Business Development for Young Lawyers

That was also my experience when, in 2014 after passing the bar exam and completing my LL.M., I started as a trained lawyer in a firm. Naturally I was initially busy coming to terms with the increased responsibility. Suddenly people were relying on my advice.

Where the projects came from, who had made them happen, and how the client acquisition worked — I didn’t give any of that much thought at the beginning.

The Myth of “Automatic” Mandate Flow

Young lawyers start with one clear priority: being good technically. That is the task, and all of us realise when we enter a firm that — despite all those years at university — we still have a lot to learn.

It is initially neglected that business development is also a skill for a successful legal career.

Of course, I also noticed how much time and (mental) energy the partners in our firm spent on networking and business development. But I was not aware of the importance and the connections.

People and companies need lawyers and somehow everyone seemed to always be well-booked and busy. Consequently, the mandates seemed to come to us, rather than us having to look for them. Anyone who has been in the business for a few years knows: that’s obviously not true.

Acquisition is hard work and successful business development is the key to a successful career.

The earlier we learn that, the better!

Independence Begins in the Mind

It is crucial to realise that every lawyer sooner or later must be entrepreneurial. Regardless of whether we work in a sole practice, a boutique, or a large firm:

Those who want to shape their own future in the long term need their own mandates, a network, a positioning, and visibility. In short: a successful strategy and business development skills.

Business development does not mean aggressive selling. It means:

• understanding needs
• building trust
• being visible
• consciously nurturing relationships

Those who fail to do this over the course of their career will remain dependent on others, work according to others’ interests, and will not be able to advance their own career autonomously.

How Young Lawyers Get Started in Business Development

In my view, three things are important at the beginning:

1. Inspiration

It is very helpful to observe others. What do senior associates or partners do to generate mandates? What different methods or techniques do they use?

Business development has many varieties. Young lawyers should see different models. That is the basis for then finding their own suitable marketing mix.

2. Training

Business development and strategic management are not skills that are taught to us in legal education. Even when starting practice, good programmes are lacking in many places.

You don’t need an MBA in marketing. But structured further training makes a difference. Today there are many good programmes:

• specialised workshops for lawyers
• marketing coaching
• sales training
• LinkedIn training
• etc.

3. Practice

Business development is like a muscle: if you train it, it gets stronger and better. Also, through targeted experimentation we find out what appeals to us most.

Early steps are often small:

• systematically record contacts from your professional environment
• reach out to private contacts
• attend industry events
• maintain internal contacts within the firm

Low-hanging fruit: initially it is important that all the people within reach in your own environment understand what we do professionally.

Control Instead of Chance: The Strategic Dimension

Those who do not build their own relationships are dependent on the partners of their own firm, on chance, on internal firm needs, and on firm politics.

Those who do not bring in their own mandates over the long term have less chance of having a say in their own strategic career development:
In which team do I work? Which mandates may I handle? Can I develop my desired specialisation? Will I be promoted or not? How will I be remunerated? How will I be rewarded?

Mandate development is career insurance.

Internal Relationships: The Underestimated Playing Field

In large firms, internal networking is also an important aspect of business development for young lawyers. Many mandates and clients come through internal contacts.

It is important to network well outside your own practice area and your own location — with partners, other associates from different teams. Eventually they will need you or you will need them. Then it is important that you have built a relationship of trust.

Those who are not visible internally will hardly be visible externally.

Why Firms Should Invest

Firms might now think: “If we train young lawyers in business development, they will become independent and might leave before we get the corresponding return.”

Practice shows quite the opposite: lawyers often leave firms because they realise too late that they have not built up their own mandate base. They see no perspective. And then the whole investment in that personnel resource is also lost.

Firms that systematically promote business development:

• increase retention
• boost motivation
• enlarge the “pie” for everyone

And consider this: what if the new partners are not even capable of generating their own mandates? Then “sharing” the income becomes a real test for the partnership.

What I Would Do Differently Today

Aside from starting earlier to train my business skills, today I would also pay somewhat more attention when choosing a firm to where I see good development opportunities in this regard.

Concretely that means:

• actively examine the firm culture
• ask about development paths
• select mentors as far as possible with intention
• formulate your own goals

And I would probably also not stay in the same firm permanently. Changing once and experiencing a different culture doesn’t hurt.

Conclusion: Mandates Are a Decision

Mandates don’t arise by chance. They are, however, a prerequisite for your own independence in your career and thus also an important building block for your own success.

Business development is not an “addition”, but an integral part of legal practice.

Those who start early, consciously build relationships, take on responsibility and think entrepreneurially not only secure mandates, but also influence over their own future.

The Attorney BizDev Podcast

Tobias from HeadStarterz and Bill Burns from Porter Wright Morris & Arthur discussed this topic in their podcast. Further episodes of the podcast cover the following topics:

1. “How do lawyers successfully build business relationships?”
2. “Recognising clients’ needs”
3. “Closing for lawyers: From a good conversation to a won mandate”
4. “Business development for young lawyers”