Industry Focus Groups: How we build client focus into the culture
Stevens & Lee's industry focus groups drive our efforts to be truly client focused. Motivated by our desire to anticipate our clients' needs, to solve problems and generate opportunities using innovation and creativity, and to partner with our clients to cultivate long-term relationships that provide real value, Stevens & Lee continuously works to understand the challenges our clients face within the industries they serve. 

We recognize our clients' needs because we research, we plan and we ask questions. We find this valuable. Clients find it priceless.

What is an Industry Focus Group?
Each industry focus group is staffed by Stevens & Lee lawyers who bring the following to the group:

• Segment expertise
• Technical expertise
• Government affairs expertise
• Financial expertise
• Creative ability
• Diversity

Why Industry Focus Groups?
We developed our industry focus groups to allow us to better understand our clients and the industries in which they compete so that we can better serve them. Our industry focus groups help us to understand external threats and opportunities posed by industry and client-specific trends. As a matter of fact, they helped us prepare for what could have been a devastating blow caused by consolidation in the financial services industry, which led to the sale of our largest client, Meridian Bancorp, in 1996 to another client. By studying the banking industry, we saw it coming years in advance and diversified our practices, allowing us to move forward without any decrease in revenues. More importantly, it helped us better understand our other banking clients and assist them in growing their franchises.

Industry focus groups help us assess internal strengths and weaknesses, allowing us to capitalize on our strengths and remedy our weaknesses. They encourage communication among lawyers in different areas of practice who come together to share knowledge and ideas for the betterment of the firm, their practices and their clients. Our knowledge of the industries we serve has allowed us to compete on the value of our services, not price.

What have our Industry Focus Groups accomplished?
By studying industry landscape assessments and identifying the forces that shape selected industries, Stevens & Lee has added true value to the services we provide.

Banking, Thrift & Insurance
We found a way for Pennsylvania's property and casualty insurance companies to convert from mutual to stock form and access the capital markets at a time when they needed help most.
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State and Local Government
We found a way for two Pennsylvania counties to finance stadium and arena projects with hotel and motel tax receipts. Two long-awaited convention centers are now operating successfully.
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Utilities
We found a way for our public utility clients to sell their stranded cost assets.
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