The growth agenda: revenue first,
expansion later

• Key findings

• Retention as a growth strategy

• Secondary priorities lag

• Insights and interpretation

The growth agenda: revenue first, expansion later

Rather than chase new business in a crowded market, law firm CMOs are prioritising deepening existing client value over general expansion.

Key findings

Quoted by 81% of respondents, revenue growth far exceeds any other priority for the next 12 – 24 months, including:

Market expansion – 20%
Practice diversification – 7%

Retention as a growth strategy

Our research clearly shows that growth is still the most important factor for CMOs and business development executives (BDs). The fact that 69% are now prioritising retention and cross-sell echoes findings from our Legal Challenges 2026 Report where ‘client satisfaction and experience’ were the most important strategic factor for law firms.

Secondary priorities lag

In this regard, growth and retention dominate other priorities. Factors like digital transformation and AI (43%), brand repositioning (22%) and talent attraction (19%) seem to carry secondary importance.

Insights and interpretation

The overwhelming priority for CMOs is growing existing revenue, not expansion. Indeed, revenue growth has become the dominant measure of marketing effectiveness. Our data suggests firms are focused on deepening existing revenue streams rather than pursuing broader expansion.

Top strategic priorities (next 12-24 months)

Respondents were asked to select all applicable strategic priorities for the next 12–24 months. Multiple selections were permitted.