Ransomware attacks against law firms and other businesses are “the fastest growing threat that we see across industries,” Trey Forgety tells the American Bar Association Bar Leader magazine in its new issue. Ransomware is software that can encrypt the data on a computer and force the computer owner to pay a “ransom” to have the data unencrypted. “In the past we’ve worried a lot about data theft, ... Now, the biggest concern is the threat to the attorney’s business,” he says. Forgety, director of government affairs and regulatory counsel to NENA: The 9-1-1 Association, wrote the December 2016 Tennessee Bar Journal cover story, "Is Your Client Information Safe: Data Security Is Your Responsibility Even If You Don't Understand How it Works."

“The biggest missed opportunity in marketing is playing it too safe. That’s true even if you’re a lawyer.” That's the word from marketing experts, who shared tips for lawyers on how to build a better brand at the Avvo Lawyernomics conference last week. “Bolder means differentiating yourself through your marketing and how you sound to the folks you’re trying to attract,” said Ann Handley, chief content officer of MarketingProfs. Read more from the ABA Journal. 

Law Technology Today shares how law firms are using technology for exposure and efficiency. Blogging about topics and launching law firm apps are included in the list. “Firms should be continually researching and investing in IT assistance, site/app development, social media and other forms of online outreach and optimization,” the author writes.

The ABA Journal shares benefits of automating frequently-produced documents of a law practice, like client engagement letters and routine filings. John Mayer, executive director of the Center for Computer Assisted Legal Instruction, and Andrew Legrand, a New Orleans lawyer, recently shared helpful tips on the topic at the ABA TechShow.

The number of lawyers in Hamilton County has more than doubled since 1979 and the market for legal work has become more competitive, the Chattanooga Time Free Press reports. But even so, the legal community has remained respectful and supportive of one another, area lawyers say. "It's a relationship business built on serving the client, and I think that client focus is what has helped us to grow," said Dana Perry, a former managing partner at the Chambliss law firm, one of the city's oldest. "We've recognized that as the business of our clients has changed, we have had to change as well."

National labor and employment law firm Constangy, Brooks & Smith – with offices in Nashville – has won first place in the Legal Marketing Association’s national awards program for a mobile app designed for HR professionals, in-house counsel and members of the media. The firm reports that the app goes beyond lawyer bios and newsletters to provide quick guides and checklists on workplace topics, wage and hour calculators, a glossary of employment law terms and links to workers’ comp calculators. The app’s Work Snips section also provides short, entertaining takes on the latest workplace headlines from outside news sources. The app is available for Apple products. An Android version is set to be released soon.

Despite a substantial growth in the number of female attorneys, a gender gap continues to exist in the legal profession, Nashville attorney Ann Peldo Cargile of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings writes in today’s Tennessean. Not only are fewer female attorneys reaching partner status, many are leaving the profession entirely, she writes. These trends and ways that firms can develop better practices for hiring, developing and retaining diverse legal talent will be the topic of a program at this year’s Tennessee Bar Association Annual Convention in Nashville. Presented jointly by the TBA and Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women, the session will be part of the CLE lineup during the June 12-15 event.