In this fascinating session at the Law Firm Marketing Summit, Tina Gandesha- Director of BD, Marketing and Communications at Baker Mckenzie, interviewed her London Managing Partner Edward Poulton to give his perspective on how business development and marketing should, and can evolve within a law firm amidst the current macro climate of constant change and uncertainty.

Ed talked through his career and has seen a number of changes within the law firm space and BDMC context in his 25 years and counting at Baker McKenzie.  He stressed the importance of flexibility. With the current pace of change, firms have to be able to flip from business as usual into crisis mode very quickly.  This is made easier with the evolution of the BDMC function moving from a reactive existence to a more strategic and client-centric one.  At Baker Mckenzie they have focused on this role:

• From reactive responsiveness to structured client targeting.

  • Thought leadership aligned to client needs, not generic output.

  • Increased partner accountability for focus and prioritisation.

  • Empowering BDMC to say no to misaligned or unwinnable pitches.

  • Trust-based partnership enables both long-term stability and crisis agility.

Ed also highlighted that there can be an insecurity about future work from lawyers and this can often lead to a scatter-gun pursuit.  This is where the BDMC function can mitigate and really enforce strategic discipline to avoid wasted effort.  They can also become pivotal in strengthening client relationships and identifying future client opportunities.  To do this, they must understand the firm so that they can articulate value and think laterally.  Ed stressed the importance of having a high EQ combined with resilience within the team.  Ultimately, the team will succeed if the following is in place:

• An Understanding of firm offerings to speak the client’s language and craft messaging.

  • Commercial awareness: identify profitable work; avoid unprofitable pursuits.

  • Be inquisitive and proactive; bring ideas forward confidently.

  • Think laterally to connect practices, offices, and replicate best practices.

  • Act as impartial channels for difficult client feedback.

  • Authenticity and diversity drive team cohesion and credibility.

  • EQ enables effective collaboration and client rapport.

  • Resilience, including saying no under stress. 

The conversation covered the need for data-backed strategy and that BDMC teams need to provide evidence that translates into actionable guidance.  Inevitably, Ed also stressed the importance of AI and the fact that teams need to understand the impact and be literate.

The final part of the session concentrated on the importance of organizational culture.  Tina sits on the London management committee at Baker Mckenzie and Ed stressed the importance that this has had.  His advice for firms was to:

• Include BDMC in decision-making forums.

  • Leverage position to align BD strategy with office priorities.

  • Communicate a culture of partnership and trust.

A very interesting session, and for the BDMC focused audience, great to hear from a managing partner that understands the importance, and future importance of the function within law firms.