Director of Communications

Summary

The Director of Communications leads the firm's market-facing communications and reports to the Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer (CMBDO). This is a senior, strategic role. The Director serves as a trusted communications advisor to firm leadership, section leaders, and individual attorneys, designing and driving the media and communications plans that strengthen Hanson Bridgett's brand reputation, increase its visibility and market engagement, and advance client development, go-to-market priorities, and talent recruiting. The Director shapes and promotes the firm's brand, achievements, and innovation, and keeps every communication clear, consistent, and true to the firm's voice and values.

The Director shapes the firm's narrative for clients, prospects, referral sources, lawyers, business professionals, and recruiting audiences. The role also develops internal sales-enablement communications that help lawyers and business professionals understand the firm's market activity and position its capabilities. The Director leads the Communications Manager, who handles day-to-day execution of the plans the Director sets, and is the firm's lead communications advisor in a crisis or reputational event.

Responsibilities and Duties

Strategy and messaging:

• Serve as the strategic communications advisor to firm leadership, section leaders, and individual attorneys, building and running integrated external and go-to-market communications strategies that support the firm's strategic plan: to be the best at what we do, a great place to work, and a significant contributor to our communities.
• Develop customized media and visibility plans with firm leadership, section leaders, and individual attorneys, aligning each plan to firm priorities, the lawyer's or section's practice and business goals, and the right audiences and outlets.
• Shape and steward the firm's market-facing narrative so messaging clearly conveys its differentiators, expertise, culture, and client value.
• Partner with Business Development, Professional Development, Talent, Recruiting, Section Leaders and Attorneys on plans that drive revenue growth, client engagement, lawyer visibility, employer brand, and law student and lateral recruiting.
• Set and evolve the firm's brand voice and style guidelines and oversee their consistent use across all channels.

Media and public relations:

• Lead thought leadership and editorial planning tied to priority industries, practices, client needs, and talent positioning.
• Counsel lawyers on media strategy, develop pitches with them, and prepare them for interviews and market commentary. Direct the placement of attorney-written articles, with the Communications Manager handling day-to-day execution.
• Build and maintain senior-level relationships with journalists at key outlets and connect partners with them.
• Own the relationship with the outside public relations agency, including setting strategy and priorities, directing day-to-day work through the Communications Manager, and evaluating performance against agreed goals.
• Set the approach for press releases and review and approve final drafts prepared by the Communications Manager, in partnership with the CMBDO.
• Identify and elevate high-impact stories, matters, client issues, lawyer perspectives, and people-related proof points through proactive PR and content opportunities.
• Content, digital, and social:
  Set the social media strategy and cultural posting calendar, with the Communications Manager managing day-to-day execution, and review analytics and adjust the approach based on performance.
• Champion the firm's diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and pro bono commitment through proactive storytelling, internally and externally.
• Partner with digital, creative, events, and marketing technology teams to deliver integrated campaigns across external channels.

Operations and measurement:

• Manage agencies and outside suppliers, including briefings and coordination across geographies.
• Build the annual communications budget in partnership with the CMBDO, aligned to firm strategy and KPIs, and manage spend against it.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Communications Manager, setting priorities, delegating execution, and reviewing work product.
• Oversee analytics for the department, including media coverage, website and content engagement, and PR agency results, and report on effectiveness and ROI against KPIs set to align with firm strategy.
• Set standards, processes, calendars, and governance for external and go-to-market communications.
• Lead crisis and reputational communications, advising firm leadership and the CMBDO, maintaining response plans and protocols, and directing the Communications Manager and outside agency in execution.

Required AI Skills

• Practical experience with generative AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot) to speed drafting of press releases, articles, social content, and internal communications, with a clear sense of what needs full attorney or human review before publication.
• Basic understanding of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), meaning how content surfaces in AI-powered search and answer engines, and how it complements traditional SEO for legal marketing.
• Sound judgment on AI governance in a law firm (confidentiality, bar advertising rules, disclosure obligations, and avoiding hallucinated or unverified claims), and the ability to set expectations for responsible AI use across the communications team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, Master's preferred, and minimum 10+ years of professional experience in a communications role at an AmLaw 200 law firm
• Law firm experience strongly preferred, ideally in a communications role at an AmLaw 200 firm.
• Solid public relations experience with developed media contacts.
• Results-oriented, self-directed individual with demonstrated ability to prioritize, juggle multiple assignments, meet tight deadlines, and function as part of a cohesive team.
• Impeccable written and verbal communication and superior writing and editing skills, tailored to different audiences.
• Sound judgment, attention to detail, and the discretion to make decisions with minimal supervision.
• Working knowledge of attorney advertising rules and professional responsibility requirements that affect law firm marketing and communications.
• Demonstrated experience leading, mentoring, and developing communications staff.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (including PowerPoint and SharePoint) and Adobe Suite.
• Knowledge of social media platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram).
• Experience with media monitoring and social analytics platforms, preferably Sprout Social and JD Supra (or comparable tools such as Cision or Meltwater).

Salary

Hanson Bridgett offers a competitive salary and benefits package. The annual salary for this California-based role is anticipated to be in the area of $220,000.00 - $250,000.00, and represents the firm's good faith and reasonable estimate of possible compensation at the time of posting. Actual compensation is negotiable and will depend upon several factors, including but not limited to the candidate's years of experience, qualifications, and skill set.