What the 2025 ACC Chief Legal Officer Survey Tells Us About Retaining and Winning More Business

Three strategic steps to successful new enterprise, based mostly on the most recent ACC Chief Authorized Officer Survey.

The 2025 Affiliation of Company Counsel Chief Authorized Officer Survey presents each a problem and a possibility for legal professionals and legislation corporations. With 43% of CLOs planning to ship extra work to exterior counsel in 2025 — a 17% enhance from final yr — you would possibly assume successful enterprise is about to get simpler. But it surely’s not that easy. CLOs are going through intense stress to drive operational effectivity, handle prices and exhibit enterprise worth, all whereas navigating more and more advanced authorized and regulatory challenges.

As a enterprise improvement coach and advisor, the important thing conclusion I draw from the survey is that the trail to successful extra work isn’t nearly authorized experience — it’s about understanding how CLOs are evolving from authorized advisors into strategic enterprise leaders.

Give it some thought this fashion: When 79% of CLOs report on to their CEOs and 70% handle a number of enterprise capabilities past authorized, they’re not simply searching for technical authorized recommendation. They’re searching for companions who perceive their broader enterprise challenges and may ship options that align with their strategic initiatives.

Key Insights That Ought to Form Your Method

The survey paints a transparent image of recent CLOs: They’re more and more changing into enterprise leaders, not merely legal professionals. It discovered 58% of CLOs report being closely concerned in M&A and company transactions, and 44% see their biggest influence in advising CEOs and shaping enterprise technique.

So, what does this imply for outdoor counsel hoping to win extra enterprise from enterprise purchasers? It’s essential to know that CLOs are searching for trusted advisors who can converse their language and concentrate on their priorities: effectivity, enterprise influence and strategic worth. Attorneys who fail to acknowledge these priorities threat changing into commoditized service suppliers moderately than trusted strategic companions.

Three Strategic Steps to Win Extra Enterprise

There are numerous findings within the survey that may inform your method to managing consumer relationships and successful new enterprise. Listed here are three steps legal professionals and legislation corporations can concentrate on to higher align with CLOs’ priorities and expectations.

1. Lead with Enterprise Acumen, Not Simply Authorized Experience

In line with the survey, 59% of CLOs need their very own authorized groups to develop larger enterprise acumen. If that’s what they’re prioritizing internally, it’s definitely what they count on from their exterior counsel as effectively.

What this implies to your follow:

Body your experience when it comes to enterprise outcomes, not simply authorized options.

Show understanding of industry-specific challenges (72% of CLOs are involved about industry-specific regulatory enforcement).

Join your authorized recommendation to operational effectivity — the highest strategic precedence for 35% of CLOs.

2. Embrace Know-how

The survey reveals that 44% of authorized departments — notably in massive corporations — are implementing new authorized know-how in 2025. Deal with aligning your service supply together with your consumer’s digital transformation journey.

Develop capabilities that complement purchasers’ know-how investments, particularly in contract administration (62% precedence) and doc administration (32% precedence).

Use know-how to exhibit effectivity and value management — 41% of authorized departments are going through cost-cutting mandates.

3. Place Your self for Complexity

Right here’s the place alternative meets preparation: 42% of CLOs report elevated litigation quantity, and 44% see extra inner investigations. However they’re not simply seeing extra work — they’re seeing extra advanced work, with 38% reporting elevated litigation complexity.

This complexity creates a gap for legal professionals and corporations that may:

Provide built-in groups that may deal with interconnected authorized points.

Present clear undertaking administration and finances predictability.

Showcase expertise in navigating regulatory investigations (23% of organizations confronted these previously yr).

Transferring Ahead

The 2025 ACC CLO Survey reveals worthwhile clues to enhance the administration of relationships and enterprise improvement. The problem that legal professionals and legislation corporations should meet is evolving from being purely authorized service suppliers to changing into true enterprise companions who occur to ship authorized companies.

CLOs are planning to ship extra work to exterior counsel. However they’ll be selective about who will get that work. By aligning your method with their evolving wants — specializing in enterprise influence, embracing know-how, and managing complexity successfully — you’ll place your self to seize a larger share of this rising alternative.

On this atmosphere, it’s not about promoting more durable. It’s about promoting smarter by actually understanding and addressing what retains right now’s CLOs up at evening.

One in every of a Form: A Confirmed Path to a Worthwhile Legislation Follow

BY JAY HARRINGTON

In right now’s authorized market, growing a worthwhile and constant ebook of enterprise requires a strategic method. When you’re open to new concepts and are involved in rising your follow, this ebook is a good useful resource to kickstart the subsequent stage in your profession.

Picture ©iStockPhoto.com

Don’t miss out on our day by day follow administration ideas. Subscribe to Lawyer at Work’s free publication right here >