Legal marketing leadership: How leading law firms stand apart with Roy Sexton
Table of contents
Join Vedder CMO, Roy Sexton, as he explores the delicate balance between standing out and staying safe in the legal industry, demonstrating how a “work with the willing” approach and empathetic leadership can transform internal hesitation into a meaningful market presence.
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Episode summary
If the competitors are teasing us, we’re probably doing the right thing.
In this episode of Radically Transparent, host Jennifer Gutman sits down with Roy Sexton, the CMO of Vedder, to pull back the curtain on the complex world of legal marketing leadership. Roy brings over a decade of experience to an insightful conversation about the unique “lawyer psychology” that shapes innovation, exploring the delicate balance law firms navigate as they strive to stand out while maintaining credibility within their peer groups.
Roy also discusses how he navigates the high-pressure, risk-averse environment of a major law firm and dives deep into his “work with the willing” philosophy, exploring how he reconciles the tension between individual attorney brands and the firm’s collective identity.
From his viral “pandemic dog posts” that triggered competitor jealousy to his strategy for turning evergreen content into a self-sustaining business engine, Roy provides a masterclass in the art of the “corporate politic.”
This thoughtful episode is a must-listen for legal marketers and firm leaders ready to move from safe to standout.
Hot topics
- The paradox of standing out: How to help law firm leadership and attorneys overcome the fear of peer judgment and embrace marketing that actually differentiates the firm.
- Specialization vs. strategy: Why the modern legal marketer must balance deep technical expertise with a broad-based understanding of the entire firm ecosystem.
- Navigating the urgent culture: Roy’s practical advice on picking up the phone to negotiate deadlines and aligning fire drill requests with long-term strategic goals.
- The power of humanization: Lessons from a viral LinkedIn experiment involving four-legged coworkers and why personal connection often outperforms professional polish, even in legal marketing.
Meet Roy
Roy Sexton is the Chief Marketing Officer at Vedder. He is responsible for developing and implementing the firm’s overall marketing strategy and overseeing all projects and personnel in the marketing department.
Roy brings over 25 years of experience in various industries with nearly 15 years of experience in the legal marketing field at prominent global firms. His career knowledge includes public relations and marketing planning, business development strategy, digital and social media outreach, attorney onboarding and practice development.
Beginning in 2020, he served as an active international board member of the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) and was elected as the organization’s International President from 2023 to 2024.
Roy has also been recognized by a number of legal publications and organizations including Crain’s, INvolve People and Corp! Magazine for his leadership capabilities, particularly as an executive within the LGBTQ+ community. Throughout his career, he has served as a board member for a number of Michigan-based charitable organizations, such as the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit and Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Want to connect with Roy? Be sure to follow him on LinkedIn or check out his work on LinkTree.
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