Episode 55 - Mark Howe of Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP on the rise of client-facing BD roles in law firms

Many firms are looking to gain a competitive advantage by being closer to their clients, but client-facing business development roles are no longer the sole responsibility of lawyers.

On this edition of the CMO Series, Will Eke welcomes Mark Howe, Director of Business Development & Client Relations at Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP, to hear about his experience in a client-facing BD role and the benefits to the lawyers and the wider firm.

Will and Mark discuss: 

• Mark’s current role at TDS and when client-facing work become a regular part of it
• The evolution of client-facing BD roles in legal 
• Why these sorts of roles took so long to come about and what they bring to law firms
• If client-facing BD is something every firm should have and the conditions that need to be met for client-facing BD professionals to be successful
• Advice for law firms looking at implementing client facing BD roles