Crane & Associates LLP

Overview

Crane & Associates is an elite boutique handling complex appeals in federal circuits and state supreme courts. The firm's partners include former circuit court clerks and Supreme Court practitioners with a 78% win rate on appeals they accept.

The Challenge

Appellate work is a B2B practice - clients come from trial attorney referrals. But trial lawyers often don't think about appeals until after losing, when it's too late to preserve many issues. The firm needed to reach trial counsel earlier while also being top-of-mind when post-verdict referrals did occur.

Our Approach

We built a lawyer-focused website unlike typical client-facing legal marketing. Content addresses trial attorneys: preserving issues for appeal, when to bring in appellate counsel, how appellate specialists add value at trial. A "Trial Counsel Resource Center" offers CLE-style content. The messaging emphasizes calling before verdict, not after. Win rate and notable victories establish credibility with sophisticated attorney referrers.

The Results

Attorney referrals increased 150%. More importantly, the timing shifted - pre-verdict consultations increased 200% as trial lawyers learned the value of early involvement. Win rate remains at 78% partly because the firm now sees cases before issues are waived. The firm has become the first call for DC-area trial lawyers facing complex appeals.

Key Takeaways

• 1B2B legal marketing requires different messaging than B2C
• 2Early intervention messaging changes referral timing beneficially
• 3Resource centers for referral sources build relationships before matters arise
• 4Win rates and notable victories matter for sophisticated attorney referrers