INSIDE THE BUYER'S MIND US (2026)

^{What drives legal spend in the boardroom and beyond?}

In a landscape shaped by economic uncertainty, regulatory upheaval, and technological disruption, clients across the United States are revealing what truly drives their selection of legal counsel.

Informed by extensive feedback from clients, collected while researching the Chambers USA Guide, this report uncovers some of the nuanced preferences and pressures that are defining legal purchasing power and drivng decision making.

Executive Summary

METHODOLOGY

Drawing from the 74,000 responses to interviews and surveys for the Chambers USA 2025 Guide, we analyzed feedback from 9,000 clients on the performance of their law firms and reviewed 20,000 responses detailing current market trends, including:

How their legal spend will change in the next 12 months
What external factors impact their need for outside legal advice
What distinguishing features they look for when selecting external legal services

This data was then segmented by practice area, location, and the size of the client organisation.

^{Key findings}

Clients demand more value, innovation, and business partnership from law firms.
Rising costs and economic uncertainty drive interest in alternative fee models.
Deep expertise and strong teams are critical in complex, fast-changing areas.
Political, regulatory, and technological shifts (especially AI) are increasing legal needs.
Firms that combine technical excellence with commercial insight will win.