Insights
Articles, book recommendations, and industry insights for law firm professionals
Panel at The Legal Tech Talk: Why Your Law Firm's BD Funnel Is Broken and How to Fix It.
Barbara Koenen-Geerdink moderates a panel at LegalTechTalk on why most law firm BD funnels break down, and what to do about it. Twenty minutes. Twilight Stage, Second Floor. Thursday 18 June, 11:10.
AI Agents and Tools: Why Business Development Teams Should Not Be Left Behind in the Race to Implement AI and Automation
This white paper examines why AI agents and tools represent a significant opportunity for business development management teams in law firms. It addresses the strategic, technical, and organisational barriers that prevent BD teams from benefiting from AI, and provides a practical roadmap for change.
BBH launches The Legal Growth Programme: Dubai Summer School
A four-session in-person cohort in Dubai for senior associates, counsel and partners who want to define their value and grow their practice on purpose. Hogan-led personal profiling, value proposition, personal brand and a working BD system.
Ep 6 · 1.6 Chandler Lauzon: From Tactical to Strategic BD
Barbara and Andrew are joined by Chandler Lauzon, Chief Growth Officer at Cassels, a national Canadian law firm of about 400 lawyers with offices coast to coast. Chandler calls himself "a recovering lawyer." He practiced for about eight years before pivoting into proposals in the early 200
Ep 5 · 1.5 Liz Sobe: Client Listening is Client Intelligence
Barbara and Andrew are joined by Liz Sobe, Head of Business Development at Robinson and Cole, a full-service firm of 200 lawyers with a global footprint. Liz has spent 30 years in business development and client relations across professional services. She once took a sabbatical to help a national to
Play-Based Learning: Can simulation games help lawyers learn management and business development skills?
The ABA Journal is read by half of the nation
How Tech Can Enhance Your BD Efforts - Platforum 9
Last Friday’s Business Development Forum, moderated by Barbara Koenen, co-founder of Beyond Billable Hours, and Andrew Hutchinson, co-founder of Rebel.Group, welcomed guest Stijn van Oirschot, co-founder of Beyond Billable Hours, for a discussion exploring how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping business development and marketing functions within law firms. The conversation focused not only […]
BBH & BOOST Growth Game @LTT
Join 5,500 law firm executives, in-house leaders, LegalTech founders, and investors for two full days of insights, inspiration, and...
Platforum 9 session: How Tech can Enhance your BD Efforts
Beyond Billable Hours is hosting a session on Platforum9! The topic: how AI tech can actually enhance your BD efforts, not just add to your admin…
Ep 4 · 1.4 Robin van Keeken: The Outbound BD Role
Barbara and Andrew are joined by Robin van Keeken, Senior Business Development Manager at Buren, a mid-size international law firm in the Netherlands. Seven years ago Robin pitched his firm on an idea that still feels unusual in the legal sector: an outbound business development role. Buren gave it
Building pipeline in a service business
Over the past months, I have found myself reflecting quite a lot on the conversations I have had with lawyers over the years about business…
Ep 3 · 1.3 Mike Mellor: Systems That Drive Growth
Barbara and Andrew are joined by Mike Mellor, legal BD consultant and former co-head of proposals at Paul Weiss. Mike spent his early career in professional services marketing at the Big Four, including a formative stretch on a KPMG deal team, before moving into legal where he quickly realised a lot
Prompt: build a brand hub for law firms
How law firms can replace dusty brand PDFs with a living brand hub — built in two hours with a vibe-coding tool and one good prompt.
Ep 6 · 1:2 Jean Muller: Entering New Markets
Barbara and Andrew are joined by Jean Muller, Executive Director of Global Markets at Khaitan & Co, one of India's leading law firms, and a former diplomat who served as France's youngest Foreign Trade Advisor in India and Singapore.Jean brings a rare perspective to this conversation. He talks a
Why Every Law Firm Partner Should Run a Business. Even a Simulated One.
Ask a senior partner how their firm makes money and you will get a confident answer. Ask them to explain the interplay between revenue recognition,…
Building a Book of Business: Mindset, Clarity, and Commitment
Listen to the full conversation on The Rainmaking PodcastWhat does it really take to build a book of business?It is a question every lawyer faces at…
A Law Firm Brand Is Much More Than a Logo on the Wall
[VIDEO EMBED PLACEHOLDER: link to branding discussion video]When law firms think about branding, most think about the visual identity. The logo, the…
AI Will Not Replace Lawyers, But It Will Change What Firms Bill For
Will AI really change the legal industry? It is the question in every room, every conference, every board meeting. And it is probably the wrong…
Great Insights Go Into Your CRM. Then Nothing Happens.
Firms collect incredible signals. From content engagement platforms, event attendance, email analytics, pitch outcomes, and countless other sources,…
Ep 1 · 1.1 Chris Newman: Building a Sales-Engine in Law Firms
Barbara and Andrew are joined by Chris Newman, who has led sales enablement at McDermott and Mintz, amongst others. This conversation is packed with the kind of hard-won thinking you rarely hear so openly shared. Chris walks through how he built pipeline management, ideal client profiles, white spac
Cross-Selling in Law Firms Is a Culture Problem, Not a Systems Problem
Most law firms are leaving significant revenue on the table. Not because of pricing. Not because of talent. Because of culture.One recent study…
Your BD Team Should Be Leading Strategy, Not Just Supporting It
Everyone is a marketer. Or are they?It is something that plays out in law firms more than almost any other sector. Suddenly everyone has an opinion…
How to Write a Law Firm Business Development Plan That Actually Gets Used
Every year, thousands of law firm partners write a business development plan. And every year, most of those plans are forgotten by March.The problem…
You Hired a Lateral Partner. Now What?
The lateral hire looked great on paper. Strong book of business. Complementary practice area. Good cultural fit. The deal got done, the announcement…
What Clients Actually Want When They Appoint a Law Firm
When general counsel speak openly about how they select and retain law firms, the answers are remarkably consistent. And they are not what most firms…
Why Most Law Firm Partner Retreats Fail, and How to Fix Yours
Every year, law firms around the world gather their partners for a retreat. There is a nice venue. Good food. A keynote speaker who inspires the room…
Your Law Firm's CRM Is Not the Problem. Your Stack Is.
Somewhere in your firm, there is a CRM. It was selected after a long evaluation process, implemented with great fanfare, and launched with training…
1.0 Setting the Table
Before the guests arrive, the hosts take a seat.In this opening episode, Andrew Hutchinson and Barbara Koenen-Geerdink introduce themselves, the podcast, and the moment the legal industry finds itself in. Why are we still in the early stages of a much bigger shift? What challenges are coming that mo
Automation, Pricing, and the Myth of Declining Value in Law
The debate about pricing in law firms has resurfaced once again. Alternative fee arrangements, fixed fees, value-based billing — the models differ, but the underlying challenge remains stubbornly the same.
Martech panel@Techtorget
Beyond Billable Hours will host a future-focused martech panel at Techtorget in Stockholm. This session brings together growth leaders and innovators…
A Walk Through the Landscape: Five Trends Shaping the Future of the Legal Martech Industry in 2026
Legal martech is maturing as law firms rethink how they grow, not because tools are getting shinier. The winners will be those that use data, AI, and smarter systems to build real, repeatable growth capability.
Law Firm Business Development Strategy: How to Build Confidence, Consistency, and Growth
A practical guide for law firms to build sustainable business development strategies that feel human, practical, and achievable rather than performative or sales-driven.
Law Firm Cross-Selling Strategy: How to Break Silos and Drive Sustainable Growth
A strategic framework for law firms to overcome cross-selling barriers and build systematic collaboration across practices for sustainable growth.
Beyond Billable Hours
Are you a fee earner in a professional services firm? Need to get business in beyond your billable hours? This is a must read book.
How To Think About AI: A Guide For The Perplexed
The ultimate guide for anyone seeking a pragmatic, clear, and genuinely useful understanding of artificial intelligence.
Law Firm MarTech Strategy in 2025: What the Legal Marketing Technology Data Reveals
In 2025, MarTech is no longer a support function; it is a go-to-market capability. As client expectations rise and AI reshapes how buyers search, evaluate, and select firms, the gap between firms with a coherent law firm MarTech strategy and those with fragmented tools is widening.
Experimentation Works: The Surprising Power of Business Experiments
A clear, practical recommendation for anyone who wants to understand how experimentation really drives better decisions, faster learning, and meaningful innovation in complex organisations.