The Mad Clientist Archives - The BTI Consulting Group

Finally, You Can Fix the Partner BD Crisis

Behavior follows confidence. New results from more than 1,000 partner survey responses reveal a Confidence Sinkhole blocking high-velocity business development. Any partner who doesn’t believe they can develop business won’t. They will cling to one of thousands of reasons not to. It’s easy. Our survey reveals the sinkholes are uneven…

BTIConsultingMarch 4, 2026

The Mad Clientist

85% of Clients Aren’t Exactly Sure Who is in Charge of Their Law Firm Relationship

Remember the childhood game where one person leaves the room, a secret leader is chosen, and everyone imitates their moves while the “detective” tries to guess who’s running the show? Fun when you’re eight. Alarming when you’re a corporate counsel staring at a half-dozen partners billing on the same matter.…

BTIConsultingFebruary 25, 2026

The Mad Clientist

The Great BD Divide: 1,000 Leaders on Why Law Firm Spending is Skyrocketing

It’s either a dream come true – or a warning sign. Law firms are going all in on business development. Not tweaks. Not encouragement. But all in with real money. Everyone wants growth, a premium rate, and the profits to go with it. We asked more than 1,000 law firm…

BTIConsultingFebruary 18, 2026

The Mad Clientist

The Lateral Partner Arms Race Just Went Nuclear – Thank Sullivan & Cromwell

Almost no one understands why firms keep hiring lateral partners – except the people running them. On paper, it looks like a bad bet. Laterals have, at best, a 50% success rate. They can dilute morale, alienate "homegrown" talent, and cost a fortune in guarantees. But behind closed doors, the…

BTIConsultingFebruary 11, 2026

The Mad Clientist

Clients All But Abandon RFPs: Here’s What’s Next

It’s a scramble for clients. Clients are cutting way back on issuing RFPs. As one corporate counsel put it: “It’s about as efficient as a dating app – maybe less so.” Clients aren’t swiping right on RFPs because: Clients have more new and novel matters than anyone can remember Fresh…

BTIConsultingFebruary 4, 2026

The Mad Clientist

The 11 Behaviors and Habits to Drive Business Development in 2026

Clients flipped the BD script on law firms. They’re living in a new world – and most BD pitches are still rooted in the old one. The data is clear: 89% are advising their CEOs on business decisions 39% are now growth enablers 84% of clients are going through a…

BTIConsultingJanuary 28, 2026

The Mad Clientist

Corporate Counsel Quietly Changed Jobs – Did Your Law Firm Miss It?

Without announcements. Without memos. Without fanfare. And it only took 2 years. After surveying corporate counsel for more than 30 years – we uncovered 3 big undisclosed flips in corporate counsel roles. They are living in a different world than just 2 years ago. Tapping into these undisclosed changes is…

BTIConsultingJanuary 21, 2026

The Mad Clientist

2026: The Year of the Business Development Reset

Business development isn’t evolving in 2026. It’s resetting. We asked more than 1,000 attorneys and legal marketers if business development would become substantially harder in 2026 than in 2025 – the same question we’ve asked for the past three years. Business development rarely gets easier. Clients always treat today’s greatness…

BTIConsultingJanuary 14, 2026

The Mad Clientist

The 22 Most Searched-for Law Firms of 2025

2025 rewarded a small group of law firms with disproportionate visibility – while the rest fought harder than ever just to be noticed. The combination of Presidential Executive Orders, political volatility, law firm merger announcements and high-profile celebrity trials contributed to the trend. Google Trends reveals immediate spikes in searches…

BTIConsultingJanuary 7, 2026

The Mad Clientist

Meet the Winner of the Holiday Card Contest

As is The Mad Clientist’s annual tradition, I asked local students to create drawings for our holiday card contest. All the entries were outstanding — but this one won top honors. ∗ ∗ ∗ Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year. From everyone…

BTIConsultingDecember 17, 2025