If there was one unifying message at LMA25, it’s this: business development in the legal industry is no longer a support function, it’s a strategic imperative.

From the main stage to the breakouts, speakers and attendees echoed the same challenges: how do you empower lawyers to embrace BD? How do you tell better stories in a noisy digital world? And how do you use tech, without losing the human edge?

In separate keynotes, speakers Heather McGowan and then Former President Obama’s Speechwriters, Terry Szuplat and Cody Keenan, reminded us that when legal, political, or professional systems are under pressure, the individuals and organizations that thrive will be those that lead with clarity, empathy, truth and purpose.

"Leaders no longer need to know it all, but learn and listen to it all" - Heather McGowan

"Ask yourself: what can only I say?" - Terry Szuplat

"Don't be afraid to talk like a human." - Cody Keenan

That message came to life throughout the many breakout sessions. In “Amplify Your Impact: Getting Buy-in to Help Lawyers Cultivate an Effective Business Development Mindset” breakout, Mo Bunnell (Founder & CEO, Bunnell Idea Group), Amanda Bruno (Global Chief Business Development Officer, Morgan Lewis Bockius), and Mark Lewis (Managing Partner, Washington Office, Bracewell LLP) tackled the perennial challenge of getting lawyers to embrace business development.

The speakers offered some key tactics for reframing the BD mindset, prioritizing empathy and consistency:

• Celebrate incremental progress
• Track and share small wins
• Pilot initiatives with willing ambassadors
• Always ask: ‘What does success look like?’ to the lawyer

“Around 90% of the work comes from current clients. Top 20 accounts often make up the majority of the work” - Amanda Bruno

“Take 30 minutes every quarter to eliminate, delegate, or automate something which takes too much time” - Mo Bunnell

“Make yourself indispensable” - Mark Lewis

In “Crafting Your Firm’s Approach to Digital Storytelling,”  Jennifer Scotton (Chief Marketing Officer, Constangy) led a discussion between Diana Dillon (Director of Marketing, Wiley Rein), Hillary Engel (Social Media Manager, Faegre Drinker), and Matt Scheetz (Content Director, Dykema) around not only how but why certain narratives should be shared. 

Panelists drove home the power of human-first marketing: short-form video, carousel posts, and podcast series that build a niche, but loyal audience. The content itself? Prioritize the human stories.

The panelists also highlighted the 3 pillars of Effective Content for long-term success:

1. Novelty 
2. Efficiency 
3. Collaboration

“Stories can resonate around 20 times more than numbers” - Jennifer Scotton

A closing breakout session entitled “Developing a Future-Based BD Strategy: Implementing lessons from LMA25” consisted mostly of an open Q&A with Carman Akins (Director of Practice Marketing, DLA Piper), Ashraf Lakhani (Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer, Porter Hedges), Kelly MacKinnon (Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer, Gibson Dunn), and Deborah Ruffins (Managing Partner, Deb Ruffins Consulting Group).

From using AI systems to streamline content, to building relationship maps and tracking qualitative progress, the panelists emphasized the following points:

1. People-first strategy: Whether internally or externally, successful BD starts by understanding what others need, and showing how you can help.
2. Tactical storytelling: From social content to client-ready pitch decks, the format matters less than clarity, creativity, and relevance.
3. Sustainable innovation: Tech, data, and content are enablers, not end goals. Start small, test what works, and scale with purpose.

“Ask the attorneys: ‘Do you want to eat today versus eat in 10 years?’ Many firms that were around 10 years ago aren't around today” - Carman Akins

“Make an effort to spend time with each partner when the stakes are low at least once a month, so you have a strong relationship when it's needed” - Ashraf & Deborah

What’s next for legal BD? Less noise, more nuance. Less busywork, more strategy. Less convincing, more collaborating. The future belongs to firms that empower their people to adapt, act, and lead—with clarity and consistency.

Lead with empathy, scale with strategy, and never underestimate the power of a well-timed story.