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Client expectations are evolving faster than many firms realize. While legal marketers spendÌýsignificant timeÌýgathering feedback, measuring satisfaction, and refining client programs, there is often less clarity around what clients truly value, how they prefer to engage with firms, and what differentiates one relationship from another. This session brings general counsel directly into the conversation to discuss how they evaluate outside counsel, what makes client feedback meaningful, where firms fall short, and how expectations around communication, industry knowledge, responsiveness, and relationship management continue to change. Attendees will have the chance to inquire after candid perspectives on what drives loyalty, what builds trust, and what firms can do to create stronger, longer-lasting client relationships.Ìý

Please join us for two concurrent interactive sessions wherein attendees are encouraged to gamify specific skills while networking with program attendees.ÌýÌý

When a reputational crisis hits, there is no time to consult a playbook. This interactive simulation puts CMBDOs in the hot seat, challenging teams to respond in real time to a series of escalating communications crises drawn from the legal industry. From partner misconduct allegations and data breaches to leaked merger plans and client conflicts in the legal press, participants will be asked to develop response strategies under pressure while balancing stakeholder expectations, media scrutiny, and reputational risk. Teams will present their approach to a rotating peer panel, with new developments introduced throughout each round to mirror the uncertainty of a real crisis cycle. Designed to reward speed, sound judgment, message discipline, and strategic thinking, this session encourages candid debate and practical problem-solving in situations where there is rarely a perfect answer.ÌýÌýÌý

When clients are pulling back on spend, the firms that win are not justÌýefficient,Ìýthey are memorable. But in professional services, creating those memorable moments requires intention, creativity, and a clear-eyed view of where investmentÌýactually movesÌýthe needle. This interactive session draws on experience design principles from hospitality, luxury brands, and world-class service organizations to explore what “client delight” really means in a legal context, and how to build it deliberately, even under budget pressure. Working through a series of realistic scenarios, participants will identify the “magic moments” that clients actually remember, map the full client lifecycle to understand which touchpoints matter most and who in the organization owns them, and make resource allocation decisions that balance financial discipline with emotional differentiation. Teams will be asked to justify their choices against both financial outcomes and client impact, with new constraints introduced as the scenarios evolve. The session surfaces a critical question for today’s market: when budgets tighten, how do you prove that experience is not a luxury, but a growth strategy?Ìý

Please join us for two concurrent sessions discussing themes of law firm marketing and business development.Ìý

AI is reshaping how legal services are delivered, priced, and positioned, with marketing and business development leaders increasingly at the center of that story. Firms that have made meaningful investments in AI tools and responsible practices have a compelling narrative to tell but translating that commitment into a client-facing value proposition requires more than a press release. This session explores how CMBDOs are partnering with other teams within their firms to shape their AI story from the inside out, and how they are taking that story into pitches, proposals, and client conversations. Panelists will share how they are marketing AI not just as an efficiency play, but as a business generator: influencing pricing conversations, packaging capabilities for clients, and building boardroom credibility. Whether your firm has invested heavily or is still finding its footing, this session offers a practical framework for owning your AI narrative before someone else defines it for you.Ìý

The role of marketing and business development continues to expand, yet many teams are stillÌýoperatingÌýunder structures designed forÌýa very differentÌýmarket. As client expectations rise, firms face growing pressure toÌýdemonstrateÌývalue, andÌýnew technologiesÌýreshape how work gets done, leadingÌýCMBDOs are rethinking how their teams are organized, prioritized, and embedded within the business. Drawing on themes from the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Institute Future of Professionals Report 2026, this session explores how firms are redefining roles, building closer alignment with leadership, integrating more deeply with practice and client teams, and preparing talent for the next era of growth. Panelists will share how they areÌýevolvingÌýtheir operating models, what new capabilities matter most, and what separates the highest-performing teams from those struggling to keep pace with change.ÌýÌýÌý

Please join us for cocktails and canapés as we wrap the day’s proceedings.ÌýSignificantÌýothers welcome.Ìý

As 2027 begins, law firms are balancing strong opportunities for growth with increasing pressure toÌýdemonstrateÌývalue, embraceÌýnew technologies, and adapt to evolving client expectations. Drawing on the latest ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Institute research and perspectives from industry leaders, this session explores the trends shaping the legal market, from client demand and profitability to AI investment, talent strategy, consolidation, and competitive positioning. Attendees will gain insight into where momentum is building, where challenges persist, and how marketing and business development leaders can help their firms navigate an increasingly dynamic business environment.

Please join us for two concurrent workshop sessions wherein attendees are encouraged toÌýparticipateÌýin honing specific skills while networking with program attendees.Ìý

The firms pulling ahead are not just investing in revenue intelligenceÌýtools,Ìýthey are building the internal culture, governance structures, and shared vocabulary needed to make those tools work. Yet most legal marketing and BD teams are atÌývery differentÌýstages of this journey, and the path forward looks different depending on firm size, structure, and history. This session moves beyond the technology itself to explore the harder questions: How do you define success metrics that go beyond activity and hold up to leadership scrutiny, and how do those metrics differ across communications, PR, marketing, and BD functions? How do you coach lawyers and internal teams to think differently about value and attribution? And how do youÌýestablishÌýgovernance around relationship intelligence and client data, particularly in firms that have grown throughÌýcombinationÌýor are managing multiple systems? Panelists will share where they are on the journey, what they have learned, and how they are building the infrastructure and internal alignment needed to connect marketing activity directly to revenue outcomes.Ìý

Many of the decisions facing CMBDOs today sit at the intersection of growth, technology, talent, and firm strategy, where competing priorities and imperfect information are theÌýnorm. Whether navigating a lateralÌýgroupÌýdeparture, shaping an AI strategy, responding to shifting leadership expectations, or driving change in a partnership environment, success often depends on judgment rather than precedent. In this interactive workshop, participants will work through a series of real-world scenarios drawn from theÌýF´Ç°ù³Ü³¾â€™sÌýcore themes, exploring how different firms assess risk, build consensus, and make decisions when the path forward is unclear. Guided by facilitators and peer discussion, attendees will compare approaches, challenge assumptions, and gain practical frameworks for navigating complexity in a rapidly changing market.ÌýÌý

The future of law firm growth is being shaped by forces that no single leader has fully figured out yet: AI, client expectations, talent shifts, evolving buying behaviors, new measures of value, and growing pressure to do more with less. In this candid fishbowl discussion, CMBDOs will step into an unscripted conversation about where growth is headed and what their firms are doing in response. Drawing on themes explored throughout the forum, participants will share perspectives onÌýwhat’sÌýchanging, whatÌýremainsÌýuncertain, and where they see the greatest opportunities for differentiation. Expect honest dialogue, contrasting viewpoints, and practical insights from peers navigating many of the same challenges.Ìý

Please join us for two concurrent sessions discussing themes of law firm marketing and business development.Ìý

For years, marketing and business development teams have been measured by activity: campaigns launched, events hosted, contentÌýpublished, andÌýleads generated. Increasingly, firm leaders are asking different questions. How is marketing contributing to growth? Which investments create measurable business value? And what does success look like in today’s market? As firms rethink growth strategies, client development, and internal operations, CMBDOs are redefining the metrics that matter and challenging long-standing assumptions about performance. This session brings together leaders who are building new frameworks for measuring impact across marketing, business development, communications, and client programs. Panelists will share how they are shifting conversations away from activity and toward outcomes, educating stakeholders on what success looks like, and creating reporting models that better reflect the realities of modern law firm growth.Ìý

What happens when your next client never visits your website? AI-powered search and agent-driven discovery are fundamentally reshaping how legal services are found, evaluated, and shortlisted — and the window to act is narrowing. For firms that have not yet refreshed their digital infrastructure, the risk of invisibility is real and growing. Traditional SEO, rankings, and thought leadership strategies are giving way to generative engine optimization, structured content, and knowledge architectures designed for machine interpretation rather than human browsing. This session explores how firms at every stage of digital maturity can remain visible when AI systems increasingly control discovery: from schema implementation and LLM optimization to rethinking website architecture and embracing emerging models like agent-to-agent discovery and MCPs. Panelists will examine how Google’s evolving AI search experience is already compressing visibility, what interim steps firms can take while longer-term platform investments are underway, and what CMBDOs must prioritize now to ensure their firm remains discoverable, credible, and competitive in an AI-first landscape.ÌýÌýÌý

Change is no longer an occasional initiative. It is a constant expectation. As firms navigate AI adoption, evolving client demands, shifting talent expectations, and new growth strategies, CMBDOs are increasingly being asked to help lead transformation across the organization. Yet driving change in a partnership environment rarely comes down to authority alone. It requires influence, communication, alignment, and the ability to bring diverse stakeholdersÌýalong onÌýthe journey. This session explores the role CMBDOs play as change agents within their firms, from building consensus around new initiatives to translating strategy into action and sustaining momentum over time. Panelists will share lessons learned from leading through periods of transformation, gaining buy-in across the partnership, and helping their firms adaptÌýinÌýan increasingly dynamic market.Ìý

Please join us for cocktails and canapés as we wrap the day’s proceedings.ÌýSignificantÌýothers welcome.ÌýÌýÌý

Please join us for two concurrent sessions discussing themes of law firm marketing and business development.Ìý

These days, the marketing challenge is no longer simply creatingÌýcontent,Ìýit is ensuring that the right people see it, engage with it, and act on it. As firms invest across social media, digital campaigns, thought leadership, video, and emerging channels, CMBDOs are being asked to cut through unprecedented levels of noise while connecting brand visibility to business outcomes. This session explores how firms are building integrated digital and social strategies that balance brand building and revenue generation, helping lawyersÌýestablishÌýcredible market presence,ÌýidentifyingÌýcontent that resonates with decision-makers, and creating campaigns that turn visibility into meaningful business development opportunities. Panelists will discuss what is working, what is changing, and how firms are adapting as digital engagement continues to evolve.Ìý

Not all growth shows up in headline wins. Many firms are seeing consistent revenue from smaller expansions within existing clients, under-the-radar practice areas, and steady mid-market relationships that rarely get the same attention as marquee matters. The challenge is not justÌýidentifyingÌýthese pockets ofÌýgrowth,Ìýit is proving their value in a way that stands up to scrutiny from firm leadership and shifting internal conversations away from activity toward measurable contribution to revenue. This session brings together CMBDOs who are doing exactly that: connecting quieter revenue streams to defined success metrics, building clearer attribution models, and making a defensible case for continued investment. Panelists will share how they surface these opportunities in their data, distinguish meaningful signals from noise, trackÌýconversionÌýand expansion over time, and reframe how their firms think about growth, not just where it is loudest, but where it is most consistent.ÌýÌý

CMBDOs have always been expected to move firm priorities forward despite the fact that their purview sits over the marketing department.ÌýIn a moment of accelerating change driven by AI, shifting client expectations, and evolving firm structures, the stakes of leadership have never been higher. Today’s marketing and business development leaders are not just navigating partner skepticism and competing agendas; they are driving transformation without a clear roadmap, making theÌýcase forÌýchange before the destination is fully visible. The leaders who succeed are intentional about how they build executive credibility, tailor their message to different audiences, and sustain momentum even when the path forward is uncertain. This session examines influence as a core leadership capability in a time of change, exploring how CMBDOs build coalitions, manage up and across, and lead firmwide initiatives in environments where authority is earned rather than granted. Panelists will share candid lessons on what works, where efforts stall, and how to lead when there is no crystal ball.Ìý

Please join us for libations and epicurean delights as we conclude this year’s program. SignificantÌýothers welcome.Ìý