After an energizing conversation in Chicago, the CMO Series Live roadshow continued in New York, where the focus again turned to one of the industry's toughest and most important challenges: cross-selling. The Chicago panel surfaced many of the cultural and structural barriers firms face, and the New York discussion picked up that thread with some new voices.

Alistair Bone, Senior Vice President at Passle, moderated the session with senior marketing, business development, and strategy leaders:

• Shade Vaughn – Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, Akin
• Trish Lilley – Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer, Barnes & Thornburg
• Robin Davidson – Director of Marketing and Communications, Boies Schiller Flexner
• Katherine Diggs – Chief Business Development Officer, Quinn Emanuel

The New York session quickly moved beyond theory and into the reality of how cross-selling can succeed or stall inside firms. The conversation surfaced fresh perspectives, new examples, and practical approaches that built on the themes raised in Chicago.

Ali opened up with some stats from BTI Consulting:

• 77% of law firms describe themselves as ineffective at cross-selling, while only 4% of law firms describe themselves as highly effective.
• Close to 80% of current revenue typically comes from existing clients.
• Cross-selling has been shown to add roughly 12% to a law firm's bottom line. 

Ali’s opening data made one thing clear: the opportunity is huge, but so is the gap between intention and execution. The New York panel unpacked what is really happening inside firms; what are the habits, incentives, technologies, and cultural signals that determine success?

The Principles That Drive Success:

1. Cross-selling as a firm strategy, not BD – Cross-selling only works when it sits inside the firm’s strategic growth agenda rather than being delegated to BD alone.
2. Focused initiatives outperform broad efforts – Focusing on a small set of priority clients or themes generates faster wins and stronger momentum than firm-wide campaigns.
3. Technology as an enabler – AI tools allow firms to spot client needs earlier, target opportunities more precisely, and empower partners with real evidence.
4. Culture shapes adoption – Partners embrace cross-selling when they trust one another, understand the broader firm offering, and feel confident representing colleagues.

“I don’t think we talk about cross-selling anymore. It’s about the priorities we need in order to grow as a firm.” – Shade Vaughn, Akin

"Start smaller. Work with your willing folk. Visualizing it helps too, by showing: 'Here is where we were six months ago; here is where we are now. Show movement - that builds momentum.” – Trish Lilley, Barnes & Thornburg

“Finding folks cross-departmentally is a form of cross-selling we are best positioned to do in our roles because we are close to the narratives and the stories that we are telling. This is all to build the brand and to create the external perception.” – Robin Davidson, Boies Schiller Flexner

“Using the likes of AI, market intel and pitch books, suddenly you have multiple avenues to identify why a client might need an introduction.” – Katherine Diggs, Quinn Emanuel

How Firms Can Apply These Principles Immediately

1. Create a growth operating rhythm – Cross-selling becomes real when it is managed through a structured cadence around growth (dedicated meetings, defined priorities, and continuous follow-up). Firms that treat cross-selling like a weekly operational process (rather than an ad-hoc BD activity) create accountability, momentum, and clarity about where growth should come from.
2. Focus where success is likely – Starting with the right partners and clients accelerates early wins and builds internal momentum. Pilots create proof points that inspire adoption more effectively than broad, firm-wide pushes.
3. Arm partners with “evidence” – Lawyers, by training, respond best to clear, concrete evidence; they know what clients are reading, researching, posting, investing in, or being quoted about. When partners are given hard data rather than suggestions, the perceived risk of outreach disappears, and they feel confident engaging clients because the conversation is tethered to facts, not guesswork.
4. Use internal content as fuel – Firms already generate valuable insights, but what is often missing is helping partners see how that content can prompt conversations. Internal distribution, context-setting, and simple outreach templates transform content into a cross-selling tool.
5. Reward and reinforce the right behaviors – Visibility is one of the most effective motivators for competitive lawyers; being spotlighted by leadership, featured in internal communications, or recognized in meetings reinforces the actions the firm wants to see. Making collaboration visible sends a clear cultural signal that this is the behavior the firm values, and this is what gets attention.

“Someone needed to wake up every day and think about growth. That has got to be the North Star… We meet every Monday and talk about how we are progressing across each of these initiatives.” – Shade Vaughn, Akin

“If you want to be introduced to a client, you should make that partner look good.” – Katherine Diggs, Quinn Emanuel

“I reward them in the moment, whether that is in person or over the likes of zoom - it really helps lean into their competitive nature.” – Robin Davidson, Boies Schiller Flexner

“If you're trying to drive something, get it up on the priority list of leadership… sometimes it's three senior folks bringing this and saying we'd like to do the following five things.” – Trish Lilley, Barnes & Thornburg

The conversation in New York underscored a powerful truth: cross-selling succeeds when firms make it easy, visible, and routine. With the right operating cadence, targeted pilots, evidence-led outreach, content that sparks conversations, and recognition that reinforces the right actions, firms can unlock the growth already sitting inside their client base. The opportunity is there, and the firms that act with discipline will capture it.