Your Friends and Neighbors
(Not the Apple+ series with Jon Hamm, where trust breaks down…)
In real life — and in business development — your “friends and neighbors” are everything.
Law firms often wait too long to train associates on how to build a network. But the most valuable relationships — the ones that lead to future business — are being formed now. In law school classrooms, firm hallways, client meetings, and alumni events.
An important point:
You can’t reach out to someone 10 years from now, when they’re a general counsel, and expect them to give you work just because you once shared an office printer.
Relationship-building isn’t something you can bolt on later.
It needs to start early, be nurtured over time, and feel authentic.
That’s why firms need to invest in early BD training:
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Teach associates how to build a network with care and consistency
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Show them how to stay in touch — via notes, emails, LinkedIn, and real conversation
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Help them understand the long game: trust > transactions
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Give them the tools and the budget to connect with colleagues
Jon Hamm’s character takes from his neighbors.
Your associates can do the opposite — build trust, give value, and grow a network they can count on.
