Law Firm BD Success: A Checklist for New Leaders
Both of us have stepped into the “new BD Director” role multiple times—and we’ve also hired numerous BD managers and directors over the years. In speaking with many people from across the industry this summer, we noted that many firms are seeing high turnover in BD roles, with new people moving into these seats, some for the first time.
It’s a big opportunity. While it can be overwhelming at first, the right approach offers a great opportunity to move the needle on revenue growth—especially if you avoid the common traps and lean into proven strategies.
To help new BD leaders hit the ground running, we offer our eight-step guide to success:
1. Get Clear on Leadership Priorities
“Understand your Chief’s Objectives”
Before doing anything else, ask your CMO, Managing Partner, COO, and department heads a simple question: “What does success look like in six months?” This will help you align your goals with theirs, which is critical. At the same time, do not assume the lawyers, who are your clients, will have the same agenda and expectations as firm leadership. Clarifying any differences from the beginning will avoid confusion later.
2. Build Your Internal Map
“Meet the Players”
Spend time understanding the firm’s internal dynamics. Schedule short get-to-know-you conversations with key attorneys, practice leaders, marketing/BD teammates, and leaders in cross-support functions (CI, IT, Practice Management, Finance, Pricing, HR). Focus on active listening. What are their pain points? What’s working? Where do they see opportunities? Where are the pitfalls? Who are the real decision-makers, budget holders, and power players?
People will be more open in your first few weeks—take advantage of that goodwill.
We all know that “law is a relationship business.” This is true not only between lawyers and clients, but also among law firm functional departments. Good relationships with colleagues on other support teams will go a long way toward solidifying your success.
3. Assess the Tools and Data
“Figure Out What You’re Working With”
Do a quick audit of your current BD infrastructure. What CRM is in place? Is it used? What other tools exist (website, pitch templates, experience databases)? Are there any reports, dashboards, or metrics already being tracked? Understanding your toolbox helps you spot opportunities to improve process and efficiency.
Understand the processes and workflows currently in place. Processes are your friend! Utilizing and revising existing processes or establishing new ones will ultimately protect you and your team. Whether you have a process for launching a webinar, writing a proposal, or responding to an RFP, build your processes and workflows with your team and pilot them with early adopter attorneys. Follow them every time as they will ultimately make life easier for everyone. If you have proven processes in place, others will be more willing to follow them.
4. Choose A Quick Win
“Score Early and Build Trust”
Identify one or more small pain points you can improve or fix quickly—something with low political friction and high visibility. Could be cleaning up a pitch template, improving email formatting, or streamlining a client alert signup. This builds momentum and shows people that you’re action oriented.
When engaging lawyers, begin to discuss clients and prospects and who you want to pursue. The CI team will be critical. The same old information gets stale while new details earn interest. The more you can share and discuss with your lawyers relevant new details about their clients or prospects, the more they will recognize your value. You should also set alerts for developments related to key clients and targets. Use an AI deep research and reasoning tool to prepare for meetings and enable you to deliver current sector, market, practice, and client insights.
5. Set Expectations and Boundaries
“Communicate How You Work”
Once you’ve had your initial conversations, share with key stakeholders how you and they can best work together. Agree on expectations: turnaround times, priorities, communication preferences, and where you’ll say ‘no’ (without really saying no – you offer an alternative). Don’t be shy about engaging with your internal clients around best ways of working —BD is often a high-demand role, and mutual understanding helps everyone.
6. Co-Create a First 90-days Plan
“Bring Others into the Strategy”
Time to articulate and communicate your plan. Compare your notes with your Chief. Together, you can begin to build an agenda/plan that will honor the lawyers’ and firm leadership’s expectations and those of your Chief. Tie your plan back to leadership’s goals and include a few clear objectives. Share a draft with others and get input to align your plan with theirs and build internal allies.
Include clear objectives and success metrics—new client meetings, proposals submitted, cross-practice introductions, or pipeline growth – and be specific. From whom do we want new assignments? Who can we pursue as a potential client? When talking with the lawyers, discuss how the activities you are asking them to engage in will help them connect with specific clients and prospects. We have seen that when engaging with lawyers, it’s critical to be detailed. Not enough BD leaders talk about specific opportunities with the lawyers, who are much more engaged when they understand the concrete objective behind an activity. Regularly review your success metrics to adjust your approach.
7. Introduce Some Early Reporting
“Track, Then Share”
Even if it’s just a simple weekly email, start tracking and sharing your activity and results. Proactively communicate wins—practice growth, new RFPs submitted, pitches supported. Identify and share progress metrics. This lets others see how you’re adding value and reinforces a culture of accountability.
8. Revisit and Refine
“Check Back In”
At the 90-day mark, meet again with your key stakeholders. What’s changed? What’s working well? Where can you improve? Regular check-ins create space for feedback before frustrations simmer and enable you to adjust your going forward strategy. Maintain regular meetings with both your lawyers and your BD team, always prioritizing active listening.
Final Thought
There’s no single playbook that works for every firm—but this eight-step plan will give you a solid foundation. Start small, listen well, and stay focused on adding measurable value. From there, you’ll earn the trust and support you need to drive real change.
Let us know if you'd like us to help you create a personalized one-page checklist, slide deck, or team development materials. The Yate team is always available to help empower new BD leaders and teams to accelerate their firm’s business development impact.
Bob Greenbaum
Rob Randolph