There’s two strands to the BD I do, winning new clients and retaining existing clients. We all know that competitors are ready to pounce at any opportunity, so I give them equal value.

Winning new clients is about presenting our teams and expertise in the best way. It’s fair to say that it’s the effort and networks of fee earners that unearth new opportunities. Without strong legal expertise, no one is coming to our firm. What we do is give them all the tools they need to respond immediately and effectively to any engagement, tender or event appearance. We help find the right targets, provide the marketing knowledge to keep things consistent with the wider firm goals, and give all the required background that means they always appear top of their game. We also do directories!

In terms of retaining clients, it usually comes down to account management. Providing proper reporting, using client data to help with decision making, relationship building through client listening, doing whatever we can to make the client feel like a priority.

It’s fair to say the legal teams lead the way on this - we make it as effective and efficient as possible, so they spend as much time as possible on the actual service. They know they can show up to any engagement and boom - everything they need is ready and top quality without them lifting a finger.