Business development is something every law firm talks about, but far fewer truly embed it into the day-to-day habits of their lawyers.

On the latest episode on the CMO Series Podcast, we sit down with Gemma Francis, a legal BD consultant who spent years working in-house before stepping out on her own. Gemma now works closely with law firms and lawyers to rethink business development approaches, focusing on mindset, practical habits, and bringing associates into the process much earlier.

In today’s episode, Gemma offers a fresh perspective on the common misconceptions lawyers have about BD, the barriers that firms face, and the simple steps that BD and marketing teams can take to create real momentum.

Gemma also explores:

• The moment she realised there was room for improvement in BD
• What she wishes she’d known during her former in-house career
• The benefits of involving early associates in BD
• How to overcome internal blockers stopping BD momentum
• Key priorities for driving BD traction

High-performing teams are the difference between steady progress and real growth in professional services marketing and BD. Performance doesn’t happen by accident, it’s built, shaped and led.

In the latest CMO Series Podcast, Will Eke is joined by Tricia Weener, Global Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Linklaters, who has built a career spanning entrepreneurial ventures, scale-ups and global organisations. That breadth gives her a sharp perspective on what “high performance” actually means, and how differently it shows up depending on the environment.

In this episode, we unpack what it really takes to build a high-performing team inside a global law firm and the lessons Tricia brings from outside the industry.

Tricia also shares:

• The perspectives she’s gained during her industry-agnostic career journey
• How high performance shows up in different contexts
• The importance of building high-performing teams on strong foundations
• Using the power of the “three Cs” to shape team culture
• Practical advice for others to build sustainable high-performing teams

Client experience is fast becoming a key driver of long-term growth for law firms that want to deliver real value, build lasting client relationships and stand out in the market.

On today’s new episode of the CMO Series Podcast, Charles Cousins joins Vanessa Crocetto, who recently became Butzel’s first Chief Experience Officer, after more than a decade leading the marketing and business development department. Vanessa now focuses on how clients experience the firm day to day, reflecting the firm’s commitment to driving exceptional client service and sustainable growth as a mid-sized firm.

Vanessa and Charles discuss where client experience meets marketing and BD, how culture shows up in those moments, and the work she is doing to turn client insight into action.

She also dives into:

• How her career journey has shaped her client approach
• What a client-centered culture looks like in practice
• Transitioning from a CMO to a CXO
• Current client experience initiatives at Butzel
• Practical advice for others moving into client experience leadership

Firms cannot afford to fall at the final hurdle. BD must work alongside fee earners to equip them with greater confidence to win and grow client relationships themselves.

On this latest episode of the Passle CMO Series Podcast, Charles Cousins is joined by Alexis Gray, who has held senior marketing and BD leadership roles at PwC, Grant Thornton, Bond Dickinson and The Berkeley Partnership, as well as spending a decade running a successful marketing and BD consultancy. Alexis joins us to share her experiences on what real BD enablement for fee earners looks like and why so many firms still get it wrong.

Alexis discusses where firms assume skills instead of building them, what really helps fee earners have better client conversations, and how to make BD programs stick without relying on the same few rainmakers.

Alexis and Charles also dive into:

• Her critical realization that fee earner enablement drives growth
• Where firms wrongly assume BD capability
• Reframing BD from sales to client nurturing
• Why partner sponsorship makes initiatives stick
• Embedding BD through systems and incentives
• Practical advice for successful fee earner enablement

The most effective legal marketing today is designed to be useful, not just visible. Firms that are seeing real results are building targeted campaigns that connect insight directly to client need and, ultimately, to revenue.

In today's episode of the CMO Series, Will Eke is joined by Kimberly Rennick, Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer at Thompson Coburn, to explore how bespoke, timely initiatives can become powerful business development engines.

Kim shares how Thompson Coburn turned a moment in the news cycle into a practical tariff analysis tool for clients, why linking top-of-funnel marketing to bottom-of-funnel BD is essential, and how authentic leadership plays a critical role in driving innovation at a time of rapid change in the legal profession.

They also delve into:

• The compelling nature of Thompson Coburn’s culture
• How targeted marketing campaigns can really move the dial
• How to break down often siloed areas of business
• The tangible impacts following the launch of the tariff analysis tool
• What authentic leadership really involves

The smartest PR strategy for law firms isn’t creating more content, it’s repurposing existing expertise and turning that powerful thought leadership into media opportunities.

In today’s episode of CMO Series Digital Masterclass, Yasmin Zand sits down with Ryan Evans, Director of Public Relations and Communications at Jones Walker, to learn all about how to grow a world-class PR pipeline.

In this conversation, he shares the PR success gained from a small Passle pilot in 2022, the steps they took to turn content into ready-to-use PR material for media outreach, and how to connect content, PR, and attorney engagement into one seamless strategy.

He also dives into:

• His own career journey into Jones Walker
• How Passle posts successfully helped to empower attorneys
• PR success stories that built firm-wide buy-in
• The importance of training attorneys in the power of thought leadership
• Practical steps to transform thought leadership into media outreach

To mark International Women’s Day 2026, Part two of our special episode of CMO Series REPRESENTS brings together senior leaders from across the legal sector to focus on one thing. How firms turn intent into action for women in law.

The conversation centres on advocacy and access, who is in the room when decisions are made, who gets named in the room when they are not there, and who is given real exposure to clients, leadership and opportunity.

Our guests discuss how progress doesn’t happen by chance. Firms must create structured pathways to influence, move beyond informal networks and back women with visible sponsorship. Flexibility and parental support also need to be real, not theoretical, if firms want talent to thrive.

The episode offers practical advice on building open, transparent cultures where equity is embedded into how firms operate.

We’re so grateful to all of our guests for joining this special episode:

• Raj Aujla, Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs, Charles Russell Speechlys
• Aubrey Bishai, Chief Innovation Officer, Vinson and Elkins
• Sarah-Jane Howitt, Business Development & Marketing Director and Partner, Weightmans LLP
• Susan Kurz, Chief Marketing and Client Development Officer, Calfee, Halter and Griswold LLP
• Laura Louw, Director of Business Development, Norton Rose Fulbright
• Laura Ottley, Chief Marketing Officer, Addleshaw Goddard
• Susanne Pugsley, Director of Business Development and Marketing, Carpmaels and Ransford
• Clare Quinn-Waters, Chief Growth Officer, Edwin Coe
• Anna Steinberg, Chief Marketing Officer, Tressler LLP
• Kerri Vermeylen, Chief Marketing Officer, Sidley Austin LLP

To mark International Women’s Day 2026, CMO Series REPRESENTS returns with a powerful conversation on leadership, equity and action in legal marketing.

In part one of this special edition, we bring together senior marketing and business development leaders from across the profession to explore how firms can build a true culture of giving to gain, where collaboration, sponsorship and shared success aren’t slogans, but strategic choices.

From approaching equality as a business issue, to active sponsorship of professional women in the workplace. Our guests share their candid insights and lived experiences of what’s working in professional services and where firms have the opportunity to drive meaningful change.

A big thanks to all of our guests for joining the conversation:

• Azeema Batchelor, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
• JeanMarie Campbell, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer, Jenner & Block
• Charlotte Eberlein, Head of Marketing & Business Development, Thomson Snell & Passmore
• Deborah Farone, Marketing & Business Development Strategist & Founder, Farone Advisors
• Tina Gandesha, Director of Business Development, Marketing & Communications, Baker McKenzie
• Helen Griffiths, Head of Business Development, Fladgate
• Rachel Hussey, Clients & Markets Partner, Arthur Cox LLP
• Susanne Mandel, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer, Lowndes
• Molly Nunes, Director of Communications, Marketing & Client Engagement, WilmerHale
• Kimberly Rennick, Chief Business Development & Marketing Officer, Thompson Coburn LLP
• Amanda Schneider, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer, Ballard Spahr LLP
• Tricia Weener, Global Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer, Linklaters