Market Newsdesk

NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors of pending deadlines in the following securities class action lawsuits:

Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX)


Class Period: 4/24/2019 – 11/16/2020
Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: February 2, 2021
SECURITIES FRAUD
To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-boston-scientific-corporation-securities-litigation-4

Splunk


Inc. (SPLK)


Class Period: 10/21/2020 – 12/2/2020
Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: February 2, 2021
SECURITIES FRAUD
To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-splunk-inc-securities-litigation

If you purchased shares of the above companies and would like to discuss your legal rights and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact us toll-free (844) 367-9658 or visit the case links above.

If you wish to serve as a Lead Plaintiff in the class action, you must petition the Court on or before the Lead Plaintiff Motion deadline.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Affinor Growers Inc. (“Affinor” or the “Company”) (CSE: AFI) (OTCQB: RSSFF) is pleased to announce that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 10,842,084 (“Patent 084”) on November 24, 2020 in relation to the Company’s vertical growing technology.

The Company’s initial robust design was a breakthrough in vertical farming technology. Patent 084 is heavily based on the Company’s initial concept but streamlines the design for ease of manufacturing, shipping, maintenance, and harvesting. The improvements will enable the Company to reduce costs and distribute to wider markets.

About Affinor

Affinor is a publicly traded company on the CSE under the symbol “AFI” and on the OTCQB under the symbol “RSSFF”. Affinor is focused on developing vertical farming technologies and using those technologies to grow fruits and vegetables in a sustainable manner.

To learn more about Affinor, visit: https://www.affinorgrowers.com/en.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Affinor Growers Inc.

Nick Brusatore
Director /CEO
[email protected]

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward‐looking information. Forward‐looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “plan”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “intend”, “should”, and similar expressions. Forward‐looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward‐looking information. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward‐looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, changes to the Company’s strategic growth plans, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward‐looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward‐looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward‐looking information contained in this news release represents the Company’s expectations as of the date hereof, and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward‐looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.

• If approved, aducanumab would become the first
  treatment
  to meaningfully
  change the course of
  Alzheimer’s disease
• Aducanumab is now under regulatory review in Japan, Europe and the United States

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and TOKYO, Dec. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Biogen (Nasdaq: BIIB) and Eisai, Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) announced that Biogen has submitted a Japanese New Drug Application (J-NDA) to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) for aducanumab, an investigational therapy for Alzheimer’s disease. Aducanumab, an amyloid beta-targeting antibody, has been shown in clinical trials to remove amyloid beta in the brain and significantly slow clinical decline in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease and mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia.

“Japan is the third market where we have applied for regulatory approval for aducanumab, and the filing represents continued progress on our commitment to bring this therapy to patients around the world,” said Michel Vounatsos, Chief Executive Officer at Biogen. “Japan has met the challenges of a rapidly aging population by demonstrating global leadership in setting policies that aim to increase support for Alzheimer’s disease patients and caregivers. We look forward to the regulatory review of aducanumab with the hope that, if approved, it could help further manage the impact of this devastating disease.”

“As Japan has the oldest population in the world, it is anticipated that the social burden of Alzheimer’s disease will continue to grow,” said Dr. Haruo Naito, Chief Executive Officer at Eisai Co., Ltd. “For more than 30 years, Eisai has been dedicated to dementia research and development, and working with people living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers to fight this disease. The filing of the application is an important step in serving patients and their families as aducanumab may help reduce clinical decline and potentially maintain the ability to live an independent life for as long as possible. Aducanumab also has the potential to help address the public health challenges our aging population faces in Japan.”

The Japanese regulatory authority will review the application through the standard review process. In addition to the filing in Japan, aducanumab is under Priority Review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of March 7, 2021 and is also under review with the European Medicines Agency.

About Aducanumab

Aducanumab (BIIB037) is an investigational human monoclonal antibody studied for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Based on clinical data from patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease and mild Alzheimer’s disease, aducanumab has the potential to impact underlying disease pathophysiology, slow cognitive and functional decline and provide benefits on patients’ ability to perform activities of daily living, including conducting personal finances, performing household chores, such as cleaning, shopping and doing laundry, and independently traveling out of the home. If approved, aducanumab would be the first treatment to meaningfully change the course of the disease for individuals living with Alzheimer’s.

Biogen licensed aducanumab from Neurimmune under a collaborative development and license agreement. Since October 2017 Biogen and Eisai Co., Ltd. have collaborated on the development and commercialization of aducanumab globally.

EMERGE and ENGAGE were Phase 3 multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group studies designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of aducanumab. The primary objective of the studies was to evaluate the efficacy of monthly doses of aducanumab as compared with placebo in reducing cognitive and functional impairment as measured by changes in the Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) score. Secondary objectives were to assess the effect of monthly doses of aducanumab as compared to placebo on clinical decline as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale 13 Items (ADAS-Cog 13) and Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Inventory Mild Cognitive Impairment Version (ADCS-ADL-MCI).

About Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological condition that impairs thinking, memory and independence, leading to premature death. The disease currently cannot be stopped, delayed or prevented and is a growing global health crisis, affecting those living with the disease and their families. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tens of millions of people worldwide live with Alzheimer’s disease, and the number will grow in the years ahead, outpacing the healthcare resources needed to manage it and costing billions of dollars.

According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, it is estimated approximately 4.6 million people live with dementia and about 4 million people live with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in Japan (2012). Alzheimer’s disease is suspected to represent around 60-70% of dementia cases.

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by changes in the brain, including the abnormal accumulation of toxic amyloid beta plaque, which begins approximately 20 years before patients exhibit symptoms of the disease. MCI due to Alzheimer’s disease is one of the earliest stages of the disease when symptoms start to be more visible and can be detected and diagnosed. Current research efforts are focused on catching and treating patients as early as possible for the best chance of slowing or stopping the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

About Biogen

At Biogen, our mission is clear: we are pioneers in neuroscience. Biogen discovers, develops and delivers worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases as well as related therapeutic adjacencies. One of the world’s first global biotechnology companies, Biogen was founded in 1978 by Charles Weissmann, Heinz Schaller, Kenneth Murray and Nobel Prize winners Walter Gilbert and Phillip Sharp. Today Biogen has the leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis, has introduced the first approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, commercializes biosimilars of advanced biologics and is focused on advancing research programs in multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, neuromuscular disorders, movement disorders, ophthalmology, immunology, neurocognitive disorders, acute neurology and pain.

We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.biogen.com. Follow us on social media – Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube.

About Eisai Co., Ltd.

Eisai Co., Ltd. is a leading global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan. Eisai’s corporate philosophy is based on the human health care (hhc) concept, which is to give first thought to patients and their families, and to increase the benefits that health care provides to them. With a global network of R&D facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to realize our hhc philosophy by delivering innovative products to target diseases with high unmet medical needs, with a particular focus in our strategic areas of Neurology and Oncology.

Leveraging the experience gained from the development and marketing of a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, Eisai aims to establish the “Eisai Dementia Platform.” Through this platform, Eisai plans to deliver novel benefits to those living with dementia and their families through constructing a “Dementia Ecosystem,” by collaborating with partners such as medical organizations, diagnostic development companies, research organizations, and bio-ventures in addition to private insurance agencies, finance industries, fitness clubs, automobile makers, retailers, and care facilities. For more information about Eisai Co., Ltd., please visit https://www.eisai.com.

Biogen Safe Harbor

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, about potential regulatory discussions, submissions and approvals and the timing thereof; the potential clinical effects of aducanumab; the potential benefits, safety and efficacy of aducanumab; the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease; the anticipated benefits and potential of Biogen’s collaboration arrangements with Eisai; the potential of Biogen’s commercial business and pipeline programs, including aducanumab; and risks and uncertainties associated with drug development and commercialization. These statements may be identified by words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “will,” “would” and other words and terms of similar meaning. Drug development and commercialization involve a high degree of risk, and only a small number of research and development programs result in commercialization of a product. Results in early stage clinical trials may not be indicative of full results or results from later stage or larger scale clinical trials and do not ensure regulatory approval. You should not place undue reliance on these statements or the scientific data presented.

These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including without limitation actual timing and content of submissions to and decisions made by the regulatory authorities regarding aducanumab; regulatory submissions may take longer or be more difficult to complete than expected; regulatory authorities may require additional information or further studies, or may fail or refuse to approve or may delay approval of Biogen’s drug candidates, including aducanumab; unexpected concerns that may arise from additional data, analysis or results obtained during clinical trials; the occurrence of adverse safety events; risks of unexpected costs or delays; the risk of other unexpected hurdles; uncertainty of success in the development and potential commercialization of aducanumab; risks relating to the potential launch of aducanumab, including preparedness of healthcare providers to treat patients, the ability to obtain and maintain adequate reimbursement for aducanumab and other unexpected difficulties or hurdles; failure to protect and enforce Biogen’s data, intellectual property and other proprietary rights and uncertainties relating to intellectual property claims and challenges; product liability claims; third party collaboration risks; and the direct and indirect impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on Biogen’s business, results of operations and financial condition. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from Biogen’s expectations in any forward-looking statement. Investors should consider this cautionary statement as well as the risk factors identified in Biogen’s most recent annual or quarterly report and in other reports Biogen has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are based on Biogen’s current beliefs and expectations and speak only as of the date of this news release. Biogen does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Contacts
MEDIA CONTACT: Biogen Inc. David Caouette + 617 679 4945 [email protected] INVESTOR CONTACT: Biogen Inc. Joe Mara +781 464 2442 [email protected]	MEDIA CONTACT: Eisai Co., Ltd. Public Relations Department TEL: +81-(0)3-3817-5120 Eisai Inc. Public Relations Department TEL: +1-201-753-1945 INVESTOR CONTACT: Eisai Co., Ltd. Investor Relations Department TEL: +81-(0)3-3817-5327

BURLINGAME, Calif., Dec. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ALX Oncology Holdings Inc. (“ALX Oncology”) (Nasdaq: ALXO), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing therapies to block the CD47 checkpoint pathway, today announced the pricing of an upsized underwritten public offering of 2,380,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $76.00 per share. All of the shares of common stock are being offered by ALX Oncology. The gross proceeds to ALX Oncology from the offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by ALX Oncology, are expected to be approximately $180.9 million, excluding any exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares. The offering is expected to close on December 14, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. In addition, ALX Oncology has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 357,000 shares of its common stock at the public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

Jefferies, Credit Suisse, and Piper Sandler are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. Cantor and UBS Investment Bank are also acting as book-running managers for the offering. LifeSci Capital is acting as lead manager for the offering.

Registration statements relating to these securities became effective on December 9, 2020. The offering is made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained from Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10022, by telephone at (877) 821-7388, or by email at [email protected]; Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 6933 Louis Stephens Drive, Morrisville, NC 27560, by telephone at (800) 221-1037, or by email at [email protected]; Piper Sandler & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 800 Nicollet Mall, J12S03, Minneapolis, MN 55402, by telephone at (800) 747-3924, or by email at [email protected]; Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., Attention: Capital Markets, 499 Park Avenue, 6th Floor New York, NY 10022, or by email at [email protected]; or UBS Securities LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 1285 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019, by telephone at (888) 827-7275, or by email at [email protected]. Copies of the final prospectus, when available, related to the offering will be available at www.sec.gov.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About ALX Oncology

ALX Oncology is a publicly traded, clinical-stage immuno-oncology company focused on helping patients fight cancer by developing therapies that block the CD47 checkpoint pathway and bridge the innate and adaptive immune system. ALX Oncology’s lead product candidate, ALX148, is a next generation CD47 blocking therapeutic that combines a high-affinity CD47 binding domain with an inactivated, proprietary Fc domain. ALX148 has demonstrated promising clinical responses across a range of hematologic and solid malignancies in combination with a number of leading anti-cancer agents. ALX Oncology intends to continue clinical development of ALX148 for the treatment of a range of solid tumor indications as well as MDS and AML.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Such forward-looking statements are based on ALX Oncology’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to it on the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause ALX Oncology’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding the timing, size and completion of the public offering of common stock.  The forward-looking statements contained herein are based upon ALX Oncology’s current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to risks and uncertainties related to market conditions and satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the offering, and other risks. These and other risks are described more fully in ALX Oncology’s registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on December 7, 2020 and the prospectus included therein, as well as ALX Oncology’s other filings with the SEC from time to time, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 12, 2020. Except to the extent required by law, ALX Oncology undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

Investor
Contact:

Peter Garcia
Chief Financial Officer, ALX Oncology
(650) 466-7125 Ext. 113
[email protected]

Argot Partners
(212)-600-1902
[email protected]

Media Contact:

Karen Sharma
MacDougall
(781) 235-3060
[email protected]

NEW YORK, Dec. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized stockholder rights law firm, has launched an investigation into whether the board members of MTS Systems Corporation (NASDAQ: MTSC) breached their fiduciary duties or violated the federal securities laws in connection with the company’s acquisition by Amphenol Corporation (NYSE: APH).

Click here to learn more and participate in the action.

On December 9, 2020, MTS announced that it had signed an agreement to be acquired by Amphenol for approximately $1.7 billion. Pursuant to the merger agreement, MTS stockholders will receive $58.50 in cash for each share of MTS common stock owned.   The deal is scheduled to close in the middle of 2021.

Bragar Eagel & Squire is concerned that MTS’s board of directors oversaw an unfair process and ultimately agreed to an inadequate merger agreement. Accordingly, the firm is investigating all relevant aspects of the deal and is committed to securing the best result possible for MTS’s stockholders.

If you own shares of MTS and are concerned about the proposed merger, or you are interested in learning more about the investigation or your legal rights and remedies, please contact Melissa Fortunato or Alexandra Raymond by email at [email protected] or telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you.

About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.:

Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York and California. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contact Information:

Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.
Melissa Fortunato, Esq.
Alexandra Raymond, Esq.
[email protected]
www.bespc.com

West Palm Beach, FL, Dec. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Looking back over the last 9 years it has become clear that the legal community’s paradigm has been impacted by technological advancements along with being changed forever as a result of the pandemic. The evolution of the semantic web with semantic markup and schema architecture, meeting up with the Internet of things (IOT) or the web of things (WOT) begs the question; has anything changed when it comes to usability of law firm web design? Terms like user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are what legal web designers are communicating to managing partners of top national law firms. However, getting to that sweet spot where conversion happens and revenue is generated is a more difficult nut to crack, it requires science. 

Law Firm Equity

Every law firm looking for a customizable law firm website solution should be very conservative when trying to improve their current website. Valuable equity needs to be protected, by conserving existing website pages and their individual urls along with its respective content, this approach will be integral to preserving website equity. 

Law firm Imagery

Everyone is familiar with the phrase, that a picture is worth a thousand words. Does it take beautiful imagery in attorney website designs to convert prospects?  Do they need to be pleasing to the eye? In America, more often we are accustomed to selling the sizzle rather than the steak, appealing to our senses is what we are accustomed to. The belief that law firm imagery works, can be legitimate in some cases, but is surprisingly insufficient for most attorney websites. Law firm websites typically focus more on promoting the firm and their attorneys rather than on the future client’s pain points and how those can be addressed. Which can result in future clients not being driven to take action either by calling or filling out an online web form. Do you know what motivates your preferred client or ideal Avatar?

Law Firm Legal Technology

We live in a commodity driven culture where we believe that we can synthesize and understand complex problems. Law firm websites to the untrained eye appear to be simple to comprehend, websites can be seen, read and navigated, but the reality is they are a far more complex equation. They are built around one or more computer coding languages, either from an individual developer or by a community driven system of coders. Whether you have a custom or a template platform, the guts of your attorney website remains the engine that makes the vehicle go. It is based on 100’s of variables all working in unison, but without gas or SEO juice it will not get very far, this is what escapes the majority of lawyers as they have neither the training or desire to understand the critical technology behind all successful revenue generating websites. 

Law firm Website Engineering

Law firm website engineering and its technology can be more complex than being a computer engineer. The website engineer has to continuously adapt to an ever changing landscape and its search engine algorithms. It requires very important skill sets to assess whether your website has the proper elements woven into the structure that will be your primer for success. Everything from the important on-page factors or SEO framework, to off-page factors or important links that endorse your web property, these and many other variables will determine your potential to succeed in an ocean of competing lawyer websites. 

Understanding Expertise, Authority and Trust (EAT)

With nearly 30 years experience in marketing, designing, building and launching web platforms it has become clear that you cannot succeed without understanding EAT and how it has the ability to amplify your brand:

1.   Expertise
2.   Authority
3.   Trust

These three factors if properly developed are by far the most critical components in branding both from a search engine perspective as well as how you are perceived by your audience. There is an important synergy that exists between both aspects. They will remain the primary reason why you become successful with each new and subsequent modification to your digital website asset which will continue to generate future clients for years to come.

Attorney Website Development 

Attorney website development requires an understanding of technology and all its’ nuances, otherwise it will hinder your ability to make an informed decision. Where most attorneys go wrong is by looking at and then comparing themselves to their law firm competitor’s websites. There is no way for lawyers to know how their competition’s law firm website is working or not working simply by browsing the site, whether their modifications are taking advantage of continued growth or the website isn’t working and that’s the reason for the switch. This is the only metric for them, observing how their attorney peers continue to change, evolve and adapt, without any context can be problematic. Lawyers perceive their competition’s change as an improvement and their own website as stagnating, which confirms their conclusion that an upgrade is needed for it to work. This hypothesis is flawed, but it’s their perception that rules the day. Attorneys receive a call from one of the hundreds of web developers with their multitude of technologies and ideas. They hear the attorneys’ dissatisfaction, fear and concern about spending more money to improve their digital asset, which for the law firm has become a bottomless personal money pit, in need of a continuous influx of cash. Web developers empathize, are understanding, and attempt to assuage their fears. You hope their solution will be your anxiety fix. Law firm web designers who are inexperienced will hope to reassure the lawyer that theirs is the preferred solution, like the many previous web developers that have come before them. Could it be that simple, or is it the definition of insanity repeating the same thing over again thinking this time it will be different? 

Five Important Points to Consider

1. Know the legal specialization you excel in and focus on communicating that expertise. 
2. How important is testing and data analysis when designing websites for lawyers?
3. Develop authoritative mentions from local, regional and national news sites.
4. Knowing your audience is critical. How can you go about constructing your Avatar?
5. Amplify and enhance your expertise, develop authority and become trusted by clients and search engines. 

Law Firm Intake and Acquisition During a Pandemic

A constant stream of attorney clients is the lifeblood of all successful law firms. Answering a new client inquiry requires skill, focus and a set protocol to follow. It starts with a well thought out script and training of such key personnel as a dedicated client intake coordinator. In theory, it doesn’t appear like it could be that hard to answer the phone, but in practice, calls get missed, go to voicemail, are dropped and not called back. Staff lack training, get busy, are overworked and may lack empathy, all of which results in missed client opportunities. I have witnessed millions of dollars in future client awards and recoveries lost because there was no real system in place. Having a streamlined intake protocol secures new prospects by ensuring the call is answered in an effective manner, it also helps to address many possible contingencies that may occur. If it can go wrong it will at some point unless there is a system that ensures the protocol is adhered to. The pandemic has required attorneys to get creative in order to continue functioning in a new perilous business environment. It has forced them into developing a system to protect their staff and their clients equally. The utilization of a myriad of online video conferencing softwares to handle meeting with clients virtually rather than in person has become a critical step in new client acquisition. The early adopters will soon realize that the virtual process flow will facilitate an improved quality of life for everyone involved. Having legal document software to secure retainer agreements with new clients is becoming a necessary part of doing business. Certified e-signatures are all part of the many software companies offering these online services. Even when we get back some form of what has been lost due to the pandemic and regain some normalcy, it will be 12-18 months before our psyche has recovered when a vaccine is available. Even then, we may not see the need to fully go back to the old fashion way of meeting in person. 

Law Firm Case Study –  Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer 

Our team managed a law firm website for over 5 years for a leading Philadelphia car accident lawyer. After reviewing and assessing their existing 3rd generation website, we developed and launched their new state of the art website, built on wordpress (open source platform CMS) with a custom developed theme optimized for SEO, page speed, mobile responsiveness factors that were essential for optimal usability that follow Google’s best practice. Additionally, we also added schema architecture to facilitate indexing, which is favored by Google, for this top Philly car wreck lawyer. In the beginning traffic to this top Philadelphia PA auto accident lawyer was paltry, hovering around 200 visits per month.We took their existing attorney website from an existing bounce rate or exit rate of over 80% and lowered that to under 3% on the new site. After the implementation of their new properly structured law firm website and digital and content marketing campaign, we were consistently able to increase prospective client traffic. As we neared the end of our engagement this attorney website project was averaging nearly 10000 new visits per month. 80% of their search traffic was based on keyword intent, 15% was coming from syndicated news articles, press releases and authority content, and 5% from brand name search traffic. We were able to achieve ranking for over 3000+ long tail keywords and phrases eg., Philly truck accident lawyer near me, best Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer and top Philadelphia injury lawyers. Tracking and analytics were incorporated with designated telephone numbers to identify attribution. The team assisted in reputation management to help deprecate negative reviews for their brand name. We were able to rank authoritative web assets within the first two Google search results pages, pushing the negative mentions to page three. We helped cultivate real client endorsements with genuine testimonials, this and much more we achieved through the course of our engagement. Key takeaway: Before this engagement the law firm was spending $80K+ per month in promoting Philly car injury cases on TV, which resulted in soft tissue and catastrophic injury cases. Conversely our digital marketing and PR with holistic SEO out performed their TV advertising. We have many case studies like this for: San Francisco car accident lawyer, Bay area injury lawyer, Dallas car accident attorney, New Mexico car wreck lawyer, big rig lawyer near the Texas panhandle. If you would like to discuss this case study with us, please connect with me on linkedin so we can get to know you and your law firm in 2021.

What the Future Holds for Attorneys and Our Fellow Americans 

As we continue to move forward while adapting to these ever changing times managing our expectations for our work and personal lives we’ll become increasingly important. We are all weighing the safety and the soundness of our choices versus the risk and the reward. Whether we are meeting a new client in the office or seeing our families for the holidays either doing it in person or online, making an informed decision has become so crucial that our lives may well depend upon it. Finding web professionals that understand and can provide you with an Internet blueprint to map out your project, establish benchmarks and provide you with a timeline in which they will deliver as promised is how it should be. When developing a website the goal is to generate business, if it isn’t realized immediately or worst yet not delivered as promised by inexperienced web developers, the process becomes mentally taxing. It’s easy to get tired, lose interest and then fatigue sets in. Staying the course and remaining vigilant appears to be what Americans and the rest of the world are meeting up with today. Understanding how the pandemic behaves as well as complex concepts like website schema architecture takes time, patience and focus in order to correctly interpret the theory behind it all, otherwise it can have a disastrous outcome. Being conservative or cautious in these challenging times is not a sign of weakness, but rather a demonstration in courage, in the long run it can only benefit our families, businesses and our fellow Americans as we live in this new world order.

Read my previous research that I published on 10/26/2011 and see what have changed for you. 

Lawyer Web design today is much different than it was 10 years ago, because now there is an immense amount of interactive and flashy tools and features that you can incorporate into your lawyer website. Many law firms are looking for that “wow factor” and want to stand out from the competition when creating their law firm’s website. But, the bells and whistles could actually overshadow your law firm’s core message.

Too often we focus on the bells and whistles that come with a website and miss the core message that our prospects/clients want and need to see. Instead of focusing on the “wow”—focus on your audience, who is on your lawyer website for a reason: They need a qualified attorney to represent their case. 

The focus should always be on the user experience, not on what massages our egos or the programmer uses to impress you. Usability should be the top priority when working with a web designer to create your attorney website; because if the potential client can’t navigate your page easily, then you’re not going to get new cases. In fact, a flashy site can be more cumbersome to navigate. 

A few areas of usability an effective lawyer website should focus on include:

• Navigability: Visitors to your lawyer website should be able to easily locate all your information on the site through navigation menus, search boxes and links. Having a well-placed navigation bar, like on the top of the website, can help your potential clients find and access important information easily. This will help eliminate your website’s bounce rate and keep people on your lawyer website.

• Readability: Consumers are on your lawyer website to learn more about your law firm, so give them something to read. Having quality content on your website’s pages, which isn’t heavy in legal jargon, can help give the potential client a better experience and help SEO efforts. Incorporating a law firm blog on your site is also another good idea to create content and establish confidence with the potential client. 

• Accessibility: Almost everyone needs a lawyer at some point, including people with disabilities. Incorporating features that cater to the disabled can broaden your reach with potential clients. In addition, the mobile Web is an up and coming avenue in which people are accessing the web. Making your lawyer website mobile Web-friendly will allow people who are using smartphones, tablets, iPads, web-enabled TVs and game consoles to access your website easily. By failing to include these features, your law firm can miss out on a large pool of consumers who are seeking the assistance of an attorney. 

• Speed:  If your website is taking more than a minute to load, chances are people are clicking off as fast as they clicked onto your attorney website. Having a fast website is key in eliminating the bounce rate and keeping potential clients from leaving your site for another lawyer website. In today’s society no one has patience, so if it’s taking forever for a consumer to access your website’s information, they are likely just going to move on to the next lawyer website.

• Experience: Overall, this is the most important factor for your lawyer website. If potential clients don’t have a good experience while visiting your site, then they are likely not going to call your law firm to speak with an attorney. The best way to find out how well consumers are experiencing your website is to talk to them about it and ask them to fill out a survey about your website. Through that information, you and your web designer can work together to make your website fit better to the consumers needs. 

About the writer Rene Perras Organic Website Growth Expert for Law Firms 

Rene Perras is a lawyer website consultant, who has worked alongside law firms of all types to help build effective lawyer Internet marketing campaigns for over 20 years. For a free consultation about an attorney website, please contact Rene Perras at 720-ONE-RENE or visit Cepac.com

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