Conversations, Credibility, and Client Relationships: Takeaways from LMA Mid-Atlantic

Last week, I attended the LMA Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference in Washington, DC. The programs covered everything from AI and personal branding to lateral integration and client feedback. Across those conversations, I kept coming back to the role we play as marketing and business development professionals: helping attorneys understand their value and teaching them how to build strong client relationships. Here are a few things I'm still thinking about.

AI gives us another reason to talk with clients

From AI Adoption to Client Advantage: The Marketer’s Role in Differentiation through Client-Facing AI Strategy
Eric Dodson Greenberg, Cox Media Group; Allen Waxman and Alice Alston, DLA Piper

My biggest takeaway: AI should be the start of a conversation. At this point, we’ve all attended a lot of programs around AI in legal. This one hit different for me because the panel positioned it as an opportunity to build relationships. Attorneys should use it as such and ask what clients are exploring, share how they are using AI, and discuss expectations for the future – even if it feels uncomfortable.

Lawyers are trained to deliver an A+ answer, so acknowledging uncertainty is hard. They may also hesitate because they expect the discussion to turn immediately to rates, but the panel framed that opening as an opportunity to talk about value.

We can help by asking attorneys who are comfortable discussing AI with clients to share their experiences internally or join conversations alongside colleagues. A simple starting point might be: “Here is what we are thinking about or doing; what about you?”

When a client is worried or unsure, that’s an opportunity to help. Pick up the phone. Ask for the meeting. You don’t need all the answers to ask good questions and understand what’s on their mind. So much of our work in BD is helping attorneys get to the next conversation. AI gives us another reason to have it.

That's another touchpoint and a chance to help your client – which is the core of what we set out to do.

Your personal brand needs evidence behind it

Define or Be Defined: A Legal Marketer’s Guide to Coaching Attorneys Through Personal Branding for BD
Jenna Boig, Marigold Consulting; Dana Romero, Rothwell Figg

Developing a personal brand begins with self-awareness: understanding your values, strengths, and what you want to be known for. It also requires external awareness: understanding how clients and colleagues actually perceive you. Jenna and Dana encouraged attendees to “find the receipts,” which I loved. Essentially, what is the evidence that supports an attorney’s positioning. If you say, “I’m the go-to lawyer for state and local tax questions,” what backs that up? They also encouraged testing whether the value proposition is clear, specific, concise, and authentic – and revisiting it as experience, market conditions, and firm priorities change.

This is work I regularly do with attorneys, especially in associate training. It’s worth thinking about early: colleagues and clients are already forming impressions of you, and established perceptions can take time to change. What do you want to be known for, and how are you demonstrating that in your everyday work? I often ask: what do you do, who do you help, and how? The next question is equally important: what supports that statement? Now known forever as “the receipts.” Representative experience, useful content, speaking engagements, and client feedback can all help establish credibility.

I also liked the reminder to seek an outside perspective. We may have a clear idea of how we want to be known, but asking a trusted client or colleague can tell us whether that is coming through.

Oh, and they shared this stat from Brand Builders Group, “74% of people say they trust an individual with an established personal brand than they trust a company brand alone,” – reinforcing why we encourage lawyers to build their own presence on LinkedIn as part of developing their personal brand.

Lateral integration depends on relationships and follow-through

Making the Lateral Investment Pay Off: A BD Playbook for Partner Integration, Visibility, and ROI
James Barclay, Passle; Craig Budner, Budner Performance Group; moderated by Meg McEvoy, LIMELIGHT

The data presented around lateral success and failure was staggering. The panel cited a cost range of $2.3–$4.2 million for a single lateral partner, along with figures indicating that 48% of lateral partners leave within five years, and 90% struggle to deliver promised business at their new firm. Let that sink in.

Marketing and BD professionals can prove serious value here. We know when someone isn’t going to make it on Day 1. Our spidey senses are real. How many of those departures might be prevented if we were involved earlier? The panel emphasized the benefits of giving BD a seat at the table at the outset of the recruiting process. We know the critical personalities, understand they work, can help identify opportunities and anticipate obstacles that contribute to a lateral’s success. We spend our days helping lawyers build better relationships with clients. Those same skills can help them build better relationships with one another.

The panel also discussed tracking progress before revenue appears. Internal meetings, client introductions, office visits, speaking engagements, proposals, and other activities can help reveal where integration is progressing or getting stuck.

When working with firms, I talk about what we are asking someone to do when they introduce a colleague to a client. They are putting a relationship – and their credibility – on the line. Sharing a firm name does not automatically establish trust. Attorneys need opportunities to learn about each other’s experience and approach before we even broach conversations about clients. James likened asking for introductions too soon as going from zero to 100 without buying anyone a drink. Spot on. I also appreciated the attention to leading indicators. Results can take time, so we need micro-KPIs to assess whether we're heading in the right direction.

Client insight should shape our next steps

What Clients Are Telling Us: Trends Shaping Stronger Relationships
Tara Weintritt and Caitlin White, Wicker Park Group

Wicker Park Group’s client feedback findings reinforced that there is a real opportunity to deepen existing relationships. Their presentation reported that 90% of clients would consider their firm for additional work, and that many do not know the firm’s broader capabilities. That's a stat I'll be sharing to fan the cross-selling flame.

The presenters also challenged the idea that responsiveness and good client service are differentiators. They are table stakes. Stop using them as differentiators in your marketing materials. One element I found particularly interesting was how regularly staffing and consistency come up in feedback conversations. Think about the practice team that has seamless communication with the general counsel, while another fumbles the handoff. That stuff matters. For those forming client teams, they recommended focusing discussions on what is happening with the client, where the relationship is vulnerable, where there are opportunities, and who owns the next steps.

This connects closely with how I coach lawyers: understand the client’s business and consider who else could help. Then pay attention to what happens after the introduction. Another point I kept thinking about was conducting strategic client-team meetings. Having run these meetings as a BD professional, I know how easily they can become a round of updates. Invite a client contact to attend and share insights with the group, or discuss what's happening in the client's industry and what it could mean for their business. Give the team something to act on.

If you can't tell, I truly enjoyed my time in DC last week. While I was somewhat involved in conference planning, I had no hand in agenda development. Hats off to the planning committee for lining up so many Monumental Moments for our legal marketing community!