It’s unusual for a single issue to redefine a law firm’s brand – but that’s exactly what Trump’s Executive Orders – and even the threat of EOs – did.

Firms challenging Presidential directives found themselves in an intense spotlight. So did those negotiating deals.

Branding wasn’t the goal – nor should it have been. They were facing urgent, existential problems. But intended or not, their choices became brand signals – loud and clear to corporate counsel.

Our just-completed BTI survey of more than 350 corporate counsel reveals exactly how clients judged these moves – and what it means for future hiring decisions. The results breakdown like this:

25% prefer firms who challenged the Executive Order. Primary reasons include:

• • • Valued an aggressive stance
    • Admired conviction and clarity in their beliefs
    • Saw it as defending the rule of law

23% prefer the dealmakers because they:

• • • Respected quick, pragmatic resolution
    • Valued heading off large-scale complex trouble
    • Liked the unfazed leadership in the face of existential threats

52% express no strong bias:

• • • “It’s just another day – they’ll do what they do,” said one CLO at a Large Financial Service Organization
    • Saw these as business decisions not political stands
    • Put problem-solving and relationships ahead of politics

These splits aren’t preferences. They’re filters – telling you who will invite you in and who won’t.

• • Clients with strong preferences are going to think twice before inviting firms with whom they disagree to pitch or work – in the near term
  • For the majority, relationships and problem-solving prowess rule – for now

The Strategic Takeaway

Every high-profile matter is a branding event – it’s an inescapable outcome.

The middle 52% expect you to be thoughtful. If asked about your stance – it’s no time to improvise.

Our advice: Rehearse and role-play your answer. Be ready. Be confident. Most of all – listen to what your client has to say. Clients still want to work with attorneys who listen – no matter what.

We’re at a threshold moment in law firm marketing.

This isn’t just a fantasy.

A select group of CMOs believes we’re entering a golden age – one marked by clear, recognized value, strategic impact, and a real voice at the leadership table. They see respect rising, job satisfaction soaring, and even compensation getting recalibrated to match their role in driving firm growth.

These CMOs have a conviction that fuels relentless efforts to elevate marketing – breaking down obstacles no matter how many times it takes.

But not everyone shares their vision. An equally committed group sees no golden age on the horizon at all.

Our BTI survey of more than 130 law firm marketing leaders details how marketing leaders see the golden age unfolding – or not – below:

• Absolutely: 25.0%
• Possibly: 29.4%
• Not Convinced: 24.0%
• No Way: 21.6%

While optimism narrowly outweighs pessimism (54% vs. 46%), the near-even split reveals a fundamental disagreement about the future of law firm marketing.

But look closely at that most optimistic 25%: They’re not just hopeful – they’re acting on their belief. They’re changing the game by:

• Going all-in on digital marketing: Targeting clients and industries with precision, engaging partners, and betting on ROI so large it’s obvious from all points of view.
• Performance-coaching partners: Helping them overcome obstacles (self-imposed and otherwise), build confidence, and improve their client-facing skills through confidential, trusted advice. Note: this advice starts with BD and quickly moves to success as a partner.
• Deeply connecting with partners: Making partner challenges their own, investing in individual success.
• Locking into leadership goals: Understanding them cold, supporting them fully, and providing private counsel to sharpen their market relevance.

Most CMOs want a golden age – and they want it now. The opportunity to create that golden age is just as enticing as being in it.

Aggressive law firms are harnessing this optimism. They are challenging (or hiring) their CMOs to define and deliver the attributes of this golden age. Firms can use it as a recruiting advantage, especially as lateral partners demand deep BD support.

Above all, recognize what’s at stake. It’s a firm victory – not a marketing victory – it’s a client builder and firm builder. It drives revenue. Strengthens client loyalty. Enhances partner retention.

Firms don’t have to wait for the golden age to arrive – they can start it now, one initiative at a time.

Ultimately, the market will reward firms delivering the golden age today. Those firms will be embedded with their clients and confidently expand into new markets, backed by resilient, informed leadership.

The rewards of the golden age dwarf the risks. 25% of CMOs think it is here.

Where does your firm stand?

It’s Chambers’ season. Congratulations to all the attorneys ranked.

Everyone’s noticing as firms broaden their celebrations – louder LinkedIn posts, firmwide shout-outs, retreat callouts. You’d be hard-pressed to find a firm leader who doesn’t tout their growing list of Chambers-ranked partners.

But one group is taking especially keen interest: associates.

According to the new BTI Survey of Associates, a sizable portion are now eyeing Chambers rankings as part of their own career roadmap. The results look like this:

• 31% believe a Chambers ranking drives their success inside the firm
• 18% aspire to achieve a ranking and believe it will boost their career
• 12% think it’s helpful
• 21% are indifferent
• 18% don’t think it helps at all

61% of associates view Chambers as a career booster. The Chambers messaging is landing.

A Big Marketing/BD Opportunity for Law Firms

Firms have done more than elevate the value of a Chambers ranking – they’ve made it aspirational. Ambitious associates are now asking marketing and BD teams how to get ranked. They want a roadmap. They want visibility. And this is the big opportunity for law firm BD and associates:

Explain how Chambers’ rankings are based on delivering excellent client skills. This includes:

• Legal prowess
• Client service
• Anticipating needs
• Making every client interaction better than anyone else

Ask every Chambers-ranked attorney to send the same message to these associates. Then offer up the training and tools to excel.

This is a chance to make client-centric behaviors part of their associates’ career ambitions.

The Takeaway:

Rankings and recognition are now a career asset – and firms have an opportunity to harness this ambition.

Helping associates understand the ranking process, build reputations, and develop a personal brand isn’t just good development – it’s good retention.

71% of new law firm relationships begin the same way:

With an unprompted peer-to-peer recommendation — casual, unsolicited, and usually invisible. Even the most enduring partnerships often start with a single offhand suggestion from one in-house counsel to another.

It’s All Organic, Casual and Uncontrolled

These organic recommendations happen everywhere, anywhere, and all the time. And – they are well out of a law firm’s line of sight.

You Don’t Even Know It Happened

The pervasive nature of the P2P recommendation circuit makes it nearly impossible to know when and where they take place. This means every client interaction shapes which firm gets the P2P recommendation nod – and every interaction matters.

BTI research uncovered 27 distinct places where clients receive law firm recommendations without asking. These aren’t structured settings or formal channels. They’re spontaneous moments fueled by trust, relevance, and reputation.

The 27 Hidden Referral Zones are:

Online Platforms

• • • LinkedIn comment sections
    • LinkedIn groups
    • ACC
    • The L Suite
    • Women’s General Counsel Network

Work-Related Collaboration / Business Contexts

• • • Company-to-company business negotiations
    • Vendor-to-supplier discussions
    • Supplier-to-vendor dialogue
    • Joint venture partner communication
    • Collaborators such as consultants and financial or technical advisors
    • Settlement discussions where clients are present
    • Financing discussions with finance sources
    • Peer-to-peer communication about solving a problem

Casual / Informal Interactions

• • • During casual conversation
    • Offhand comments at events and presentations
    • Casual remarks after formal gatherings
    • Side conversations before, during and after meetings

Professional Networking & Communities

• • • Sharing experiences in networking groups
    • Peer-to-peer mentoring
    • Bar Association events

Events & Thought Leadership

• • • After panel discussions
    • Prep and planning for events or panels
    • Post-pitch discussions
    • Post-proposal conversations

Digital / Research-Driven Sources

• • • 3rd-party blogs
    • AI queries and research

Advisory Channels

• • • 3rd-party advisors

Implications for Business Development

When referrals are invisible, the work you do with and for your clients helps your brand live in the room after you leave. Broaden the ecosystem, ensure your distribution channels are as powerful as your thought leadership and instill in your firm the referral gold of informal moments with the following:

• • Implement informal feedback loops post-event and post-matter to spot referrals.
  • Deploy social listening to detect name drops.
  • Build influence within your clients’ broader business environment — JV partners, suppliers, advisors.
  • High-profile activity in industry associations feeds the ecosystem and pays off.
  • A brilliant article no one sees won’t get you a recommendation. Give equal priority to shared spaces – comments, blogs, and group forums, in addition to branded emails.
  • Coach attorneys to treat hallway chats, panel prep, and post-pitch wrap-ups as high-value BD opportunities. Debrief every time.

71% of client relationships may begin out of sight — but every single interaction is your audition to be the firm they recommend next.

For years, law firm leaders have whispered a quiet untruth: “We’re just not built to be innovative. We’re married to precedent.”

They say it with a certain inevitability. As if the very strengths of law firms – rigor, risk-awareness, legal prowess, and precedent – make innovation impossible.

But – the leading innovators in law – the ones wowing (and winning clients) are saying just the opposite: Precedent isn’t the enemy of innovation. Complacency is.

And the numbers bear this out.

We asked over 100 law firm leaders to rate their own innovation. No client feedback. No outside validation. Just self-perception.

Here’s what they told us:

• 12.9% see themselves as extremely innovative
• 38.9% say they’re strong innovators
• 48.2% indicate they lag behind

As 86% of clients say they face unprecedented transformational change, nearly half of all law firms say they’re not keeping up.

The Extremely Innovative (12.9%)

These firms are breaking away from the pack. They’re fusing legal and business strategy, using Gen AI before clients ask, and redefining what client experience feels like.

They’re not just changing how they work – they’re changing how clients feel about the work. These clients report new regulatory interpretations or reinterpretations of precedent to meet their goals – as a result of AI. And – this totally new thinking comes in hours and days – not weeks or months.

Clients could not imagine these outcomes as little as 2 years ago.

The Strong Innovators (38.9%)

These firms describe themselves as measured – even deliberate. The extremely innovative are deliberate about transformation. The strong innovators are deliberate about caution. The strong take less risk – but risk less reward.

The unseen risk for the strong firms is clients wanting more – and switching firms to get it.

The Self-Proclaimed Laggards (48.2%)

To their credit, they know they’re behind. But awareness without urgency is just inertia. These firms risk clients leaving as they look for the creative and bold answers to resolve their legal issues – and drive their business a lot faster.

The Missing Innovation Link

Law firm self-perception is only half the story. When clients rank law firms on innovation it’s a different ball game. The gap between law firm thinking and client ranking isn’t a perception problem – it’s a looming business development problem. Clients are moving (and will continue to move) to the more innovative firms.

Too many firms define innovation by internal moves – a new tool, dashboard, or platform. But clients define innovation by what it does for them:

• Faster answers
• Smarter insights
• Fewer headaches
• Less risk
• Better outcomes

This is how clients think of innovation. And next week, clients weigh in.

The brand new BTI Innovation Icons 2025: Clients Rank Law Firm Innovation reveals how clients rank law firms for true innovation in:

• Legal Strategy
• Client Facing Interactions
• Gen AI Leadership
• Tech Savvy

This exclusive report names names. Shows strategies. Breaks down innovations. Tells you exactly where they think law firms stand – by name. All in granular detail.

Want early access?

Drop me an email and get the full report before public release – plus expert analysis on what it means for your firm. Or learn more here.

This is the fuel you need to push more boundaries and use the business development opportunity this presents.

“We don’t tolerate jerks.” It’s practically boilerplate – part of every onboarding, recruiting pitch, and partner meeting.

What is the reality?

Have law firms quelled bad behavior or has it gone stealth? As law firms face unprecedented cultural shift, the great lateral rotation, and deeply dividing political head winds – the jerk factor quickly moves front and center as sensitivities run high.

BTI surveyed more than 1,000 attorneys to find out. The results might make a few squirm. They look like this:

• • My firm absolutely tolerates jerks and bad behavior:   22.14%
  • Kind of tolerates jerks and bad behavior:                        31.14%
  • Occasionally tolerates jerks and bad behavior:              19.70%
  • No tolerance for jerks and bad behavior:                        27.05%

Fully 72.98% of attorneys say jerks get a pass at their firm. It fractures trust between partners and demoralizes associates. And – make no mistake – these behaviors find their way to clients.

We found 4 major impacts on firms:

“Kind of” is the danger zone.

The 31.14% who say their firm kind of tolerates bad behavior create a cultural gray area – where accountability is inconsistent. Toxicity festers just under the surface. It’s the breeding ground for morale drain and silent attrition.

Culture is fragile during flux

With lateral movement at an all-time high and firms navigating generational divides and political tension, cultural cohesion is more vulnerable than ever. A single jerk can fracture teams and drive exits fast.

Silence signals sanction

Nearly 1 in 4 attorneys say their firm absolutely tolerates jerks. This is nothing short of perceived permission. And it corrodes trust from the inside out.

 Zero tolerance isn’t the majority

Only 27.05% of firms have earned the “no jerks allowed” badge, according to their own attorneys. It’s a business development liability. Clients notice. Top talent notices. And you will never sell multiple services to their clients.

Firms can eliminate the jerk factor by engaging in the following:

Coach and Advise

Provide an independent behavioral coach. Some jerks don’t know they are jerks – and no one wants to tell them. A large number of jerks are coachable – and can create the positive energy every firm needs.

Add it to Annual Reviews

Include key behaviors for both firm and self-evaluation. Add a quantitative component so you can easily track it.

Train Leaders to Intervene – Not Avoid

Teach leaders how to spot stealth jerks and have hard conversations. Most bad behavior lingers because leaders lack the skill – or courage – to call it out early.

Tie Culture to Compensation

Create a path to build cultural leadership as a factor in comp decisions and advancement. If someone builds a high-performing, jerk-free team – reward them like they just landed an amazing client.

The reality? Every firm has jerks. The best firms don’t let them stay jerks. Or they don’t let them stay – period.

The legal industry isn’t split between AI optimists and skeptics. It’s split between firms doing the work – and those thinking about it. And here’s the twist: even the self-described cautious firms are part of the advance guard.

They’re experimenting. Testing. Learning. And quietly building the foundations of a Gen AI-enabled practice.

Based on 680 attorney and business professionals’ responses about their firm’s prevailing attitude toward AI we found:

• • 53.9% are optimistic
  • 25.4% are cautiously optimistic
  • 9.6% harbor mixed views
  • 5.3% are agnostic
  • 5.9% are negative

One thing is clear: Caution isn’t resistance – it’s a strategy. And in Big Law, cautious adoption is downright aggressive innovation.

Here’s what the more optimistic firms are doing:

Testing AI internally before clients ask
Firms are piloting Gen AI in low-risk, high-impact areas like admin support, memo drafting, research, and marketing – building capability before everyone jumps in.

Giving junior lawyers long leashes
Young associates are diving into AI tools as natural users. Forward-thinking firms are giving them room to explore – then pulling those learnings into broader strategies.

Structuring AI with guardrails, not guesses
These firms aren’t waiting for someone else to figure it out. They’re setting up internal AI committees, creating opt-in models, and developing client-specific protocols often in partnership with clients – earning trust in real-time.

Using AI to deepen – not dilute – client value
The best firms see AI as a chance to offer sharper insights, faster execution, and smarter resource allocation. That is: augmentation – not automation.

Repositioning innovation as a process, not a project
The buzzwords are gone. These firms aren’t chasing headlines. They’re doing the quiet, gritty work of changing how legal service is delivered – without breaking what works.

Proving that AI fluency is the new business literacy
From BD teams to practice group leaders, firms are ramping up internal education. Because clients will soon expect attorneys who can talk tech, assess risk, and explain use cases in plain English.

Why This Matters

There’s a myth that only bold, early adopters win. But in law, calculated, deliberate action beats blind speed every time.

“Cautiously optimistic” doesn’t mean slow – it means measured, intentional, and aligned with client trust.

These firms will emerge stronger because they are:

• • Building AI muscle without betting the house
  • Earning internal buy-in before mandates hit
  • Creating client specific solutions through partnerships and beta projects
  • Designing scalable systems with confidence

The Bottom Line

Cautious firms aren’t lagging – they’re laying track for the next decade of legal work. They’re moving. Quietly. Strategically. And with more vision than many of their louder peers.

The quiet ones are making some of the loudest moves. Firms actively training it, testing it, and trusting it to bring transformation are ahead. Perfection may come later. Client benefit can come right now.

Attorneys are joining LinkedIn 50% faster than the average LinkedIn user.

It’s a digital treasure trove for clients and laterals and recruits – fueled by a mix of thought leadership, informal updates, celebrity news and the powerful pull of professional connection.

But not all law firms are capitalizing on it equally.

BTI’s latest research uncovers wide gaps in performance – and even wider gaps in belief and commitment. Some firms treat LinkedIn as an indispensable business development platform. Others? Not so much.

Meanwhile, in-house counsel are doing more than scrolling. They’re starting real relationships on LinkedIn. Often sparked by a smart post or insightful comment – typically through a mutual connection – it feels like a warm referral without the formalities.

And once the connection’s made, the usual vetting begins. But here’s the kicker: it all started on LinkedIn.

The firms seeing the biggest jumps in performance get this – and act on it. You can find these performance improving metrics in our new report – BTI Benchmarking Law Firm LinkedIn Performance 2025. These key metrics include:

• Number of followers
• Follower growth
• Engagement levels
• Posting cadence
• Touch points per partner
• The most effective strategies driving LinkedIn success
• All analyzed by firm size groups to help every firm

Join me in congratulating the firms showing the most improvement across these metrics over the last 2 years:

Law firms are growing their LinkedIn followers 54% faster than the platform average – and in-house counsel are among the most active players.

After a decade of flat activity, law firms are finally ramping up their LinkedIn presence. Posting is up. Follower counts are up. But the real story? Engagement is still wide open.

• Am Law 101–200 firms are dominating engagement – proving real connections still win
• Top 30 firms have the most followers but the lowest engagement – pointing to massive untapped potential

BTI’s just-released Benchmarking Law Firm LinkedIn Performance 2025 reveals the detailed benchmarks by size grouping for – and the firms outperforming all others in:

• Follower growth
• Engagement levels
• Posting cadence
• Touch points per partner
• The most effective strategies driving LinkedIn success

This exclusive analysis includes all the performance indicators you need to define your position – and drive new growth.

The firms showing the best-of-the-best engagement by firm size include:

Lateral partners don’t fail. Firms fail them.

The most talented laterals arrive with instincts honed for speed, autonomy, and action – the traits making them rainmakers at their prior firm. And the traits you admire.

So what goes wrong?

After dozens of conversations with top rainmakers, both pre- and post-move, one pattern stands out: Firms unintentionally stifle the very qualities making these partners successful. Here’s what they tell me:

No Room to Move

At their prior firm, they navigated protocols with precision. They knew where to push and how to win. And their new firm? It’s a maze of unspoken rules, vague approvals, and unexplained resistance. No one explains how things work – or asks how they are used to doing things. Result: Frustration – often from day one, especially on anything client-facing.

Decision-Making Blackout

At their old firm, they knew the guardrails – what they could do, who could approve, where they could bend rules to serve a client. At their new firm, the process is murky. Decision rights are assumed, withheld, or simply unclear. And no one talks about it until there’s a problem. Even the best laterals freeze. Or worse – move ahead and create unwanted attention.

Supportive, But Not Embraced

Leadership gives the public nod. But some partners – especially those who feel overlooked – quietly withhold support. They don’t offer introductions. They don’t advocate internally. They don’t help decode the culture. The lateral sees this. They feel it. And the disconnection starts early.

Handcuffed on Rates, Staffing, and Fees

Top laterals are used to autonomy. They can negotiate staffing, pricing, and terms without second-guessing. Now – their firms impose new layers of review or soft restrictions. In a top lateral’s eyes these layers are not just slowing them down – they are weakening client relationships. These partners built success on speed and judgment. The more a firm inhibits this dexterity the faster their confidence – and business – erodes.

Clients Don’t Automatically Follow

BTI research shows only 21% of clients will absolutely follow a partner to a new firm. Another 12% say it depends on the firm. That’s barely one in three. The rest? They stay behind or stall – unless the new firm makes sense for them. Lateral success is no longer just about the partner – it’s about the platform.

The Platform Gap

Cross-selling is hard. Even harder for a lateral with no internal network. Many laterals end up looking outside the firm for new business rather than tapping the client base they were promised. Why? Because the internal support, connection, and clarity just aren’t there. And when that happens, they start thinking about what comes next. Again.

The Successful Standouts

The laterals booking a slew of business – and are embraced by the firm – share key insights into their success:

• They talk explicitly about work style, expectations, support needs, and authority – before the move. They co-design how to work together.
• Top leadership actively introduces them to high-value clients and champions them internally. This sends a powerful signal across the firm.
• Laterals proactively introduce leadership to their top clients early – building firm buy-in and client trust.
• They hold a “post-decision, pre-offer” meeting with firm leaders to reflect on what they’ve learned – and align on what success will look like.

Lateral success isn’t about onboarding – it’s about integrating authority, trust, work styles, and access.

Get it right and you get the clients and a happy lateral. Get it wrong and you just paved the exit ramp.