In the high-stakes world of law firm marketing, hindsight is 20/20.

We asked over 150 seasoned law firm Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) what advice they’d give their younger selves or to a newly minted CMO. Their responses paint a vivid picture of the challenges and triumphs in our unique corner of the world.

These insights offer a roadmap for success for both aspiring and current legal marketing professionals. Here are the key lessons these veterans wish they had known from day one. The messages are pretty compelling:

1. 1. Don’t take it personally — everyone questions new ideas

The questioners are not attacking you, they are trying to get their head around your ideas. Their approach may be hard and gruff, and they may not believe — but it comes with the territory.

1. 2. Persistence — don’t give up the ship

People won’t really understand what you are saying until they hear it 7 times. This means the initial resistance and indifference are part of the process. These are your first 2 or 3 of 7 points of communication. Very few ideas get off the ground without at least 7 clear messaging events to the right audience(s).

1. 3. Adapt — learn from all the feedback you get

Rejection, resistance, and lack of enthusiasm all tell you the message or approach you propose may not be on target. Change your approach to play to the issues and concerns you hear.

1. 4. Don’t make the job bigger than you

Don’t care more about the job than the firm. There will always be a few law firms who fundamentally don’t respect or care about the marketing and business development function. These law firm marketing leaders would have told a new CMO to jump ship and go to a place where marketing and business development are part of the firm.

1. 5. Really get to know the attorneys

Attorneys have their priorities and preferences. Law firm leaders recommend taking the time to understand these people and their personalities. You are there to make the firm and the attorneys more successful. Your knowledge of the attorney’s personas and how they conduct business helps you develop your roadmap — and helps you make sure you get to know the partners most likely to make you successful.

1. 6. Learn the art of saying no

CMOs are asked to do all manner of things — some relevant and strategic — others are unrelated to anything meaningful. Successful CMOs advise developing your own informal filters to decide when to say no — and then saying no. They also learn a thoughtful diplomatic decline earns you respect and paves the way for more strategic requests.

As of July 15, 2024, we experienced a 72.3% increase in searches in 2024 compared to 2023. More and more clients are looking for superior client service. The BTI Client Service All-Stars site has become the go-to destination for finding and validating the attorneys who clients single out as delivering the best client service.

Site Traffic

The BTI Client Service All-Star site now enjoys a run rate of just under 30,000 annually, up from 22,435 for the last year. Just one more piece of evidence of how client service’s importance continues to grow. This site offers comprehensive details about each BTI Client Service All-Stars — their client philosophy and more.

Why Clients Choose BTI Client Service All-Stars

You can learn the 5 reasons clients single out a BTI Client Service All-Star here. You can learn more about the firms serving as home to the BTI Client Service All-Stars here.

Congratulations to the Top 50 Most Viewed BTI Client Service All-Stars

Discover the elite in litigation — the law firms who strike the most fear into their competitors. Recently, interest in the BTI Fearsome Foursome has surged, reflecting a growing recognition of their prowess. Learn innovative strategies to justify and implement rate increases in today’s competitive legal landscape, where client expectations are higher than ever.

See the attorneys named best in client service — exclusively identified based on unprompted client recommendations, setting the gold standard for client satisfaction. And, delve into our top posts of 2024 (so far) for actionable strategies to drive growth, retain clients, and cultivate a resilient organizational culture.

For nearly 15 years, top legal decision makers have singled out the law firms they don’t want to see on the other side of the table in litigation.

And these days, the most feared law firms in litigation have been on the upswing — as we’ve seen increasing traffic to the BTI Fearsome Foursome over the past two years.

Clients and competitors alike are searching for the best — to try to hire them — or to try to beat them.

How the numbers break down:

• • The BTI Fearsome Foursome 2023: 22,966 views
  • The BTI Fearsome Foursome 2024: 38,664 views

Congratulations, once again, to The BTI Fearsome Foursome of 2023 and 2024 — the law firms playing to win — and win big:

The BTI Fearsome Foursome 2023: The 46 Firms Most Feared in Litigation

For the 3rd time in the last 4 years, Quinn Emanuel earns the coveted number 1 spot among the BTI Fearsome Foursome. Please join us in congratulating them and all the firms recognized in this elite group.

• • QUINN EMANUEL 
  • Jones Day
  • Kirkland & Ellis
  • Skadden

The BTI Fearsome Foursome 2024: 62 Law Firms Most Feared in Litigation

Please join me in congratulating the 62 firms and, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, for being ranked number 1 for the 2nd year in a row.

• • QUINN EMANUEL 
  • Kirkland & Ellis
  • Jones Day
  • Gibson Dunn

Client’s naming the best of client service, brand new law firm rankings, business development’s evolution, what your prospects want, and practice highlights top the most popular Mad Clientist posts of the first half of 2024. Use these to drive growth, retain clients, and improve the culture.

Each post still offers new insights and strategies. Here are the top posts of 2024 so far:

The Best in Client Service:

Clients Single Out the BTI Client Service 30 2024 — Law Firms Best at Client Service
Clients — more than 300 of them — identify the law firms best at client service — along the 17 dimensions they say are the most crucial drivers. Corporate counsel point to 207 law firms out of the 650 competing for the business at mid- and large-size companies.

64 Law Firms with the Most Improved Client Service
Only 64 law firms managed to improve client service performance in 2024 — according to corporate counsel. This equates to just shy of 10% of all law firms. And client service still remains the biggest differentiator among law firms.

The BTI Client Service All-Stars — Clients Single Out 296 Attorneys from 148 Firms for The Best Client Service
Only clients can pinpoint the attorneys who are best-of-the-best at client service. We asked them to pinpoint these individuals by name — these are The BTI Client Service All-Stars. This research, the report, and the online directory serve as the gold standard to uncover the best.

New Rankings for 2024:

Clients Single Out the Law Firms on the Leading Edge: Helping Clients Implement Strategic Change
More than 80% of clients are going through a business transformation. 67% of corporate counsel are playing a mission-critical role in this transformation — and they single out the law firms best suited for this high-value new and novel work. These firms are best at delivering on the all-new expectations arising from clients changing how they do business.

All 121 Law Firms Best at Meeting Novel, New, and Strategic Needs
Complex, new, and novel matters are driving the market — as are transformational and strategic M&A. These create new demands for clients — who are enjoying the challenge — and their outside counsel. Clients tell us 121 law firms deliver on one or more of 5 new demands, at scale.

67 Firms Best at Cost Control — And You’ll Never Guess Why
Say goodbye to protracted rate negotiations. You can also skip the mandatory rate cuts, RFPs, elaborate reporting protocols, stringent oversight, and micromanagement — all of which are the typical reaction to cost control. The days of draconian cost management are over for now.

Business Development Evolves:

Law Firms are at a Business Development Tipping Point
Business development is about to get a lot harder. Or not. A lot of law firms are making big bets on this fundamental question behind market success. Our flash survey of more than 1,000 attorneys and law firm leaders reveals the split on business development getting harder or not.

Breaking Down Law Firm Business Development Cultures: Struggle or Strategize
A BTI flash survey of almost 700 attorneys reveals decidedly different law firm business development cultures. Underappreciated and maligned by some — worshipped by others — business development is creating the next strategic and cultural divide.

What Your Prospects are Looking For:

The Most Searched for Law Firms of 2023
While law firms scramble for keywords and algorithms, a select few are winning the real game — generating searches for their firm by name. No more hoping someone stumbles upon your website in a vast digital ocean. These clients are seeking you out, pre-qualified and ready to engage.

9 Reasons Clients Remember Pitches and Meetings
Corporate counsel hear a lot of pitches and talk to a lot of attorneys — an average of 22 a month at last count. They report hearing a lot of noise and routine data about current matters — or in a pitch, they hear about endless numbers of matters and statistics. Of these conversations and meetings — top corporate counsel define 9 circumstances triggering a coveted place in corporate counsel memory banks.

Industry and Practice Highlights:

Top Growth Practices and Industries for 2024
Client spending remains resilient — fueled by new needs and lingering issues, more companies than ever are pursuing innovative business models and adopting digital processes. We found 6 industries with outsized increases in spending.

11 Best Practices to Make Your Industry Groups Thrive
Virtually every new regulation and court decision brings unique industry-specific impacts. Your ability to bring this insight is the difference between being invited in without competition or being left out of the conversation. And — getting much higher rates.

Imagine paying exorbitant hourly rates for legal advice and receiving exactly what you expect — no surprises, no breakthroughs, no game-changing insights.

Now imagine this again in a world where 70% of clients want new and breakout ideas to help them. These rates becomes even more mundane.

The BTI Consulting Group’s 2024 Client Service All-Stars aren’t just attorneys; they are the unexpected navigators in uncharted waters. They are singled out for defying the mundane with five distinct qualities redefining client service.

5 reasons stand out as justifying the highest rates — and why the best client service is born from the willingness to disrupt, innovate, and lead with audacity.

New Ideas

Complex, new and novel issues dominate the corporate counsel landscape. They deal with digital transformation, building new supply chains, fighting regulatory headwinds, activist labor forces using new tactics, and geopolitical risk. Clients want ideas on how to advise their management teams. Some see it as a pivotal career stepping stone. Good ideas are prized.

Insights

Clients value people who bring a deep understanding of their issues along with the potential answers. BTI Client Service All-Stars draw on their experience, observations, and intuition to help clients work through these challenges. They help clients better understand how to get the best outcomes — and help their clients succeed as individuals.

First to Know

Being first to know offers clients the opportunity to brief their management, be proactive, and often gain an advantage. This is especially true as the rate of change in the world — never mind law — is happening at a record pace. These clients believe they are the first to know what they need to know and have come to rely on their BTI Client Service All-Star to be ahead of the pack.

 Unequivocal

Clear concise recommendations drive results. Even when clients disagree they are quick to point out how these recommendations help their thinking — and drive a better decision. Unequivocal recommendations drive creativity and are foundational to developing alternative views. These new viewpoints can be pivotal in solving new and novel problems.

Looking Ahead

The newly accelerated rate of change demands clients keep a keen eye on the future. BTI Client Service All-Stars are looking further into the future. They’re sorting out what their clients need to worry about and separating it from the noise. And — they make sure clients know how these future issues might impact them — with ideas on what to do.

Only clients can pinpoint the attorneys who are best-of-the-best at client service. We asked them to pinpoint these individuals by name — these are The BTI Client Service All-Stars. This research, the report, and the online directory serve as the gold standard to uncover the best. Used by law firms and corporate counsel alike — it remains the pinnacle of client service performance.

The Only Purely Organic Ranking

The only way to be included in The BTI Client Service All-Stars is through an unprompted, unequivocal recommendation from corporate counsel. No law firm or attorney can submit a name or pay to be included. No firm can nominate an attorney or submit corporate counsel names to be interviewed. The 2024 BTI Client Service All-Stars are identified solely and exclusively by clients.

Clients single out 296 attorneys from 148 law firms. Among these attorneys:

Only 2 are BTI Client Service All-Stars for 5 or more years in a row:

William P Geraghty, Partner, Shook Hardy & Bacon
Jeffrey J. Jones, Partner, Jones Day

16 are BTI Client Service All-Stars for 3 or more years in a row:

Scott N. Godes, Partner, Barnes & Thornburg – 4 years
Michael H. Carpenter, Partner, Carpenter Lipps – 4 years
James F. Bennett, Partner, Dowd Bennett – 4 years
Erin Rhinehart, Co-Managing Partner, Faruki – 4 years
David M. Barkin, Principal, Fish & Richardson – 4 years
Carmine R. Zarlenga, Partner, Mayer Brown – 4 years
Joshua Kipnees, Partner, Patterson Belknap – 4 years
Joseph A. Cancila Jr., Partner, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila – 4 years
Frank Falzetta, Partner, Sheppard Mullin – 4 years
Jaime L. M. Jones, Partner, Sidley – 4 years
Caroline Turner English, Partner, ArentFox Schiff – 3 years
Mark A. Neubauer, Shareholder, Carlton Fields – 3 years
Stephanie L. Adler-Paindiris, Principal, Jackson Lewis – 3 years
Keith A. Jacoby, Shareholder | Co-Chair, Class Action Practice Group, Littler – 3 years
John C. Dodds, Partner, Morgan Lewis – 3 years
Peter M. Henk, Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon – 3 years

3 firms are home to 7 BTI Client Service All-Stars — the highest number:

Jones Day

Littler

Ogletree Deakins

6 firms serve as home to 6 BTI Client Service All-Stars:

Baker Hostetler

DLA Piper

Gibson Dunn

King & Spalding

McGuire Woods

Morgan Lewis

Firms with multiple BTI Client Service All-Stars include:

Carlton Fields
Faegre Drinker
Greenberg Traurig
Latham & Watkins
Covington
Davis Wright Tremaine
Frost Brown Todd
Hogan Lovells
Polsinelli
Reed Smith
Ropes & Gray
Seyfarth
Sheppard Mullin
Alston & Bird
Arnold & Porter
Bartlit Beck
Cooley
Jackson Lewis
Kilpatrick Townsend
Loeb & Loeb   
McCarter & English
Orrick
Robins Kaplan
Skadden
Akin
ArentFox Schiff
Baker Donelson
Baker McKenzie
Ballard Sparh
Barnes & Thornburg

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Blank Rome
Bradley
Buchanan
Cadwalader
Carpenter Lipps
Davis Polk
Day Pitney
Duane Morris
Faruki
Finnegan
Fish & Richardson
Foley & Lardner
Goodwin
Hinckley Allen
Holland & Knight
Hueston Hennigan
Hunton Andrews Kurth
Husch Blackwell
K&L Gates
Kirkland & Ellis
McDermott Will & Emery
Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan
Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer
Shook, Hardy & Bacon
Sidley
Smith, Gambrell & Russell
Troutman Pepper
Wachtell Lipton

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Virtually every new regulation and court decision brings unique industry-specific impacts. Your ability to bring this insight is the difference between being invited in without competition or being left out of the conversation. And — getting much higher rates.

The Most Lucrative Differentiator

Understanding your client’s industry is the most lucrative differentiator. Even law firms with the highest rates enjoy even higher rates after successfully implementing industry groups.

Here are the 11 best practices driving the most successful industry go-to-market strategies:

1. Pick Attractive and Lucrative Industries

Make it worth the investment. Pick industries with complex legal needs, higher spending, and face growing complexity. This selection offers more opportunity than no growth industries — or those with less complex needs.

A few savvy firms develop objective criteria to evaluate and target industries with dedicated groups and resources. And they stick to the criteria.

2. Target Industry Leaders, Influencers, or Rising Stars

You are judged by the company you keep. The most successful programs include market leaders and standouts who will impress others. You get the benefit of their leadership.

3. Educate Clients

Clients love law firms’ successful industry programs because they get better outcomes faster. And clients love learning something new and valuable. Educating clients checks off all the boxes for excellent client service and business development. Education is the cornerstone of an enduring relationship.

4. Say What Others Don’t or Won’t

Put a stake in the ground. Examine what others are saying and adopt messaging with more insight and punch. The battle for industry supremacy is built with intelligence, knowledge sharing, and insight. Few firms look at what others say — they presume what they offer is good enough. Clients will always find their way to the best and unique insight.

Share opinions. Even when your client doesn’t agree, your new opinions help them develop their own.

5. Use Client Peer Networking

Encourage your anchor clients to invite their peers. Corporate counsel want to learn from each other. They also want to help each other. This is your opportunity to help corporate counsel with their own network while you build out yours — and you get the credit.

6. Provide New Insights Annually

Things change. Clients want to be the first to know. The successful industry group will position itself as the recurring source of an annual information and insight cycle. This insight prepares industry corporate counsel about key trends and performance metrics.

In a perfect world you will perform original research around the performance metrics that matter most to the industry — and share these regularly.

Release the results in industry media, industry-wide webinars, and events. This approach positions your firm as a primary source and a go-to law firm for the industry.

7. Use Research to Stand Out

Client research adds nuance you can’t get any place else. You can articulate the most relevant and timely intelligence and ensure it has the right wording and subtleties only an insider would bring.

8. Train Group Leaders in the Insights

The most successful industry groups select key partners to become experts in deep insights. While all attorneys share the insights the selected attorney takes the deep dive and articulates the message. They become fluent in the insights and industry nuances and support other attorneys in their drive to build the industry focus. They also split the origination credit.

9. Zealous Use of Social Media

Share your industry insights often. Develop your own digital ecosystem with strategically timed posts to reference other posts and repurpose content. The successful industry groups map these posts out on a calendar and assign responsibility for each. Encouraging everyone on the team to like, comment on, and share posts amplifies the message and your network.

Post to all industry leader site company pages and tag as many corporate counsel as possible.

10. Industry Group Budget

The successful industry group has its own funding. The research, training, and distribution channels cost money to develop and maintain are substantial investments.

11. Impassioned Leader

Leaders love industry and learning. They love sharing and being with clients — and getting more insights back in return. The leader of every successful group brings passion and enthusiasm — and uses all the resources the budget supports.

Industry-specific knowledge will only continue to grow in influence and become a magnet for new clients, as well as a key retention tool for existing clients. Corporate counsel have all learned that law firms with industry nuance deliver better outcomes — both legal and business.

The day is coming when all market-leading law firms will go to market by industry groups. As of now these firms are the exception. Jump in now and be one of the firms who make it the rule.

More than 80% of clients are going through a business transformation. 67% of corporate counsel are playing a mission-critical role in this transformation — and they single out the law firms best suited for this high-value new and novel work.

These firms are best at delivering on the all-new expectations arising from clients changing how they do business. This marks the early stages of new branding based on law firms who can:

Serve as the source of new ideas:

Hungry for innovation and transformation in-house counsel seek law firms to help brainstorm their way ahead of the curve.

Develop brand new strategies and thinking:

Clients want brand new thinking to help deliver new approaches to their business — and the legal issues they are likely to face.

Bring tech savvy in delivering services:

Your tech-savvy delivery sends a high-value message about how your firm invests in improving its performance and capabilities.

Use and understand key aspects of Generative AI:

Clients believe the firms adopting Generative AI are best suited to help them evaluate and anticipate the legal implications of their plans.

Offer creative interpretations of existing rules and regulations:

Clients want the secret sauce to being able to get something done. They believe it lies in the new and creative interpretations — it offers up answers the naysayers don’t bring.

You can learn exactly which firms clients recognize and how to be recognized in BTI’s inaugural report, Leading Edge Law Firms 2024, which identifies the 121 firms best equipped to meet the new leading-edge expectations. Here are the top 33 out of the 121 clients rank as best: