2025 rewarded a small group of law firms with disproportionate visibility – while the rest fought harder than ever just to be noticed.

The combination of Presidential Executive Orders, political volatility, law firm merger announcements and high-profile celebrity trials contributed to the trend.

Google Trends reveals immediate spikes in searches following the first Presidential Executive Order. Later EOs caused similar surges for firms affected by subsequent orders. In most cases, the most searched for firms were able to attract a steady stream of searches throughout the remainder of the year.

The firms outside Executive Orders managed to attract impressive search numbers – largely on unique thought leadership and high-profile clients and events.

Using Google Trends, BTI analyzed relative Google search volume across more than 200 law firms throughout 2025.

Please join me in congratulating the following 22 firms for attracting the most searches in 2025:

The Most Searched in 2025

Strongly Searched

Searched Standouts

As 2024 opened, 53% of attorneys and marketers believed business development would be harder for the year. Fast forward to 2025 — it seems it’s a new world — or at least a changed world.

We just finished asking more than 1,000 attorneys and law firm marketers the same question over the last 3 weeks: Will business development be harder in 2025 than in 2024? The results look like this:

• 44% indicate business development will be harder than in 2024
  • A big drop from last year

• 56% believe 2025 business development will be easier than 2024
  • A slim majority, but a shift nonetheless

The Shift in Business Development Thinking

Why BD Will Be Easier

A slim majority see business development getting easier. The top reasons include:

• A feeling of momentum in winning more work
• Expect strategic initiatives to deliver more business
• More experienced in what works and what doesn’t
• More management commitment to business development
• New metrics to drive business development
• Completed large-scale client feedback programs and feel better
• The market is strong
• New CRM
• The worst of the hardest market conditions are behind us

Those anticipating easier business development largely speak to protocols, systems, trends and processes.

Why BD Will Be Harder

Those expecting business development to be more difficult point to the following:

• Increased uncertainty in regulations and tariffs
• Clients expect immediate responses and help with changes in regulations
• More volatility in the economy creates more unexpected needs
• Clients are changing their expectations with increasing hourly rates
• Clients always expect more than they get now
• More competitors showing up at current clients
• It’s harder to communicate with clients as they become absorbed in other issues
• I have to work harder to keep the client’s attention

Those expecting business development to get harder see key aspects of client behavior as the driver.

And the Answer is

Systems and trends are crucial, but they only take you so far. The real challenge lies in understanding, influencing and responding to client behavior.

Behavior is the hardest variable to predict, to understand, to change and target. But — it’s also the most critical variable in the BD process.

The biggest winners will adapt, engage and innovate to ensure they’re not just meeting expectations but shaping them.

We will share how to shape these expectations and behaviors today at Noon Eastern during The BTI Market Outlook and Client Service Review 2025. Register now — only a few places left.

Clients are looking. Partners are looking. Associates are looking. Everyone is checking. Every search matters.

But are they looking for your firm?

The digital-first world is full of searches — and the more they search for you, the better. Every search from every corner impacts new business, brand, culture, hiring — and gives you an edge. The first step for anyone thinking of hiring, joining, and even selling to your firm is a search for you — and the results shape their opinion.

Who’s Getting Searched the Most

BTI analyzed searches for over 300 law firms using Google Trends data from 2024. Google Trends compares and indexes search terms, giving a clear view of relative interest. Based on this analysis, these firms lead the rankings for searches.

High visibility matters — strategic initiatives and industry disrupting initiatives are driving law firms to the top of the most searched-for law firms.

Please join me in congratulating the following 31 law firms for attracting the most searches.

The Most Searched in 2024

Strongly Searched

Searched Standouts

Client ranking of law firms, BD hacks, and client service topped the most popular Mad Clientist posts of 2023. 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 2023 in 2 groupings:

Ranking and Ratings

The 46 Most Feared Firms in Litigation

Top legal decision makers and attorneys alike want to know what it takes to be fearsome — who is fearsome and what it means. This is a direct result of the tremendous growth in complex litigation and new and novel cases. Clients want the most feared firms on their side.

Learn more in the BTI Litigation Outlook and here.

The BTI Client Service All-Stars — Client Single Out 293 Attorneys Delivering the Absolute Best Client Service

Client service site at the epicenter of client relationships and better outcomes. This post pinpoints the attorneys delivering the absolute best client service — with no prompts, suggestions, or self-submittals, these are the only organic ranking of client service in the world — and top legal decision makers flock to it to see who is best.

Clients Single Out Law Firms Delivering the Best Client Service — The BTI Client Service A-Team

A cousin to the BTI Client Service All-Stars, The BTI Client Service A-Team identifies the law firms delivering the best client service — all identified organically — with no prompts, suggestions, or self-submittals. Clients see who is best, and law firms learn how they perform on each of the 17 activities driving client service.

31 Law Firms with the Best LinkedIn Engagement

LinkedIn is quietly becoming the go-to source for top legal decision makers. Clients visit LinkedIn more than 2x as often as law firm websites. LinkedIn engagement drives client connection and inbound leads — the best kind. Learn how and why.

58 Law Firms Moving Up Market in Litigation

Litigation is getting more complex. Clients face peak litigation loads. Moving up market continues to get harder and harder every year. These 58 firms managed to gain more client preference and improve their market position — an impressive feat as the litigation market only gets more difficult. Learn what they are doing and who they are.

BD, Client Service, and Talent:

RFPS hit a Screeching Halt

Clients have little time for RFPs. They take a lot of time and yield little. Top legal decision makers are quietly using fewer RFPs to bring in new law firms. They are relying more on peer referrals and thought leadership to find only the best talent. Clients issuing RFPS are looking for law firms with new ideas and approaches.

17 Top Reasons Lawyers Don’t Call Their Clients

It’s easy to find a reason not to call a client. Learn the most popular reasons and start a campaign to remove these self-imposed obstacles.

10.1% of Attorneys Report a Toxic Culture — How Many Are Great

Culture is getting more of its day in the limelight. Learn about the 4 types of law firm cultures and what to do to improve the culture of even the best firms based on more than 1,000 responses to our workplace and attorney satisfaction survey, attorneys.

6 Tactics to Immediately Your Pitches and Proposals

Your pitch is more important than ever as clients are more open to hiring new firms than they have been in decades. Learn the specific tactics you can take right now to stand out and land the work right during the pitch.

9 Q4 Business Development Hacks

The last quarter of the year offers unique business development opportunities. You can also see these early in the 1^st quarter — as in now.

6 Phrases Clients Want to Hear from You

Words matter — they go beyond sharing and knowledge. They impact which attorney gets hired, it also defines the client experience. Learn the words clients think make the most impact — and how they impact you.

We will discuss the impact of all of these topics and new issues for 2024 in the BTI Market Outlook and Client Service Review webinar.  Learn where clients are spending, the law firms clients recognize as the Leading Edge Law Firms — and so much more. This is a sell-out event — register below!

Imagine clients knocking on your digital door, eager for your ideas and services. The secret? A hidden corner of the digital world: client service excellence.

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.

Trust trumps algorithms

How? BTI’s analysis of searches for 300+ firms in Google Trends reveals a hard-hitting truth: top performers in client service dominate the search landscape. The human connection forged through exceptional service becomes a beacon, drawing clients to your digital landscape.

Meet the Champions.

The Most Searched

Strongly Searched

Searched Well Above Others