David H. Freeman, J.D.

David H. Freeman, J.D., a former lawyer and CEO of the David Freeman Consulting Group, helps firms significantly increase revenue through:

• Business development training and coaching (partners, laterals, and associates)
• Leadership training and coaching
• Accelerated cross-selling
• Client service training and planning
• Retreat speaking, design and facilitation
• Business development culture assessments

David is driven to help firms and individuals achieve higher levels of performance. He is the creator of a new personal rainmaking system for lawyers, CMOplaybook™ (that features up to 28 experts sharing hundreds of proven techniques for building an extraordinary practice), and for the past 16 years, he has helped thousands of lawyers become better rainmakers and leaders in hundreds of firms world-wide. His expertise in law firm client development has been recognized by his peers, as evidenced by appointments as:

• Co-Chair the 2010 Annual Conference for the Legal Marketing Association (LMA)
• A former member of the Board of Editors for Marketing the Law Firm (An Incisive Media publication)
• A former member of the Education Committee of the Legal Marketing Association

David is also an internationally acclaimed speaker who has presented at law firm retreats, international, national and regional conferences, bar association meetings, and law firm networks. David has also authored numerous articles on the revenue-related aspects of management, leadership, service, strategy, and business development.

David has written a unique book for law firm leaders called Weekly Reminders for Revenue-Focused Leaders, he is a co-author of Law Firm Marketing Leaders: Tips From a Collection of Experts, he was on the Board of Editors and wrote an ongoing leadership column for American Lawyer Media's newsletter, Marketing the Law Firm, he has contributed a leadership column to the Association of Legal Administrators publication ALA Currents, and he regularly produces leadership and business development Tips of the Month.

David also developed the ability to engage the organizational and human factors that drive successful implementation through his prior work as a change management, strategic planning, and Balanced Scorecard consultant for corporations such as Sun Microsystems, Zurich Financial Services, Agilent Technologies, and Olin Corporation.

Education

Fordham Law School, J.D., 1982
SUNY Binghamton, B.A. Economics, 1979

Representative Engagements

Business Development Training and Coaching

• Created CMOplaybook™ to help firms internalize training and coaching and enhance their culture of business development
• Delivered customized business development training, coaching, and planning programs for partners, counsel, and associates in dozens of AmLaw 200 and mid-sized firms
• Custom-designed marketing and cross-selling programs for laterals in an AmLaw 200 firm
• Designed and delivered customized associate business development training programs for numerous firms

Retreats and Planning Sessions

• Facilitated and identified over $60 million in prospective business opportunities at a partner retreat
• Delivered several cross-selling workshops for partners that identified millions in new business opportunities
• Designed and led meetings of internal task forces charged with sustaining cross-selling activity
• Delivered an interactive, customized client service training session for an AmLaw 40 firm
• Designed, spoke at, and facilitated planning for entire retreats at several firms
• Facilitated long-range planning for a large Southeast firm
• Facilitated a strategic marketing plan for the litigation group of an AmLaw 200 firm

Leadership Training and Coaching

• Custom-designed training and coaching programs for several large and mid-sized firms that helped leaders become more effective “sales managers” (developed group plans, enhanced cross-selling, accelerated implementation, etc.)
• Built and delivered leadership/management programs for senior associates preparing for partnership for several firms
• Designed and moderated a program with four managing partners on styles of leadership needed by today’s lawyer

Client Service Training and Consulting

• Conducted collaborative client service planning session for an AmLaw 200 firm and one of their most significant clients
• Delivered programs on developing high performance client teams at various firms and conferences
• Designed customized client service training programs delivered at various offices of several mid-sized and large firms
• Devised a proprietary firm-wide culture survey to uncover gaps in service, leadership, and business development for many firms

Speaking Engagements

• “Sales Mastery for Law Firms: Growing and Protecting Key Client Relationships”,
  January 2011, various LMA Chapters


• “The Crossroads of Technology and Technique:
  New Approaches for Driving Revenue From Your Most Important Clients”,
  Redwood Analytics Webinar, December 2010


• “Blending Digital Marketing with Business Development”,
  Webinar, November 2010


• “Maximizing Business Development for Laterals”,
  Webinar, July 2010


• “Tools and Techniques for Successful Business Development: Client Teams”,
  LexisNexis Webinar, June 2010


• “Blueprint for Building a Business Development Culture”,
  MSI Global Alliance, Americas Meeting, June 2010


• “Using Service, Knowledge and Value to Attract and Retain Clients”,
  Webinar, Gerson Lehrman Group, May 2010


• “Institutionalizing Leadership Opportunities for Diverse Lawyers”,
  Opus 6 Leadership Conference, May 2010


• “Sales Mastery: Growing and Protecting Your Most Important Relationships”,
  LMA Southwest Chapter, June 2010
  LMA Bay Area, May 2010
  Managing Partner Forum, January 2010


• “Best Practices in Developing Client Teams”, LexisNexis Webinar, June 2010


• “Protecting and Growing Your Firm’s Best Clients”, LexisNexis Webinar, August 2009


• “Different Perspectives on Leadership”, Women in Law Empowerment Forum, June 2009


• “How to Stay Relevant in Today’s Times”, Celesq, July 2009


• “Tactics for Competing in Turbulent Times”, LMA Webinar, October 2008


• “Mastering the Art of Cross-Selling”,
  LMA Virginia, October 2008
  Marketing Partner Forum, January 2008


• “Understanding and Changing Your Business Development Culture”,
  Marketing Partner Forum, January 2009
  Terralex 2008 Americas Regional Meeting, June 2008


• “Developing Revenue-Focused Leaders”,
  Ark Group, December 2008 and March 2009
  LMA Leadership Program: “Leadership Matters”, Chicago, November 2007
  LMA Bay Area, January, 2007
  Marketing Partner Forum, January 2007
  Lex Mundi Executor Director’s Conference, October 2006
  LMA Webinar, LMA New York, LMA Minnesota, September 2006
  Association of Accounting Marketers, Annual Conference, June 2006
  LMA Mid-Atlantic Region, June 2006
  Association of Accounting Marketers, September 2005
  Pre-Conference Workshop, NorthStar Law Firm Leadership Institute, May 2005
  American Lawyer Media Webinar, March 2005


• “Best Practices in Leadership”,
  ALA Region 5 & 6 Annual Conference, September 2006


• “Mastering the Art of Implementing a Strategic Plan”,
  LM Southeast Annual Conference, September, 2006
  Association of Legal Administrators 35th Annual Conference, May, 2006


• “Filling the Gap: Mastering the Sales Function for CMO’s and Marketing Directors”,
  LMA Annual Conference, March 2006


• “The Five Habits of Successful Business Development”,
  Scores of internal training sessions at law firms
  Texas Association of Trial Attorneys Conference, April 2010
  University of Texas, Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference, October 2008
  The American Association of Nurse Attorneys, October 2008
  LMA Dallas, October 2006
  ALFA International Annual Meeting, October 2006
  LMA Minnesota 2nd Annual Conference, November 2005
  LSSO RainDance Conference, June 2005
  International Law Firm Network, Vienna, Austria, May 2005
  LMA Chicago, March 2005; LMA Southwest, March 2005; LMA Nashville, March 2005;
  LMA Orlando, March 2005


• “What Role Does Marketing and Business Development Play in Your Firm’s Success”,
  NorthStar Law Firm Leadership Institute, May 2005


• “The Five Pillars of Client Service”,
  Professional Development Consortium Bi-Annual Meeting, July 2007
  Retreat for AmLaw 40 firm


• “Developing a Roadmap for Establishing a Sales, Marketing and Service Culture in Your Firm”
  LMA Austin, February 2005; LMA Atlanta, March 2005; LMA Birmingham, March 2005
  LMA Nashville, March 2005; LMA Richmond, July 2005
  Terralex Network, October 2004
  Legal Marketing Association, Annual Conference, 2004
  Legal Marketing Association Rocky Mountain Chapter, 2003


• “Marketing to Existing Clients”,
  Legal Marketing Association Boot Camp, Sept 2004


• “Practice Group Management”,
  The Participating Group, July 2004


• “Business Development –The Power of Long-Term Relationship Building”,
  ABA Minority Counsel Program, Spring, 2004


• “Empowerment and Leadership: Taking Control of Your Career”,
  Women in Law Leadership Academy, 2004


• “Business Development for Inside and Outside Counsel: It’s a Two-Way Street”,
  ABA Minority Counsel Program, Fall, 2003

Books and Articles

Updating - visit Articles page past publications