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.

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.

“I have complete confidence the cost will be right when I know they (outside counsel) are doing the right thing. It’s about their approach and total cost — not rates.” Deputy General Counsel, Innovative High-Tech Company

The ultimate control mechanism lies in something far more nebulous. 87% of corporate counsel tell us trust in outside counsel’s approach and communication equals the best cost control. This is over and above trust in the legal work — it’s about doing excellent work for the right value.

This trust is hard earned — through behavior. These behaviors include:

• • Very early assessments
  • Budgets offered at matter inception
  • Full team introductions at matter start
  • Getting feedback on the budget on both dollars and timing
  • Advising clients of budget changes in near real-time
  • Relationship partners have full authority to commit the firm to rates and fees
  • Explaining any unusual invoices to clients before sending
  • Obtaining meaningful post-matter feedback

Please join me in congratulating the following 67 firms who have earned the coveted trust for cost control:

Best of the Best

Alston & Bird
Carpenter Lipps
Jones Day
Kirkland & Ellis
McGuireWoods

Leaders

Bartlit Beck
DLA Piper
Foley & Lardner
Greenberg Traurig
K&L Gates

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
Carlton Fields
Fox Rothschild
Gibson Dunn
GrayRobinson
Hinshaw & Culbertson
Hunton Andrews Kurth
Jackson Lewis
Latham & Watkins

Arnold & Porter
Baker Botts
Baker Donelson
BakerHostetler
Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey
Cohen Ziffer Frenchman & McKenna
Constangy
Covington
Davis+Gilbert
Dentons
Desmarais
Dinsmore
Eversheds Sutherland
Faegre Drinker
Fish & Richardson
Foley Hoag
Hartline Barger
Hogan Lovells