comic books.
Q:Who is your real-life hero? A: My husband is one of the most generous, selfless people I know with a deep commitment to his friends. I aspire to be more like him as I fear I’m a mile wide and an inch deep where relationships are concerned.
Q:What is your motto? A: “Tell people what they mean to you in the moment when it will mean something to them.” – Susie Sexton … also, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde
Q:What is your greatest fear? A: Filling out questionnaires where I say something too revealing, stupid, or misspelled.
Q:To what faults do you feel most indulgent? A: Is there a word count limit here? Talking too much, co-opting others’ stories with my own, overstaying my welcome, buying too many action figures, wearing costumes when other people simply wear clothing, eating too much fried food, wishing to rescue every homeless animal …
Q:Finish this sentence: “If I could have one super-power, it would be…” A: To make sure people never act like smart alecks with each other, never tease each other, never act snide, and always simply support one another
Q:Who are your favorite authors or what are your favorite books? A: Kurt Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury, Eugene O’Neill, Toni Morrison, Tennessee Williams, Alice Walker, Tony Kushner, Susie Duncan Sexton
Q:If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why? A: Jennifer Garner. She just seems like a deeply decent human being who doesn’t take herself too seriously but would still have wicked stories to share.
Q:What got you into working in the legal industry? A: Serendipity. I had been in health care strategic planning and marketing for over a decade. And I’d grown tired of that bureaucracy. I threw my resume out there in 2011 and was hired by my first firm. That said, I also joined the Legal Marketing Association then as well, and that’s when I knew I’d found my calling.
Q:Your favorite musician or band? A: Madonna. Janet. Kylie. Britney. Beyonce. Gaga. Do you really need to ask?
Q:What is your current state of mind? A: Loopy. I think I’m generally loopy. But when I embrace it, magic happens.
Q:Your favorite virtue? A: Decency. It takes so little to simply be decent. It takes so much more energy to act like a jerk.
Q:What would you consider your greatest achievement? A: My relationship – 25 years strong. My professional network – 32,000 and counting on LinkedIn. And serving as the 2023 International President of the Legal Marketing Association – including singing with a drag queen in Florida at the height of their governor’s homophobia.
Q:Finish this sentence: “If I won the lottery tomorrow I would…” A: Build the biggest animal rescue the world had ever seen.
Q:Who would you have liked to be? A: Ryan Reynolds, Ryan Gosling, or Hugh Jackman.
Instagram live replay of my interview with HRC Michigan – Annie, you’re a gem! We discussed my recent recognitions by INvolve People and Corp! Magazine, how Clark Hill creates an inclusive culture, the important work the Legal Marketing Association has done around DEI, what authenticity really means, and how important it is to simply live and let live.
Thank you, Legal News’ Brian Cox, Brad Thompson, Sheila Pursglove, for the lovely support you’ve consistently shown me in my career. Grateful for you, for your friendship, and for all you do for our profession!
Roy Sexton, director of marketing has been selected by Corp! Magazine as one of Michigan’s 2024 Most Valuable Professionals.
Sexton was among the winners of the 9th annual MVP Awards, honoring the state’s most dynamic and influential business leaders. Corp! Magazine characterized the winners as the leading voices in shaping Michigan’s business and economic direction. The MVP Awards recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to their businesses, their communities, and the state of Michigan.
Sexton leads Clark Hill’s marketing, branding and communications efforts in collaboration with the firm’s exceptional team of marketing and business development professionals. He has over 25 years of experience in marketing, communications, business development and strategic planning.
“At Clark Hill, our value proposition is simple. We offer our clients an exceptional team, dedicated to the delivery of outstanding service,” says Sexton. “We recruit and develop talented individuals and empower them to contribute to our rich diversity of legal and industry experience. “
Sexton is passionate about problem solving, facilitating business growth, crafting communications strategy and enhancing law firm culture. He works closely with the marketing team to advance the firm’s digital and social media presence and external engagement, using multi-channel distribution and data collection. This enables the team to quantify results and use those results to produce thoughtfully and strategically organized content for clients and prospects.
Sexton was named one of INvolve People’s 2023 Top 100 OUTstanding LGBTQ+ Executives internationally. He was listed in Crain’s Detroit Notable LGBTQ in Business in 2021 and Notable Leaders in Marketing in 2023, and he was a Michigan Lawyers Weekly Unsung Legal Hero in 2018.
In 2022, Clark Hill’s marketing campaign received the Best Marketing Campaign award from the Managing Partners’ Forum in London, celebrating professional services organizations. The campaign was noted for its focus on values, diversity and inclusion. The Clark Hill marketing and business development team was also awarded Best Marketing Initiative by Managing Partners’ Forum in 2020.
“I’m proud of how DEI has become so fully integrated into my professional efforts in this world. As international president of the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) in 2023 and as immediate past president this year, we have kept inclusion front and center, including me singing ‘Born This Way’ with drag queen Athena Dion in Florida last year at our annual conference,” says Sexton.
He adds, “At Clark Hill we received Mansfield Certification for our efforts in the DEI space as well as conducting firmwide allyship training, all led by our fabulous HR team, supported by the marketing team on external messaging, including a series of DEI-focused videos. Those videos have received hundreds of thousands of views which is very heartening to the team here.”
Sexton hosts the monthly Expert Webcast series “All the World’s YOUR Stage: Authentic Culture Drives Authentic Growth,” discussing the importance of inclusion, allyship, authenticity, and personal/professional branding with nationally recognized executives and thought leaders. Each episode has a monthly reach of at least 20,000 impressions.
“Always take the pause. This is advice my wonderful boss, our Clark Hill Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer Susan Ahern, has imparted on me regularly. We live in such a wired world, and, while responsiveness will always have its place, being measured and thoughtful, listening and learning first, and then collaboratively coming to solutions always wins the day. This has been transformational advice for me. Oh, and pick up the phone sometimes – nuance is too frequently lost in email and things can unfortunately escalate as a result!” Sexton comments. “Also, I carry with me the wisdom my late mother often shared: ‘Tell people what they mean to you in the moment when it will mean something to them.’ Carrying the large responsibilities of the LMA presidency, this thinking served me very well. Again, pause, acknowledge, reciprocate. It makes the world better for all.”
In 2023, Sexton was the international president of the 4,000-member Legal Marketing Association (LMA), a professional organization he’s been a member of since 2012. Throughout his tenure as LMA’s leader, Roy prioritized DEI issues, putting them front and center on all education and messaging efforts.
Sexton also serves on the board of Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, and he is a published author of two books: Reel Roy Reviews, Volumes 1 and 2. He was named Best Actor in a Musical by BroadwayWorld Detroit in 2017 for his performance as Jasper in The Mystery of Edwin Drood at Ann Arbor Civic.
“Be open and inquisitive to all adventures before you. Every task represents an opportunity to learn and nothing should be ‘beneath us.’ Obviously, know and hold your worth, but sometimes working on that presentation with a colleague is an opportunity to see how others think, to help shape narrative, and to expand your skill set,” Sexton advises.
He adds, “That was what differentiated me in the early days of my career when I was still in healthcare. I worked on bond rating presentations, board retreats, strategic visioning decks and everything in between. I’m a theatre person by training so storytelling is important to me, and I was able to enrich the work by helping my colleagues consider audience needs in their presentations. Through that I built relationships, gained trust, and was exposed to a number of operational areas that would have otherwise been unavailable to me.”
July 24, 6 pm eastern time … live on Instagram with HRC Michigan – more info here.
And thank you dear friends and colleagues Steve Fretzin and Ray Koenig for the lovely shout out here. Love you, both!
EXCERPT …
STEVE: So would we be, so we would be doing the right thing by giving a shout out to Roy Sexton, huh?
RAY: We can always give a shout out to Roy Sexton. Roy heads our marketing for entire firm and he is the king of celebrating other people.
STEVE: King of authenticity. That guy is crushing that on so many levels, but when I think about authentic, I go right to Roy, he’s amazing.
RAY: He really is and he provides a really great example for the attorneys in our firm. And then I think especially for the younger ones. And I think also for the people that in our firm, that most of us feel we don’t fit a cookie cutter mold and don’t want to, that’s Roy.
Roy is who he is and in a really good way. He’s also really smart and strategic. He does so many things well, but he’s just, he’s really good at, he’s authentic, but he’s also really good at celebrating other people, which I just, I really appreciate in that respect.
And then we also, full disclosure, we have a very good friendship. So he’s one of the first people to text me or call me when something good happens in my life. He’s just a great human being.
STEVE: Yep, yep, absolutely agreed. And he’s, I think he’s been on the show a couple of times. He’s just one of my favorite people and always so warm and inviting.
Roy Sexton, Director of Marketing at Clark Hill, has been named one of Michigan’s 2024 Most Valuable Professionals by Corp! Magazine. The recognition highlights Sexton’s significant contributions to his firm and the broader business community in Michigan.
With over 25 years of experience in marketing, communications, business development, and strategic planning, Sexton leads Clark Hill’s marketing, branding, and communications efforts. His work emphasizes collaboration with a skilled team to deliver exceptional service to clients. “We recruit and develop talented individuals and empower them to contribute to our rich diversity of legal and industry experience,” Sexton stated.
Sexton was named one of INvolve People’s 2023 Top 100 OUTstanding LGBTQ+ Executives internationally. He was listed in Crain’s Detroit Notable LGBTQ in Business in 2021 and Notable Leaders in Marketing in 2023, and he was a Michigan Lawyers Weekly Unsung Legal Hero in 2018.
Sexton’s leadership extends to his role as the 2023 International President of the Legal Marketing Association (LMA), a position he has used to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). “I’m proud of how DEI has become so fully integrated into my professional efforts in this world. As international president of the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) in 2023 and as immediate past president this year, we have kept inclusion front and center,” Sexton said. Under his guidance, the LMA has launched member resource groups and enhanced its inclusive talent pipeline.
His efforts at Clark Hill have also led to notable recognitions, including Mansfield Certification for DEI efforts and awards from the Managing Partners’ Forum for marketing campaigns focused on values, diversity, and inclusion. Sexton’s team has been instrumental in advancing the firm’s digital and social media presence, producing strategically organized content for clients and prospects.
Sexton is also active outside his professional responsibilities. He serves on the board of Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit and is a published author of two books. Additionally, he hosts the monthly Expert Webcast series “All the World’s YOUR Stage: Authentic Culture Drives Authentic Growth,” where he discusses inclusion, allyship, authenticity, and branding with nationally recognized executives.
Reflecting on his career, Sexton emphasized the importance of thoughtful communication and collaboration. “Always take the pause. This is advice my wonderful boss, our Clark Hill Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer Susan Ahern, has imparted on me regularly,” he commented. He also shared personal wisdom from his late mother: “Tell people what they mean to you in the moment when it will mean something to them.”
“Playing comedy is hell. The necessity to have an audience love you is perhaps more overwhelming than in any other form of entertainment. With singing, dancing, acting you don’t know until it’s over if you’ve had acceptance or rejection. The comic knows sooner. The audience laughs or it doesn’t.” – Imogene Coca
One might describe marketing and business development similarly. In fact, there is one unicorn in this industry who is adept at BOTH: Brenda Pontiff. We are thrilled that Brenda is joining host Roy Sexton to talk about how business development and stand-up comedy are in fact two great tastes that taste great together!
Born and raised in Texas, Brenda Pontiff left for graduate school in Kansas and wound up touring the country with the Complex Improv Theater. She returned home and began working on her stand-up comedy skills at The Houston Comedy Workshop’s Comixh Annex, the infamous club that spawned the likes of Bill Hicks and Sam Kinison. A few years later, she moved to Los Angeles and became a New Face at the famed Hollywood Improv. She was also a regular at Igby’s and toured as a feature act for franchise clubs including Punchlines, FunnyBones, and Laff Stops. She took a 14-year break in the early 2000s to focus on her global business development career but has happily returned to bring her Texas meets California perspective to the stage. Brenda believes comedy is like the Mafia, you can never leave.
During said global business development career, Brenda founded Partner Track Academy after years of watching young accountants and lawyers, often part of a group challenged with inclusion barriers, panic over business development expectations related to making partner. So often firms’ marketing staff members are not trained to support non-partners’ revenue generation efforts or they simply do not have the bandwidth to do so. This missing component can be filled through individual, customized coaching or periodic workshops and presentations that provide tools, tips, and best practices that lead to improved networking habits, client satisfaction, revenue growth, and ultimately, a coveted seat at the partners’ table.
Brenda has:
· More than 25 years in accounting and law firm sales and marketing.
· Sold services on behalf of an AmLaw 100 firm, exceeding sales and new client acquisition goals for almost eight years.
· Worked as a professional speaker, stand-up comic, writer, and actress, winning several national awards.
· Created a new sales process for a Big Four accounting firm, taking revenues from zero to $3.7 MM in the first year.
· Led a Big Four sales support team during the demise of Arthur Andersen, winning 67% of the regional client base while competing against three other international accounting firms.
· Maintained a 100% success rate while working as a Big Four global strategist to retain critical, at-risk clients.
· Created a cross-selling client team that increased an AmLaw 200 firm’s revenue by $900,000 through one pitch meeting.
· Spoken frequently at association events and corporate retreats regarding account-centric methodologies, best practices for networking at conferences, diversity and inclusion change management, harnessing stress for better productivity, navigating the book of business demand, and embracing resiliency.
Thank you, Clark Hill and Corp! Magazine, for this recognition. It truly means the world. I do the best I can to focus on helpfulness and team-building and community and celebrating the authenticity in everyone, so a nod like this really puts the wind in my sails. I’m grateful I get to work for such an incredible organization as Clark Hill as well as support my professional community in the Legal Marketing Association. I’m truly a fortunate soul!
And thank you, Joel Epstein, Leslie Smithson, Jennifer Kluge, Alexis Yaeger (Jakowinicz), for your friendship and support on this. I appreciate you all very much!
From INvolve – The Inclusion People: “Can you recognize myths and misconceptions from reality? 💡 For Pride Month 2024, we spoke to three of our 2023 Outstanding Role Models who debunked some misconceptions and myths about LGBTQ+ communities. Hear what they have to say here.
“Hear from: Roy Sexton, Director of Marketing, Clark Hill; Joelle Archer, Vice-President Research Creative Suite, Morgan Stanley; Deon Pillay CMgr MCMI, Head of Marketing Technology Enablement and Governance, Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) … who are using this space to debunk misconceptions.
“Allies – you are crucial for change. Take on board the learnings that these Role Models are sharing and consider how you can best avoid slipping into biases, or perpetuating misconceptions and also how you can leverage your power, influence and platform to support and elevate your LGBTQ+ colleagues.”
TRANSCRIPT for my contribution: So for me, at least in my lived experience the last few years where I’ve had some increasingly visible leadership roles, it’s that well-meaning allies think I am open to unsolicited advice.
Truth of the matter is, it has taken me 51 years to get to the place of authenticity, where I feel comfortable in my own skin, and when allies come forward and try to manage me for style, offering me points on how I dress, or how I speak or how I use social media or how visible I am …
It’s not helpful. It’s actually debilitating.
What we really want is support on substantive issues and opportunities where we can be present with our authentic selves.
So if you are thinking that as a gay man, I’m interested in your advice on how to dress for success?
Thank you to producer Anna Spektor for her loving support and to friend (and our next guest!) Brenda Pontiff for connecting me with the divine Tim Duffy, CMT!
What is that old joke? “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, PRACTICE!” On this episode, we discuss a different kind of practice but one no less applicable to the business world: how meditation can enhance mindfulness and yield personal and professional success.
Guest Tim Duffy and host Roy Sexton unpack the career pivot Tim has taken to leverage his personal discoveries in this arena to help business leaders worldwide. Roy, being an avowed entertainment geek and fanboy, will no doubt ask Tim to talk about his career journey in Hollywood, what he learned from those experiences, and how his successful navigation of the entertainment industry now informs his coaching and consulting work.
Recently featured as a speaker at the iconic Netflix is a Joke Fest and the Hollywood and Mind Summit, Tim is a two-time Emmy-winner, an advanced meditation practitioner and a Mindfulness-based Executive Coach. His unique background in Behavioral Psychology paired with his wildly successful career as a Fortune 500 Executive and two-time startup Founder fuels his work with executives, performers and organizations.
Tim writes, “In 2010, I launched MTV Networks’ first Mindfulness Program and immediately became enamored with helping businesses harness the power of their greatest asset: people! During the next 13 years, I trained high-level executives throughout corporate America at companies like Amazon, Endeavor Agency, Netflix, AirBnB, and more, while implementing the same techniques and insights in my ‘other life.’ … In 2013, I launched my first startup, Ugly Brother Studios, which became widely known as one of the premier Food & Travel production companies in Entertainment. During this time, I created, sold, produced, and directed over 12 series, garnering nine Emmy Nominations, two life-changing wins, and four James Beard Award Nominations. … Through mindfulness and meditation, I’ve learned how to be truly alive to these people and to my own body and mind. Alive to the births of my children, the struggles of business, the joy of winning awards, the challenges of divorce, the loss of my father, the bliss of falling in love and, like us all, a freakin’ pandemic.”
Two of my Jiminy Cricket guardian angels – Liz Sobe and Laura Gassner Otting – just ran into each other at the train station! Hijinks ensued.
