Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Developing sustainable law firm growth: integrated marketing, selling and client/referrer relationship management with a six-step, measurable planning process, co-ordinated resourcing and regular review

Published by a LexisNexis Practice Management expert

Practice notes

Practice Note

This Practice Note sets out what business development encompasses in a law firm setting, sketches the principal approaches available and offers a straightforward, six-step route to building an effective business development plan. Every law firm, whatever its size or specialism, must actively secure new business to endure and grow. The UK legal market is becoming ever more competitive; clients are better informed, more cost-conscious, and increasingly ready to switch between firms. Reputation on its own is no longer sufficient to ensure a reliable flow of work. A successful firm needs a defined business development strategy, underpinned by realistic plans, appropriate systems and consistent management. Business development is no longer optional for law firms. Nor is it a dependable or sustainable approach to rely on individual solicitors who naturally attract work through their personal standing and contacts. Many law firms produce high-level business plans focused on financial targets such as turnover, profit or headcount. Although these numbers matter, they do not, by themselves, show how work will be generated or where future clients will come from. Business development bridges that gap—it converts ambition into practical action...

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Jon Whittle

Jon Whittle Consulting Ltd

Jon is a specialist in developing legal businesses using market intelligence and customer insight to implement successful programmes for change. He works with law firms to create sustainable growth alongside successful project management, implementing new technologies and evolving business operations. Jon has been working on the future of law firms for more than fifteen years, focusing on the strategies and tactics that help firms build real and defendable competitive advantage. Whilst working in a senior leadership role at LexisNexis he was also the architect and author of the widely read LexisNexis Bellwether Reports and is a recognised authority on how law firms can build and grow. Previously, Jon worked, for two decades, at board level, in some of the UK’s largest media companies, transforming traditional businesses into growth in the digital age. He now applies the fruits of this experience,...

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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