The legal profession has fundamentally changed. Gone are the days when a few attorneys could drive firm growth while others focused solely on billable hours. Today’s market pressures have made firm-wide business development (BD) not just beneficial but essential for survival.
When an entire firm operates with a BD mindset, client relationships become institutional assets rather than personal property. The firms thriving in today’s market understand that business development isn’t just a department, it’s a cultural imperative that must permeate every level of the organization.
Client expectations have evolved too. They want seamless service across practice areas, proactive legal insights, and relationships that extend beyond individual attorneys. This shift requires a new and coordinated approach where associates, partners, paralegals, and even administrative staff understand their role in client development and retention.
The message is clear: firms that democratize business development will outperform those that leave it to a select few. But how do you transform an entire firm culture around BD?
Normalize BD by Making It Visible
Business development often fails because it happens in isolation. Partners attend networking events, but associates never hear about the outcomes. Client wins are celebrated privately rather than shared firm-wide. This creates a culture where BD feels like someone else’s job.
Start by embedding BD conversations into existing communication channels. Dedicate time in monthly attorney meetings to discuss BD activities, not just results, but efforts. Create transparency around the client development process. When a new client comes on board, share the story: How did the relationship develop? What touchpoints led to the engagement? Who contributed to the win?
This demystifies BD and shows everyone how they might contribute to similar future successes.
Lessons learned
Consider implementing “lessons learned” sharing sessions where different team members contribute insights about client challenges, industry trends, or competitive intelligence they’ve gathered. This positions everyone as potential business developers.
Coaching the Attorneys
Most attorneys receive little to no formal training in business development, yet we expect them to master these skills naturally. This approach fails because BD requires specific competencies: networking, relationship building, proposal writing, and consultative selling skills that law school doesn’t teach.
Implement a structured coaching program that goes beyond traditional mentoring.
Don’t limit coaching to partners and senior associates. Mid-level associates need guidance on building their professional networks. Junior associates should learn how to contribute to client relationships through thoughtful legal research and client communication. Even support staff can benefit from training on how their interactions contribute to client experience and retention.
Track BD Habits, Not Just Results
Track leading indicators of BD success: networking event attendance, follow-up conversations, content creation, client check-ins, proposal submissions, and referral activities. Keep track of attorneys’ BD efforts, not for micromanagement but for visibility and accountability.
Implement BD habit tracking similar to fitness apps. Set weekly targets for specific activities: Connect with three new contacts on LinkedIn, Send two client update emails, or Attend one industry event. Celebrate consistency over outcomes, recognizing that BD is a long-term investment requiring sustained effort.
Tools You Can Use
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems like Salesforce help track client interactions, identify opportunities, and coordinate team efforts. LinkedIn represents a goldmine for legal BD when used strategically.
Track metrics like communication frequency, client meetings, seminars, conferences, networking and expansion opportunities.
Quick Wins to Get Buy-in
Cultural change feels overwhelming, but small wins create momentum for larger transformations.
Monthly Internal BD Spotlights: Feature different attorneys sharing their BD successes, challenges, and lessons learned. This creates peer learning opportunities while normalizing BD conversations.
Client Win Documentation: Require teams to document how they won new engagements, including all contributors and key success factors. This creates a knowledge base for future BD efforts while recognizing everyone’s contributions to business development success. This can be done in an email and then posted on the website of the firm and its social media.
Creating a BD Culture
Building a firm-wide BD culture isn’t just about generating more business, it’s about creating sustainable competitive advantages.
Firms with strong BD cultures attract and retain better talent. Today’s legal professionals want to work for organizations that invest in their professional development and provide clear paths for career advancement. BD skills are career accelerators, and firms that provide systematic BD development create powerful recruiting and retention advantages.
The legal market will only become more competitive. Client expectations will continue rising. The firms that democratize business developmen, making it everyone’s responsibility and providing the tools, training, and systems to succeed, will be the ones that thrive in this environment.
BD culture isn’t just good business. It’s essential business in today’s legal marketplace.
