Domains: Marketing Management and Leadership, Business of Law

The need to continuously adapt and innovate to meet client needs is a strategic imperative inside law firms, yet most firm leaders struggle when it comes to implementing change. The future of law needs marketing and business development professionals who can help firm leaders implement growth to Make Strategy Stick. During this session, you will learn a new model to help design and drive change and hear from panelists who are successfully applying innovative approaches at their firms. Whether you want to help drive strategy firmwide, within a practice team, or inside your department, this session will help you build on what you've learned throughout the conference and arm you with new tools and skills to elevate your role as a growth leader. 

You'll learn how to:

• Discover a framework for helping law firm leaders put ideas into practice to drive innovation and change
• Develop confidence in leading and facilitating conversations to drive growth
• Exchange fresh ideas from colleagues to promote attorney and professional engagement and creative problem solving 

Speakers:
Debra Baker, Managing Director, GrowthPlay
Britt Schmidt, Chief Legal Talent & Inclusion Officer, Vorys
Alé  Simmons, Senior Business Development Manager, Clark Hill
Emily Gallagher, Sr. Director of Business Development, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP

Domains: Business Development, Marketing Management and Leadership

CMOs and Senior business development leaders from across the country will host an interactive discussion about the key learnings from LMA25's various business development-focused presentations. During this session, panelists will contemplate what the latest trends in tech-enabled business intelligence, coaching programs, and client service mean for each of their organizations. They'll discuss the implications for the future of the BD function and how each attendee might leverage what they've learned by assembling a forward-looking business plan that utilizes the most impactful elements of each prior presentation. Participants will be encouraged to engage through a moderated Q&A and will leave the session with a template to steer their own follow-up efforts. 

You'll learn how to: 

• Discuss how to translate what you've learned at LMA25 into actionable steps to bring back to your firms
• Contemplate how technology advances can help achieve future BD goals
• Identify ways to incorporate client value offerings into pitch and proposals opportunities 

Speakers:
Kelly MacKinnon, Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer, Gibson Dunn LLP
Ashraf Lakhani, Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer, Porter Hedges LLP
Carman Akins, US Director, Practice Marketing, DLA Piper LLP
Deborah Ruffins, Managing Partner, Deb Ruffins Consulting Group

The 2025 LMA Annual Conference delivered an intensive three-day program featuring hands-on sessions designed to be practical and actionable. With the theme, 40RWARD, attendees experienced curated, strategic sessions focused on advancing the legal marketing profession. 

The recorded programs from LMA's Annual Conference are geared for marketers of all levels, and map to the domains, skills and competencies outlined in the Body of Knowledge (BoK).

Purchase the full bundle to receive exclusive access to select recordings (noted where applicable). To purchase individual recordings, click on the session titles listed below. 

New for 2025! 

• All eligible LMA25 registrants automatically receive access to the full recordings bundle – no purchase necessary! Log into your MyLearning Account to view. 
• LMA25 mainstage sessions are available only in the bundle. Don’t miss these standout sessions:
  • Keynote - Crafting Messages That Resonate: Lessons from Presidential Speechwriters on Connecting with Your Audience
  • Keynote - Forward Together: The Human Edge in an Era of Rapid Change (only available until June 30, 2025)
  • In-House Counsel Panel - The Anatomy of a Successful Sales Pursuit: Insights from Clients

While many sessions align with more than one domain, the primary BoK domains for each session are highlighted below:

 Business Development

• Amplify Your Impact: Getting Buy-in to Help Lawyers Cultivate an Effective Business Development Mindset (Service Provider Session - bundle only)
• Coaching to Revenue: Unlocking Business Development Potential through Equitable Strategies
• Developing A Future-Focused BD Strategy: Implementing Lessons Learned from LMA25
• In-House Counsel Panel - The Anatomy of a Successful Sales Pursuit: Insights from Clients (Keynote Session – bundle only)
• Tech-Enabled BD 2.0: Showcasing Your Impact On The Bottom Line  
• Using Data & Technology to Drive ROI in Legal Marketing Events

 Business of Law

• Building Data-Driven Business Development Plans
• Forward Together: The Human Edge in an Era of Rapid Change (Keynote Session – available in bundle until June 30, 2025)
• From Data Chaos to Strategic Clarity: Crafting a Modern Law Firm Data Strategy (Service Provider Session - bundle only)
• Making More Rain: Building a Program to Support Top Performers’ Success
• Present and Future of Pricing: Supporting Profitability While Driving Client Value
• Using Intelligence, Marketing and Communications to Find Legal Talent

 Client Services

• Empowering Growth: Leveraging Client Feedback for Value Creation and Increased Revenue
• From Good to Great: Elevating Client Team Performance
• Hearing with Purpose: Overcoming Obstacles to a Successful Client Listening Program
• Surprise & Delight: How Marketing & Business Development Professionals Elevate Client Value
• We Know We Need It, But How Do We Do It? A Roadmap for Developing an Effective Client Teams Program

 Communications

• Crafting Messages That Resonate: Lessons from Presidential Speechwriters on Connecting with Your Audience (Keynote Session – bundle only)
• Crafting Your Firm’s Approach to Digital Storytelling
• Harnessing AI for Cross-Selling: Don’t Miss an Opportunity for Growth! (Service Provider Session - bundle only)
• Is Your Communications and Public Relations Department Embracing the Future or Stuck in the Past?
• Never Redesign Your Firm’s Brand Look: Evolve it!
• The Art of Tough Conversations: Navigating Sensitive Messaging in Law Firms
• The Science of First Impressions: Strategies for Networking Success

 Marketing Management and Leadership

• Evolving Your Mindset and Department: The Best Secrets from In-House Teams and External Agencies
• Forward Thinking Strategies in Team Hiring & Retention: Insights for Team Leaders
• From Activator Research to Real-World Results: Embedding Activator Model into Business Development Habits (Service Provider Session - bundle only)
• Making Strategy Stick: Positioning the MBD Leaders of the Future to Drive Law Firm Growth
• Shark Tank-Style Showdown: Solving Problems, Driving Change, and Pitching to Win
• The Safe Zone: Fostering a Culture of Psychological Safety

 Technology Management

• Adapting to Digital Landscapes: Strategies for the New Rules of Digital Visibility (Service Provider Session - bundle only)
• Charting Rough Waters: How to Ensure Successful Tech Adoption and Prevent Failures
• Forging Ahead: Aligning Digital Transformation with Strategic Growth
• From Intuition to Insight: Building a Fact-Based Future in Legal Marketing by Harnessing Data (Service Provider Session - bundle only)
• Future-Ready Digital Strategies: Transforming Your Website into a Revenue Engine

Domains: Technology Management, Marketing Management and Leadership

In today's fast-paced legal technology landscape, law firms must not only choose the right tools but also ensure effective implementation to maximize ROI and enhance client service. This interactive "Table Talk" session, brings together leaders from diverse law firms to share real-world insights on successful (and not-so-successful) tech adoption. Drawing on data-backed strategies and case studies, participants will gain practical, actionable knowledge for overcoming common barriers, managing change, and fostering a culture of innovation. Whether you're selecting new technology or overseeing its rollout, this session offers valuable takeaways to improve decision-making, reduce adoption friction, and enhance firm-wide efficiency. 

You'll learn how to:

• Understand the critical aspects of technology selection that align with law firm goals and client needs, enabling more informed decision-making
• Explore common tech implementation pitfalls and discuss strategies to avoid or lessen them before they lead to failure
• Discover the firsthand experiences of peers who have successfully managed tech adoption, learning from their mistakes and successes
• Establish a framework for evaluating tech success and ongoing adaptation, ensuring that technology continues to meet the firm's evolving needs 

Speakers:
Allison Nussbaum, Vice President of Client Solutions, Client Sense
Kelly Harbour, Chief Business Development Officer, Moore & Van Allen PLLC
Ann Meyer, Director of Marketing Technology, Fisher & Phillips LLP
Jennifer Larivee, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer, Fagen Friedman Fulfrost, LLP
Nanette O'Sullivan, Sr. Marketing Technology Manager, Sidley Austin

Domains: Communications, Technology Management

Join us for a dynamic panel discussion for advanced communicators delving into the rapidly evolving landscape of legal marketing communications and public relations. This session will convene industry experts to explore the intersection of tradition and innovation - for the greatest, measurable ROI. From harnessing AI for personalized client engagement to leveraging social media, video and technology platforms for impactful storytelling, as well as uniting all strategies into one brand voice and experience, we will navigate the changing tide of communications in the legal sphere. Gain insights, share experiences, and chart a course toward a future-ready approach to client, external and internal communications that propels your firm's reputation and client connections into the digital age. 

You'll learn how to:

• Identify the many uses of AI as a tool today and in the future for client, external and internal communications
• Examine tactical cases studies - in rapid fire format - to see real-life application of innovative communications options available
• Interact through live audience polling on usage and ROI with various strategies
• Apply the lessons learned from combining tradition and innovation with a list of takeaways to advance your firm's communications starting today 

Speakers:
Beth Huffman, Vice President, Poston Communications
Erin West, US Communications Senior Manager, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP
Elizabeth Lockett, Chief Business Development Officer , Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC
Benjamin Harris, Director of Communications and PR, Knobbe Martens

Domains: Client Services, Marketing Management and Leadership

Join experienced law firm business development professionals for a discussion on how to communicate the value of client team programs to internal stakeholders (including the naysayers), secure and maintain buy-in, and sustain accountability and momentum for long-term success. Recognizing that all firms are not created equal, this discussion will include guidance for small to medium-sized firms and solo marketers to right-size these efforts. We will also cover available tools/technologies to help create a positive and meaningful impact within firms and drive client value. 

You'll learn how to:

• Discuss how to map out the scope for a client team program that best fits your firm's size and culture while articulating the value of the program to internal stakeholders
• Identify effective methods of getting a client team program up and running, including overcoming resistance, mapping out a game plan, securing sustained buy-in from leadership, and holding team leaders and members accountable
• Ensure the client team program is scalable, aligning it with available resources, leveraging technology, and using data to track success and demonstrate ROI 

Speakers:
Jenna Schiappacasse, Director of Client Development, Jenner & Block
Justin Edmondson, Sr. Director of Client Development, Duane Morris LLP
William Sleight, Senior Manager, Business Development & Communications, Jones Day

Domains: Business Development, Business of Law, Technology Management

In the legal industry, we are at a critical juncture. Recent growth has largely come from rate increases that clients are increasingly unwilling to accept. Moreover, clients are consolidating the number of firms they work with, further intensifying competition for market share, while firm leadership is demanding organic growth with transparent ROI. These pressures and the evolution of technology, particularly AI, is pushing firms to reinvent their go-to-market strategies. This presentation provides insights from inside and outside the legal industry about tackling this challenge and offers guidance on building a legal BD team capable of demonstrating real ROI while enhancing a firm's competitive edge. 

You'll learn how to: 

• Develop data-driven account plans, including white space analysis and engagement strategies 
• Implement tech-enabled processes to enhance BD efficiency and effectiveness 
• Establish KPIs and ROI metrics to demonstrate BD value 

Speakers:
Chris Landry, Co-Founder, SigParser
Andy Schafer, Associate Director of Business Development, McDermott Will & Emery
Djibril Anthony, Principal Consultant, Mount Insights

Domains: Business of Law, Client Services

How can legal marketers support their firms in delivering value to clients while protecting, and even reinforcing, their firms' bottom lines? A panel of in-house pricing, financial, and value officers will help you better understand the drivers of profitability so that you can make informed, strategic pricing recommendations in your business development efforts. They'll also shed light on best practices for leveraging available internal resources across departments, responding to client rate pressures, and demonstrating value in your firm's fee arrangements. 

You'll learn how to:

• Discover the fundamental terms related to pricing, including fee arrangements
• Identify when to consider/employ certain fee structures to support your firm's profitability on various matters
• Gain insight on how to best support your firm's pricing efforts, including working across teams for improved outcomes 

Speakers:
Daniel Burke, Managing Director, Pricing & Legal Project Management, Troutman Pepper Locke
Marcie Valerio, Director of Client Value & Practice Management, Benesch LLP
Tiffanie West, Director, Pitches and Proposals, Morgan Lewis

Domains: Communications, Marketing Management and Leadership

In today's fast-paced environment, law firms often face challenging decisions on when and how to address sensitive issues both internally and externally. This session will provide attendees with the tools to effectively navigate these conversations. You'll learn how to establish criteria for determining when communication is necessary, engage meaningfully with firm leadership, and provide strategic counsel on delicate topics. Beyond words, you'll discover how to craft actionable steps that reflect the firm's commitment to thoughtful and authentic communication. Join us to ensure your firm's messaging aligns with its values and fosters trust and transparency both within and beyond the firm. 

You'll learn how to:

• Establish criteria to help your firm evaluate when to communicate externally and internally regarding sensitive topics
• Equip MBD professionals on how to engage in these conversations with your lawyers and then how to advise firm management on how to respond/approach the topic
• Describe how to tie actionable steps into your communications to show that the message is more than just words 

Speakers:
Andrea Christman, Vice President, Poston Communications
Lee Watts, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Bass Berry & Sims

Domains: Client Services, Marketing Management and Leadership

While most firms have some kind of client account program, the difference between good and great can be vast. The keys to continued growth and trusted relationships are often simple but must be aligned with efficient team composition, cross-functional infrastructure, incentives, consistency, and tools to generate consistent returns - and happy clients - over time. This interactive session will cover lessons learned and fresh perspectives from inside and outside the legal sector to create the ideal environment for client teams to thrive at your firm.

You'll learn how to:

• Discover how various client team structures effect efficiency, relationship development and revenue growth
• Understand the critical nature of solid infrastructure across functional departments and why it is critical to the overall success of account teams
• Hear about common client team program pitfalls and how to avoid them 

Speakers:
Alexia Patry, Global Account Manager, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
Debra Filippin, Head of Marketing & Business Development, Asia Pacific, HFW