It’s every attorney’s dream.
Tackle complex, high-stakes issues. Help clients unleash success. Solve the thorniest problems.
These are all staring clients in the face as you read this.
Political volatility injects risk into every client deal and dispute. Client business models are transforming. GenAI is disrupting workflows. Large, midsize, and small clients are all reshaping their businesses in real time.
Every client’s goal is changing along with these factors.
And – every change in goals brings an equally profound change in what clients want/need and expect from outside counsel.
Our new research – based on insights from 350+ corporate counsel – reveals a whole new set of law firm behaviors clients want to see from you. These 10 behaviors are redefining what it means to deliver elite client service – and earn the elite rates to go with it:
Bold Creativity
Delivering bold, original strategies tailored to your client’s unique mix of risk and ambition. Recycled playbooks need not apply.
Practical Execution
Advice is only half the job. Clients expect execution to move the needle – quickly and decisively.
Exceptional Client Focus
Understand the business objectives first, then the legal. This is how clients think – and how they want their firms to think, too.
Deep Industry Insight
Every recommendation is rooted in industry nuance and business context – not just legal theory.
Agile Problem Solving
Pivots quickly to manage both expected and unexpected issues with confidence.
Strong, Seamless and Best Teams
Clients expect A-teams, not B-rosters. High turnover doesn’t excuse underperformance – it erodes trust.
Tech-Savvy Solutions
Smart use of technology improves both outcomes and the overall client experience.
Clear Unprompted Communication
Clients expect near real-time information about matter status, strategic direction and emerging developments. They have a CEO to answer to.
Leadership in Client-Facing GenAI Risk Management:
The best firms are already guiding clients through AI-driven risk – legal, reputational, and strategic. Silence signals weakness.
Relentless Commitment
Unmatched investment in client success – blending precision, purpose, advocacy, and relentlessness.
What This Means for Law Firms
These expectations aren’t optional – they’re the new table stakes.
The firms rising to meet them are redefining client service – and earning super-premium rates for doing so.
The opportunity is massive. So is the gap between what clients want and what most firms deliver. First movers will win – and win big.
Get the full breakdown in the just-released BTI Client Service A-Team 2025. See exactly what clients expect – and which firms are leapfrogging the competition. Order here.
The best in the market is just ahead.
MBR
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