LMA Ohio Member Spotlight:
Bob Kraft
Title: Marketing Director
Firm: Peck, Shaffer & Williams LLP
Education: Bachelor’s degree, Ohio University, 1973.
Where did you grow up? Cleveland, Ohio
What was your first job? Either service station attendant (a job that is now extinct), or church janitor. It’s been a long time; I forget which was first.
What would you be doing if you weren't in your current job? That’s a good one!
What is currently on your iPod? Rickie Lee Jones, Leonard Cohen, Over the Rhine, Van Morrison, Hilary Hahn, My Morning Jacket, Pat Metheny, Tedeschi-Trucks Band.
Where is your favorite place to go to relax? The Caribbean. South Carolina, Florida, California. Do you discern a theme? Water and sand.
What is your favorite TV show? Favorite movie? Mad Men. And many others. The Godfather. And many others.
What is your favorite cuisine? Whatever I’m cooking that day
If you were stranded on a desert island, who or what would you want to have with you? Books. And more books.
Who are the most important people in your life? My family. Who gets away with answering otherwise?
What is the first thing you read in the morning? The Cincinnati Enquirer and The New York Times.
How did you get into legal marketing? I spent 30 years in newspapers, and then spent a few years at a PR agency. My most interesting client was a law firm. It developed from there.
What is the best thing about your job? We do genuinely interesting work. We’re exclusively a public finance law firm; we help our clients build schools, hospitals, museums, fire stations, utilities, roads, airports, sewers, stadiums, convention centers. My job is to tell that story. It’s a good story to tell.
What advice would you offer a new entrant to the world of legal marketing? Learn the business; stay curious; develop your writing skills.