Notes from the BD trenches
Things Gemma has learned the hard way — so you don’t have to I share a lot about BD for lawyers — the frameworks, the habits, the mindset shifts. What I share less often is what I’ve learned from running a business myself. The things that only become obvious after you’ve got them wrong a few times. This is some of that. Marketing vs BD: they are not the same thing I say this all the time, but marketing feels productive, and in some ways it is. You’re creating things, measuring things, getting a little dopamine hit when something performs well. BD is the bit where you have to actually sit with someone and let the conversation go where it goes. Less controllable. It’s also what actually moves the dial if revenue is your goal. The pull towards marketing is real, and if you’re not paying attention to it, you can spend a whole quarter feeling busy while your pipeline quietly flatlines. I’ve done this. More times than I care to admit. *This is not to knock marketing — it needs to be in your playbook without a doubt (and GFC uses it heavily), but it shouldn’t be the only tool in your toolkit. On pricing: if you don’t believe it, they won’t either I have watched myself (and watched clients) hedge around a price as if apologising for it in advance. A little qualifier here, a slight upward lilt at the end of the number there. The problem is that clients feel this. They don’t always know why they feel it, but something shifts. Confidence in your pricing isn’t arrogance; it’s information. It tells the person in front of you that you know what this is worth. If you can’t say the number cleanly, that’s worth sitting with before you get on the call. On overpreparing for conversations that should feel easy I’ve had clients tell me they’re spending 45 minutes scripting a coffee catch-up with a contact they’ve known for years, because there’s a chance that person might one day be a client. And I get it — I’ve done the same. I went through a phase with discovery calls where I’d have a crib sheet, a structure, a sequence. The calls that followed that script? I didn’t close them. The ones where I trusted myself to follow the thread of the conversation? Those are the clients I have won and work with now. Over-preparation is often anxiety with better PR. Sometimes the most useful thing you can do is put the notes down. On giving away the answer There’s a version of professional expertise where you hold everything back until the invoice is signed. I don’t think this works — and I want to be precise about why, because for lawyers this one needs a little nuance. Giving away an answer is not the same as giving away the answer. If someone needs a steer, a bit of thinking, a framework for approaching their problem — give it to them. What you shouldn’t do is give away the substantive legal advice that is, itself, the goal. That’s a real distinction and it matters. But outside of that line, generosity tends to sell better than scarcity. The reason someone will work with you isn’t usually the answer — it’s everything that comes after it. The applying. The embedding. The bit where something actually has to change and they need another person in their corner to make that happen. Don’t hold back so cautiously that you never let anyone see how you think. On being in the room I’m based in France. This is not an easy thing to build a UK consulting business from, and I originally spent a lot of time convincing myself that a well-structured video call is more or less the same as being there. It isn’t. The conversations I’ve had face-to-face over the last year have moved faster, gone deeper, and closed more often. I don’t fully understand why, but it does. And I’m saying this as someone who has every incentive not to believe it. On intermediaries — and the myth that you need work to give before you can ask Most people do one of two things with potential referral sources: either they never ask for anything directly and end up in a permanent professional friendship that goes nowhere, or they tell themselves they can’t ask yet because they don’t have anything to give in return. That second one is worth unpacking, because it’s particularly common for associates. You might not have a pipeline of work to pass across. But that is almost never the only thing of value you have to offer. You can make an introduction. You can nominate someone for an award. You can put their name forward for a panel, flag them to an organiser, give them a quick steer on something they’re navigating. These things matter to people — sometimes more than a referral would. The point is that ‘I have nothing to give’ is rarely true, and letting that belief stop you from building the relationship and eventually asking for what you need is a mistake. Giving is the fastest way to become someone people want to send things to. You just have to be creative about what giving looks like. More of these in future editions. Some of it obvious in hindsight. All of it learned the slow way!
The book I keep recommending right now (and why it applies to lawyers)
I’ve been reading the Almanack of Naval Ravikant this week (if you haven’t come across it, it’s a collection of his writing and interviews on wealth, happiness, and building a life that actually works — well worth an afternoon, it’s only 250 pages). Some of it is very Silicon Valley and not directly applicable, but there are a handful of ideas in the business section that I keep turning over in my mind — particularly through the lens of legal careers. The three that stuck with me most: that your specific knowledge is a weird combination of your DNA, your upbringing, and your response to it — it’s almost baked into your personality before you can even hone it. That you can only really achieve mastery in one or two things, and they’re usually the things you’re slightly obsessed about. And the one I keep coming back to: escape competition through authenticity. If you’re building and marketing something that is genuinely an extension of who you are, no one can compete with you on it. For lawyers, I think this reframes the whole niching question. Most of the time when I talk to associates about finding their niche, there’s a slight panic — like they have to invent something, or pick something arbitrary and stick to it. But Naval’s framing suggests the opposite: your niche is probably already there, in the combination of things that come naturally to you, the clients you find most interesting, the problems you can’t stop thinking about. So instead of asking ‘what should I specialise in?’, try these: What do colleagues come to you for that isn’t strictly in your job description? What kind of client work makes you lose track of time? What do you find yourself reading about, even when no one is asking you to? What experience do you have — inside or outside law — that most of your peers don’t? The answers won’t give you a niche on a plate. But they’ll point you toward something real, something that’s already yours. And that’s a much better starting point than picking a sector because it seems commercially sensible. The Almanack is available to read for free at navalmanack.com. Consider this your excuse to add it to your weekend reading.
Interview with Ashleigh Carr, Partner at Maurice Turnor Gardner
In this series, we speak to new partners about the realities of making the step up. This week, we chatted with Ashleigh Carr, Partner in the Dispute Resolution team at Maurice Turnor Gardner (MTG), a top-tier London law firm for high net worth clients. Join us as we discuss Ashleigh’s journey to partnership and how BD has played a role in getting her there. Gemma: Reflecting on your journey to partnership, did you always know you wanted to become a partner? How would you describe your progression? Ashleigh: I would say it was a slow burn at first, which gathered pace… When I was searching for a training contract in 2010, they felt like gold dust. As a newly qualified solicitor, the idea of being a partner felt like a remote possibility. However, over the years that followed, I caught the bug for my career and grew in confidence. The more I applied myself to my work, the more I enjoyed the accomplishments that followed – satisfied clients, positive case outcomes and career progression. Eventually, the idea of partnership became irresistible – I couldn’t help but go for it. Gemma: How did you know you were ready to become a partner? Ashleigh: I felt I had the raw ingredients and knew I would bust a gut to make a success of it if I got the chance. Basically, I was willing to throw myself in the deep end and trust that I could swim. Less than one year in, I am still circumspect about the size of the role and the challenges it will bring. But I can honestly say this is the happiest and most confident I have felt in my career to date. Gemma: At GFC we talk a lot about how being a successful lawyer is all about building relationships. Can you tell us how you built your client base? Ashleigh: It started very small. I remember attending my first BD coffee as a junior solicitor, worrying about how much time I was spending away from my desk. My network has grown organically since, as one introduction has led to another and increasingly more exciting opportunities have presented themselves. With that, the referrals have followed. Gemma: What strategies/activities have been most effective for you in building your client base? Ashleigh: Admittedly, I took a scattergun approach for the first few years. I said ‘yes’ to everything, throwing myself at it all with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm. On reflection, I have built my foundation by attending industry events and following up with the people I enjoyed engaging with most. Over time, personal relationships have developed. That, for me, is the joy of BD. One thing I have found surprisingly valuable is time spent on professional committees. I have enjoyed working with colleagues from other firms, meeting regularly and working together to achieve a common goal – that alone provides a great opportunity to grow meaningful connections (and skills!). Whilst public speaking is not for everyone, I have found it an effective platform for developing my profile. Gemma: What are your thoughts on effective business development and how has your relationship/attitude to BD evolved during the course of your career? Ashleigh: I have played to my strengths and focused on the things I enjoy. I have approached BD contacts as new friends as opposed to potential work referrers and tried to be reliable and generous with my time. I have prioritised connections that I gravitate towards and naturally built relationships over time. Some of those connections will produce referrals, many won’t. However, I have found that opportunities can come from the most unexpected places. I believe it is worth having strength and depth in your network and, crucially, finding a way to enjoy maintaining it. Gemma: Are there any particular resources or tools you have found helpful in building your practice? Ashleigh: My most valuable ‘resource’ has been those of my colleagues who are willing to share their wisdom and support my efforts. Don’t forget to invest in your internal network! Another thing which changed the path of my career at an early stage was being recognised in an industry listing. Whilst opportunities can be limited, they are out there and many firms will routinely nominate a handful of fee earners. Some external validation can be great for confidence and profile. Gemma: Is there anything you wish you’d known earlier or done sooner before you started on the path to partnership? Ashleigh: As a junior lawyer, I thought the job would get harder and the hours longer as I became more senior– that can make progression feel quite daunting. However, it has not been my experience. I have found it equally challenging and labour-intensive at each stage! But also, incredibly satisfying and thoroughly worthwhile. Gemma: If you had to give associates, looking to progress in the next 12 months, one piece of advice, what would it be? Ashleigh: Back yourself and find a senior sponsor who backs you too. Ask for honest conversations about where you perform well and the areas you need to work on. Partnership is certainly a challenge, but you likely already have or can develop the skills you need to do it. Taking on the role and making a success of it will be hugely gratifying. I have found that opportunities can come from the most unexpected places. I believe it is worth having strength and depth in your network and, crucially, finding a way to enjoy maintaining it. Ashleigh Carr joined MTG as a Partner in the Dispute Resolution in 2025 having been a Senior Associate at another leading private wealth firm. She is co-chair of the Contentious Trusts Association (ConTrA).
Your client isn’t just buying your expertise. Here’s what else they’re looking for
Let’s start with the assumption most lawyers are working from: if the work is good, the relationship is good. Deliver excellent advice, hit your deadlines, stay within budget, and the client will come back. Simple. It’s a logical model. It’s also why so many strong lawyers find themselves confused when a client quietly drifts to someone else, or when a relationship they thought was solid turns out to be weaker than they realised. Technical excellence is the entry ticket. What clients remember, and what drives the decisions that actually matter for your BD, is everything else. The thing clients can’t always tell you Something worth considering is that most clients cannot accurately assess the quality of your legal advice. They’re not lawyers – they’re trusting you. What they can assess, with uncomfortable precision, is how it felt to work with you. Whether they felt like a priority, whether they felt understood. Whether, if a piece of work came up tomorrow, you’d be the first person they’d think to call. The difference between the quality of the work and the experience of receiving it is where BD either happens or doesn’t. And most lawyers, focused on the former, are leaving the latter almost entirely to chance. What clients actually want — and rarely say out loud To feel known, not just served. Clients notice when you’ve remembered something about their business, their pressures, their priorities. They notice equally when you haven’t. The lawyers who grow long-term client relationships aren’t always the most outspoken in the room – they’re often simply the ones who paid attention. That’s a BD advantage hiding in plain sight. Proactive thinking, not just reactive answers. Clients don’t want to have to ask the right questions – they want a lawyer who spots what they haven’t thought to ask yet. Flagging an adjacent risk. Connecting a market development to something on their horizon. That kind of forward-thinking is what turns a good lawyer into an indispensable one. It also generates more work because you’ve made the case through the quality of your thinking. Honesty over polish. Clients can generally tell when they’re being managed. What builds genuine trust is a lawyer who will tell them something uncomfortable, clearly and without flinching. That candour is rarer than it should be – and the lawyers who demonstrate it consistently don’t just retain clients. They become the people those clients call before a problem is even fully formed. To feel like the relationship matters beyond the matter. A note when something relevant comes up in their sector. A check-in after a deal closes, not to chase the next instruction but just to ask how it landed. These moments cost almost nothing, but they’re the difference between a client who comes back because you’re familiar, and one who comes back because they genuinely value the relationship. This isn’t ‘soft skills’. It’s BD. It’s tempting to read the above and file it under ‘being a good person’ or ‘client service basics.’ That would be a mistake. Every point in this article is a BD point. Clients who feel known refer work – because recommending someone feels personal, and they’ll only do it for a lawyer they’d personally vouch for. Clients who receive proactive thinking expand the scope of what they bring, because you’ve demonstrated you can see further than the immediate question. Clients who trust your honesty don’t shop around, because that level of candour is hard to find and harder to replace. And clients who feel the relationship matters beyond the matter become the kind of advocates that no marketing or BD budget can buy. The lawyers who grow their practices over time aren’t always the most technically formidable. They’re almost always the ones who understood this distinction early and acted on it deliberately, not just when it felt comfortable. The question worth sitting with Think about your best client relationship, the one that feels easy, mutual, genuinely valued on both sides. It almost certainly didn’t get that way because the work was flawless. It got that way because something human happened alongside it, consistently, over time. The real BD question isn’t how to find more clients. It’s whether you’re deliberately creating those conditions with the clients you already have – or just hoping they develop on their own.
BD and appraisals: You can’t hit a target nobody defined
Appraisal season has a way of making BD feel urgent — and exposing just how little has been said about it for the rest of the year.Most associates aren’t doing too little BD. They’re doing BD without enough context to know whether it’s the right BD. And guessing at expectations carries real professional risk — one that sits with the firm as much as the individual. The cost of ambiguity When expectations are unspoken, associates default to guesswork. They mirror the most visible partners, interpret vague feedback like “be more commercial,” and attend events without knowing what they’re building towards. The result isn’t disengagement — it’s paralysis dressed up as activity. Reputation in BD is built over time and harder to recover than most people realise. Associates operating without clear direction are the most exposed — not because they’re doing too little, but because they don’t have enough information to make good decisions. For associates: getting specific before you walk into the room Before your appraisal, do a short audit: Separate activity from progress. BD activity is what you did — events, calls, coffees, articles. BD progress is what moved as a result — a relationship that deepened, a contact that became relevant, a piece of work that came in. Both matter, but conflating them makes it hard to assess what’s actually working. Identify where ambiguity held you back. If certain areas fell short, be honest about whether that was effort, time, or direction. The answer changes what you should be asking for. Use the appraisal to get concrete. Rather than leaving with another round of vague feedback, push for specifics: which client relationships should you be prioritising? What does “getting involved in BD” actually look like at your level? How will progress be measured next time? Asking for that clarity isn’t a sign of weakness — it’s a sign of commercial maturity. For partners: what good BD feedback actually looks like Mentioning that BD matters is not the same as setting a clear expectation. If your associates are falling short, it’s worth asking whether they ever had enough to go on. Before the appraisal conversation, consider: Have you told them which clients to focus on — not just encouraged them to “get involved”? Have you modelled the behaviour you’re asking for? Have you created opportunities for them to build relationships, or kept them at arm’s length from clients? The most useful appraisal conversation isn’t one that scores BD performance. It’s one that sets up the next 12 months with enough clarity that the associate knows what to do on Monday morning. That’s the standard worth aiming for — and it’s a more productive use of the conversation than reviewing what didn’t happen without ever explaining why. If you’re an associate looking to build a clearer BD strategy ahead of your next review, get in touch — we’d be happy to help.
Interview with Ben Willows, Partner at EIP
In this series, we speak to new partners about the realities of making the step up. Ben Willows, Partner at EIP, talks to Gemma about the shift in responsibility that comes with partnership, why BD without a structured plan is just noise, and how using the right technology can stop good leads from slipping through the cracks. Gemma: What would you say the biggest shift was for you when you moved from Managing Associate to partnership? Ben: There’s a lot more of an emphasis on BD as you move to partnership. I think really it’s fully taking responsibility for driving yourself in a way. You’re given the freedom to do whatever business development you want and what you think is appropriate. So it’s about fully taking control of what you’re doing, directing others, and helping guide more junior people with their BD efforts. Gemma: Did you feel like there was a different level of pressure once you made partnership? Ben: Yes, I think so, in a way. Generally, within our firm, we’ve had a bit of a BD drive over the past few years. We’re assessed against seven categories, and business development is one of them from day one. Each tier in the firm, from trainee through to partner, is assessed against the same criteria. It’s just that expectations differ at each level. It’s to show that everybody is doing the same thing, everybody’s assessed against the same criteria. It gives you an idea of what you’re working towards, and we’ve got clear tenets and examples of the behaviours associated with them as well. Gemma: Would you say that you had training before you made partner? Ben: Me personally? Minimal. When I started in the profession, I was trained in private practice at quite a small firm – six attorneys, I think, maximum. From that point of view you’re thrust into BD from an early stage because everybody’s got to be doing everything. But there wasn’t any formal training. It was just – come along to an event, attend events yourself, write some content for websites. No formal training. I then spent some time in-house, so BD wasn’t really an issue there. Then coming back into private practice just over five years ago, to be honest, I was too busy for BD quite a lot of the time. It’s one of those things — the pressure of chargeable, billable hours. It’s quite easy to get yourself into the hamster wheel of chargeable work and BD kind of gets pushed to the side quite easily. Now there’s much more of a focus — it’s okay to carve out time in your calendar to do BD and to try and stick to that. I still think we could do more, in all honesty. So something I raised as part of the partner promotion process was that nobody had any sort of formal BD plans. One of the things that’s been trialled amongst the salary partners at our firm is developing a BD plan. They call them VTOs — vision traction organisers. It sets out your 10-year goal, your 5-year goal, your 3-year goal, your 1-year goal, and then it also has these 90-day rocks — action points that you’re going to hit within the next 90 days. It forces you to think about things like what are you going to do BD-wise within the next 90 days? Who’s going to assist you with it? What are the problem pinch points? Really setting out more of a structured approach. We are trialling that at the moment and it’s especially useful for more junior people who don’t have a plan. Obviously, the end goal is to bring in work, but that’s just too wide, too far-reaching, too far in the future. Having a VTO that breaks things into smaller, more actionable steps — like revisit my LinkedIn profile and find 10 contacts — is quite manageable when you break it down. But if you just give somebody two hours in their calendar to do some BD without a plan, it’s like, where do you start? You don’t fully appreciate that the journey can actually take several years. It’s a case of keeping in touch with people, being engaged with what they’re doing. Gemma: What kind of BD works for you? Do you have specific tactics that you go to? Ben: I don’t know if there’s one tactic. It’s kind of just trying to stay in contact with people all the time, keeping in touch. Because quite often, especially when you’re more junior, you think you need to bring in a client immediately. You don’t fully appreciate that the journey can actually take several years. People don’t often need your services there and then. It’s a case of keeping in touch with people, being engaged with what they’re doing and what they’re interested in, and posting on things that might pique their interest. Just keeping you in the back of their mind. Relationships, really. And generally just doing good work for people as well, because that sticks in people’s minds — that’s when you get good referrals. Gemma: And things you’ve tried that haven’t worked? Ben: When you think of BD, lots of people just default straight to conferences or writing articles. The conversion rate on conferences themselves is often neither here nor there, though obviously, you have to be in the right places to meet the right people. It just depends on who you go and meet, speak to, and keep in touch with afterwards. Same with article writing. Sometimes it can just be a case of churning out content, and realistically, it’s few and far between that you actually get anything back from that. If you took a few little extra steps — sending it onto somebody that you’re nurturing — that’s more likely to result in something than writing an article for a trade magazine and just hoping. Gemma: You mentioned technology. Are you using anything to help stay on track?
If BD is so important, why is it always the first thing to drop?
It’s a truth (semi) universally accepted that BD rarely disappears because lawyers don’t care about it. In fact, in my experience, it’s often the opposite. BD tends to become extremely important to lawyers at around six years PQE, particularly if they have partner aspirations. That’s usually the point at which questions about progression, visibility, and long-term trajectory start to feel very real. In most firms, people understand why BD matters. They’ve sat through the sessions, nodded along to the strategy, and genuinely want to get involved and do their bit. And yet, when work ramps up, BD is still the first thing to drop. What if the problem isn’t motivation, but design?What if we’re inadvertently setting overwhelmed associates and junior partners up to fail? Where BD actually breaks down In my experience, the cracks tend to show up in three places: 1. Team-level priorities are unclear (or unrealistic) BD is often positioned as important, but not prioritised. People are given long lists of things they ‘should’ be doing, without any real sense of the sequence, impact, or what actually matters most at their level. I’ve worked with senior associates who were trying to develop 15 different BD tactics at once. Articles, LinkedIn, networking, internal visibility, referrals, sector work, pitches — all while already stretched by fee-earning work. Interestingly, their first question was never “how do I do all of this?”It was always: what do I do first? That tells me motivation isn’t the issue — if anything, the opposite is true. And when no one can meaningfully answer the “what do I do first?” question, BD stops being energising and becomes more like paralysing. So everything grinds to a halt. 2. There’s little education on what actually works Many lawyers are asked to “do BD” without ever being shown how it fits into real working lives. As a result, teams often default to activity that looks strategic on paper but is hard to sustain in practice.Campaigns are a good example of this. Campaigns sound proactive and look impressive in plans and reports. But they’re also difficult to run when people are already working 12–15 hour days. They require coordination, momentum, and headspace. When pressure hits, they understandably stall. Meanwhile, some of the simplest and most effective BD activity, such as staying in touch with clients, following up after matters, having decent, human conversations, is overlooked because it doesn’t feel like a ‘proper’ initiative. 3. BD isn’t broken down at individual level, or tailored to the individual Even where teams have a clearer sense of what ‘good’ BD looks like in theory, many lawyers still struggle to translate ‘do BD’ into activity that feels manageable or appropriate for them. Common questions come up again and again:- Is it OK to reach out to intermediaries that are already known by others in the team?- Should I be trying to emulate what a rainmaker partner does, even if it feels awkward or a bit too soon?- What’s expected of me now, as opposed to later in my career? In some cases, that uncertainty is reinforced by what people see around them. Partners may be well-intentioned, but BD is often treated as something to be tightly controlled. Client relationships are ‘owned’, intermediaries are protected, and junior lawyers are expected to observe rather than initiate. For an associate or senior associate, that can create tension: am I being proactive, or am I overstepping? When permission isn’t explicit, risk-averse lawyers will more often than not choose caution, simply because they don’t want to get it wrong. There’s also a human reality here. Most lawyers aren’t trying to become high-profile rainmakers overnight. They’re trying to do a good job, protect their reputation, and progress sensibly. When the only visible examples of BD are loud, senior, or highly extroverted, many people conclude that BD simply isn’t “for them” yet. That’s not a personal failing. It’s an education gap. It’s an opportunity for firms, partners, and BD teams to work with individuals to define BD activity that fits their role, personality, and stage of career — rather than expecting everyone to mirror the same behaviours. If firms want BD to stick, it has to work for different personalities, energy levels, and career stages — not just those who are most confident or outspoken. What actually helps BD survive pressure The teams that manage to keep BD going don’t do so by pushing harder or asking for more, they get clearer.In practice, that often looks like agreeing a small number of BD activities that cannot be dropped, even when work is heavy. For example: three priority clients who always warrant a check-in one visible piece of activity, such as a LinkedIn post tied to an event or matter two personal messages to key contacts to invite them into a conversation Not everything runs all the time, but there are no zero-BD weeks – i.e. you don’t drop BD and then pick up when your diary is clearer. At individual level, people are supported to translate BD into specific, bite-sized actions that fit around real workloads — not aspirational plans that only work in quiet periods. And BD stops being treated as something separate from client work. When it’s framed as part of how relationships are developed and maintained, rather than an extra task competing for attention, it’s far more likely to make the cut. The uncomfortable (but much needed) truth BD doesn’t fall to the wayside because lawyers don’t care enough. It falls to the wayside because it’s often designed for ideal conditions, delivered in abstract terms, and expected to survive without enough structure or support. If firms want more consistent engagement — particularly earlier in people’s careers — the answer isn’t more pressure or more rainmaker stories. It’s clearer priorities, better education, and BD activity that fits the reality of the busy legal industry rather than fighting against it.
The best BD starts at home – it’s time to make your peace with cross-selling
As the year winds down, many lawyers are focused on client drinks, firm events, and getting matters over the line before the holidays. But December also creates a useful dynamic: you’re around your colleagues more often. And that makes it one of the easiest times of the year to strengthen something most firms don’t use nearly enough: cross-selling. On paper, cross-selling should be one of the simplest, highest-return BD activities.You already have the client’s trust.You already understand their business.You already have an established relationship. Deepening an existing relationship will almost always be easier than creating a new one. Yet many lawyers hold back from introducing colleagues because it can feel like a risk — concerns about quality of work, shifting dynamics, or losing some control over the relationship often get in the way. The reality is that clients don’t experience their needs as isolated legal issues. They expect a joined-up service. And lawyers who grow quickly are usually the ones who can say confidently:“That’s not my area, but I know exactly who can help.” Introducing the right colleague doesn’t dilute your position — it strengthens it. You become the person who spots problems early, connects clients to the right expertise, and makes the overall service better. That’s the adviser clients return to. A simple December step If you want to build this habit, use the fact that December naturally brings people together. Before your next internal event or catch-up, pick one colleague whose work complements yours. Identify two or three situations where they could genuinely add value for your clients. Then look for one opportunity to mention them in a client conversation this month. No big project and no heavy process — just a small, visible way to strengthen relationships during a time of year when connections happen more easily.
Interview with Joseph McCaughley, partner at Spencer West
In this series, we speak to new partners about the realities of making the step up. Joseph McCaughley, partner at Spencer West, talks to Gemma about what it was like to pivot into a new area of law, the lessons he learned from spending eight years in-house, and why getting to know your clients beyond the legal brief will accelerate your career faster than any BD training session ever could. Gemma: Your career path isn’t exactly the traditional route to partnership. Can you tell me a bit about that? Joseph: Yes, my career is a bit of an anomaly in the sense that it doesn’t necessarily follow what the traditional route would be. I started at a small firm completely by chance, then joined BLM’s healthcare team. Most of our work came from one client so BD wasn’t really on my radar. The message was simple: keep the client happy. That meant by the time I was 10 years qualified, I hadn’t really built a network or developed other BD skills than client relationship management. Then I moved in-house to work for that client and stayed for eight years. Again, there was no need for BD — we had more work than we could ever handle. When I decided to move back into private practice, it was in a different area of law, and I realised that I was missing parts of the BD skillset that many of my peers had already mastered. Gemma: What does BD look like for you now at Spencer West, especially within a consultancy model? Joseph: It’s a little different than the traditional law firm model but it is essentially the same – I need to justify my existence commercially — I have to bring in enough work to be profitable for the firm. But the principles are the same: build and maintain relationships. A big part of my focus is also on internal BD. In many traditional firms, cross-selling between departments is still underused. At Spencer West, I make a conscious effort to collaborate with colleagues who don’t do my type of work but might have clients who need my expertise. The firm is wonderful at fostering internal relationships between colleagues that build genuine personal connections that also serve as opportunities for collaboration. Gemma: Have you tried anything that hasn’t worked? Joseph: My website! I thought it would be essential, but honestly, it’s been a waste of time. You can’t compete with firms spending six figures on SEO. LinkedIn, on the other hand, has been invaluable. It’s where I build visibility and stay front of mind. But you have to learn what works for you. There’s no single formula. Gemma: You mentioned earlier that you now have a BD plan. What does that look like in practice? Joseph: It’s deliberately flexible. I don’t want a 10-page document I never look at again. Mine is based on broad principles with clear actions. For example, I set high-level goals — but then I break them down: how many people I’ll contact each week, what kind of outreach I’ll do. Without that, goals just stay theoretical. For me, the idea of connecting with people is not about “winning work”. I build connections because I am genuinely curious and interested in people and the work they do. If work comes in time, that’s great – but for me, it is about creating relationships that last rather than forcing sales. That mindset has stayed with me. The by-product of such an approach is that it tends to build a level of trust that doesn’t come from trying to sell – and paradoxically, it leads to more work than direct selling ever does. Gemma: Looking back, is there anything you wish you’d done earlier in your career? Joseph: Absolutely — I’d have started broadening my network much earlier. Not in a forced way, but just by being more intentional about meeting people, helping them, and keeping in touch. When you’re younger and less experienced, you’re often focused purely on billing and doing the work. But those relationships are what sustain you later. Gemma: And finally, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to senior associates aiming for partnership? Joseph: Get to know your clients properly — really get to know them. Don’t just focus on the immediate legal issue. Understand how the matter fits into their wider business and what they’re actually trying to achieve. A lot of lawyers see, for example, a piece of litigation and think their job is simply to defend or win it. But often, the client’s goals are different — they might be focused on protecting reputation, preserving a relationship, or managing risk. When you understand that, you become far more valuable. The work will naturally follow, and if you’re doing that as an associate, clients will notice. The people who truly grasp what their clients want are the ones who develop the best client relationships and ultimately become indispensable to their firms and get promoted fastest. Joseph McCaughley is a Partner at Spencer West, specialising in media and reputation management.
From contacts to clients: building a consistent BD pipeline
How lawyers can turn conversations into commercial opportunities — consistently Rainmaking isn’t just about visibility or charm — it’s about building momentum. The most successful partners don’t wait for work to land. They take structured, consistent steps to turn contacts into opportunities, and opportunities into clients. This article sets out a simple routine to help you: Spot warm opportunities in your existing network Stay visible and relevant with high-potential contacts Track and progress BD conversations over time You don’t need a big marketing push. You need a system (and we know first-hand that most lawyers don’t have one, irrespective of their level of experience). 1. Start with the right contacts Before you can build your pipeline, you need to work out who should be in it. Think: Who are the clients I could genuinely help this year? Who already knows me or is one warm introduction away? Who has commercial responsibility or influence? Tip: Start with your own network. Former clients, peers, referrers, professional contacts from past matters are your best early wins. Create a short list of 10–20 high-potential names to prioritise in your BD time. These are your ‘watchlist’ contacts — people you want to stay close to and convert when the time is right. 2. Track conversations, not just names Many partners lose momentum because their follow-up system lives in their head. To be effective, you need a simple way to track: When you last spoke What you discussed or offered What’s likely to happen next (and when) Use a CRM, a spreadsheet, BD tracker, or shared document to keep these warm conversations visible — especially those that are ‘in play’ but not yet live instructions. Pipeline = Progression. Not all contacts will convert now, but staying in touch keeps you in the running when they’re ready. 3. Spot (and create) commercial triggers Most contacts won’t need you right now, but many will later. The key is to be present when a need arises. Watch for triggers like: Leadership changes or restructures Investment or expansion activity Disputes, exits, or changes in board dynamics New regulation, litigation, or sector challenges Where appropriate, you can also create movement by sharing a relevant idea, offering a short call, or connecting them with someone helpful. Small actions build trust — and often prompt latent opportunities to surface. 4. Stay visible between conversations To convert contacts into clients, you need to stay on their radar — without always selling. A few ways to do that: Comment on their LinkedIn posts with something thoughtful Send over an article or update they might find useful Invite them to a relevant event or roundtable Offer a quick catch-up ahead of a busy period (e.g. year-end) This is about drip-feed visibility. Not all touchpoints need to be big moves — what matters is staying relevant and front-of-mind. Top of mind = top of the list. 5. Block time to build your pipeline You don’t need to do BD all day — but you do need to make it regular. Carve out a 30–45 minute slot weekly to: Review and update your contact tracker Follow up on recent conversations Reach out to 1–2 watchlist contacts Plan your next 1–2 visibility steps Done consistently, this turns BD from an ad hoc effort into a steady pipeline of warm opportunities, and helps you take action before things go cold. Final thought: contacts don’t convert themselves The gap between knowing someone and winning their work can feel fuzzy, but with the right routine, you can turn vague connections into real clients. The key is visibility, follow-up, and knowing where to focus. If you’re not sure where to start — or how to build a system that fits your practice — GFC can help. Because the best pipelines aren’t accidental, they’re built carefully over time.