Article · Professional Services

Firms are asking for a different kind of BD person

A trend is accelerating across law firm BD and client hiring. The brief is now commerciality: people who can find opportunities, coach high performing partners and turn relationships into measurable growth.

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Firms are increasingly asking for commercially focused talent who can identify opportunities, coach partners who are already performing, sharpen client and sector priorities and convert relationships into growth they can measure. They also want to move away from reactive work, and are investing in automation and in the people who will drive that change. This is not limited to the largest firms. Mid sized firms are investing too, and some are reshaping their teams before they hire.

Several forces are behind it. Some firms have performed exceptionally well and now need stronger commercial direction to achieve growth on growth. A younger generation of partners has progressed with BD alongside them and expects a real commercial partnership. AI is changing how legal services are delivered and what clients value. And some firms built teams and pay structures in the exceptional 2021 market and are now recalibrating.

Rate rises will not stop hiring. They will change what firms hire. The senior end may contract for traditional leadership roles, but demand for BD professionals with real client facing capability keeps growing. I have just placed exactly that profile into a forward thinking consulting and accounting firm.

The conversations are no longer about how much talent costs. They are about how much value it can create.

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