Insights

Nearly 48% of lateral partners leave their new firms within five years. That statistic from Decipher Investigative Intelligence came as a wake-up call during a session I recently co-led with legal recruiter Scott Love at the LMA Northeast Regional Conference — and it’s one that continues to surprise people every time I share it. Every firm celebrates when a lateral…

I’ve been asked a lot about the law firm business development and marketing department of the future. With a steady stream of laterals (growth and movement), the rapid evolution of AI, and the increasing importance of marketing technology, defining what the modern marketing and business development department should look like is not an easy task. After helping mid-size and large…

If you know me well, you know that I know nothing about most sports. But I did know that being asked to fly to Chicago to speak at Soldier Field was major. After learning that the Bears were a football team and not a baseball team, I got to work on my talk for an incredible law firm. It’s always…

If only cross-selling or cross-serving was as easy as saying, “Would you like fries with your burger?” Cross-selling how-tos are some of the most common questions I hear from law firm leaders and practice heads. One of the most powerful ways to grow a law firm isn’t chasing new clients — it’s serving existing clients more deeply. By doing so,…

In our first phone call, law firm leaders often tell me: “We invest so much in marketing — but we’re not sure it’s moving the needle.” Here are five signs your marketing department might not be operating well (and some initial thoughts about how to recalibrate). 1. Lots of activity, little strategy. Your marketing team receives numerous requests, both from…

I’m not Italian, but I do love Italy — and the Italian culture. What I’ve always admired is the country’s deep commitment to craftsmanship, whether it’s in art, luxury goods, or, yes, food. When I was in Milan recently, I went straight to one of my favorite restaurants. They make the perfect spaghetti with cherry tomato sauce. Every. Single. Time.…

I admire perfection. Those things that seem so beautiful as to appear unreal. Sometimes you see it in great works of art, other times in a scientific equation. Last week I visited Italy’s Lake Como, a place I have been several times. This time, I toured Villa Balbianello—one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever seen. While it had been…

Though it’s difficult to pinpoint a single trait that defines a successful rainmaker, certain qualities and patterns emerge among those who excel in this role. Here are some of the traits I’ve seen while studying rainmakers for my “Best Practice for Lawyers in Marketing and Business Development” (PLI 2019) and for a new book I am writing, “Breaking Ground,” which…

I am asked this several times a month, usually over coffee with a managing partner, a marketing leader or a journalist. Here is what I’ve been seeing. These are the mistakes I see time and again. Treating marketing as a support function, not a strategic one. Your marketing team can help shape the firm’s future—but only if they’re at the…