Most leaders agree associates have a role in BD — but too often it’s limited to pitches or directory submissions. With 2026 targets looming, it’s time to unlock their real contribution. Here are three overlooked ways associates can directly support relationships and revenue.
1. Targeted network activation: turning dormant contacts into live opportunities
Your associates are sitting on underutilised networks, and not just university or peer contacts. They often have touchpoints with the next generation: rising in-house counsel, junior contacts at key clients or intermediaries, and a wide array of LinkedIn connections they’ve never thought to filter through a BD lens.
What your team may be missing:
- Encouraging associates to map their contacts against your priority accounts or sectors.
- Run small, targeted outreach campaigns that associates can lead (e.g. ‘I thought of you when I saw this update on [X]’).
- Assigning client listening roles in relevant matters to foster contact-building early.
Why this matters: Associates aren’t yet tied to billing pressure in the same way as partners, and clients are more open than ever to junior-level relationship-building.
2. Insight-led input: using associates to spot client themes before your competitors do
Associates spend more time in the detail of legal matters than anyone else on the team. This proximity to the real challenges clients are navigating makes them a powerful (and often underused) source of insight when planning BD campaigns or developing content strategies.
What your team may be missing:
- Asking associates what patterns they’re seeing in current matters (e.g. emerging risks, regulatory gaps, repeat negotiation hurdles).
- Including associates in BD planning meetings — especially when brainstorming content topics or issues clients care about.
- Encouraging associates to flag client trends informally via email, Teams, or even a quick comment after a matter update — so insights aren’t lost in the day-to-day rush.
Why this matters: When BD activity reflects what’s happening in practice, not just what the partnership thinks clients care about, it’s often more timely, resonant, and useful. Associates can inject relevance and credibility into your campaigns in a way that stands out.
3. BD skill-building that pays off now — not just when they make partner
Many firms approach associate BD training as an investment in future rainmakers. But you’re missing short-term return on that investment if it’s not geared toward practical involvement today.
What your team may be missing:
- Embedding associates in live client development activities, like preparing for relationship reviews, helping shape credentials decks, or attending relevant client events alongside partners.
- BD goal-setting in annual reviews, tied to real team metrics — not just ‘demonstrates interest’.
- Pairing associates with partners or senior associates in visible BD roles alongside partners.
Why this matters: Associates who understand how BD works are more commercially astute on client matters, more proactive with ideas, and more invested in client outcomes. That’s the kind of mindset that drives current-year performance, not just future-year pipeline.
Final thought: don’t just empower — equip and expect
Unlocking associate BD isn’t about handing over a CRM login and hoping for the best. It’s about building a culture where their contributions are expected, guided, and recognised. If you want to hit your 2026 targets with confidence, your associates aren’t just part of the plan — they’re a multiplier waiting to be activated.