Key takeaways:

• • • Demand slowdown reverses LFFI gains 鈥� The LFFI鈥檚 Q4 2025 dip reflects a modest demand slowdown, marking a shift from rapid post鈥憄andemic rebound to a more stable, steady market.

    • Transactional practices plateaued while counter-cyclical regain momentum 鈥� Transactional practices leveled off while demand in the litigation, bankruptcy, and labor & employment practice areas accelerated, driven by rising disputes, regulatory pressure, and workforce complexities.

    • Clear opportunity for strategic realignment 鈥� Law firms may be able to shift their staffing toward growing counter鈥慶yclical areas, strengthening their pricing discipline and refining their recruiting processes.

After two consecutive quarters of improvements in the 成人VR视频庐 Institute鈥檚 Law Firm Financial Index (LFFI) score, the fourth quarter of 2025 marked a modest reversal in which it fell, albeit slightly to 61. The key driver behind this decline was a deceleration in demand that was meaningful enough to pull the overall score down and may signal that the market is moving into a more normalized rhythm 鈥� less snapback growth and more steady performance.

To understand what this means in practical terms, it helps to look beneath the headline numbers and examine not just what happened in Q4 2025, but also over the last two years. Then, a clear narrative emerges: Transactional work 鈥� M&A, corporate general, real estate, and tax 鈥� was powering the market in Q4 鈥�24 but largely plateaued in Q4 2025. Meanwhile counter-cyclical practices 鈥� litigation, bankruptcy, and labor & employment 鈥� regained momentum during the same timeframe.

Put differently, the practices that powered growth in the last year are fading as measured against their own baselines, while those practices that performed less strongly then are now starting to take the lead for the legal industry.

Practice level demand dynamics

By applying a magnifying glass to each transactional practice鈥檚 behavior over the past three quarters, one can identify a few important contrasts. The practice that stands out for its lowest growth in Q4 2025 is tax 鈥� and, in fact, across the final quarters of the last three years (even when it had a good performance in early 2025), that momentum didn鈥檛 translate to the end of the year. This indicates that tax has constantly posted the weakest demand growth, bottoming out at -0.9% in Q4 2023, when it was again the practice with the lowest growth. Even in the Q4 2024 鈥� a stronger year for most practices 鈥� tax grew only 1.5%, well below both its transactional and counter-cyclical peers.

This persistent underperformance may reflect several factors, such as increased internalization of routine tax work by corporate tax departments, pricing pressure in highly standardized matter types, and slower deal flow in M&A reducing ancillary tax activity. Whatever the cause, tax鈥檚 muted trajectory has had a dampening effect on overall transactional momentum and has acted as a drag on top-level demand growth.

On the other side of the room, counter-cyclical practices strengthened in Q4 2025 after a softer Q4 2024, nearly reaching the same growth that they presented in Q4 2023. Collectively, these practices rose to around 3.2% in Q4 2025, compared to about 1.5% growth in Q4 2024. This represents a true rebound after an unusually strong 2023, which was likely caused by lingering pandemic-related effects and the period鈥檚 surge in inflation.

Litigation leads the pack

Litigation provides the clearest example of this resurgence. During the Q4 2025, litigation led with roughly 4.3% growth, compared to 2.4% in Q4 2024. Indeed, the practice closed 2025 with renewed momentum, making it the standout in performance among major practices.

Litigation鈥檚 acceleration in late-2025 suggests that court systems have fully normalized, backlogs have largely cleared (in relative terms), and organizations are encountering a more contested operating environment. Regulatory scrutiny, geopolitical risk, supply chain disputes, and workforce-related conflicts all contribute to a litigation profile that is less dependent on economic cycles and more tied to the complexity of today鈥檚 business environments.

By contrast, after bankruptcy demand growth surged to 6.4% growth at the height of the pandemic recovery in 2023, the practice area experienced a dramatic cooldown the following year, falling to 0.4% just 12 months later. However, bankruptcy recovered modestly to 2.8% in Q4 2025, although still far below the extraordinary levels seen during its previous spike.

Taken together, these patterns suggest that corporate clients may be contending with a broader set of pressures 鈥� regulatory instability, workforce management complexity, and the downstream effects of post-pandemic backlogs 鈥� that could continue to generate steady legal demand.

Counter-cyclical trends reflect opportunity, not just reactive demand

The upswing in demand growth for counter-cyclical practices is not necessarily a sign of economic turbulence, however. Indeed, it shows the market can be stable and still produce more litigation, it can be cautious and still require restructuring advice, and it can be steady and still demand intensive employment support. The fact that transactional demand continues at a solid, albeit slowing pace, shows that this is not necessarily the recession-boosted practices that are driving law firm performance.

In fact, in a market in which transactional demand has stabilized and disputes and compliance work is rising, many law firms can use the moment to better align their operating model with the practice areas in which momentum is building and by aligning with actual demand.

For example, as litigation, bankruptcy, and labor & employment areas see higher demand growth, a firm may benefit from adding capacity in those areas, improving staffing leverage, and preventing partner bottlenecks. Meanwhile, steady but flattened transactional demand could call for disciplined, pipeline鈥慴ased hiring.

The practices that powered growth in the last year are fading as measured against their own baselines, while those practices that performed less strongly then are now starting to take the lead for the legal industry.

In addition, lower demand for transactional practices can represent an opportunity for law firms to refine their recruitment processes, as recruiters can take the time to seek those candidates whose skill sets offer added value. Prioritizing the hiring of candidates who bring fresh ideas and technological capabilities to support the tech-driven evolution of legal services may be the push some law firms need to meet the expectations of clients that are increasingly demanding greater value for their dollars.

This does not mean transactional work should be deprioritized, however. Instead, firms should adopt a dual鈥憈rack strategy: Optimize and streamline transactional capacity for efficiency, while strategically expanding counter鈥慶yclical teams in the areas in which demand is accelerating.

Making the strategic choice

On the face of it, it seems that many law firms face a strategic choice between doubling down on counter鈥慶yclical practices or continuing to prioritize transactional work. Current demand performance suggests counter鈥慶yclical areas offer the clearer near鈥憈erm opportunity 鈥� they are growing, resilient, and driven by structural forces such as regulatory scrutiny, workforce disputes, geopolitical risk, and more complex compliance environments.

Further, this environment elevates the importance of pricing discipline. As demand normalizes, clients become more price鈥憇ensitive and will expect efficiency and transparent staffing. Litigation and labor & employment may have more pricing power today, but disciplined pricing across all practices is critical for margin stability.

Indeed, the widening gap between transactional and counter鈥慶yclical practices signals a market in transition. The opportunity for firms lies in balancing these dynamics and aligning staffing, pricing, and operations to navigate uneven growth and capture value in a more complex legal environment.

You can download the听成人VR视频 Institute鈥檚 Q4 2025 Law Firm Financial Index听here

Key insights:

• • • Despite a strong 2025, law firms face growing challenges 鈥� Client expectations continue to evolve, as more clients are now more sophisticated around AI and pricing, pushing law firms to provide greater transparency and communication.

    • Client relationships are becoming shallower 鈥� As clients increasingly demand transparency and collaboration, particularly regarding AI adoption and pricing models, law firms must adapt quickly to meet these new expectations.

    • Differentiation is more vital than ever 鈥� Responsiveness, speed, and clear communication about value and technology have emerged as key factors for law firms to stand out and deepen client relationships.

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. 鈥� It may have already become clich茅 to say that the legal industry is at a significant crossroads: Firms are coming off what appears by all measures to be a very successful 2025, yet the industry also is facing fundamental structural change, driven mainly by AI and subsequent changing client expectations.

Subsequently, that temperament permeated the opening sessions of the 成人VR视频 Institute鈥檚 33rd Annual Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer Forum (formerly the Marketing Partner Forum) held this week.

鈥淣o matter how well we鈥檙e all doing, the angst level has never been higher,鈥� said one law firm leader at the Forum.

Jen Dezso, Director of Client Relations at the 成人VR视频 Institute, opened the event giving a data-rich thumbnail of the legal market, based mostly on the recently released 2026 Report on the State of the US Legal Market, published jointly by the 成人VR视频庐 Institute and the Center on Ethics and the Legal Profession at Georgetown Law. Dezso demonstrated that almost all key indicators for law firm performance are up 鈥� demand, fees worked, lawyer growth 鈥� and that firms seem to be 鈥渕onetizing the work they capture.鈥� The main drivers pushing firm growth, she explained, are being moved by strategic wins of high-value business rather than a higher volume of ordinary work.

鈥淣o matter how well we鈥檙e all doing, the angst level has never been higher.”

Yet there are some darker clouds on the horizon, she added, noting that client relationships may be a bit shallow. For example, while just over one-third of large clients (36%) said they plan to increase their legal spend in the coming year, less than one-quarter of that spend (23%) goes to the firm that the client uses most 鈥� a figure that has been dropping over the last several years. Indeed, that most-used firm now gets engaged for less than three work types, and only 15% of clients say they will use their most-used firm more in the coming year.

Not surprisingly then, these figures weighed heavily as panels of top lawyers and law firm marketing and business development specialists discussed these matters during the Forum.

鈥淐learly, the softening of client relationships is a key piece of this,鈥� said one business development officer. 鈥淎nd you can see that in RFPs and the level of transparency that clients are asking for. I think a lot of work needs to be done by law firms to ensure these deeper trusting relationships with clients.鈥�

Others on the panel agreed. 鈥淔inancially we鈥檙e doing very well, but we should be looking at what has changed with the clients,鈥� one said, adding that many outside law firms may not have fully processed the impact the global pandemic has had on client relationships over the ensuing five years.

What鈥檚 changed in clients鈥� minds?

Understanding and adapting to this change in clients鈥� mindsets should be mission critical for law firms today. Indeed, all other initiatives 鈥� collaboration, pricing, business development, and more 鈥� will flounder on the rocks if law firms don鈥檛 engage with their clients directly. And the primary result of that engagement should have law firms coming away with an understanding of what clients want and need and, even more importantly, where clients see their outside firms failing to meet those needs.

Though obviously a difficult conversation, this level of client engagement is the only way firms are going to be able to deliver for clients while remaining sustainable, innovative, and profitable themselves.

You can read the full here

Perhaps the most dramatic shift these panelists perceive is the change in client expectations around AI. Several noted that there is a growing disconnect between what clients believe AI should enable law firms to do and what firms are actually delivering 鈥� and many said this was the fault of poor communication. For example, RFPs now routinely include references to AI, with clients moving from a stance of caution 鈥� You can use AI, but not with my data 鈥� to one of collaboration 鈥� Where can we work together within the AI space? This rapid evolution requires firms to be able to communicate their clear roadmap for AI adoption and pricing innovation that is understood by partners and can be conveyed easily to clients.

鈥淭ransparency and communication are paramount,鈥� offered one law firm executive. 鈥淔irms must be able to explain their approach to AI and demonstrate its value to clients.鈥� In fact, several panelists suggested that the best opportunities to deepen client relationships often arise in these conversations around technology and innovation.

In many cases it is the role of the Chief Marketing and Business Development Officers to lead these conversations, especially as these talks can help differentiate the firm. 鈥淭he leaders in these roles may have the most important job within their firm,鈥� noted one panelist. 鈥淭he capability of these roles to see outside the walls of the firm is incredibly important.鈥�

Several panelists pointed out that increasingly in today鈥檚 crowded marketplace, differentiation is more vital than ever, yet seemingly more difficult to achieve. 鈥淪ometimes it does come down to responsiveness and speed 鈥� these age-old client service tenants that we鈥檝e all pursued forever,鈥� said another firm marketing professional.

In fact, according to 成人VR视频 Institute data, clients look at several areas of differentiation when considering outside legal services, including the firm鈥檚 AI implementation, with 40% of clients citing that. And while clients ranked both cost efficiency and the use of value-based pricing lower, at 29% and 16% respectively, many law firm leaders said they consider pricing a critical challenge for the industry, especially given the mounting pressure on the traditional billable hour model.

鈥淲e need to get clients to look at value, and we need to get our own partners to look at our own value proposition,鈥� explained one firm leader. 鈥淚f we can鈥檛 segment the work and see what it takes to deliver this, we are in trouble.鈥�

As the Forum discussions illustrated, as clients become much more sophisticated around pricing, law firms have to make sure their lawyers and partners can communicate the firm鈥檚 value to clients. 鈥淲e, as law firm leaders, need to have confidence in what are partners are saying 鈥� I mean, that鈥檚 true marketing 鈥� and we need to talk through these issues with partners, so everyone is more comfortable addressing this with clients.鈥�

You can find out more about next year’s Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer Forum 2027听here

Key insights:

• • • Advisory is becoming the strategic core of tax practices 鈥� Tax firms are no longer treating advisory services as an add-on to compliance work but rather as a fundamental driver of business strategy, client relationships, and sustainable revenue growth.

    • Frequent client engagement drives measurably better outcomes 鈥� Professionals from firms that meet with clients quarterly or more frequently report significantly higher satisfaction across every dimension.

    • Technology and capacity are the keys to breaking through barriers 鈥� Firms are rapidly adopting automation to free up their professionals for advisory work, while addressing staff skills gaps through training and strategic hires.

For decades, tax firms built their practices around the predictable calendar of the annual compliance cycle, punctuated by occasional client requests for advice. Over the past five or more years, however, there’s been a seismic shift. Tax advisory services are emerging as the defining strategic function within successful firms, and it鈥檚 being driven mostly by an unprecedented convergence of regulatory complexity, technology capabilities, and evolving client expectations.

Jump to 鈫�

2026 Tax Firm Advisory Services Report

As a result, many firm leaders are fundamentally rethinking their business models, reimagining what a tax practice can be as they move from being transactional service providers to becoming more strategic advisors that can guide clients through complex financial decisions year-round.

To delve into this deeper, the 成人VR视频 Institute has published the 2026 Tax Firm Advisory Services Report, that clearly shows that as regulatory complexity and client expectations mount, firms that systematically invest in building advisory capabilities are outperforming their peers by significant margins 鈥� and the performance gap is widening.

From compliance shop to strategic advisor

For tax firm leaders, this transformation represents both validation and opportunity. The numbers tell a compelling story, especially for firms that are proactively leading the strategic elevation of their advisory capabilities. Among surveyed respondents from firms experiencing revenue growth, 88% report that advisory revenue is growing faster than compliance revenue and that advisory services now represent an average of 31% of total firm revenue.

Not surprisingly, many forward-thinking firms are backing this shift with concrete plans. Nearly 9-in-10 respondents say their firms are planning to expand their advisory services within the next year.

The engagement advantage

What’s driving this transformation? According to the report, the quality and frequency of client relationships have fundamentally recast what’s possible in tax advisory services. Firms that meet with clients quarterly or more frequently see dramatically different outcomes than those meeting clients just once or twice a year.

Tax professionals from firms with quarterly touchpoints rated their own satisfaction significantly higher across every dimension measured, such as knowledge of the client’s business, understanding the client’s industry sector, the overall strength of the client relationship, and the range of services the client uses. Even more compelling, almost 90% of respondents from firms with more frequent client engagement report that advisory revenue growth is outpacing compliance growth compared to just 65% of respondents from firms with less frequent client contact.

As the report underscores: This message is unmistakable 鈥� relationship depth directly drives revenue growth. Firms that use quarterly or more touchpoints with clients are more successfully converting compliance-only relationships into comprehensive advisory partnerships at substantially higher rates than their less-engaged competitors.

The challenging landscape

Despite the opportunities that abound in advisory services, many firms face real obstacles in expansion, the report shows. More than half (52%) of respondents cite staff skills gaps among their colleagues as their biggest challenge, followed closely by client resistance to paying for advice (47%).

These challenges create a reinforcement loop that can trap firms in their current state: Staff lack advisory skills, so they focus on compliance work, leaving no time to develop advisory capabilities or engage clients proactively. Then, clients don’t see the value of advisory services because they haven’t experienced them, and the cycle continues.

Breaking this loop requires intentional strategy and systematic execution 鈥� which is exactly what leading firms are doing differently, the report shows.

How strategic priorities are reshaping the profession

The ripple effects from this advisory transformation have dramatically reshaped strategic priorities for tax firms beyond routine concerns about service expansion. These new priorities represent fundamental shifts in how firm leadership view the purpose of their firm, its client relationships, and competitive positioning.

Interestingly, while revenue objectives dominate the top priorities, 13% of firm leaders cite developing more intellectually stimulating work for their teams as a key objective, the report shows. This speaks to a deeper strategic consideration 鈥� that advisory work itself offers the kind of challenging, engaging work that attracts and retains top talent in an increasingly competitive labor market.

Today, the opportunity is here for tax firms to capitalize on this momentum and operationalize their advisory services offerings through formalized processes, systematic client engagement, technology leverage, and value-based pricing that creates enduring competitive advantages.

As the report shows, tax advisory today is moving beyond simply offering occasional consulting services alongside compliance work. And with the strategic elevation of tax advisory services already underway, it鈥檚 those firms that move quickly enough to capture the opportunity that will flourish.

You can download

a full copy of the 成人VR视频 Institute’s “2026 Tax Firm Advisory Services Report” by filling out the form below:

• • • Understanding is critical 鈥� Law firms must seek to deeply understand their clients鈥� businesses and proactively use data and AI to build trust and deliver value.

    • Transparent communication is needed 鈥� Conversations with clients around pricing, value, and staffing 鈥� supported by clear metrics 鈥� strengthens client relationships and helps firms demonstrate their worth.

    • Pull a lot of levers 鈥� Proactive business development, creative billing models, and leveraging advanced technology are critical for law firms to differentiate themselves and meet evolving client expectations.

WASHINGTON, DC 鈥� Today, law firms are facing unprecedented pressure to deliver more value, build deeper relationships with clients, and differentiate themselves in a crowded market. The recent 成人VR视频 Institute鈥檚 24th Annual Law Firm COO & CFO Forum brought these developments into sharp focus, highlighting how client management is now seeping into every aspect of law firm operations.

Jump to 鈫�

The 24^th Annual Law Firm COO & CFO Forum Executive Summary

The message from industry leaders at this event was clear: Law firms must prioritize deep client understanding, proactive business development, and transparent use of data and AI to build trust and deliver 鈥� and demonstrate 鈥� value in client relationships.

The not-so-new imperative: Deep client understanding

As many speakers underscored at the Forum event, the foundation of any successful client relationship is understanding 鈥� not just of the client鈥檚 current needs, but of their business, market, and future ambitions. While not new, this sentiment is now echoed more strongly by many clients who expect their law firms to act as true partners, invested in their growth and success.

For clients, that even seeps down into the minutiae of running a firm, said one corporate counsel. 鈥淲hat clients really look for is outside law firms that have a track record of good work, meet deadlines, and don鈥檛 overstaff 鈥� of course, those are just table stakes now,鈥� the counsel said. 鈥淏eyond that, clients are increasingly looking at how law firms train and retain their lawyers 鈥� because it鈥檚 a trust issue, and we don鈥檛 want any surprises around who is working with us.鈥�

Increasingly, clients seem to be using their legal spend to speak to those priorities, our research shows. The portion of total legal spending going to outside counsel increased this year to more than two-thirds (67%) of the total. And almost one-quarter (24%) of clients鈥� outside counsel spend goes to the law firm they use most, with 15% of clients saying they plan to use their most-used firm more this year, compared to last year.

To meet these deepening expectations around collaboration and value, law firms are increasingly leveraging advanced, AI-driven technologies that enable them to gain deeper insights into their clients鈥� industries, anticipate challenges, and proactively offer solutions. Indeed, these pathways to partnership, it seems, run directly through AI, several panelists suggested. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about being reactive to client needs but about anticipating those needs and demonstrating value at every turn,鈥� said one speaker.

However, law firms 鈥� for the sake of their own economics 鈥� need to train their partners to hold sometimes difficult conversations with clients around pricing and be able to explain the value the firm is offering. 鈥淲e need to show what鈥檚 working and what鈥檚 not working in a client relationship,鈥� said one law firm leader. 鈥淣ot just once a year when we set rates, but in conversations all year long.鈥�

Building trust through transparency & metrics

While trust is the cornerstone of any client relationship, it鈥檚 built on transparency. Clients want to know not only what their law firms are doing, but also why, and how value is being delivered, several panelists explained, adding that this means having open conversations with clients around pricing, value, and staffing that are supported by clear, objective metrics.

At the Forum, several law firm leaders emphasized the importance of ongoing, transparent dialogue with clients that backed by data, which helps eliminate any surprises and ensures that both sides are aligned on expectations and outcomes.

鈥淚 mean, clients are why we鈥檙e in business, and client expectations should be a priority for every firm,鈥� said one panelist. 鈥淚t鈥檚 shocking how frequently we ask ourselves, How will this affect the client? 鈥� we ask it a lot, because everything naturally does.鈥�

鈥淟aw firms will need to get better on their own metrics so they can see 鈥� and explain 鈥� what is happening.鈥�

Not surprisingly, many firms are beginning to leverage advanced technology to build out these critical metrics to demonstrate value to clients 鈥� yet, it鈥檚 not a panacea. Lawyers will still need to review and validate AI-generated work, and the anticipated cost savings may not always materialize as quickly as clients hope. This makes ongoing communication and expectation management all the more important.

Clients and law firms must move forward together, several panelists suggested, adding that firms regularly need to ask their clients, 鈥淲hat do you want to do? What problems do you want to solve and what opportunities do you want to seize?鈥� This collaborative approach ensures that the firm鈥檚 efforts are always aligned with the client鈥檚 goals.

Proactive business development and creative billing

As many speakers at the Forum contended, gone are the days when law firms could rely solely on traditional billing models and reactive business development. Today鈥檚 clients expect more flexibility, creativity, and initiative from their outside counsel.

To that end, firms are getting better at using data to help sharpen their pricing prowess, offering more alternative billing structures, flat-fee arrangements, subscription models, and even tech surcharges. 鈥淵ou have to get creative, and you have to have options,鈥� one speaker explained. 鈥淟aw firms will need to get better on their own metrics so they can see 鈥� and explain 鈥� what is happening.鈥�

As evidenced by this, many law firms are taking multiple approaches to addressing pricing issues and questions of value with clients. For example, one firm leader said his firm looked at its own billing and revenue data and the client feedback it had gathered and saw with which clients the firm was most successful and where growth opportunities could be identified. 鈥淭his is extremely helpful information to guide your lawyers as they prioritize their actions,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t helps you determine where you want to go as a firm.鈥�

Another firm鈥檚 goal was to find more green space 鈥� those law firm service offerings that clients weren鈥檛 using but could, adding that the firm had much more success finding added value for current clients than locating new ones. Yet another firm did tariff modeling by using data analysis to determine how their manufacturing clients could save money by changing locales. The firm provided the tool, trained clients鈥� in-house lawyers on the tool, gave the data results to clients, and then worked with them on solutions.

Another argued for tech surcharges 鈥� fees charged to the clients to help offset the high costs of law firms鈥� tech investments. While admittedly controversial, the speaker explained that clients may not balk at reasonable charges because they want their law firms to succeed too 鈥� an idea that didn鈥檛 draw immediate objection, even from the corporate counsel in attendance. 鈥淎nd I think if one big law firm does it, the industry will follow along,鈥� he added.

Putting clients at the center

As many of the panels at the Forum underscored, clients are the reason law firms exist, and their expectations should be the driving force behind every decision. By prioritizing deep client understanding, embracing transparent communication, and proactively seeking new ways to deliver value, law firms can build stronger, more enduring partnerships 鈥� while setting themselves apart in a challenging market.

And, several speakers noted, this is going to be increasingly important going forward. 鈥淚f the legal market is going to get rocky,鈥� one panelist said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 going to be tech investment and client management that will become critical differentiators for many law firms.鈥�

You can download

a full copy of the 成人VR视频 Institute’s “The 24^th Annual Law Firm COO & CFO Forum Executive Summary” by filling out the form below:

Key takeaways:

• • • Strategic focus is crucial 鈥� Firms with a clear, written strategy and marketing plan are out-earning peers, and vague ambition is no longer sufficient in today’s competitive tax industry landscape.

    • Advisory services drive growth 鈥� Advisory service lines, particularly investment advisory and proactive tax planning, are expanding faster than traditional compliance work, and firms must blend recurring compliance jobs with scalable advisory to smooth revenue cyclicality and deepen client relationships.

    • Technology and leadership are keys to success 鈥� Firms must harness the power of AI, automation, and private equity to drive growth, and prioritize leadership systems, professionalization of leadership, and culture by design to endure the next decade.

If the last few years felt like standing at a crossroads for tax, audit & accounting firms, 2025 is the turn itself. Consolidation, private equity, AI, and evolving workforce expectations have tipped the profession from gradual change into a full paradigm shift. The illuminates the state of the profession. The annual report on the tax industry shows that those firms that win from here won鈥檛 simply be competent 鈥� they鈥檒l be intentional, strategically focused, and relentless about converting capacity into higher-value client impact. For tax firm leaders, the mandate is clear: Make bold, data-informed choices now or wait and watch competitors outpaced you.

What the numbers are really saying

While revenue growth has cooled from the post-pandemic highs, settling near high single digits across the market, a striking share of that growth now is being powered by mergers and acquisitions, while organic expansion is proving harder to sustain. Meanwhile, income per equity partner has still edged upward, although profit growth lags revenue as costs, partner counts, and investment outlays rise.

The standout tax firms 鈥� especially those with higher billing rates and strong staff-to-partner ratios 鈥� are combing scale, leverage, and premium pricing to widen the gap between them and competitors. The message is clear: Profitable growth now depends less on squeezing more hours and more on getting the business model right.

Indeed, the report noted several areas in which tax firms leaders need to pay special attention.

Talent: Retention is better 鈥� but capacity isn鈥檛 the same as productivity

The report reveals turnover among tax professionals has fallen to its lowest level in years, which is a positive development. Yet billable hours per professional have declined, and many teams are logging less than 1,400 hours annually.

In response, some firms are hiring to build capacity, but revenue per full-time equivalent (FTE) employees slipped for the first time in five years 鈥� a signal that headcount without redesign is a blunt instrument. Offshoring and outsourcing remain in the toolkit, especially for larger firms, but as retention improves, the hiring mix is shifting from emergency capacity to structured, strategic resourcing. The imperative is smarter workload orchestration, not more bodies.

Strategy is no longer optional

Firms with a clear, written strategy and marketing plan are out-earning their peers, the report showed. That鈥檚 not correlation by accident 鈥� it鈥檚 the compounding effect of decisive prioritization. When leaders articulate where the firm will play and how it will win, then firm investments align with strategy, pricing reflects value, and teams understand how to move the needle. Having vague ambitions is expensive, precision pays much better.

Advisory is the growth flywheel

Advisory service lines 鈥� particularly investment advisory and proactive tax planning 鈥� are expanding faster than traditional compliance. The most resilient firms are shaping portfolios that blend recurring compliance jobs with scalable advisory roles, thus smoothing revenue cyclicality and deepening client relationships. Technology is central here because it doesn鈥檛 just compress the cost of compliance work, it liberates capacity that can be redeployed into offering advice for which clients will happily pay a premium.

Private equity & technology: Forces to harness, not fear

Private equity (PE) is no longer an outlier, it鈥檚 reshaping governance, accelerating M&A, and boosting tech investment across the top end of the market. Whether you choose to partner with PE firms or compete against PE-backed platforms, you must operate with PE-grade rigor 鈥� and that means sharper KPIs, faster decision cycles, and a clearer capital allocation model.

On the tech front, AI and automation clearly are transforming tax preparation, workpaper assembly, and research 鈥� often eliminating 50% to 80% of the manual steps in defined use cases. And the top performing firms don鈥檛 just use AI just to cut costs, they turn their teams鈥� freed-up hours into advisory projects, client education, and proactive planning conversations that can fortify loyalty and margins.

Leadership & succession: Redesigned for durability

Today, partner demographics are shifting quickly. There are more younger partners, more women advancing, and more diverse paths into leadership. Non鈥慹quity roles and flexible buy鈥慽n models are becoming standard, while mandatory retirement policies are moderating to support smoother succession.

Compensation and buyout systems are maturing as committees and transparent formulas replacing opaque, personality鈥慸riven decisions. The firms that will thrive over the next decade already are professionalizing leadership the same way they professionalize client service.

The bottom line

Finally, there are several actions that smart tax firm leaders are already abandoning and others that they are strongly focusing on.

What to stop doing

• • • Managing to utilization alone 鈥� Leaders need to shift their thinking to revenue per FTE, realization, and cycle time to reflect true performance.
    • Treating offshore resources as a plug鈥慳nd鈥憄lay fix 鈥� Integrate these resources into your firm鈥檚 standard processes with clear ownership and quality assurance.
    • Waiting for 鈥減ost鈥憈ax鈥憇eason鈥� to improve systems 鈥擨mprovement is a year鈥憆ound muscle that needs to be exercised. Schedule and track system improvement it like any client deliverable.

What to double down on

• • • Focusing on client segmentation and ideal鈥慶lient fit 鈥� Politely winnow misaligned work or burdensome clients and reinvest those hours into high鈥憄otential relationships.
    • Promoting manager leverage 鈥� Equip managers with the ability to own scoping, pricing, and coaching so partners can drive market鈥慺acing growth.
    • Encouraging culture by design 鈥� Flexible work is table stakes in today鈥檚 environment. Promote what differentiates your firm, especially its clarity of mission, feedback cadence, and recognition systems.

The tax, audit & accounting profession鈥檚 fundamentals remain strong, but the rulebook has been rewritten, as the Rosenberg Report illustrates. Firm growth will increasingly come from strategy, not inertia; from advisory impact, not additional hours; and from leadership systems, not individual heroics.

Smart tax firm leaders need to treat 2026 as a pivot year for their firms. Publish the plan, price to value, operationalize AI, and convert freed-up capacity into advice offerings your clients can鈥檛 imagine running their businesses without.

Those tax firms that move first, while measuring what matters, will define the next decade of tax leadership.

For more on the current state of tax, audit & accounting firms, check out the recent 2025 State of Tax Professionals Report from the 成人VR视频 Institute here

Key takeaways:

• • • Embrace value, risk, and execution 鈥� for good and bad 鈥斕齈rofessional services firms must weigh the value of AI applications against potential risks, embracing both successes and failures as learning opportunities to improve responsible adoption.

    • Ethical oversight is everyone鈥檚 responsibility 鈥斕鼸nsuring responsible AI use in professional services requires active participation from all members of an organization, not just legal or IT teams.

    • Human creativity and feedback remain essential 鈥斕齏hile AI can generate ideas and accelerate processes, human judgment, creativity, and continuous feedback provide the proper pathways for ethical decision-making and successful integration.

AUSTIN, Texas 鈥� With the professional services world now squarely into the AI era, it鈥檚 clear that the speed of business is quicker than ever. Clients expect results in hours or even minutes rather than days, while generating documents can happen at the click of a button. Ask a research question, and a machine can intuit what you鈥檙e looking for with striking accuracy.

Alongside these business changes, however, it鈥檚 clear that the ethics of technology usage within professional services is shifting just as quickly. 鈥淓very time you come and do a talk with a group of people, within four weeks if not sooner, it鈥檚 changed,鈥� says Betsy Greytok, Associate General Counsel in Responsible Technology at IBM. 鈥淪o, it really does require you to keep on your toes.鈥�

Ensuring that AI is used responsibly is paramount within professional services than in other professions, given the ethical and regulatory constraints placed on legal, tax, audit & accounting, financial services and risk, and more. During a recent session, A Unified Field: Ethical Considerations amid AI Development and Deployment, at the 成人VR视频 Institute鈥檚 2025 Emerging Technology and Generative AI Forum, panelists describe an ethical world that should be tackled as a challenge, rather than shied away from as an unsolvable risk.

Or, as Paige L. Fults, Head of School at the AI-centric Alpha School & 2-Hour Learning program, put it: 鈥淣ot being afraid of replacement, but leaning into repurpose.鈥�

Embracing success 鈥� and failure

John Dubois,听the Americas AI Strategy Leader at Big 4 consultancy Ernst & Young, says he regularly gets questions from customers about AI and how they should use it, given that there are new AI applications arising seemingly every day. 鈥淭he way we describe it is a balance,鈥� Dubois explains. 鈥淟et鈥檚 start with value. If we know there鈥檚 value in something, then we can figure out the risk behind it, then we can figure out how we can execute.鈥�

Just as importantly, however, this focus on value, risk, and execution can also aid professional services firms when an AI plan fails. For example, Dubois cites an MIT report from August 2025 that showed , often because of flawed integration. Embracing the value, risk, and execution strategy from the beginning not only allows for better chances of success, but even in the event of failure, 鈥渨e actually have a better shot at mitigating, when it does fall down.鈥�

This sort of planning is not limited to just one group, Dubois says, noting that ethical oversight is seen as a key responsibility of everyone in the organization. He explains that E&Y has an internal implementation of OpenAI that has 150,000 distinct users each month. Because of an internal process called SCORE that removes customer data at the source, E&Y鈥檚 instance of OpenAI is largely clear of customer data 鈥� but it鈥檚 still not perfect.

E&Y has set a culture so that if someone sees proprietary data when using GenAI to develop a proposal or create a PowerPoint, they not only delete the data before use, but work to scrub it from the system entirely. 鈥淚t is all of our job to ensure that whatever you鈥檙e putting into that system or extracting out of that system, you鈥檙e cleansing,鈥� Dubois says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not the job of the general counsel, or the risk team, or the IT team, it鈥檚 all of our job.鈥�

When it comes to keeping up with AI ethics in a rapidly advancing space, professionals can rely on the same methods they have been employing for years to solve ethical quandaries: human creativity.

IBM鈥檚 Greytok agreed, noting that she鈥檚 part of an internal review board that examines major AI-related projects for ethical issues. There is a board review at the beginning of the development process to determine how risky a use case is, and then the system will give a response, considerations, and steps. If there is an issue, the board is empowered to stop development, even on a major project.

She drew an analogy to writing a paper in high school, in which there is a marked difference between simply turning in the paper, proofreading your own work, and asking a friend for peer review feedback. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what you want, is that disagreement, because that鈥檚 critical thinking.鈥�

She adds: 鈥淭he researchers sometimes get so excited about what they鈥檝e discovered that they forget to look at the other side of what can happen. You should want that. You shouldn鈥檛 be punished for saying, Is this the right thing or not?鈥�

The importance of feedback

Fults says that at the Alpha School, AI is not only baked into the curriculum, it . Students spend just two hours a day on academics, led by AI tools that are supplemented by off-line learning on a variety of subjects by in-person instructors that fill in the gaps that AI is not able to provide.

It鈥檚 a revolutionary concept but not a static one. Fults notes that 鈥渢he two-hour learning model has already changed so much since I鈥檝e been part of the school,鈥� and the instructors have a Slack channel on ways to find improvement that receives hundreds of messages a day.

It鈥檚 through this marrying of human intuition and the possibilities of the technology that Fults says she believes the school has found success and used AI ethically within education. 鈥淓ven though we have this tool, the human levers, the motivational levers that are happening day to day, actually make it work,鈥� she says, insisting that she 鈥渃an鈥檛 just hand [the technology] to any school鈥� without the corresponding processes in place.

Dubois and Greytok also call feedback a crucial part of the process in order to overcome AI barriers. Dubois tells the story of a large retailer that bought satellite images to determine footfall within a store. Shoppers, however, felt that was a privacy risk, and the idea was almost scrapped. Then, however, the legal and IT teams worked together to come up with an idea: Can you track clothing, but not faces, to get the same information of where within the store shoppers were going?

鈥淚t鈥檚 a creative workaround to get us to the same thing,鈥� Dubois explains. 鈥淲hen you have a constraint, what鈥檚 a clever way to work around this so we鈥檙e not taking a brand risk or a compliance risk?鈥�

Indeed, when it comes to keeping up with AI ethics in a rapidly advancing space, professionals can rely on the same methods they have been employing for years to solve ethical quandaries: human creativity. AI can provide information and context more rapidly than ever before, but ultimately, professionals themselves will be the ones relied upon to make sure AI is used ethically and responsibly.

鈥淎I is an idea generator,鈥� Greytok says. 鈥淭he solution comes from the human.鈥�

You can find out more about how emerging technologies are impacting professional services here

鈥淭he key question 鈥� not just for marketing purposes, but for law firms鈥� overall success 鈥� is what is your firm鈥檚 data strategy? What is its structure?鈥� asked one panelist at the recent 成人VR视频 Institute鈥檚 32nd annual Marketing Partner Forum, held in late-January. 鈥淗ow best can your firm cut through the clutter and getting to what your clients really want to talk about.鈥�

Indeed, panelists went through numerous impactful ways that law firms can leverage their internal data to refine their marketing strategies, including by collecting and analyzing information about past and current clients and identifying common characteristics among them, which could enable more personalized marketing campaigns and engagement. Firms can also build out case studies and success stories using their own internal data that can be highlighted on the firm鈥檚 website, shared on social media, or used directly in client proposals.

Check out the recent video from听听here

Also, running the data on firms鈥� performance metrics around various marketing campaigns 鈥� determining such key indicators as email open rates, website traffic, and conversion rates 鈥� which can help optimize future campaigns for better results. Overall, panelists discussed how by effectively using their own internal data in these ways, law firms can create more targeted, efficient, and impactful marketing campaigns that attract and retain clients, enhance the firm鈥檚 reputation, and ultimately drive growth.

鈥淓ven those law firms that don鈥檛 have a lot of time or money can still get insight and value out of analyzing their data,鈥� one panelist said.

Understanding what you have in your data

Ideally, this requires marketing professionals to look at their firm鈥檚 data more holistically, before deciding what client-centric data could be used to help lawyers in writing pitches and engaging with clients, several panelists explained. 鈥淭he best data is that which gets looked at and understood,鈥� offered one panelist, adding, however, that many law firms simply aren鈥檛 there yet. 鈥淐learly, so many firms are still struggling with the use of their own data,鈥� the panelist noted. 鈥淚t is daunting 鈥� however, data will take you farther down the road than you would have gotten with index cards in a recipe box.鈥�

Several panelists described their own experiences with trying to wrestle their firm鈥檚 data into a structure that could be leveraged to provide marketing and business development professionals 鈥� and by extension, the firm鈥檚 lawyers 鈥� with the insights and understanding to more effectively pitch work or write the kind of proposals that will get clients鈥� attention.

鈥淭he best data is that which gets looked at and understood… Yet so many firms are still struggling with the use of their own data.”

鈥淲e looked at our data overall and saw what worked and what didn鈥檛 work,鈥� another panelist explained, adding that this data included the RFPs the firm won, the ones it didn鈥檛, the business mandates it received, and the situations in which it lost out to other law firms or legal service providers. 鈥淎nd once we looked at the data we had, we had to figure out what we should do with it. There were a lot of expectations and challenges right off the bat.鈥�

Very quickly, however, once a firm is involved in the data retrieval and analysis process, other questions rise to the surface. 鈥淵ou need to draw up a roadmap for innovation,鈥� a panelist explained. 鈥淎nd that means taking inventory of the data you have, no matter what form it is in, and then examining who within the firm uses what and how it鈥檚 being used.鈥�

For example, using data for client mapping can reveal key touchpoints and areas where clients may drop off, become disengaged from the firm, or worse yet, take their business elsewhere. By leveraging internal data, panelists said, the insights gained can be used to enhance the client experience, from initial contact to matter resolution, and ensure a smoother and ultimately more satisfying process.

Getting the data in front of people

Of course, one of the primary ways to make all this work is collaboration among the parts of a law firm that touches the data as it makes its way to utilization. 鈥淭he key to collaboration is that you all have to speak the same language 鈥� those that collect the data, own the data, and ultimately use the data. And there is a lot to do to make kind of collaboration happen.鈥�

Yet, firms that undertake this process can see benefits immediately. 鈥淲e needed to create a plan that would keep our data strategy in front of people,鈥� explained another panelist. 鈥淎nd one thing we found right away was that we could cut down on the number of meetings we had by using more actionable data that team members could follow up on.鈥�

While clearly, an AI-driven examination of the characteristics of successful work pitches, for example, could be quite useful, one panelist explained that their firm saw almost right away that it had too few professionals who could analyze this data in that way. 鈥淲e saw that data cannot be a side-project, rather there has to be someone in a role that manages it, whether that鈥檚 within the practice innovation team or somewhere else, someone has to own this data,鈥� the panelist said.

鈥淭he need to solve for the disconnect between data that offers insights and those business development professionals who may be uncomfortable bringing this to lawyers is crucially important.”

To solve this problem, many law firms make the mistake of simply creating data positions often using those existing team members who may be more data-inclined; but it鈥檚 actually more important to bring on a data specialist 鈥� whether internally or through outsourcing 鈥� because someone has to have the knowledge and skill to interpret the data and guide against any misuse.

Then, panelists explained, comes perhaps the most difficult, yet potentially rewarding, challenge: Once you have identified and collected the data and used it to identify critical insights, you have to make sure the firm鈥檚 lawyers will accept and use what you鈥檝e found.

鈥淭he need to solve for the disconnect between data that offers insights and those business development professionals who may be uncomfortable bringing this to lawyers is crucially important, as is making sure your lawyers have a way to discuss these insights and opportunities with clients,鈥� another panelist offered. 鈥淎ll of this has to be brought through, ultimately to sales, for the use of your firm鈥檚 data to be considered a success.鈥�

And as advanced AI-driven tech evolves, it will become more important for lawyers to have the skills to use this tech themselves, which will allow them to see first-hand the interactions, the engagement, and the opportunities. 鈥淭hat will be the ultimate test 鈥� when lawyers are using these data-driven insights themselves to improve their clients鈥� experience, that鈥檚 the win.鈥�

You can find out more about听recent Marketing Partner Forum events听here

Now, in addition to acting as an accredited museum docent at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (where he also serves on several curatorial committees and acts as guide coordinator for major exhibitions), Pagliaro is a frequent invited guest speaker and lecturer on art history at several universities in the Philadelphia area and southwest Florida, where he resides in winter.

Not surprisingly given his past position, he has strong opinions on how lawyer succession should be handled, and how clients should be brought into the situation.

鈥淭he great mistake most firms make is not maintaining a firm culture that institutionalizes client relationships and not making institutionalizing clients a core value of the partnership,鈥� Pagliaro says, adding that in most law firms, partners with clients benefit from referring to clients as my client and using ownership language and practices to insure they control the relationship, which is all the better to drive compensation their way and to resist pressure to retire when the appropriate time comes.

鈥淭hat is often not in the interests of the client or the firm,鈥� Pagliaro explains. 鈥淢any firms are content to let the primary relationship go on largely unsupervised, as long as the client relationship partner generates income.鈥�

A culture of institutionalizing client relationships

One way to instill a true culture of institutionalizing client relationships, he says, is for the firm to create a new role 鈥� Managing Partner for Client Relations (MPCR) 鈥� and ensure the professional in that role also sits on the firm鈥檚 compensation committee. The person in this new role should be charged with meeting with clients, eliciting honest feedback independently, and then exploring the full scope of each client鈥檚 needs. The MPCR should have as their main charge the job of supervising the cross-selling of the client to a broad spectrum of partners within the firm and creating client service teams, while acting as the team coach.

Importantly, it would also be their job to inspire all partners to understand that it is in every partners鈥� interest to expand client relationships as much as possible 鈥� even if there is a lead partner in the relationship.

鈥淭hat process needs to be transparent and supported in the compensation process,鈥� Pagliaro explains, adding that once an MPCR enters the mix, it opens the door for that individual to i) seek client feedback; ii) gather input from the client on succession; and iii) effectuate the transition of work and relationships.

Indeed, it is a culture that most firms say they want but struggle to achieve. That may be largely because firms lack discipline and follow through, and refuse to invest resources in creating infrastructure, empowering personnel, and providing support to drive true institutionalization of firm clients. Most critically, firms that are serious about creating such a culture need to back that up with a firm compensation process that reinforces the right outcomes.

Best practice for firm leaders is not to wait too long to address partner succession. A clear policy on when partners should begin to start planning for succession, which is fairly applied and religiously followed is crucial and should have the MPCR meeting with partners in the retirement zone at least three years before actual retirement. That way, this time can be used to manage the relationship, solicit input from the client, and introduce the client to more talent.

Too often, Pagliaro adds, partners don鈥檛 want to focus on this. 鈥淕ood succession planning is when you allow others on the team to succeed.鈥�

Planning for succession is critical

If a lawyer plans ahead properly, they can envision their best post-law firm life, says Pagliaro, adding that partners should ask themselves: i) how do I transition at a pace that makes sense; and ii) what is my objective for my post-law firm encore career?

That dream encore career can come in any form, and provide something that fills your life not just your time. Clearly, lawyers are used to being busy, engaged, and challenged 鈥� so they must recognize that they need to ensure their encore career presents opportunities for engagement, without the stresses of law practice.

Finally, know that there is no guarantee as to how long you will live or how many healthy years you have ahead, Pagliaro notes. 鈥淣ever assume you are invincible,鈥� he says. 鈥淣ever say 鈥業 don鈥檛 know what I would do if I didn鈥檛 go to work.鈥� There is a world of activities, opportunities, and needs out there 鈥� places in which people and organizations are desperately seeking intelligent, organized, and articulate folks to help, add value, lead, and instruct. It is actually fun to find your new niche.鈥�

This is the second part of a two-part blog series on the view of succession planning from the client side. In our last installment, we discussed the importance of keeping clients informed of changes in firms鈥� key partners.

Clients do not like to be told about any changes to the relationship team at the last minute, which is not surprising. Instead, involving clients up front is often a very smart decision on the part of the firm.

It鈥檚 also helpful to remember that succession can mean a number of things, especially to a client. It can mean a partner is planning to move on to post-law firm interests, an associate who may not be continuing on with the firm, or partners lateraling out to other firms. However, it may be the scenario involving a relationship lawyer and supporting legal team that is most crucial to firms.

No surprises please

In speaking of a relationship partner who had retired from an outside law firm, one Fortune 50 general counsel with whom I spoke, said: 鈥淚 felt like I just walked down the hall, and the office was empty, and the lights were off. Clearly the firm thought I鈥檇 be upset about losing him as part of the team so decided to just let me know he left and gave me the name of the person who would be replacing him 鈥� this was quite upsetting, and I almost fired the firm over it.鈥�

Clients do not like to be told about any changes to the relationship team at the last minute, which is not surprising.

Fortunately, after a few conversations, the firm was able to dissuade the client from letting the firm go, and firm leadership then involved the client in the decision about whom he wanted on the team to replace the partner who had left.

Daniel H. Weintraub, the Chief Administrative and Legal Officer of Audax Group, a leading private equity firm, says no surprises should be the rule. 鈥淪uccession planning should start at the beginning of the relationship 鈥� it should never be a surprise,鈥� Weintraub says. 鈥淵ou should build a client relationship that has succession built into it. No doubt, I would be fired if I didn鈥檛 have this redundancy put in place in our own organization.鈥�

Weintraub explains that most of the time, clients hear about succession planning when someone calls up and says I鈥檓 retiring in a week. 鈥淭his puts you in a bad position too, right? No one has focused on this but it鈥檚 critical,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f you need to ask who your person at the law firm is, then you have a problem. If my relationship is with one person, then that鈥檚 a problem from a succession planning perspective and also for me. It means I鈥檓 completely wedded into one person, so what happens if that person is gone? If I were a managing partner of a law firm, I鈥檇 make sure that succession planning was done from the top down. Avoid the surprises.鈥�

Taking the cue from the company

Indeed, Weintraub鈥檚 comment about redundancy should resonate with firms. Companies in general do a much better job developing succession planning for their executives and key sales leaders who oversee important clients and customer relationships. That is to say, clients are very savvy and aware when it comes to service teams, and their important client and customer relationships, and they expect the same from their outside service providers.

The ongoing success of any firm鈥檚 client relationships is dependent on a few important details, and critically among them is trust and loyalty.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to learn about your succession planning through an out-of-office reply,鈥� Weintraub says. 鈥淭he relationships should be with multiple people on multiple levels 鈥� this is strategic account management.鈥� Too often, he adds, outside law firms often tell clients who the new person is going to be without consulting with them beforehand. 鈥淭here is an arrogance to that [on the part of the firm] 鈥� I get to decide who the relationship partner is going to be, rather than being told.鈥�

The ongoing success of any firm鈥檚 client relationships is dependent on a few important details, and critically among them is trust and loyalty. However, this goes both ways. Involving clients in succession planning way in advance 鈥� three to five years at the very least 鈥� will build stronger, more loyal and more trusting relationships with important clients.

Unfortunately, most clients report that they are seldom involved in this process, which many view as an insult to them and a huge opportunity lost for a firm to differentiate itself from others. Clients value their outside counsel and see them as part of their team and involving them in important decisions will go a long way to retaining their revenue and building long-lasting relationships.

This is the first part of a two-part blog series on from the client side. In our next installment, we speak with one lawyer about their succession experience leaving their firm.

Recent research findings of the 成人VR视频 Institute, based on the insights of top-performing lawyers who excel in providing outstanding service and expertise to their corporate clients, highlight the importance of adapting to these changes.

You can access the most recent 听here

Structured approaches to client relationships, such as key account management programs or industry-focused teams, provide a comprehensive and formalized path to engagement throughout the client lifecycle. This approach integrates proactive business development into lawyers鈥� daily workflow 鈥� a critical element to building revenue. Our research and experience have shown that these strategies lead to stronger, more enduring client relationships.

Implementing a systematic approach to managing client interactions has been proven to drive organic growth and improve client retention. Our research identifies three key strategies for success:

1. 1. 1. Assigning dedicated cross-practice teams to build strong client relationships and ensure seamless collaboration.
      2. Establishing regular, structured communication channels to stay aligned with client needs and address issues promptly.
      3. Creating clear incentives and performance metrics that prioritize client satisfaction and long-term value creation.

To thrive in a rapidly changing landscape, law firms must be adaptable and forward-thinking. This ability will not only determine their current success with existing clients but also ensure their long-term resilience and relevance in the evolving legal industry, even in the face of uncertainty and challenges.

Read more Stellar Performance insights here