tml Partners is pleased to share our latest Legal Marketing, BD and Corporate Affairs Industry Update, drawn from live search activity, client conversations and market data across our Professional Services team. It looks at how commercial leadership in legal is being reshaped as the market splits into two very different strategies: consolidation at the top, and hyper-specialisation in the mid-market.
In the report
The full findings, hiring trends and salary benchmarks are in the report. Here’s a summary of what’s inside.
A market splitting in two. Transatlantic mergers, Ashurst and Perkins Coie, Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing, Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader, are building global platforms at scale, while mid-market firms like Howard Kennedy are concentrating on a smaller number of core specialisms instead of competing on breadth.
Private equity is following the mid-market, not big law. According to the Law Gazette, there were 15 PE-backed legal transactions in the first five months of 2026 alone, against 12 for the whole of 2025, concentrated in the regional, consumer-facing end of the market.
The senior talent pool is shrinking faster than firms expect. As the top tier consolidates into fewer, larger platforms, the number of commercial leaders able to operate at that scale is becoming a genuine constraint on succession planning, not just a hiring inconvenience.
Brand has moved from communications to commercial accountability. Boards are asking sharper questions about the link between brand investment and pipeline performance, not just sentiment.
Pricing is becoming BD’s problem too. As AI-driven efficiency puts pressure on the billable hour, BD is increasingly the function building the value case for what firms charge.
Where the hiring demand actually is
Four areas are absorbing most of the commercial hiring activity right now.
Sectors and clients. With more revenue sitting inside existing relationships, firms need BD leaders who can connect client intelligence across practice groups, not just within them. Private equity, energy and infrastructure, and life sciences are seeing the most activity.
Litigation and disputes. The standout practice area of the year. Litigation, bankruptcy and employment work has accelerated while transactional work has plateaued, and firms are rebalancing their BD investment to match.
Digital and AI. Investment in CRM, data and client intelligence platforms continues, but AI has changed what firms are hiring for, it’s the people who can implement and govern AI-enabled pitch, proposal and content tools responsibly, not just the tools themselves.
PR, corporate and change communications. As clients increasingly use AI tools to research and shortlist advisors, a firm’s public narrative shapes how it’s represented in those tools. The same skill set is now in demand internally too, to help people through mergers and AI-driven change.
Business development’s evolving role, and what it’s worth
BD now sits at the intersection of client strategy, commercial growth, pricing and market intelligence. The traditional model, built around events, directories and pitches, is disappearing, and firms still hiring for that model are hiring for a role that no longer exists in many firms.
That shift is starting to show up in pay. The report includes detailed salary bandings across BD, marketing and corporate communications roles in London, Europe and the US. In London, Director-level BD and Client Development pay now stretches to £220,000 to £300,000, reflecting how far the seniority and scope of the role has moved on.
BD is expected to understand the commercial fundamentals, not just relationships. Profitability, pricing strategy, fee structures and data analytics are now part of the job description at senior level.
Compensation at the top of the function is rising to match the remit. As BD leaders take on more commercial responsibility, pay at Director and Head of level is moving with it.
Firms hiring to yesterday’s job description will lose the talent that matters. The candidates in demand combine legal sector expertise, financial understanding, pricing capability and data literacy, and they have options.
About tml Partners
tml Partners specialises in sourcing marketing, business development and commercial leaders for the world’s most ambitious businesses, providing a fully integrated suite of talent solutions including Executive Search, Leadership Insights, Interim and Fractional Talent, and DEI Solutions.
If you’re interested in learning more about how the Professional Services team at tml Partners can support your hiring needs, please get in touch.
