Introduction
Talking points
Introduce the individuals who are present for the pitch, and briefly outline what will be covered during the pitch.
Slide deck
[Freshfields logo]
[Include images, job titles and high level experience of members of the pitch team]
Capabilities
Talking points
Full-service law firm
Freshfields has the expertise required to advise on the broad range of legal workstreams that can arise in connection with preparing for and hosting a World Cup. This includes teams that focus on:
International reach
Scale
How I approached this: I generally used the wording that Freshfields uses to describe its services (which helps to demonstrate my research), although I combined teams/paraphrased team names in places to keep this section concise. I then tried to tie in these services to the types of services that I thought FIFA and host nations might require in connection with a World Cup. In case studies, it’s key to tie your research to the facts in this way. I focused on the services that I thought would be most relevant, but also mentioned the firm’s other key practice areas in a “catch all” bullet point at the end, just to demonstrate that I was aware of the firm’s other capabilities.
Slide deck
Our unrivalled range of capabilities
[Include icons under this bullet point to represent each of the key services that we discuss during the presentation, with the ability for the pitch team to trigger each icon appearing as we discuss the corresponding service]
How I approached this: I made sure the slide deck did not contain too much information, in the knowledge that those attending the presentation would otherwise read the deck rather than listen to the lawyers speaking.
Reputation
Talking points
Freshfields doesn’t just have the capabilities to carry out the legal services required in connection with the World Cup. It also has a reputation for carrying out those legal services to the very highest standard.
Freshfields and its senior lawyers have secured over 100 top-tier band 1 rankings across key practice areas, as well as countless awards for the work carried out by practice areas in different jurisdictions.
How I approached this: I reviewed the list of awards on the firm’s website, then picked out those that seemed more relevant to the brief.
Slide deck
Our reputation as a leading global law firm
[Include logos for Law Firm of the Year: France; M&A Firm of the Year; Latinvex Latin America's Top 100 Lawyers: Energy, Project Finance]
[Include icons for “101 top-tier Band 1 rankings”]
Prior experience
Talking points
Freshfields has extensive prior experience working on large sporting events and high profile sport-related transactions, each with a broad range of stakeholders and complex challenges. Many similar legal challenges will likely arise during the preparation and delivery phases of the World Cup, meaning the firm will be well placed to support FIFA every step of the way.
For example, Freshfields was appointed as the official legal services provider for the London 2012 Olympics, in light of the firm’s full strength across all sectors and its ability to be creative and flexible in the face of unforeseen challenges. Aspects of the firm’s role in this context which would likely also be relevant to FIFA’s specific needs include:
We could similarly help FIFA to create the legal structures and develop the infrastructure needed to stage the tournament.
We could similarly help FIFA to draft and negotiate contracts with the broad range of stakeholders involved in the World Cup, from broadcasters, sponsors, hotels and other suppliers, to national football associations and the owners of stadiums, training facilities, and “fan zone” venues.
We could similarly advise on the use, exploitation and protection of the FIFA trademark and World Cup logo.
We could similarly help FIFA to hire the necessary fixed term employees and contractors needed to stage the tournament, then terminate their engagements when their services are no longer required.
The reality is that FIFA will likely find itself subject to various disputes during the preparation and delivery phases of the tournament, given the broad range of stakeholders involved. In a sporting context, disputes can often be brought by, for example, sponsors, suppliers, interest groups, employees, landlords and so on, and FIFA may also need to take legal action against stakeholders that fail to meet their obligations. Whatever the dispute, we have the experience needed to tackle, resolve or settle these types of disputes quickly and effectively.
Freshfields has also worked for the German Football Association, Romanian Rugby Federation and Formula One Administration, advised the organising committee of the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023, and advised on both the acquisition and subsequent sale of Newcastle United Football Club by Mike Ashely (which involved partner Chris Mort serving as the club’s executive chairman).
How I approached this: I thought about which previous legal engagements might be most relevant to a large sporting event, then carried out research (and here, here and here, for example) to ensure the talking points were specific to Freshfields. In particular, I tried to anticipate FIFA’s legal needs, and draw parallels between our previous experience and how we might be able to address those needs.
Advice from ex-Freshfields partner Ben Staveley: this bit is pretty much the most important part of the whole pitch. For each example of the firm’s prior experience, a good pitch would highlight not just the high level experience, but also pull out some aspect of what happened that would make FIFA think: “ah yes, that might be something we could run into as well”. The content would then come across to FIFA as relevant, rather than boasting.
Slide deck
Our relevant prior experience
[Include the following logos: London 2012 Olympics, Romanian Rugby Federation, Formula One, Special Olympics World Games, Newcastle United]
Value for money
Talking points
Freshfields provides clients with value for money from the outset.
Legal technology
Value-added services
How I approached this: I researched the technology that Freshfields makes available, then thought about why clients would care about this. I also included some points from my own general knowledge regarding the value-added services firms sometimes offer clients.
Slide deck
We offer value for money from the outset
Working relationship
Talking points
In terms of our working relationship, we would appoint a dedicated “relationship partner” to act as a central point of contract for FIFA from day 1, meaning you wouldn’t need to coordinate the multitude of lawyers who would inevitably need to support FIFA.
More generally, our lawyers are friendly, courteous, flexible and responsive (and this means willing to hit tight deadlines!). Expect nothing less than highly professional individuals, able to provide advice that is legally astute, pragmatic and commercial.
How I approached this: this section was a little generic, focusing more on what large clients generally tend to want from their lawyers. I think it’s potentially fine to include points like these, as long as the rest of the presentation ties into the prospective client more specifically. But if you’re tight for time (or word count), perhaps omit more generic assertions that other firms could easily make, for example the paragraph about lawyers being friendly, courteous and responsive.
Slide deck
Our approach to client relationships
Values
Talking points
Finally, we feel our values will make us a great fit for FIFA.
Like FIFA, we have invested heavily in the communities we serve, including through us dedicating a significant amount of time and resources to community investment programmes, the provision of pro bono advice, and the achievement of sustainability goals. To draw some parallels between Freshfields and FIFA:
Given the alignment of our organisations, we would love to support FIFA on a pro bono basis with these types of initiatives. To that end, we often work closely with our clients on pro bono and community-centric projects.
How I approached this: I researched the firm’s values and CSR initiatives (including initiatives around community impact) as well as similar initiatives pursued by FIFA relating to sustainability, discrimination and community investment, then linked the two organisations’ commitments and investments.
Slide deck
[Include logos or icons representing UN Global Compact, LGBTQ+ Lawyers and Allies Network and Freshfields Aspiring Professionals Programme]
General advice on how to approach a law firm pitch
As a caveat to the mock answer provided here, there are various different approaches you could take when working on an exercise like this. If you are pitching to an existing client – for example, to win a particular piece of upcoming work or to retain your spot on their panel of appointed law firms – you might not need to spend much time (if any) discussing the firm’s general capabilities, reputation and fee structures, as the client will likely already be aware of all this. Similarly, prospective clients such as large corporates and financial institutions will probably already know that Freshfields is a full service international firm with a leading reputation.
As put by ex-Freshfields partner Ben Staveley…
“If I were doing a pitch like this, I wouldn’t spend any time talking about capabilities and reputation as a general matter. After all, anyone receiving a pitch of this magnitude will know that Freshfields is a full service, highly regarded international firm. Instead, I would start by explaining the firm’s relevant prior experience, and then drawing on this to anticipate the types of legal issues and requirements that will likely arise. All the preliminary stuff should come later, if at all. It’s secondary.
The focus should be on telling FIFA up front what issues, based on our experience, we think it will encounter in putting on the tournament, and how we would be able to help fix these issues. The Olympics experience is indeed the point that would differentiate Freshfields from other firms. However, rather than focusing only on how the firm solved issues for the International Olympic Committee, an effective pitch would predict and address the issues that FIFA is likely to face (which may of course be very similar).
In other words, the pitch needs to come across to FIFA as being about FIFA and its own needs and objectives. This will demonstrate that Freshfields, even at this stage, is trying to see things from the prospective client’s point of view. And the recipients of the pitch will likely appreciate this kind of creative, forward-thinking more than listening to the firm simply burnishing its own reputation.”
With this in mind, in an interview or internship situation, it might be worth seeking clarity on whether you should assume that the prospective client to which you are pitching will already know the headline facts. In my own mock pitches during internships, we did cover capabilities and reputation to some extent, and received great feedback at the end. However, there’s no harm in checking. In fact, doing so could help to demonstrate your commercial awareness and understanding of clients!