The Business Development function is becoming more professional and more valued by services firms, but there is still a need to modernise and bring global teams together to develop best practice approaches.On today’s CMO Series Podcast, Charles Cousins welcomes Karen Snell, Chief Business Development & Marketing Officer at Kennedys to discuss how she and her team are becoming more effective as a modern global BD function.Karen and Charles discuss: Why modernising and globalising a BD...

Every law firm is at a different stage of professionalizing its approach to business development. Today, Will Eke has the pleasure of talking to Nicole Miles the Chief Clients & Markets Officer for Dentons Canada Region, to find out what it takes to build an effective, globally-minded approach to legal business development.Nicole and Will discuss: The importance of BD in today’s firms and what is driving that How Nicole came to her role at Dentons and how the role and approach to Legal...

In a people-driven business like a law firm, talent isn't just important—it's the linchpin for success. In this episode of the CMO Series, Eugene McCormick sits down with Sona Spencer, Chief Legal Talent Officer at Troutman Pepper, to explore her crucial role as a talent advocate and how talent becomes the driving force behind the firm's commercial achievements.   Sona and Eugene discuss: How Sona came to her role at Troutman Pepper and the moment in her journey she realised how critical...

Marketers and Business Development professionals are crucial to the success of a law firm's strategy, yet for many, the way firms create their strategy remains a mystery. On this episode of the CMO Series Podcast, Alistair Bone welcomes Brie Leung, Chief Strategy Officer at Much Shelist, to help demystify the strategic planning process and discuss the role of a Chief Strategy Officer in designing and executing an effective law firm strategy.Brie and Ali discuss: How a law firm strategy...

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion landscape is ever-changing, but there is one critical aspect that is often overlooked - accessibility.  On this episode of CMO Series REPRESENTS, we are honoured to speak with Tim Dixon, Head of IT Architecture at Intertek, who has expertise in driving business value through Enterprise Architecture and a deep personal commitment to advocating for accessibility, particularly for people living with sight loss.Tim joins the series to share his sight loss...

The pursuit of an equitable and inclusive workplace is high on the agenda for most firms. Today, we shine a spotlight on Baker Donelson, a firm committed to redefining industry standards with its Women’s Initiative program.Yasmin Zand has the honor of welcoming Danielle Smith, the Women's Initiative Manager at Baker Donelson to the series to share her personal experiences that have fueled her commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion.Join us as we take a deep dive into the innovative...

On our recent CMO Series Webinar Will Eke was delighted to be joined by Michael Rynowecer, President of BTI Consulting Group to delve into their insights on CMO mobility and the opportunities for law firms and marketers in today’s climate.  A summary of the session, along with the video recording, is available here. During the Webinar, Michael and Will explored:  The background to BTI’s research on CMOs The ‘stand out’ findings AND the current state of play for CMOs in the legal industry The...

Legal business development has its best practices, yet every firm is different. An effective approach to BD is one that fits the firm, its people, and its clientele.Today on the CMO Series Podcast Cam Dobinson is lucky enough to sit down with Emily McKeown, Business Development Director at Godfrey & Kahn to talk about how to build an authentic and effective approach to Business Development that fits your market and people.Emily and Cam explore: What an effective Business Development...

Earlier this month, we were lucky enough to be invited to LMA Southeast's Annual Conference. What better way to join in the spirit of LMA and drive the knowledge sharing that makes it such a powerful network than bringing a live episode of our own Passle CMO Series Podcast. This episode of the podcast is brought to you live from that conference and we've chosen a special topic and guest for this CMO Series first. Join Eleanor Smith, Chief Client Officer at Barnes & Thornburg and Alistair...

Join us as we celebrate this Thanksgiving season with our wonderful CMO Series community. We’re lucky to be joined by some of the world’s top Marketing and Business Development leaders in the legal industry. From the mentors and leadership to peers, networks, and loved ones, we hear about all the influential people who have supported our guests on their career journeys as they share their gratitude on this very special episode.  Thank you to all of our illustrious guests for coming on board:...

The path in legal marketing and business development is diverse, and shaped by the size, culture, and ambitions of the firm.Today on the CMO Series Podcast, Charles Cousins has the privilege of talking to an experienced professional who is bringing a wealth of marketing and BD expertise from various professional service backgrounds to a regional firm.  We welcome John Eix, the Director of Marketing and Business Development at Crowe & Dunlevy, to the series to share his journey and...

In the latest episode of the CMO Series REPRESENTS Podcast, we delve into the critical mission of creating a safe and supportive environment for nurturing talent, a top priority for many firms. However, the task of devising effective strategies to foster a culture of allyship and empower diverse lawyers to achieve success is more challenging than it may seem.Join us as Yasmin Zand welcomes Lynnette Espy-Williams, an Equity Partner and the Chief Diversity Officer at Cozen O'Connor to CMO...

In the changing landscape of legal marketing and business development, the importance of a growth mindset cannot be overstated. This episode of the CMO Series Podcast brings you a conversation with Emily Rogers, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Norton Rose Fulbright US, as she shares her unique journey to becoming a CMBDO. Emily sits down with Will Eke to discuss the transformative power of cultivating a growth mindset, as well as a strong team culture, and its far-reaching...

The transition to CMO is a pivotal moment and offers the opportunity to drive growth, develop teams, and lead change. On the flip side, taking that step up can also uncover vulnerabilities and requires a level of awareness and intentionality that is central to successful leadership. On today’s episode of the CMO Series, Eugene McCormick sits down with Tom Helm, Chief Marketing Officer at Smith Gambrell Russell to delve into the learning and approaches Tom has taken in his role and advice for...

On this special episode of the CMO Series Podcast, we hear from Mikkel Keller Stubkjær, Head of Development at Novicell UK who joined our recent CMO Series Webinar to uncover the world of composable architecture and the benefits to professional service firms.Mikkel shares fascinating insights including:   The differences between composable architecture and the traditional monolithic approach. How composable architecture can transform your website development and operations and make you stand...

Diversity Equity and Inclusion are top of the agenda for many law firms, but there's no silver bullet to effectively implementing programs and strategies that drive meaningful change. Today on CMO Series REPRESENTS, Yasmin Zand is fortunate to sit down with Courtney Carter, Director of DEI at Jenner & Block, to unpack her remarkable journey and the profound impact she's making across her firm.Courtney discusses the firm’s cornerstone DEI initiatives that have proven to develop and advance...

Establishing a culture of trust within a marketing function, and across the wider firm, is arguably one of the most important roles of a legal CMO.Today on the Passle CMO Series Podcast, Ed Lovatt is lucky to welcome Justin Portaz, Chief Marketing Officer at Jenner & Block who has curated a powerhouse marketing team over the past three years. Justin joins the series to share his journey so far and how he’s building an agile marketing team that thrives in today's landscape.Justin and Ed...

Business development has become a central role for ambitious law firms, regardless of their size.  Today on the Passle CMO Series Podcast, Ed Lovatt is lucky to chat with Andrew Laver, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Porzio and 2023 LMA Treasurer, to discuss his experience in building out a successful BD-focused marketing team.Andrew shares insights on everything from recruitment, to shaping culture and how he’s bringing lessons from AmLaw 100 and 200 firms to drive growth...

Perceived resistance from clients and a strong focus on billable hours could explain why law firms have been slower to adopt client listening programs. Today, we’ll explore the valuable lessons firms can take from a client's perspective to successfully implement client listening and enhance the overall experience.Will Eke is lucky to welcome JeanMarie Campbell, Regional CMO and Head of Client Development for North America at Baker McKenzie, to discuss her remarkable career journey and the...

Client feedback is a cornerstone of improving legal services and fostering growth. In this episode of the CMO Series Podcast, we delve into how law firms can adopt these best practices. Alistair Bone is joined by Maggie Watkins, Founder of Maggie T. Watkins Consulting, and expert in crafting and implementing effective Client Feedback programs. Together, they unpack the critical role of client feedback in strengthening relationships and enhancing the overall success of law firms. Maggie shares...

The pivotal role of marketing and communications in successfully launching the news of a law firm merger cannot be underestimated. Striking the right balance between client-centric narratives, internal messaging, brand management, and PR is a fine art.Today on the CMO Series, Will Eke is excited to welcome Will Brewster, Head of Communications at Clyde & Co, who has first-hand experience of doing just that. Will joins the CMO Series Podcast to delve into the different stages of Clyde...

Creating engaging content is one thing, but producing a stand-out campaign that delivers added value to your clients is the key to legal marketing success.  Today’s guest joins the CMO Series to discuss her unique process and the success stories and learning she has taken from taking a campaign approach to content marketing. Ed Lovatt is lucky to welcome Ashley Horne, Chief Marketing Officer at Womble Bond Dickinson (US) to the CMO Series to discuss this very topic. ​Ashley and Ed...

Building relationships and establishing meaningful connections, both with clients and attorneys, is a fundamental facet of a legal marketing and business development role. That’s the theme of the LMA’s MidWest Conference happening in October, and today, Ed Lovatt is very lucky to welcome the keynote speaker, to give us a glimpse of what to expect from the event, plus his industry experience on the topic. Rich Bracken, former legal BD and client service Director turned motivational speaker and...

In this episode of the CMO Series Podcast, we dive into what it takes to deliver a successful research project; sharing top tips for professional services marketers. Simon Hayhurst, Director of Hayhurst Consultancy, a B2B market research consultancy, joins the series to share his invaluable insights on how legal marketing and business development professionals can get their research projects off the ground, as well as how to avoid the common pitfalls and drive strategic decisions. Simon and...

Gone are the days when a website is merely a law firm’s online storefront. Clients now anticipate a higher level of engagement. They seek tailored content, consistently delivered, addressing pertinent topics relevant to their businesses.In the latest episode of the CMO Series Podcast, Eugene McCormick is delighted to host Alison Janzen, Director of Marketing & Business Development at Torkin Manes. Alison delves into the firm’s integrated approach to marketing and discusses how switching...