Executive summary

• Research aims

• Methodology

• Key findings

Every chief marketing officer (CMO) knows that law firm marketing is evolving, but why is change so uneven? Revenue pressure and AI adoption are accelerating change, but any gains are being constrained by data maturity and internal alignment issues.

All the firms we surveyed want to grow – and most are pursuing the same strategy, targeting existing markets as their main priority. A further 69% have made retention and cross-sell opportunities a primary concern.

The move towards digital transformation and AI offers new ways of working that could deliver significant growth opportunities. Indeed, most firms are actively adopting new technology. However, many of these use cases are limited in scope and fail to account for the potential of additional resources, like market data. In some cases, stable budgets may hold back prospects in the brave new data-driven marketplace.

This report provides a peer benchmark for senior marketing leaders navigating growth in a tough environment.

Research aims

To investigate and provide CMOs with clear, data-backed insight into how their peers are prioritising, planning and performing.
To highlight practical ways legal data and rankings can be used to support smarter decision making for senior business development and marketing professionals.

Key findings

Revenue growth and retention dominate strategy as 81% of respondents prioritise revenue growth in existing markets. Meanwhile, 69% prioritise client retention and cross-sell opportunities.

AI adoption is widespread but immature as 72% are piloting or developing the technology. Meanwhile, just 19% claim to have achieved advanced data maturity.

Market data remains underutilised with a mere 10% considering it to be “core and essential” to their operations.

Relationships are still key, as 86% consider referrals and relationships to be the biggest influence on client acquisition.

Methodology

This report draws on survey responses from 54 marketing and business development professionals working in law firms across the US and UK (including 34 chief marketing officers) capturing their strategic priorities, data and AI use, growth barriers and client behaviour insights. The data reflects a cross-section of firm sizes and practice areas, offering a representative view of the market for legal services. The survey was conducted by Chambers in May 2026.

Budgets are static, with the majority (72%) expecting no change. None of the respondents expect increases this year.