Our CEO Melissa Davis returned to the International Bar Association‘s Law Firm Management Committee Academy for Leaders for the sixth year, delivering a session on business development, reputation and personal brand at King’s College London.
Run by the IBA’s Law Firm Management Committee and co-chaired by Moray McLaren and Stephen Bowman, the four-day programme brought together leaders from more than 20 jurisdictions to share ideas, challenge thinking and learn from one another – with conversations spanning AI, leadership, strategy and business development.
Melissa spoke on the programme’s practitioner perspectives panel, alongside Louise Edwards, Katie Cramond-Hill, Gary Assim and David Gutierrez.
Melissa’s session focused on the practical side of business development, reputation and personal brand, exploring why technical excellence is only the starting point, how reputation is built through every interaction, and why consistent follow-up remains one of the biggest missed opportunities after conferences and client meetings.
Drawing on her experience as a Legal 500 referee, Melissa put one of the questions she had recently been asked to the audience: “If your principal lawyer moved firms, would you follow them?” Almost every hand went up – a powerful reminder that clients follow trusted relationships, not just brands, and that firms should think about building stronger institutional client relationships alongside individual ones.
Speaking after the event, Melissa said:
“The strongest firms are built on a positive culture that comes from the top. A culture that encourages collaboration, generosity, curiosity and relationship-building doesn’t just create a better place to work, it creates stronger client relationships, a more resilient reputation and, ultimately, more sustainable growth.”
Thank you to everyone who attended the event, and to Moray McLaren, Zulon Begum, Stephen Bowman and Stephen Revell for inviting Melissa to the programme.
