Why more of your lawyers should be involved in business development

Many law firms are busy right now. When that happens, business development often drops to the bottom of the priority list. The problem is that this creates risk. When work slows or a firm wants to grow, it can suddenly become much harder to bring in the work the firm wants. One reason for this is that many firms rely on a very small number of people to generate work.

When I refer to business development, I mean a proactive focus where lawyers are clear about the value they bring to clients, the type of clients they want to work with, and how they can reach those clients, rather than simply relying on inbound enquiries from unknown prospects.

Business development is rarely part of professional training and junior lawyers are often not involved. As a result, it can become something that is avoided or even dreaded.

In many firms, this type of activity is carried out by only a few people. Business development is rarely part of professional training and junior lawyers are often not involved. As a result, it can become something that is avoided or even dreaded. It is frequently seen as something only senior lawyers, or perhaps only partners, should do.

Not considering business development before you really need it is like expecting to turn on the tap and get water when there is no plumbing system in place.

At the same time, AI is a major topic of conversation across the profession. As technology continues to advance, it should free up time for fee-earners to focus more on client work and on developing new opportunities. That makes it even more important for firms to think carefully about how they approach business development.

Why involving more lawyers matters

Many firms currently depend on a small number of individuals to bring in work. This creates several risks.

• Firstly, the firm becomes heavily dependent on those individuals. If a key partner who has traditionally generated work leaves, retires, or is absent for a long period, the impact on revenue and profit can be significant.

• Secondly, the firm misses the opportunity to build stronger relationships across a wider client base. When more client-facing lawyers are involved in business development, there are naturally more conversations with clients and prospects.

• Finally, junior lawyers miss the opportunity to develop the skills and confidence they will need later in their careers. If lawyers only start thinking about business development when they become senior, they often feel unprepared.

Firms that involve more fee-earners in business development tend to create a steadier stream of work and reduce these risks.

What needs to be in place

If a firm wants to involve more of its people in business development, a number of foundations need to be in place.

1. Acknowledgement and commitment

The first step is recognizing that the firm may be able to achieve more from its business development efforts. This often means accepting that some things may need to change, and that time and financial investment will be required to put the right foundations in place. Client-facing teams also need to understand why their contribution matters. They should see the benefits not only for the firm, but for their own careers as well.

2. A clear firm and departmental strategy

There needs to be clarity about what the firm wants to achieve. This may involve growth objectives, or it may simply involve creating greater consistency and reducing risk. That overall direction can then be translated into a departmental strategy, which becomes the foundation for business development activity.

3. A clear business development focus

Each department needs clarity about the value it brings to clients. This could involve helping clients achieve a particular outcome, mitigate a risk, or address an immediate challenge. From there, departments can identify the key services they want to focus on promoting to the market. This does not mean they cannot deliver other work, but it ensures there is clarity about the most profitable areas, makes best use of the team’s expertise, and that these are services lawyers want to deliver.

As part of this process, two further points should be considered:

• Being specific about the types of clients the team wants to work with.

• Understanding the approximate value of different types of matters.

This allows departments to sense-check their strategy by estimating how many matters of each type would be needed to achieve their financial targets, and whether this will cause capacity issues.

4. A focused activity plan

Once the strategy is clear, the next step is deciding which activities will help the firm reach those clients. It is usually better to focus on two or three activities and do them well, rather than trying to do too much. These activities typically fall into three broad areas:

1. Developing more work from existing clients.

2. Generating referrals from intermediaries.

3. Winning new clients directly.

Breaking activities down into smaller tasks and allocating responsibilities makes it much easier for people to contribute when they have time available. It is also helpful to track both input and output metrics. Understanding what activities are taking place and what results they produce helps firms refine their approach over time.

5. Accountability and incentives

Departments also need to be accountable for progressing their business development plans.

Providing the right guidance and skills training can make a significant difference to how confident lawyers feel about contributing to business development.

If business development is never discussed in appraisals or performance conversations, it is unlikely to become a priority for fee-earners.

6. Skills development

Finally, lawyers need the skills to carry out business development effectively. Many firms assume business development simply means attending networking events. Fee-earners are sent out to events without the skills or confidence to navigate conversations productively. When that happens, networking can feel uncomfortable and rarely produces meaningful results. Providing the right guidance and skills training can make a significant difference to how confident lawyers feel about contributing to business development.

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