Rates are sky-high and only heading higher. Client concern about rates is gaining momentum. But they tell us they are more troubled by a much bigger issue — 45% say their law firms are not fully invested in the relationship or the matter.

To take things further, men and women corporate counsel report vastly different levels of investment by partners working on even their most vexing matters. 61% of the men report their partners are fully invested — they are all in. But only 30% of women corporate counsel tell us the partners working on their matters are fully invested — less than half the rate of men. The reasons:

• • More women corporate counsel tell us they are getting stock answers to questions they think are highly nuanced and unique to their situation.
  • Too long to respond. In a world where corporate counsel are subject to a steady stream of questions about timely issues — they want and need answers.
  • Chasing partners. Corporate counsel report they receive most matter updates only after being prompted in some way.
  • No respect. These corporate counsel are surprised about how many partners tell them “not to worry” about issues they bring up or ask about.

The impact of these unintended behaviors is enormous. No top legal decision maker is going to build a relationship with a partner who is anything less than fully invested. And every client, men and women alike, remembers the partners who give less than 100% — well beyond any surge in demand.

We recommend the following to boost your investment now:

1. 1. Ask for feedback. This shows you care and want to make things better — even if you are already fully invested.
   2. Find an article you know will be of interest, or is relevant to your client, and share a comment or two about it.
   3. Always explain your answers to questions. If clients don’t have to worry about an issue of concern — explain why — and actively confirm you gave a thorough explanation.
   4. Provide updates before clients ever think of asking.
   5. Offer opinions and recommendations along with any deliverables, or as answers to questions.

The good news is a new surge of investment in relationships can erase the lack of prior investment — real or perceived — and set you up for a growing relationship. Best of all, these recommendations are effective with all corporate counsel.

Corporate counsel point to 50 midsize and smaller firms as delivering superior client service. Clients are using more midsize law firms than ever. With demand well in excess of supply and Big Law at capacity, midsize firms are getting some of the best opportunities for new work they have seen in years.

These clients also bring high expectations for client service. They expect more personal and customized service from smaller and midsize firms. Please join me in congratulating each of The BTI Midsize Client Service Masters for earning the highest respect for their client service prowess:

The 50 firms above are in the upper echelons of client service — delivering impressive performance belying their size — and a few have made it to The BTI Client Service 30.

To put this in context: 650 law firms are trying to compete for business at large companies. Only 281 are recognized for some aspect of client service.

Above all, you will hear clients talk about The BTI Midsize Client Service Masters’ excellent communication and client focus — which serves as the foundation to perform well in all the 17 activities clients use to assess client service.

This research shows law firms of any size can deliver excellent client service. Your client interaction outweighs any benefits of size.

You can get the details on how and why these firms stand out in The BTI Client Service A-Team 2022: The Survey of Law Firm Client Service Performance.