Chad Dudley
Steven DeBosier
The Transition from “E” to “D”
After E and Tommy were disbarred by the Louisiana Supreme Court, Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers was given only 10 days to remove everything “E” related from the law firm previously known as E Eric Guirard Injury Lawyers. Chad Dudley discusses with One Shot how the turbulence of an unwanted transition seems like smooth sailing.
Q: What has it been like for you and your partners to go through such a major brand change? Can you discuss some of the emotions you have experienced through the last few months of this process?
A: It has been a very unpleasant process for the past 18 months. Our firm was experiencing phenomenal growth, and we were in the process of expanding statewide. As the disciplinary matter gained more momentum, we were forced to deal with the high probability that E and Tommy would not be allowed to practice law for some period of time. cj has been a tremendous help in tackling the monumental task of moving from such a well-known brand to a new firm name.
Q: As you transitioned the brand from E Eric Guirard to Dudley DeBosier, which elements of the practice were you most concerned about?
A: We were concerned about two things: whether existing clients would continue to have confidence in the firm and if potential clients would be deterred from hiring us as a result of the unfavorable media that E and Tommy were receiving.
“We are excited that our years of commitment to delivering excellent client representation paid off.”
Q: Through the entire process, how have clients responded to the brand change?
A: Clients want to know if it is going to affect their cases. After telling them that it will not affect their cases, it has usually been the end of the story.
Q: What are some of the methods you have used to maintain staff confidence and stability during this monumental change?
A: Communication. Communication. Communication. We communicated with our team throughout the process – even if there was no change in the proceedings, we communicated to them that there was no change. We made sure that they heard everything from us before they heard it on the news. We addressed every question that was brought to us, and they appreciated the honesty and directness.
Q: In addition to the leadership of E and Tommy, the firm also retired the marketing pitch of “The E Guarantee.” What is the new marketing slogan for the firm, and how has it been accepted thus far?
A: The spirit of the “E Guarantee” lives on. We still emphasize the 10 points of the E Guarantee in all of our print materials and we will continue to emphasize those points in commercials. However, we are still working on a phrase to replace this well-known slogan. Those are big shoes to fill.
Q: What are the 3- to 10-year goals for the firm, respectively? What are some of the steps you are taking to work toward those goals?
A: Our 3- to 10-year goals are still the same:
- We want to be Louisiana’s top personal injury law firm with a statewide presence.
- We want to achieve this goal by delivering the best client representation and service possible.
The recent events may change the short-term strategy to realize these goals, but the goals are still the same.
Q: At this point, which elements of the practice are you most excited about and/or have the most confidence in?
A: We are excited that our years of commitment to delivering excellent client representation paid off. Not one existing client terminated representation after the news came out. We made the effort to personally meet with every existing client to explain what was going on. We were also excited to see that potential clients continued to contact our firm about their personal injury claims.
