On the Fast Track: Key Takeaways From the 2024 LMASE Conference to Turbocharge Your Legal Marketing
Article By: Jill Huse
In September 2024, over 200 legal marketers from across the Southeast gathered in Charlotte, NC, for the sold-out 2024 Legal Marketing Association Southeastern Region Conference. The energy was electric as attendees embraced the conference’s “Accelerate” theme, eager to fast-track their marketing strategies. Two standout sessions for me were the engaging law firm leaders panel and an insightful case study on the gamification of business development.
Law Firm Leaders Panel
To kick off the conference, an esteemed panel of law firm leaders from across the Southeast shared their invaluable insights on the evolving landscape of legal marketing. The panel featured Raj Natarajan of McGuireWoods, Bobbi Acord Noland of Parker Hudson, and Matthew Roberts of Maynard Nexsen, with Sarah Motley Stone from Womble Bond moderating the discussion. Below are the standout takeaways from their conversation on the critical strategies driving business development success in today’s legal industry.
Core Competency is Key:
Being excellent at your legal practice is the bedrock of business development. If your work isn’t strong, marketing efforts fall flat.
A solid reputation grows from quality work. Word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful tool when clients talk.
Plan, Adapt, and Stay Industry-Aware:
Agility is essential. Firms like McGuireWoods create detailed business plans but pivot based on industry changes (e.g., market disruptions, banking failures).
Lawyers and marketing teams need to track sector trends—staying informed on shifts in areas like private credit or healthcare to remain competitive.
Content Creation Drives Brand Development:
Quality content is non-negotiable, especially in fast-moving sectors like healthcare. Regular blogs, articles, and whitepapers solidify thought leadership.
Encouraging lawyers to contribute, though not always easy, is critical to staying relevant.
Teamwork is Critical:
Cross-department collaboration is now a must. Complex RFPs demand that litigators and transactional lawyers work closely to present a unified front.
Building trust and fostering buy-in from all levels, especially younger attorneys, is key to developing a culture of teamwork.
Overcoming Generational Challenges:
Younger attorneys should engage in business development early, but firms often struggle to get them to prioritize non-billable marketing activities over billable hours.
Firm leaders need to model marketing engagement, showing long-term value through their own participation.
Marketing Requires Patience:
Legal business development is a slow burn. Immediate results are rare, but consistent marketing efforts build long-term firm reputation and client growth.
Navigating Firm Dynamics:
Understanding firm power dynamics is critical for securing buy-in from resistant partners. Partnering with influential attorneys can drive business development success.
Lawyers tend to resist change, so identifying open-minded leaders can be a game-changer.
Gamification of Business Development – Case Study by Derek Maine of Parker Poe
In today's competitive legal landscape, motivating attorneys to consistently engage in business development (BD) can be challenging. However, leveraging the right technology can turn this challenge into an opportunity. A thought-provoking session at the conference revealed just how simple and effective it can be to implement a gamified business development program at a law firm. The case study shared by Derek Maine showcased how one firm transformed BD efforts into an interactive, rewarding experience, with minimal disruption to existing workflows. By integrating INform54’s intuitive platform, the firm inspired collaboration, boosted engagement, and produced measurable results. This session underscored how gamification can seamlessly become a core part of a firm's culture, driving both business success and attorney development.
Gamification Motivates Engagement:
Parker Poe's summer BD program turned business development into a game, sparking attorney engagement through friendly competition and teamwork.
Attorneys earned points for completing pre-set BD activities, creating a fun, competitive atmosphere.
Team-Based Dynamics:
Attorneys were grouped across practice areas, ensuring cross-team collaboration and knowledge-sharing. This broke down silos and encouraged learning from senior colleagues.
Practical Incentives Matter More Than Prizes:
While there were prizes for top performers, the real motivation came from peer pressure and team pride. The focus was on collaboration, not monetary rewards.
Flexibility Enhances Participation:
Some attorneys were slow to engage, but simplifying the process (allowing email submissions) boosted participation, removing barriers to involvement.
Results Were Significant:
Over 1,300 BD activities were logged, including 100 new client pitches and 80 client introductions, leading to tangible results like follow-up matters from new clients.
Cultural Impact:
The program strengthened firm culture, fostering new relationships across practice areas. It also provided junior attorneys a clear roadmap for BD success, showing that even rainmakers engage in similar activities.
Tailored Approach to BD Tools:
Attorneys engaged with the gamified INform 54 platform in ways that suited their working styles, ensuring broad participation and buy-in.
Both sessions highlighted the importance of agility, collaboration, and innovation in legal marketing—whether through thoughtful content creation or creative gamification. When done right, these strategies drive long-term growth and success.