Budgets may not be going up as a percentage of revenue, but per capita spending is. CMOs have been both clever and skilled in managing their budgets. Overall, increases in revenue are slightly outpacing increases in attorney headcount. Most CMOs have been able to keep their budgets untouched. This means the Marketing and Business Development (MBD) Budget per Attorney increases—in effect, resulting in an increase on a per capita basis. This is the most reliable indicator of MBD spend. 

The average law firm spent $18.9 thousand per attorney on MBD in 2017, up from $17 thousand in 2016. But, spending is no longer the main story. As legal marketing budgets as a percent of revenue converge around the 2.6% mark across firms—how the money gets spent has more impact.

CMOs continue to adjust budgets to drive revenue. Legal marketing tactics and strategies can now drive success—giving CMOs and marketing departments more visibility, more impact, and more voice. This is what many CMOs have been waiting for.

MBR

(Based on BTI research conducted between June 2017 and December 2017. BTI conducted more than 160 independent, individual interviews with leading legal marketing executives at a range of law firms from Am Law 30 to Am Law 200.)

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