Am Law Quotes Shade Vaughn on Evolving Marketing Roles in Big Law

For its article “The ‘Attorney Concierge’ Era for Business Development Professionals Is Over,” The American Lawyer has quoted Akin chief marketing and business development officer Shade Vaughn. The article discusses the shifting landscape of the legal industry, particularly concerning the evolving roles of marketing and business development professionals within Big Law firms.

Shade noted that he envisions a shift in the role of business development and marketing professionals, emphasizing the need for them to play a more proactive role in identifying and pursuing new business opportunities. “We want BD to play a different role than it has historically,” he said. “We want to give lawyers ideas as to when market opportunities arise and how to help their clients in that space.”

Further, Shade underscored the importance of lawyers having a comprehensive understanding of their clients’ business environments. He said, “Today, if we want to present to a client, we need to have an understanding of their business environment, what their competitors are doing, how their sector is performing, and map that to our expertise.”