Mark Thompson Quoted in the ABA Journal

Mark Thompson was quoted on the importance of practical business development coaching in the September issue of the ABA Journal. The article, entitled “Training from Rain: Some Firms Turn to Outside Companies for In-House Business Development,” calls rainmaking “the lifeblood of law firms, and the how-to's of honing this crucial skill make for hot topics at conferences and seminars. For this reason, it's not uncommon for law firms to teach business-development techniques to their own lawyers, tapping successful partners to tell their secrets. Some firms, though, instead choose to call in outside experts.”

Yet the general nature of the programming can be an issue, says CMO Mark L. Thompson of Chicago-based Seyfarth Shaw. Thompson, a lawyer, founded the firm's in-house business development coaching program last year. The best coaching comes in specific opportunities, not in the abstract," he says. "Every presentation is different, and [an outside company] can only tell you so much unless they're brought in to help you go out after a specific piece of business where they know your issues and the personalities of the people in the room."

Ultimately, concludes the author, success depends on whether lawyers are willing to apply what they've learned.