At IMS, we believe our people are our greatest asset. In honor of our incredible team, we are thrilled to go “beyond the bio” and share the personal stories of employees across our organization.
An integrated strategy is key to preparing and presenting a winning case. At IMS, our Integrated Strategy team not only helps clients uncover and hone their thematic messaging but also ensures those same themes are supported through each of our services. Arely Cure and Clint Townson are two core members of this unique department, and their paths into the legal field are just as distinctive. In this employee spotlight, Arely and Clint share how they got into litigation consulting, why an integrated approach is so valuable to clients, and what they predict for the industry.
Note: Since this spotlight was published, Arely Cure has moved into the role of IMS Director of Consulting Services Operations and Clint Townson has begun partnering with IMS as a contract litigation strategy consultant.
Arely Cure, IMS Director of Strategy & Consulting Support
After a chance airplane encounter introduced Arely Cure to the world of legal operations, she spent four years working alongside some of the nation’s top attorneys to streamline firm operations and strengthen client relationships. Arely brings a strong business and analytical mindset to her role as IMS Director of Strategy & Consulting Support, and her passion lies in positioning clients—as well as our company—for long-term success.
Q: How did you get into this industry?
A: I was working for an aeronautics company when I decided to shift gears and pursue my interest in the legal field. I had previously wanted to be an attorney but felt the business side was a better fit, so I was thrilled to find the Master of Legal Administration program. As I was nearing graduation, I ran into the chief marketing officer for an Am Law 50 firm that was just opening its legal operations department, and this chance meeting ultimately kickstarted my new career.
Q: Why did you choose IMS?
A: After entering the legal industry, I quickly recognized the growth opportunities within legal operations. I saw firsthand that, to best advocate for their own clients, attorneys needed people to focus on the business aspect. Over the last 20 years, legal operations have become part of the DNA of law firms (especially in Big Law) because of the great benefits to profitability, strategy, and client service.
While serving as the practice manager for a global law firm, I also realized the value of outsourcing litigation support services. Thus, I was excited at the opportunity to join IMS—a niche legal services firm—and apply my business acumen to support top-performing attorneys in a more comprehensive way. I wanted a different challenge, and it was the right time for my personal growth and career.
Q: What do you like most about your specific department/role?
A: My role is unique since I oversee two teams. The Integrated Strategy department is collaborative by nature and connects each service through a common strategic thread, so it’s a logical fit. What’s fascinating is that I get to focus on the bigger picture within my department, but I am also involved with many overarching operational projects, so it forces me to really assess the company’s long-term goals and avoid reactive or temporary solutions. It’s about supporting our entire consulting team and helping them best serve our clients across the board.
Q: What internal accomplishment are you most proud of?
A: I’m proud to have been able to enhance the foundation of the Integrated Strategy department and help identify new opportunities to provide strategic support to attorneys throughout the life of their cases. I’ve also been lucky to work on developing the IMS Pro Bono Program into a sustainable initiative that can be implemented across all our various teams and locations. We’re always trying to find new ways to show our company values in action, so there’s a lot of excitement about launching a comprehensive program that we can all be a part of.
Q: What do you think sets IMS apart from competitors or other companies?
A: IMS is not a one-size-fits-all; it’s a one-stop shop. We curate our approach and can insert the strategy piece into various different points of the engagement. We can also offer everything in-house, starting from the Mental Mining®, then moving to a feedback forum or combination of research projects before adding in graphics, and then staying all the way through to jury selection and trial presentation. All the seamless service and support in one place is the biggest thing that sets IMS apart.
Q: How do the IMS core values align with your own?
A: They align 100%. I always wanted to be part of a company that really cared for and respected its employees. Ever since joining IMS, I’ve seen people believing in and living the core values. I can’t think of one person who hasn’t naturally embodied them. Everyone truly takes these values to heart, and work is always being done to make sure they don’t get lost—especially as we grow. I’ve been involved in acquisition conversations, and I was so impressed that shared values were discussed early on. Of course, IMS also pays attention to the numbers, but values come first.
Q: If you were an attorney-client, what would you find most valuable about the process at IMS?
A: I think it's the willingness, quality, and attention to detail that goes into making a curated experience for each case and each client. We have a successful formula and can integrate all of our services, but we’re also very adaptable to whatever is thrown at us. Ultimately, we care about the client experience, and, for that, we’re willing to adjust anything. We excel at delivering a quality experience, and that’s something I’ve seen remain consistent even as we evolve.
Q: Do you have any predictions or comments on industry trends?
A: The business side of the legal field has really taken off, and I think we're going to see in-house legal operations dictating a lot of what happens in the industry. Just as law firms are getting smarter with their pricing and arrangements with corporate clients, those clients are also getting smarter. For this reason, law firms will need financially efficient alternatives to offer their corporate clients who are seeking such services as legal graphics, jury research, or hot seat work. The virtual aspect of today’s litigation environment has also changed the trajectory of how lawyers work. Much more can be accomplished in a remote setting, including strategy sessions and mock trials, so I think attorneys will continue to take advantage of this opportunity to efficiently advance their cases.
Clint Townson, IMS Strategy Consultant
For Clint Townson, the field of trial consulting is the perfect combination of law and social science. Clint is a seasoned researcher and strategic communicator who specializes in making thoughtful, tailored recommendations to attorney clients based on insightful data and expansive theoretical knowledge. He is particularly intrigued by the psychology of damages and the development of strategies to avoid nuclear verdicts.
Q: How did you get into this industry?
A: It all started with a specialty course at Michigan State, where I did a senior research project on “the CSI effect”. From there, I started on a course that would bring me to an American Society of Trial Consultants (ASTC) conference, through five years of grad school, to The Focal Point, and finally to IMS after the two companies joined together. What drew me to this field is that it satisfied my desire to work in the law alongside my curiosity about how the mind works.
Q: What do you like most about your specific department/role?
A: In my earliest days with the TFP/IMS team, I appreciated the dedication to every teammate’s value and well-being. I also recognized that the group brought keen insights, considerate strategy, and a diligent approach to every case we worked on. Now the integrated strategy department enables me to engage with the most complex litigation that comes through IMS. I love the critical thinking that is required in the Mental Mining® sessions and persuasion research that we conduct. I also enjoy the collaboration that naturally occurs with other departments (such as jury consulting and trial graphics) on some of the bigger matters.
Q: What internal accomplishment are you most proud of?
A: I’m proud to have assisted in developing a new service that helps clients tailor their trial approach according to the seated jury. Most people discuss the notion of “jury de-selection” since you don’t really get to choose your jurors. But rarely do people take the next step: you’re left with a final group; now how do you make your case to each of those folks? That’s what our jury dossier is all about.
Q: Are there any stories you’d like to share?
A: Judges love the idea of short jury selections, but jury consultants hope for long ones—longer selections mean more time to build cause challenges, more information about panel members, etc. I could not help but grin after a federal judge in North Carolina admitted we had participated in the longest jury selection he could remember, in no small part due to our team pushing for additional questioning and follow-up with jurors.
Q: What do you think sets IMS apart from competitors or other companies?
A: A lot of researchers can describe jurors’ reactions to given arguments, and some can explain why jurors reacted in that way. It’s a very small group that can advise clients on how to adjust their approach based on these findings. IMS is unique in being able to do all of this well, and we also provide the tools necessary for clients to deploy our recommendations in the best possible manner.
Q: How do the IMS core values align with your own?
A: I think “Humble Confidence” has always been something I have strived for, both personally and professionally. I’ve always appreciated the quote from Theodore Roosevelt: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” At IMS, I don’t feel as though we should ever crow about the cases we win or the accomplishments we attain, but our confidence serves us. We are very good at what we do, and we can bring all of our forces to bear on the cases that require it, yet we do so in a modest and understated manner.
Q: If you were an attorney-client, what would you find most valuable about the process at IMS?
A: We take the time to truly immerse ourselves and become an integral part of our client’s trial team. Our consultants don’t parachute in for a few days and do a single, disinterested service for the case. Instead, we strive to offer our expertise, perspective, and experience at every crucial moment leading to a matter’s resolution; we want to be a versatile resource for our clients.
Q: Do you have any predictions or comments on industry trends?
A: My dissertation was on the psychology of damage awards, so naturally, I’m curious to see how those evolve in the coming years. Anecdotally, it feels like nuclear verdicts are on the rise. The reptile theorists of the world like to take credit for that, but given their theory is entirely disconnected from legitimate neurocognitive research, there has to be something else going on. I do wonder if there are other things happening socially or politically that are making jurors angry or allowing them to justify bigger damage verdicts. It’s a topic I will be monitoring closely.
Q: What has been your favorite case to work on so far?
A: Recently, we finally got a verdict in a case that we completed a mock trial for in September of 2019. This case had gone through COVID purgatory, and we had offered assistance in numerous service lines over the course of three years. To hear that our witness preparation was hugely successful, our graphics were helpful, and our strategic recommendations were critical to the outcome of the case was extremely fulfilling. It was a lot of work, but a great trial team and a great result to be handed down by a jury.
Learn More
We are grateful for the opportunity to highlight these Integrated Strategy department teammates who help all of our service lines to “Operate as One”. Thank you, Arely and Clint, for sharing your personal experiences and insights with us!
Visit the links below to meet our team and read more about the IMS culture and career opportunities.
