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Generated Oct 23, 2026
  1. Programmable
  2. Playbooks
  3. Barnes & Thornburg
Barnes & Thornburg logo

growth playbook · Oct 23, 2026

btlaw.com (opens in a new tab)

Barnes & Thornburg growth playbook

Diagnosis

Barnes & Thornburg is growing fast: more than 70 partners and 130 lawyers hired this year, and open roles show where the firm wants to grow next: settlement counsel in 24 offices, drug-and-device counsel, Data Privacy and AI associates in eight cities, Japanese- and Korean-speaking staff, and a Marketing BI Analyst to catalogue experience, relationships, rankings and white space.

The website has not caught up. The growth practices show little recent proof (a 2018 MDL figure, a privacy page with no matters), the Spanish page says 11 offices, error and test pages sit in the sitemap, and three languages lack hreflang.

This playbook starts with experience blocks on the growth practices, quick site fixes and a rankings page, then uses the analyst's data for experience search, white-space targeting, lateral cross-selling and client team dashboards.

Growth Score

7/10

Biggest Opportunity

Turn the BI analyst's experience and relationship data into public proof on the practices the firm is hiring for, and into client-team growth plans.

Biggest Risk

Rapid lateral growth outpaces the firm's visible proof and integration, so new practices look thin online and lateral clients never meet the rest of the firm.

01

Start here

The three moves to make first. Each one is written up in full below.

  1. 1

    Put recent matters on the practice pages you are hiring hardest for, starting with Product Liability and Data Privacy

    Ask the Product Liability chair for ten describable matters since 2023.

    High impact First result in 1 month
  2. 2

    Update the Spanish overview page: it still says 11 offices and 550 professionals

    Replace the office count and headcount sentence today.

    Medium impact First result in 2 weeks
  3. 3

    Take error pages, test templates and duplicate copies out of the sitemap

    List every sitemap URL under /components/, /404, /500 and _var2.

    Medium impact First result in 1 month

02

Your idea portfolio

22 ideas, grouped by when to run them. Open any idea for how to run it: the steps, who to approach, copy you can use, and how to measure it.

  • 7 ideas are marked Unexpected: plays you are unlikely to have tried.

Every idea placed by the effort it takes against the impact it could have. Quick wins sit top left; select a number to open that idea. The filters below narrow the list by status, timing, category and what Programmable can build.

Effort vs impactEach number is an idea. Select one to open it.
Impact →
Quick wins · 0Big bets · 8Fill-ins · 9Reconsider · 5
Effort →

Showing 22 of 22 ideas

This week 6

Quick wins with a clear first action.

  • 01

    The firm is hiring settlement counsel in 24 offices, drug-and-device counsel in five and Data Privacy and AI associates in eight, so these are the practices it plans to grow. But the Product Liability and Mass Torts page's only dated proof is "In 2018 alone, our team served as national counsel for nine MDLs", and the Data Security and Privacy page lists no matters at all, just one anonymous Best Lawyers comment. A general counsel comparing firms sees capability claims with nothing from the last seven years behind them. The new Marketing BI Analyst is being hired to catalogue exactly this "Experience Data".

    High impactMedium effort First result in 1 month Marketing Business Intelligen…

    First action

    Ask the Product Liability chair for ten describable matters since 2023.

    How to measure it

    Contact and RFP inquiries from the two pages

    Now
    –
    Target
    +30%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Agree the format

      One line per matter: role, client type, scale, outcome; anonymised by default.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 2 days

    2. 2

      Collect matters

      Ten from Product Liability and Mass Torts, ten from Data Security and Privacy.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 2 weeks

    3. 3

      Clear them

      Conflicts and client-consent check for each line.

      General Counsel 1 week

    4. 4

      Write the block

      "Recent experience" plus two client stories and the Chambers ranking.

      Communications Manager 1 week

    5. 5

      Replace the 2018 line

      Current MDL count and claims resolved.

      Product Liability and Mass Torts practice chair 1 day

    6. 6

      Publish

      Near the top of both pages, mirrored on the drug and device sub-page.

      Digital Marketing Manager 2 days

    7. 7

      Extend

      Healthcare and insurance recovery next.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst monthly

    8. 8

      Measure

      Inquiries, time on page and pitch reuse.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst monthly

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Staff time only
    Owner
    Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst

    Smallest test

    Publish five anonymised recent matters on the Product Liability page this month.

    Why it works

    Start the analyst's experience database with these two practices. For each, pick 8 to 12 matters from the last three years that can be described (anonymised where needed: "national coordinating counsel for a medical device maker in a 4,000-claim MDL", "breach response for a regional health system across 30 states"). Add a "Recent experience" block near the top of each practice page with those lines, two client stories where clients agree, and the current Chambers ranking. Replace the 2018 sentence. Then repeat for the next practices on the hiring list (healthcare, insurance recovery).

    Buyers of legal services shortlist on relevant recent experience; laterals and recruits read the same pages. Fresh matter lists also give search engines and AI assistants specific, quotable text for queries like "MDL defense counsel medical device".

    Ready to use

    ChecklistPractice page experience block

    [ ] 8-12 matters from the last 3 years, one line each
    [ ] Role, client type, scale, outcome
    [ ] Conflicts and consent cleared
    [ ] Current Chambers / Best Lawyers ranking with year
    [ ] Two client stories linked
    [ ] Dated "updated" line
    [ ] Same block in the PDF version
    [ ] Quarterly review owner named

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Client confidentiality

      Anonymise by default and clear every line through conflicts.

    • Lists go stale again

      Make the analyst's database the source and review quarterly.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteProduct Liability and Mass Torts practice page (sitemap lastmod October 16, 2026): "more than 100 experienced product liability and mass torts litigators", "a national ranking in Chambers USA", "10,000-plus claim multidistrict litigation (MDLs)"; its only dated proof point is "In 2018 alone, our team served as national counsel for nine MDLs and coordinated proceedings". The page lists areas of focus, leadership and insights, but no recent matters or client stories.Source
    • Your websiteData Security and Privacy page, filed under Intellectual Property: five service lines (privacy compliance, regulatory investigations, breach response, transactional data protection, outside privacy counsel) and one anonymous "Client comment in Best Lawyers"; no representative matters, numbers or client stories. Artificial intelligence sits on a separate Industries page (/en/work/industries/artificial-intelligence) and an "AI Advantage" page under About Us.Source
    • HiringCounsel - Settlement Team: 24 open postings, one per office (Atlanta to Washington, D.C.), to lead "complex product liability, toxic tort, and mass tort settlements from initial negotiations through final claim resolution", "large-scale settlements involving thousands of claimants", and "data analysis across claims, such as monitoring values and identifying trends within a tort". Plus Counsel - Drug, Device and Consumer Products in five offices (posted October 8-9, 2026) and product liability associates and paralegals in Indianapolis, Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles.Source
    • HiringData Privacy and AI Associate: eight postings posted October 5-12, 2026 (Indianapolis, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, Washington, D.C., Morristown, Raleigh), in the Intellectual Property department, covering "privacy counseling", "incident response plans, incident reports and breach notifications" and "artificial intelligence (AI) matters". The post describes the firm as "an AmLaw 100 firm with 26 offices".Source
    • HiringMarketing Business Intelligence Analyst (Indianapolis, posted October 7, 2026): will "collect, track, analyze, and deploy business intelligence to advance marketing and business development strategies", including "Experience Data: Matter descriptions, jurisdictional expertise, industry/sector familiarity", "Relationship Data: 'Who-Knows-Whom', referral sources ... clients, prospects, alumni", "Rankings & Credentials" and "White Space Analysis: Underdeveloped or emerging practice areas", and will "Create visual dashboards, profiles, and reports" and "Establish and maintain news and litigation alerts".Source
    • Your websiteClient stories ("In Focus"): 11 distinct stories in the sitemap, four of them listed twice as "_var2" copies that canonicalize to themselves; the index page features eight, including a Westlaw Q&A with the managing partner and an amicus brief. By comparison the sitemap lists about 1,348 people pages and 6,126 insights pages.Source
  • 02

    The /en/spanish "Generalidades" page tells Spanish-speaking clients the firm has "más de 550 profesionales jurídicos a través de 11 oficinas", while the firm now describes itself as an AmLaw 100 firm with 26 offices and has hired 130 lawyers this year alone. It is the one page written for Latin American and Spanish-speaking clients, and it undersells the firm by more than half.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 2 weeks Communications Manager

    First action

    Replace the office count and headcount sentence today.

    How to measure it

    Spanish-page contact clicks

    Now
    –
    Target
    20 a quarter
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Fix the numbers

      Offices, headcount, cities.

      Communications Manager 1 hour

    2. 2

      Check memberships

      TerraLex, TechLaw Group, State Capital Group still current?

      Communications Manager 1 day

    3. 3

      List Spanish speakers

      Lawyers who advise in Spanish.

      Legal Talent Management 2 days

    4. 4

      Add practices

      Trade, immigration, employment, corporate.

      Communications Manager 2 days

    5. 5

      Add contact

      A Spanish contact form route.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 day

    6. 6

      Review

      Native-speaker check.

      Communications Manager 1 day

    First result
    2 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Communications Manager

    Smallest test

    Correct the one outdated sentence this week.

    Why it works

    Rewrite the page with today's numbers and offices, the practices Spanish-speaking clients use most (international trade, immigration, labor and employment, corporate), the lawyers who work in Spanish, and a contact route in Spanish. Add the current TerraLex and network memberships only if they are still current.

    An outdated firm profile in a client's language reads as neglect; a current one is a cheap way to win cross-border work.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Translation quality

      Have a Spanish-speaking lawyer review it.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteSpanish overview page (/en/spanish, "Generalidades", sitemap lastmod October 31, 2025) still says the firm has "más de 550 profesionales jurídicos a través de 11 oficinas" in "Atlanta, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio y Washington, D.C.", while current job posts say 26 offices.Source
    • HiringData Privacy and AI Associate: eight postings posted October 5-12, 2026 (Indianapolis, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, Washington, D.C., Morristown, Raleigh), in the Intellectual Property department, covering "privacy counseling", "incident response plans, incident reports and breach notifications" and "artificial intelligence (AI) matters". The post describes the firm as "an AmLaw 100 firm with 26 offices".Source
    • Your websiteManaging Partner Andrew Detherage in a Westlaw Today Q&A (September 2026, republished on the site): the firm "has hired more than 70 partners and 130 lawyers this year", including a 14-lawyer healthcare and litigation team in Raleigh and lateral groups in public finance and infrastructure, insurance recovery, entertainment and white-collar defense, with "enhanced cross-selling" among the outcomes.Source
    • Company profileWikipedia/Knowledge Graph: Barnes & Thornburg LLP, founded 1982, "the largest law firm in Indiana", ranked 78th among the largest US law firms, with 26 US offices.Source
  • 03

    The sitemap lists /404, /500 and /no-version-page in three languages and template pages such as /en/components/testimagelist and /en/components/copy-of-chicago. The ones we fetched return 200 with "index,follow" and a self-canonical, and four client stories appear twice as "_var2" copies that also canonicalize to themselves. Search engines spend crawl on these and may show an error page or a test page for the firm's name.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 1 month Digital Marketing Manager

    First action

    List every sitemap URL under /components/, /404, /500 and _var2.

    How to measure it

    Indexed error/test URLs

    Now
    –
    Target
    0
    By
    1 quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Inventory

      Error, component, test and _var2 URLs.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 day

    2. 2

      Fix status codes

      Real 404 and 500 responses.

      Digital Marketing Manager 2 days

    3. 3

      Noindex templates

      Components and test pages.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 day

    4. 4

      Fix duplicates

      Canonical or redirect _var2 to the original.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 day

    5. 5

      Regenerate sitemap

      Exclude those page types.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 day

    6. 6

      Request removal

      Search Console removals for any already indexed.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 day

    7. 7

      Guard

      A pre-publish sitemap check.

      Digital Marketing Manager ongoing

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Developer time
    Owner
    Digital Marketing Manager

    Smallest test

    Fix the status code on /en/404 and /en/500 first.

    Why it works

    Remove error, component and test pages from the sitemap and mark them noindex; make the error pages return real 404/500 status codes; point each "_var2" copy's canonical at the original (or redirect it). Add a sitemap check to the publishing workflow so new templates do not leak.

    A clean sitemap concentrates search signals on the 7,000+ real pages and stops odd results appearing for brand searches.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Removing a page someone links to

      Redirect rather than delete where links exist.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteSitemap (7,944 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): lists /404, /500 and /no-version-page in English, Japanese and Chinese, and template pages such as /en/components/testimagelist, /en/components/copy-of-chicago and /en/components/new-industry-detail; the ones we fetched return 200 with "index,follow" and a self-canonical. No page in the sitemap carries hreflang annotations, although 303 URLs are in /ja-jp/ and 207 in /zh-cn/.Source
    • Your websiteClient stories ("In Focus"): 11 distinct stories in the sitemap, four of them listed twice as "_var2" copies that canonicalize to themselves; the index page features eight, including a Westlaw Q&A with the managing partner and an amicus brief. By comparison the sitemap lists about 1,348 people pages and 6,126 insights pages.Source
  • 04

    The firm runs 303 Japanese and 207 Chinese pages and is hiring Japanese-speaking paralegals in five offices, but no page carries hreflang annotations, so search engines must guess which language version to show. Japanese searchers can get the English page and vice versa.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 1 month Digital Marketing Manager

    First action

    Add hreflang to the three homepages and the Japanese Services pages.

    How to measure it

    Clicks to /ja-jp/ pages

    Now
    –
    Target
    +25%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Map pairs

      English page to each translation.

      Digital Marketing Manager 2 days

    2. 2

      Add tags

      In the head or the sitemap.

      Digital Marketing Manager 2 days

    3. 3

      Check canonicals

      Translated pages self-canonical.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 day

    4. 4

      Validate

      Search Console international report.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 week

    5. 5

      Fill gaps

      Translate the top missing Japanese pages.

      Japanese Services team leader 1 month

    6. 6

      Measure

      Clicks by language.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst monthly

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Developer time
    Owner
    Digital Marketing Manager

    Smallest test

    Tag the Japanese Services page pair and check it in a week.

    Why it works

    Add hreflang (en, ja, zh-Hans and x-default) to each page that has translations, in the HTML head or the sitemap, and make sure every translated page canonicalizes to itself, not the English page. Check in Search Console by country.

    The right language version in results lifts click-through from Japanese and Chinese companies, the clients the Japanese Services and China practices are built for.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Mismatched pairs

      Generate tags from the CMS, not by hand.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteSitemap (7,944 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): lists /404, /500 and /no-version-page in English, Japanese and Chinese, and template pages such as /en/components/testimagelist, /en/components/copy-of-chicago and /en/components/new-industry-detail; the ones we fetched return 200 with "index,follow" and a self-canonical. No page in the sitemap carries hreflang annotations, although 303 URLs are in /ja-jp/ and 207 in /zh-cn/.Source
    • HiringLanguage hiring: Japanese-speaking Immigration Paralegals in five offices (Nashville, Chicago, South Bend, Raleigh and Atlanta, posted July-August 2026) and a Litigation Paralegal (Labor & Employment - Korean Language Proficiency Required) in Los Angeles (posted July 30, 2026).Source
    • Your websiteJapanese Services page in Japanese (/ja-jp/.../japanese-services): Japanese-speaking US lawyers advising Japanese companies on formation, immigration, employment, antitrust, litigation and IP, plus in-house training; "日本語でご連絡ください" (contact us in Japanese). No Korean-language pages exist on the site.Source
  • 05

    The English homepage has two H1s, "CHANGE IS RELENTLESS" and "JOIN US", a generic meta description, and lawyer and office counts that arrive by script, so the server-sent page reads "+ LAWYERS + OFFICES". The Japanese homepage still features a 2024 funds outlook.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 2 weeks Communications Manager

    First action

    Rewrite the meta description and the H1 today.

    How to measure it

    Branded search click-through

    Now
    –
    Target
    +5%
    By
    1 quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      One H1

      What the firm is.

      Communications Manager 1 hour

    2. 2

      Server-side numbers

      Lawyers and offices in the HTML.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 day

    3. 3

      Meta description

      Proof points.

      Communications Manager 1 hour

    4. 4

      Japanese slides

      Replace 2024 content.

      Japanese Services team leader 2 days

    5. 5

      Chinese homepage

      Same check.

      Communications Manager 1 day

    6. 6

      Check previews

      LinkedIn and search snippets.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 hour

    First result
    2 weeks
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Communications Manager

    Smallest test

    Change the meta description this week.

    Why it works

    Use one H1 that says what the firm is (an AmLaw 100 national business law firm with 26 offices), put the real counts in the HTML, and rewrite the meta description around proof points (Chambers-ranked practices, offices, industries). Replace the stale Japanese slides with current Japanese Services news.

    Search results, link previews and AI summaries quote the homepage; specific proof beats a slogan.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Brand team attached to the slogan

      Keep it as the visual headline, not the H1.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteHomepage (English): two H1s, "CHANGE IS RELENTLESS" and "JOIN US"; meta description "Full-service national business law firm providing legal advice in all the legal practice areas..."; in the server-sent HTML the stats read "+ LAWYERS + OFFICES" with the numbers filled in later. The Japanese homepage (/ja-jp/, sitemap lastmod August 6, 2025) still features an investment funds outlook about "2024以降" (2024 onward) and a foundation grant story.Source
    • HiringData Privacy and AI Associate: eight postings posted October 5-12, 2026 (Indianapolis, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, Washington, D.C., Morristown, Raleigh), in the Intellectual Property department, covering "privacy counseling", "incident response plans, incident reports and breach notifications" and "artificial intelligence (AI) matters". The post describes the firm as "an AmLaw 100 firm with 26 offices".Source
    • Company profileWikipedia/Knowledge Graph: Barnes & Thornburg LLP, founded 1982, "the largest law firm in Indiana", ranked 78th among the largest US law firms, with 26 US offices.Source
    • Your websiteNewsroom recognition lives only in news posts: "12 Barnes & Thornburg Attorneys Recognized as IP Stars", "Named Among Top Law Firms in The Lawyer's Inaugural New York 100" (the New York office "opened in 2020 with six partners; its attorney headcount has grown since then by over 300%"). The sitemap has no awards or rankings page. News posts end with "Visit our subscription center"; the homepage has no signup.Source
  • 06

    Rankings and credentials are one of the four data sets the Marketing BI Analyst will track, and the RISE intern researches awards. Yet recognition (Chambers, IP Stars, The Lawyer's New York 100) lives only in scattered news posts; there is no rankings page, while peers such as FBT Gibbons have one in their About menu.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 1 month Client Growth Manager

    First action

    Export this year's recognition news posts into one list.

    How to measure it

    Pitches linking the page

    Now
    –
    Target
    50% of RFPs
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Gather

      Rankings and awards from the last two years.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 1 week

    2. 2

      Structure

      By source, year, practice.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 2 days

    3. 3

      Design

      Simple filterable list.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 week

    4. 4

      Link

      From practice pages and bios.

      Digital Marketing Manager 2 days

    5. 5

      Update

      As results land.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst monthly

    6. 6

      Use

      In RFP templates.

      Client Growth Manager ongoing

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Staff time only
    Owner
    Client Growth Manager

    Smallest test

    Publish the 2026 list as a single page.

    Why it works

    Publish /en/about-us/recognition: firm and practice rankings by year and source, linked to each practice page and lawyer profile. Feed it from the analyst's rankings tracker so it updates as results land.

    In-house buyers and procurement teams check rankings; one current page is easier to cite in RFPs and pitches than a newsroom search.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Rules on advertising rankings

      Follow the professional conduct rules on award claims and methodology statements.

    Evidence

    • HiringMarketing Business Intelligence Analyst (Indianapolis, posted October 7, 2026): will "collect, track, analyze, and deploy business intelligence to advance marketing and business development strategies", including "Experience Data: Matter descriptions, jurisdictional expertise, industry/sector familiarity", "Relationship Data: 'Who-Knows-Whom', referral sources ... clients, prospects, alumni", "Rankings & Credentials" and "White Space Analysis: Underdeveloped or emerging practice areas", and will "Create visual dashboards, profiles, and reports" and "Establish and maintain news and litigation alerts".Source
    • Your websiteNewsroom recognition lives only in news posts: "12 Barnes & Thornburg Attorneys Recognized as IP Stars", "Named Among Top Law Firms in The Lawyer's Inaugural New York 100" (the New York office "opened in 2020 with six partners; its attorney headcount has grown since then by over 300%"). The sitemap has no awards or rankings page. News posts end with "Visit our subscription center"; the homepage has no signup.Source
    • Hiring2027 BT RISE internships in the Client Growth & Marketing department (posted September 9, 2026), supervised by the Chief Client Growth Officer: the Communications and Marketing Intern gathers "content for the firm's website, social media channels" and researches "awards, rankings and other opportunities for attorney and practice group visibility"; the Business Development & Client Growth Intern prepares "client profiles, experience lists and pitch materials".Source
    • Competitor researchPeers' own homepages: Dinsmore ("A full-service, national law firm", with RFP and Alumni links in its main navigation); FBT Gibbons (an "Awards & Recognition" page in its About menu). Faegre Drinker and Taft, also Midwest-rooted national firms, compete for the same clients and laterals.Source

This quarter 11

The core plays for the next three months.

  • 07

    The analyst will standardise "matter descriptions, jurisdictional expertise, industry/sector familiarity" across firm systems. Today a visitor can browse 1,348 people pages and 6,000+ insights but cannot search what the firm has actually done.

    High impactHigh effort First result in 2 quarters Marketing Business Intelligen…

    First action

    Define the fields shared by the CRM, the pitch library and the website.

    How to measure it

    Visitors using the experience search

    Now
    –
    Target
    5% of practice-page visitors
    By
    3 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Agree fields

      Practice, industry, jurisdiction, role, size.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Clean records

      Top 300 matters.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 1 quarter

    3. 3

      Clearance rules

      What can be public.

      General Counsel 1 month

    4. 4

      Build the view

      Filters and lawyer links.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 quarter

    5. 5

      Link pitches

      Same source for RFPs.

      Client Growth Manager 1 month

    6. 6

      Measure

      Searches and inquiries.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst monthly

    First result
    2 quarters
    Cost
    Developer and analyst time
    Owner
    Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst

    Smallest test

    Publish a filtered list for one industry.

    Why it works

    Once the database exists, publish a cleared subset as a searchable "Experience" view: filter by practice, industry, court or jurisdiction, and office, with each entry linking to the lawyers involved. Use the same records for pitch experience lists so the website and RFPs never disagree.

    Clients hire firms that have done their exact problem before; a search that proves it shortens the shortlist.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Thin early data

      Launch with the two pilot practices only.

    Evidence

    • HiringMarketing Business Intelligence Analyst (Indianapolis, posted October 7, 2026): will "collect, track, analyze, and deploy business intelligence to advance marketing and business development strategies", including "Experience Data: Matter descriptions, jurisdictional expertise, industry/sector familiarity", "Relationship Data: 'Who-Knows-Whom', referral sources ... clients, prospects, alumni", "Rankings & Credentials" and "White Space Analysis: Underdeveloped or emerging practice areas", and will "Create visual dashboards, profiles, and reports" and "Establish and maintain news and litigation alerts".Source
    • Your websiteClient stories ("In Focus"): 11 distinct stories in the sitemap, four of them listed twice as "_var2" copies that canonicalize to themselves; the index page features eight, including a Westlaw Q&A with the managing partner and an amicus brief. By comparison the sitemap lists about 1,348 people pages and 6,126 insights pages.Source
    • Your websiteContent scale (sitemap): 1,664 news, 1,599 events, 1,028 alerts, 829 blog posts, 510 publications and 70 videos and podcasts; standalone 2024 and 2025 Healthcare Enforcement and Compliance Annual Report pages; an Alumni Community page with alumni spotlights and a LinkedIn group; an AI Advantage page ("AI at the Core, Not the Edge") with "AI Case Studies".Source
  • 08

    The analyst is asked for "White Space Analysis" and "industry trends". The firm already publishes about 1,000 alerts, 800 blog posts and 1,600 events, and reader behaviour on them (which topics, which companies, which subscribers) shows where client demand is growing before matters arrive.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Marketing Business Intelligen…

    First action

    Pull last quarter's top 50 alerts by readers and match reader domains to the CRM.

    How to measure it

    New target accounts from readership

    Now
    –
    Target
    40 a quarter
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Connect data

      Web analytics, subscriptions and CRM.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 1 month

    2. 2

      Topic tags

      Map insights to practices.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 2 weeks

    3. 3

      Monthly report

      Rising topics and non-client readers.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst monthly

    4. 4

      Hand off

      To practice leaders.

      Client Growth Manager monthly

    5. 5

      Follow up

      Tailored outreach.

      Business Development Manager ongoing

    6. 6

      Score

      Matters opened from flagged accounts.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst quarterly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Analyst time
    Owner
    Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst

    Smallest test

    Run one report for the Data Privacy and AI topics.

    Why it works

    Join insight readership and subscription-center topics with CRM accounts each month. Flag topics with rising readers from companies the firm does not yet serve, and hand those lists to practice leaders as white-space targets.

    It turns content the firm already produces into an early-warning signal for business development.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Privacy rules on reader data

      Use subscriber consent and company-level data only.

    Evidence

    • HiringMarketing Business Intelligence Analyst (Indianapolis, posted October 7, 2026): will "collect, track, analyze, and deploy business intelligence to advance marketing and business development strategies", including "Experience Data: Matter descriptions, jurisdictional expertise, industry/sector familiarity", "Relationship Data: 'Who-Knows-Whom', referral sources ... clients, prospects, alumni", "Rankings & Credentials" and "White Space Analysis: Underdeveloped or emerging practice areas", and will "Create visual dashboards, profiles, and reports" and "Establish and maintain news and litigation alerts".Source
    • Your websiteContent scale (sitemap): 1,664 news, 1,599 events, 1,028 alerts, 829 blog posts, 510 publications and 70 videos and podcasts; standalone 2024 and 2025 Healthcare Enforcement and Compliance Annual Report pages; an Alumni Community page with alumni spotlights and a LinkedIn group; an AI Advantage page ("AI at the Core, Not the Edge") with "AI Case Studies".Source
    • Your websiteNewsroom recognition lives only in news posts: "12 Barnes & Thornburg Attorneys Recognized as IP Stars", "Named Among Top Law Firms in The Lawyer's Inaugural New York 100" (the New York office "opened in 2020 with six partners; its attorney headcount has grown since then by over 300%"). The sitemap has no awards or rankings page. News posts end with "Visit our subscription center"; the homepage has no signup.Source
  • 09

    News posts end with "Visit our subscription center", but the homepage and practice pages have no signup. Visitors researching a practice are the best subscribers.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 1 month Digital Marketing Manager

    First action

    Add the signup to the ten most visited practice pages.

    How to measure it

    Monthly new subscribers

    Now
    –
    Target
    +50%
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Pick pages

      Top ten by traffic.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 day

    2. 2

      Build the field

      Pre-ticked topic.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 week

    3. 3

      Welcome note

      Three recent alerts.

      Communications Manager 1 week

    4. 4

      Roll out

      All practice pages.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 month

    5. 5

      Connect CRM

      Subscriber to account.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 2 weeks

    6. 6

      Measure

      Signups by page.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst monthly

    First result
    1 month
    Cost
    Developer time
    Owner
    Digital Marketing Manager

    Smallest test

    Add a signup to the Data Security and Privacy page.

    Why it works

    Add a one-field signup on each practice and industry page, pre-ticked to that topic, and a homepage entry. Send new subscribers a welcome note with the practice's three best recent alerts.

    Subscribers become the audience for alerts, events and the white-space analysis.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Consent rules

      Clear consent text and easy unsubscribe.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteNewsroom recognition lives only in news posts: "12 Barnes & Thornburg Attorneys Recognized as IP Stars", "Named Among Top Law Firms in The Lawyer's Inaugural New York 100" (the New York office "opened in 2020 with six partners; its attorney headcount has grown since then by over 300%"). The sitemap has no awards or rankings page. News posts end with "Visit our subscription center"; the homepage has no signup.Source
    • Your websiteContent scale (sitemap): 1,664 news, 1,599 events, 1,028 alerts, 829 blog posts, 510 publications and 70 videos and podcasts; standalone 2024 and 2025 Healthcare Enforcement and Compliance Annual Report pages; an Alumni Community page with alumni spotlights and a LinkedIn group; an AI Advantage page ("AI at the Core, Not the Edge") with "AI Case Studies".Source
    • HiringMarketing Business Intelligence Analyst (Indianapolis, posted October 7, 2026): will "collect, track, analyze, and deploy business intelligence to advance marketing and business development strategies", including "Experience Data: Matter descriptions, jurisdictional expertise, industry/sector familiarity", "Relationship Data: 'Who-Knows-Whom', referral sources ... clients, prospects, alumni", "Rankings & Credentials" and "White Space Analysis: Underdeveloped or emerging practice areas", and will "Create visual dashboards, profiles, and reports" and "Establish and maintain news and litigation alerts".Source
  • 10

    The firm hired more than 70 partners and 130 lawyers this year and names "enhanced cross-selling" as a result. Each lateral team brings clients who do not yet know the rest of the firm.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Chief Client Growth Officer

    First action

    Run the kit for the most recent lateral group.

    How to measure it

    Lateral clients using 2+ practices

    Now
    –
    Target
    25%
    By
    1 year

    Steps

    1. 1

      Map clients

      Group clients vs other practices.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Welcome page

      Group and services.

      Communications Manager 1 week

    3. 3

      Plan introductions

      Three per top client.

      Client Growth Manager 2 weeks

    4. 4

      Hold meetings

      Joint introductions.

      Practice group leaders 90 days

    5. 5

      Track

      Matters opened.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst monthly

    6. 6

      Review

      At day 90.

      Chief Client Growth Officer quarterly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Staff time only
    Owner
    Chief Client Growth Officer

    Smallest test

    Map one lateral group's top 20 clients.

    Why it works

    For each arriving group: a client-facing welcome page, a map of the group's top clients against other practices (from the who-knows-whom data), three joint introductions per client in the first 90 days, and a review at day 90.

    Cross-selling to arriving clients is the fastest return on lateral hiring.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Clients feel sold to

      Lead with relevant alerts and briefings, not pitches.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteManaging Partner Andrew Detherage in a Westlaw Today Q&A (September 2026, republished on the site): the firm "has hired more than 70 partners and 130 lawyers this year", including a 14-lawyer healthcare and litigation team in Raleigh and lateral groups in public finance and infrastructure, insurance recovery, entertainment and white-collar defense, with "enhanced cross-selling" among the outcomes.Source
    • HiringMarketing Business Intelligence Analyst (Indianapolis, posted October 7, 2026): will "collect, track, analyze, and deploy business intelligence to advance marketing and business development strategies", including "Experience Data: Matter descriptions, jurisdictional expertise, industry/sector familiarity", "Relationship Data: 'Who-Knows-Whom', referral sources ... clients, prospects, alumni", "Rankings & Credentials" and "White Space Analysis: Underdeveloped or emerging practice areas", and will "Create visual dashboards, profiles, and reports" and "Establish and maintain news and litigation alerts".Source
    • HiringCounsel - Settlement Team: 24 open postings, one per office (Atlanta to Washington, D.C.), to lead "complex product liability, toxic tort, and mass tort settlements from initial negotiations through final claim resolution", "large-scale settlements involving thousands of claimants", and "data analysis across claims, such as monitoring values and identifying trends within a tort". Plus Counsel - Drug, Device and Consumer Products in five offices (posted October 8-9, 2026) and product liability associates and paralegals in Indianapolis, Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles.Source
  • 11

    The firm hires "Data Privacy and AI" associates, but the website splits the subject across Data Security and Privacy (under IP), Artificial Intelligence (under Industries) and AI Advantage (under About Us). A general counsel looking for AI governance counsel has to assemble the picture.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Data Security and Privacy pra…

    First action

    Draft the hub outline with the practice leader.

    How to measure it

    Inquiries from the hub

    Now
    –
    Target
    15 a quarter
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Outline

      Team, experience, tracker, insights.

      Data Security and Privacy practice leader 1 week

    2. 2

      Tracker

      State laws, updated monthly.

      Data Privacy and AI Associate monthly

    3. 3

      Experience

      From idea 1.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 2 weeks

    4. 4

      Build

      Hub page and links.

      Digital Marketing Manager 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Launch

      Webinar and alert.

      Communications Manager 1 month

    6. 6

      Measure

      Inquiries and signups.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst monthly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Staff time only
    Owner
    Data Security and Privacy practice leader

    Smallest test

    Publish the tracker as an alert first.

    Why it works

    Create one hub page for data privacy and AI law with the team, recent experience, a short state AI and privacy law tracker, and the related alerts and events. Keep the three existing pages but link them to the hub.

    A single page matches how clients and the hiring plan describe the need, and gives the new associates a visible practice to grow.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Tracker goes stale

      Assign one associate and date every update.

    Evidence

    • HiringData Privacy and AI Associate: eight postings posted October 5-12, 2026 (Indianapolis, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, Washington, D.C., Morristown, Raleigh), in the Intellectual Property department, covering "privacy counseling", "incident response plans, incident reports and breach notifications" and "artificial intelligence (AI) matters". The post describes the firm as "an AmLaw 100 firm with 26 offices".Source
    • Your websiteData Security and Privacy page, filed under Intellectual Property: five service lines (privacy compliance, regulatory investigations, breach response, transactional data protection, outside privacy counsel) and one anonymous "Client comment in Best Lawyers"; no representative matters, numbers or client stories. Artificial intelligence sits on a separate Industries page (/en/work/industries/artificial-intelligence) and an "AI Advantage" page under About Us.Source
    • Your websiteContent scale (sitemap): 1,664 news, 1,599 events, 1,028 alerts, 829 blog posts, 510 publications and 70 videos and podcasts; standalone 2024 and 2025 Healthcare Enforcement and Compliance Annual Report pages; an Alumni Community page with alumni spotlights and a LinkedIn group; an AI Advantage page ("AI at the Core, Not the Edge") with "AI Case Studies".Source
  • 12

    The firm runs an alumni community with spotlights on former lawyers now in-house, and the analyst's relationship data explicitly includes alumni. Former colleagues in-house are the warmest referral path a firm has.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 2 quarters Client Growth Manager

    First action

    List alumni now working in-house.

    How to measure it

    Alumni-referred matters

    Now
    –
    Target
    10 a year
    By
    1 year

    Steps

    1. 1

      Tag alumni

      Company and role.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 1 month

    2. 2

      Briefing

      Twice-yearly CLE.

      Internal Initiatives Specialist 2 quarters

    3. 3

      Alerts

      Relevant to their company.

      Communications Manager ongoing

    4. 4

      Spotlights

      Monthly.

      Communications Manager monthly

    5. 5

      Track

      Referral source in intake.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst ongoing

    6. 6

      Review

      Annual.

      Client Growth Manager yearly

    First result
    2 quarters
    Cost
    Event costs
    Owner
    Client Growth Manager

    Smallest test

    Invite 30 in-house alumni to one briefing.

    Why it works

    Tag alumni in the CRM by company and role, invite in-house alumni to a twice-yearly briefing and CLE, send them practice alerts relevant to their company, and record referrals by source.

    Alumni already trust the firm's quality; a light program keeps it front of mind when they hire outside counsel.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Alumni at competitors

      Invite in-house alumni only.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteContent scale (sitemap): 1,664 news, 1,599 events, 1,028 alerts, 829 blog posts, 510 publications and 70 videos and podcasts; standalone 2024 and 2025 Healthcare Enforcement and Compliance Annual Report pages; an Alumni Community page with alumni spotlights and a LinkedIn group; an AI Advantage page ("AI at the Core, Not the Edge") with "AI Case Studies".Source
    • HiringMarketing Business Intelligence Analyst (Indianapolis, posted October 7, 2026): will "collect, track, analyze, and deploy business intelligence to advance marketing and business development strategies", including "Experience Data: Matter descriptions, jurisdictional expertise, industry/sector familiarity", "Relationship Data: 'Who-Knows-Whom', referral sources ... clients, prospects, alumni", "Rankings & Credentials" and "White Space Analysis: Underdeveloped or emerging practice areas", and will "Create visual dashboards, profiles, and reports" and "Establish and maintain news and litigation alerts".Source
    • Competitor researchPeers' own homepages: Dinsmore ("A full-service, national law firm", with RFP and Alumni links in its main navigation); FBT Gibbons (an "Awards & Recognition" page in its About menu). Faegre Drinker and Taft, also Midwest-rooted national firms, compete for the same clients and laterals.Source
  • 13

    The site lists about 1,600 events and the firm is hiring event support in offices. Attendees signal a live need, but the event page usually ends at registration.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Events and Marketing Coordina…

    First action

    Pick next month's three client events as the pilot.

    How to measure it

    Meetings per event

    Now
    –
    Target
    3
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Template

      Follow-up email and page.

      Communications Manager 1 week

    2. 2

      Recording

      Within 48 hours.

      Internal Initiatives Specialist per event

    3. 3

      CRM

      Attendance logged.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst per event

    4. 4

      Flag

      Repeat attendees.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst monthly

    5. 5

      Meet

      Practice contact call.

      Business Development Manager per event

    6. 6

      Report

      Meetings and matters.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst quarterly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Staff time only
    Owner
    Events and Marketing Coordinator

    Smallest test

    Run the 48-hour follow-up for one webinar.

    Why it works

    For each client event: post the recording and slides within 48 hours, email attendees with one relevant next step (a briefing, a checklist), log attendance in the CRM, and flag repeat attendees to the practice.

    Fast follow-up converts event interest into meetings.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • CLE rules on recordings

      Check credit rules before posting.

    Evidence

    • HiringEvents hiring: an Office Services and Events Assistant (Wilmington, DE, posted October 16, 2026) who will "Work with Office Administrator and Marketing Department to plan and facilitate office events", and an Internal Initiatives Specialist (Indianapolis, posted October 6, 2026) for firmwide meetings, summits and the "Annual Fall Partners Meeting", including "registration and attendance management".Source
    • Your websiteContent scale (sitemap): 1,664 news, 1,599 events, 1,028 alerts, 829 blog posts, 510 publications and 70 videos and podcasts; standalone 2024 and 2025 Healthcare Enforcement and Compliance Annual Report pages; an Alumni Community page with alumni spotlights and a LinkedIn group; an AI Advantage page ("AI at the Core, Not the Edge") with "AI Case Studies".Source
    • HiringMarketing Business Intelligence Analyst (Indianapolis, posted October 7, 2026): will "collect, track, analyze, and deploy business intelligence to advance marketing and business development strategies", including "Experience Data: Matter descriptions, jurisdictional expertise, industry/sector familiarity", "Relationship Data: 'Who-Knows-Whom', referral sources ... clients, prospects, alumni", "Rankings & Credentials" and "White Space Analysis: Underdeveloped or emerging practice areas", and will "Create visual dashboards, profiles, and reports" and "Establish and maintain news and litigation alerts".Source
  • 14

    The firm hires Japanese-speaking paralegals in five offices and has a Japanese Services team inviting contact in Japanese. Alerts on tariffs, immigration and employment matter to Japanese subsidiaries, but most appear only in English.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Japanese Services team leader

    First action

    Translate this month's top tariff and immigration alerts.

    How to measure it

    Digest subscribers

    Now
    –
    Target
    300
    By
    1 year

    Steps

    1. 1

      Select alerts

      Four a month.

      Japanese Services team leader monthly

    2. 2

      Summarize

      Japanese, lawyer reviewed.

      Japanese Services team leader monthly

    3. 3

      Publish

      On /ja-jp/.

      Digital Marketing Manager monthly

    4. 4

      Send

      Digest email.

      Communications Manager monthly

    5. 5

      Webinar

      Quarterly in Japanese.

      Japanese Services team leader quarterly

    6. 6

      Measure

      Opens and inquiries.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst monthly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Translation time
    Owner
    Japanese Services team leader

    Smallest test

    Send one digest to existing Japanese clients.

    Why it works

    Pick the four most relevant alerts each month, publish short Japanese summaries on /ja-jp/, and send them as a digest to Japanese-company contacts. Add a Japanese webinar each quarter.

    Clients reading in their own language engage more, and the content is already written.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Translation accuracy

      Lawyer review before sending.

    Evidence

    • HiringLanguage hiring: Japanese-speaking Immigration Paralegals in five offices (Nashville, Chicago, South Bend, Raleigh and Atlanta, posted July-August 2026) and a Litigation Paralegal (Labor & Employment - Korean Language Proficiency Required) in Los Angeles (posted July 30, 2026).Source
    • Your websiteJapanese Services page in Japanese (/ja-jp/.../japanese-services): Japanese-speaking US lawyers advising Japanese companies on formation, immigration, employment, antitrust, litigation and IP, plus in-house training; "日本語でご連絡ください" (contact us in Japanese). No Korean-language pages exist on the site.Source
    • Your websiteHomepage (English): two H1s, "CHANGE IS RELENTLESS" and "JOIN US"; meta description "Full-service national business law firm providing legal advice in all the legal practice areas..."; in the server-sent HTML the stats read "+ LAWYERS + OFFICES" with the numbers filled in later. The Japanese homepage (/ja-jp/, sitemap lastmod August 6, 2025) still features an investment funds outlook about "2024以降" (2024 onward) and a foundation grant story.Source
  • 15

    The firm is hiring a Korean-proficient labor and employment paralegal in Los Angeles, which implies Korean-speaking clients, but the site has no Korean pages. Korean manufacturers and their US subsidiaries are a growing employer group.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 1 quarter Labor and Employment practice…

    First action

    Confirm which lawyers and staff work in Korean.

    How to measure it

    Inquiries from the Korean page

    Now
    –
    Target
    10 a year
    By
    1 year

    Steps

    1. 1

      Confirm team

      Korean speakers.

      Legal Talent Management 1 week

    2. 2

      Draft page

      Services and team.

      Communications Manager 2 weeks

    3. 3

      Translate

      Native review.

      Korean-speaking attorney 1 week

    4. 4

      Publish

      With hreflang.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 day

    5. 5

      Promote

      Business associations.

      Business Development Manager 1 quarter

    6. 6

      Measure

      Inquiries.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst quarterly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Translation time
    Owner
    Labor and Employment practice leader

    Smallest test

    Publish one Korean page for employment law.

    Why it works

    Publish a Korean-language page for employment, immigration and corporate services, naming the Korean-speaking team and a Korean contact route, and promote it with Korean business associations in Los Angeles.

    A small, specific page in the client's language can win a community that larger firms address only in English.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Too few Korean speakers to serve

      Launch once the team is in place.

    Evidence

    • HiringLanguage hiring: Japanese-speaking Immigration Paralegals in five offices (Nashville, Chicago, South Bend, Raleigh and Atlanta, posted July-August 2026) and a Litigation Paralegal (Labor & Employment - Korean Language Proficiency Required) in Los Angeles (posted July 30, 2026).Source
    • Your websiteJapanese Services page in Japanese (/ja-jp/.../japanese-services): Japanese-speaking US lawyers advising Japanese companies on formation, immigration, employment, antitrust, litigation and IP, plus in-house training; "日本語でご連絡ください" (contact us in Japanese). No Korean-language pages exist on the site.Source
  • 16

    Real Chrome visitors pass Core Web Vitals, so this is not urgent. But Google's mobile lab test scores the homepage 61, with 10.6 MB downloaded, 8.7 MB of it from the Sitecore media host, and practice pages send about 1.9 MB of HTML.

    Low impactMedium effort First result in 1 quarter Digital Marketing Manager

    First action

    Find the largest media file on the homepage.

    How to measure it

    Homepage mobile weight

    Now
    –
    Target
    under 3 MB
    By
    1 quarter

    Steps

    1. 1

      Profile

      Largest assets.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 day

    2. 2

      Defer media

      Load on interaction.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 week

    3. 3

      Fonts

      Subset and preload.

      Digital Marketing Manager 2 days

    4. 4

      Practice pages

      Trim embedded data.

      Digital Marketing Manager 2 weeks

    5. 5

      Re-test

      PageSpeed.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 day

    6. 6

      Monitor

      Core Web Vitals report.

      Digital Marketing Manager monthly

    First result
    1 quarter
    Cost
    Developer time
    Owner
    Digital Marketing Manager

    Smallest test

    Defer the homepage media and re-test.

    Why it works

    Serve the homepage video or large media only on wider screens or after interaction, subset fonts, and trim embedded data on practice pages. Re-run PageSpeed and watch Core Web Vitals.

    A lighter page helps visitors on slow mobile connections and keeps the site comfortably in the passing range as content grows.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Design changes

      Keep the look; change how media loads.

    Evidence

    • PageSpeed testGoogle PageSpeed for the btlaw.com/en/ homepage (October 22, 2026). Real Chrome visitors pass Core Web Vitals (75th percentile: main content in 1.7 s, taps respond in 80 ms, layout shift 0.02). The mobile lab test scores 61 out of 100 (desktop 96): Largest Contentful Paint 12.4 s, 10.6 MB downloaded in 61 requests, 8.7 MB of it from the Sitecore media host, and 911 KB of fonts. Practice pages such as Data Security and Privacy send about 1.9 MB of HTML.Source
  • 17

    The YouTube channel has 153 subscribers and about 23,700 views across 94 videos, while the firm publishes 70 video and podcast pages. Short answers by named lawyers do better in search and on LinkedIn than long webinars.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 2 quarters Communications Manager

    First action

    List ten client questions with the Data Privacy group.

    How to measure it

    Monthly video views

    Now
    –
    Target
    10,000
    By
    2 quarters

    Steps

    1. 1

      Questions

      Ten per practice.

      Communications Manager 1 week

    2. 2

      Record

      Batch filming day.

      Communications Manager monthly

    3. 3

      Edit

      Two minutes, captions.

      Communications Manager monthly

    4. 4

      Embed

      Practice pages.

      Digital Marketing Manager monthly

    5. 5

      Post

      LinkedIn and YouTube.

      Communications Manager weekly

    6. 6

      Measure

      Views and inquiries.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst monthly

    First result
    2 quarters
    Cost
    Production time
    Owner
    Communications Manager

    Smallest test

    Film five answers in one afternoon.

    Why it works

    Record two-minute answers to the most-asked questions in growth practices (state AI laws, breach notification, MDL basics for in-house counsel, tariffs), embed them on practice pages, and post them on LinkedIn and YouTube.

    Video lets buyers meet the lawyer before calling and gives practice pages fresh content.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Advertising rules

      Standard attorney-advertising disclaimers.

    Evidence

    • YouTube channelYouTube @barnesandthornburg: 153 subscribers, 94 videos and about 23,700 total views.Source
    • Your websiteContent scale (sitemap): 1,664 news, 1,599 events, 1,028 alerts, 829 blog posts, 510 publications and 70 videos and podcasts; standalone 2024 and 2025 Healthcare Enforcement and Compliance Annual Report pages; an Alumni Community page with alumni spotlights and a LinkedIn group; an AI Advantage page ("AI at the Core, Not the Edge") with "AI Case Studies".Source
    • HiringData Privacy and AI Associate: eight postings posted October 5-12, 2026 (Indianapolis, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, Washington, D.C., Morristown, Raleigh), in the Intellectual Property department, covering "privacy counseling", "incident response plans, incident reports and breach notifications" and "artificial intelligence (AI) matters". The post describes the firm as "an AmLaw 100 firm with 26 offices".Source

Big bets 3

Larger plays that can change the trajectory.

  • 18

    The firm is hiring settlement counsel in 24 offices to run settlements with "thousands of claimants", claims administration, lien resolution and "data analysis across claims". That is a distinct service manufacturers buy, but the website presents it only inside general product liability copy.

    High impactHigh effort First result in 3 quarters Product Liability and Mass To…

    First action

    Agree three anonymised scale figures with the practice chair.

    How to measure it

    Pitches citing the page

    Now
    –
    Target
    10 a year
    By
    1 year

    Steps

    1. 1

      Define

      The service in client terms.

      Product Liability and Mass Torts practice chair 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Figures

      Anonymised scale numbers.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 1 month

    3. 3

      Clearance

      Confidentiality review.

      General Counsel 1 month

    4. 4

      Write page

      Process, controls, team.

      Communications Manager 1 month

    5. 5

      Briefing

      Annual in-house event.

      Internal Initiatives Specialist 2 quarters

    6. 6

      Measure

      Pitches and wins.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst quarterly

    First result
    3 quarters
    Cost
    Staff time only
    Owner
    Product Liability and Mass Torts practice chair

    Smallest test

    Publish a one-page capability summary for pitches.

    Why it works

    Publish a settlement program page: how the team structures, administers and closes large settlements, the data and quality controls, anonymised scale figures (claims resolved, programs closed), and the team. Support it with a yearly briefing for in-house litigation leaders.

    Companies facing mass torts shortlist counsel who can show they can close a program, not only defend it.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Settlement confidentiality

      Aggregate across programs; name no case.

    Evidence

    • HiringCounsel - Settlement Team: 24 open postings, one per office (Atlanta to Washington, D.C.), to lead "complex product liability, toxic tort, and mass tort settlements from initial negotiations through final claim resolution", "large-scale settlements involving thousands of claimants", and "data analysis across claims, such as monitoring values and identifying trends within a tort". Plus Counsel - Drug, Device and Consumer Products in five offices (posted October 8-9, 2026) and product liability associates and paralegals in Indianapolis, Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles.Source
    • Your websiteProduct Liability and Mass Torts practice page (sitemap lastmod October 16, 2026): "more than 100 experienced product liability and mass torts litigators", "a national ranking in Chambers USA", "10,000-plus claim multidistrict litigation (MDLs)"; its only dated proof point is "In 2018 alone, our team served as national counsel for nine MDLs and coordinated proceedings". The page lists areas of focus, leadership and insights, but no recent matters or client stories.Source
    • HiringMarketing Business Intelligence Analyst (Indianapolis, posted October 7, 2026): will "collect, track, analyze, and deploy business intelligence to advance marketing and business development strategies", including "Experience Data: Matter descriptions, jurisdictional expertise, industry/sector familiarity", "Relationship Data: 'Who-Knows-Whom', referral sources ... clients, prospects, alumni", "Rankings & Credentials" and "White Space Analysis: Underdeveloped or emerging practice areas", and will "Create visual dashboards, profiles, and reports" and "Establish and maintain news and litigation alerts".Source
  • 19

    The AI Advantage page says the firm deploys AI where it improves legal delivery "and we measure the results". Few firms publish numbers; measured time and cost savings would set Barnes & Thornburg apart in a crowded AI conversation.

    High impactMedium effort First result in 3 quarters Legal Operations lead

    First action

    Choose one use case with a willing client.

    How to measure it

    Fixed-fee AI pilots

    Now
    –
    Target
    10
    By
    1 year

    Steps

    1. 1

      Pick uses

      Three repeatable tasks.

      Legal Operations lead 2 weeks

    2. 2

      Baseline

      Old method time and cost.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 1 month

    3. 3

      Measure

      With AI.

      Legal Operations lead 1 quarter

    4. 4

      Client consent

      Publication approval.

      Client Growth Manager 1 month

    5. 5

      Publish

      Case study and pilot offer.

      Communications Manager 1 month

    6. 6

      Sell

      Into key clients.

      Client Growth Manager ongoing

    First result
    3 quarters
    Cost
    Staff time only
    Owner
    Legal Operations lead

    Smallest test

    Measure one task for one client.

    Why it works

    Pick three repeatable uses (contract portfolio review, discovery responses, regulatory summaries), measure time and cost against the old method, and publish anonymised results with clients' agreement. Offer a fixed-fee pilot built on them.

    General counsel are asked to cut costs; proof of savings converts curiosity into pilots.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Overstated savings

      Publish ranges and method.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteContent scale (sitemap): 1,664 news, 1,599 events, 1,028 alerts, 829 blog posts, 510 publications and 70 videos and podcasts; standalone 2024 and 2025 Healthcare Enforcement and Compliance Annual Report pages; an Alumni Community page with alumni spotlights and a LinkedIn group; an AI Advantage page ("AI at the Core, Not the Edge") with "AI Case Studies".Source
    • HiringData Privacy and AI Associate: eight postings posted October 5-12, 2026 (Indianapolis, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, Washington, D.C., Morristown, Raleigh), in the Intellectual Property department, covering "privacy counseling", "incident response plans, incident reports and breach notifications" and "artificial intelligence (AI) matters". The post describes the firm as "an AmLaw 100 firm with 26 offices".Source
    • Your websiteData Security and Privacy page, filed under Intellectual Property: five service lines (privacy compliance, regulatory investigations, breach response, transactional data protection, outside privacy counsel) and one anonymous "Client comment in Best Lawyers"; no representative matters, numbers or client stories. Artificial intelligence sits on a separate Industries page (/en/work/industries/artificial-intelligence) and an "AI Advantage" page under About Us.Source
  • 20

    The analyst is asked to create "dashboards, profiles, and reports" at "firm, practice group, and client team levels". Client teams that see which practices a client uses, who knows whom and what news affects the client grow those relationships faster.

    High impactHigh effort First result in 4 quarters Chief Client Growth Officer

    First action

    Build one dashboard for a top client.

    How to measure it

    Average practices per top-50 client

    Now
    –
    Target
    +1
    By
    1 year

    Steps

    1. 1

      Pick clients

      Top 50 by revenue.

      Chief Client Growth Officer 1 week

    2. 2

      Build template

      Dashboard fields.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 1 month

    3. 3

      Populate

      Ten clients first.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 1 quarter

    4. 4

      Review

      Quarterly team meetings.

      Client Growth Manager quarterly

    5. 5

      Act

      Three actions each.

      Client team leaders quarterly

    6. 6

      Measure

      Practice spread and revenue.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst quarterly

    First result
    4 quarters
    Cost
    Analyst time
    Owner
    Chief Client Growth Officer

    Smallest test

    Run one review with one client team.

    Why it works

    Build a dashboard per top-50 client: matters by practice, relationship map, news and litigation alerts, white-space practices, and the next three actions. Review quarterly with the client team.

    Institutional client programs are the main growth lever for large firms, and the analyst is being hired to supply the data.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Partners skip reviews

      Tie reviews to client team leadership roles.

    Evidence

    • HiringMarketing Business Intelligence Analyst (Indianapolis, posted October 7, 2026): will "collect, track, analyze, and deploy business intelligence to advance marketing and business development strategies", including "Experience Data: Matter descriptions, jurisdictional expertise, industry/sector familiarity", "Relationship Data: 'Who-Knows-Whom', referral sources ... clients, prospects, alumni", "Rankings & Credentials" and "White Space Analysis: Underdeveloped or emerging practice areas", and will "Create visual dashboards, profiles, and reports" and "Establish and maintain news and litigation alerts".Source
    • Your websiteManaging Partner Andrew Detherage in a Westlaw Today Q&A (September 2026, republished on the site): the firm "has hired more than 70 partners and 130 lawyers this year", including a 14-lawyer healthcare and litigation team in Raleigh and lateral groups in public finance and infrastructure, insurance recovery, entertainment and white-collar defense, with "enhanced cross-selling" among the outcomes.Source

Wildcards 2

Unexpected experiments, each with a cheap way to test it.

  • 21

    The Client Growth & Marketing interns will prepare "client profiles, experience lists and pitch materials" and gather website content. A 10-week internship is long enough to finish the experience blocks for a dozen practices.

    Medium impactLow effort First result in 1 summer Client Growth Manager

    First action

    Reserve twelve practices for the 2027 interns.

    How to measure it

    Practice pages with an experience block

    Now
    –
    Target
    12 more
    By
    end of 2027 internship

    Steps

    1. 1

      List practices

      Twelve not covered by idea 1.

      Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst 1 week

    2. 2

      Template

      From idea 1.

      Communications Manager 1 day

    3. 3

      Assign

      Three per intern.

      Client Growth Manager at start

    4. 4

      Draft

      Weekly reviews.

      RISE interns 8 weeks

    5. 5

      Clear

      Conflicts check.

      General Counsel 2 weeks

    6. 6

      Publish

      Final presentation.

      Digital Marketing Manager week 10

    First result
    1 summer
    Cost
    $0
    Owner
    Client Growth Manager

    Smallest test

    Write the intern project brief.

    Why it works

    Plan the backlog now: each intern owns three practices, gathers matter lines from the analyst's database, drafts the website block for review, and presents results at the end of the summer.

    Interns get real, visible work and the firm clears a backlog nobody has time for.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Quality

      Practice leaders approve each block.

    Evidence

    • Hiring2027 BT RISE internships in the Client Growth & Marketing department (posted September 9, 2026), supervised by the Chief Client Growth Officer: the Communications and Marketing Intern gathers "content for the firm's website, social media channels" and researches "awards, rankings and other opportunities for attorney and practice group visibility"; the Business Development & Client Growth Intern prepares "client profiles, experience lists and pitch materials".Source
    • HiringMarketing Business Intelligence Analyst (Indianapolis, posted October 7, 2026): will "collect, track, analyze, and deploy business intelligence to advance marketing and business development strategies", including "Experience Data: Matter descriptions, jurisdictional expertise, industry/sector familiarity", "Relationship Data: 'Who-Knows-Whom', referral sources ... clients, prospects, alumni", "Rankings & Credentials" and "White Space Analysis: Underdeveloped or emerging practice areas", and will "Create visual dashboards, profiles, and reports" and "Establish and maintain news and litigation alerts".Source
    • Your websiteProduct Liability and Mass Torts practice page (sitemap lastmod October 16, 2026): "more than 100 experienced product liability and mass torts litigators", "a national ranking in Chambers USA", "10,000-plus claim multidistrict litigation (MDLs)"; its only dated proof point is "In 2018 alone, our team served as national counsel for nine MDLs and coordinated proceedings". The page lists areas of focus, leadership and insights, but no recent matters or client stories.Source
  • 22

    The firm already publishes standalone 2024 and 2025 Healthcare Enforcement and Compliance Annual Reports. The same format would suit its two growth practices: a yearly MDL and mass-tort review and a state privacy and AI law review.

    Medium impactMedium effort First result in 2 quarters Healthcare practice leader

    First action

    Ask the healthcare team for the report template and results.

    How to measure it

    Downloads per report

    Now
    –
    Target
    1,000
    By
    1 year

    Steps

    1. 1

      Reuse template

      Healthcare report.

      Communications Manager 1 week

    2. 2

      Outline

      Ten topics each.

      Product Liability and Mass Torts practice chair 2 weeks

    3. 3

      Write

      Chapters by lawyers.

      Practice groups 2 months

    4. 4

      Design

      Web and PDF.

      Digital Marketing Manager 1 month

    5. 5

      Launch

      Webinar and alerts.

      Communications Manager 1 month

    6. 6

      Follow up

      Downloads to BD.

      Business Development Manager ongoing

    First result
    2 quarters
    Cost
    Staff time only
    Owner
    Healthcare practice leader

    Smallest test

    Publish the privacy review first.

    Why it works

    Use the healthcare report template for a "Mass Torts Year in Review" and a "Privacy and AI Law Year in Review", gated by a light form, launched with a webinar and alerts.

    Annual reports earn press, downloads and leads, and the template exists.

    Risks and how to handle them

    • Workload

      One report first.

    Evidence

    • Your websiteContent scale (sitemap): 1,664 news, 1,599 events, 1,028 alerts, 829 blog posts, 510 publications and 70 videos and podcasts; standalone 2024 and 2025 Healthcare Enforcement and Compliance Annual Report pages; an Alumni Community page with alumni spotlights and a LinkedIn group; an AI Advantage page ("AI at the Core, Not the Edge") with "AI Case Studies".Source
    • HiringCounsel - Settlement Team: 24 open postings, one per office (Atlanta to Washington, D.C.), to lead "complex product liability, toxic tort, and mass tort settlements from initial negotiations through final claim resolution", "large-scale settlements involving thousands of claimants", and "data analysis across claims, such as monitoring values and identifying trends within a tort". Plus Counsel - Drug, Device and Consumer Products in five offices (posted October 8-9, 2026) and product liability associates and paralegals in Indianapolis, Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles.Source
    • HiringData Privacy and AI Associate: eight postings posted October 5-12, 2026 (Indianapolis, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, Washington, D.C., Morristown, Raleigh), in the Intellectual Property department, covering "privacy counseling", "incident response plans, incident reports and breach notifications" and "artificial intelligence (AI) matters". The post describes the firm as "an AmLaw 100 firm with 26 offices".Source

03

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See every playbook and website review

Independent research. Programmable wrote this playbook from public sources, as they stood on October 23, 2026, and cites them throughout. Barnes & Thornburg did not commission, review or endorse it, and Programmable is not affiliated with Barnes & Thornburg. Company and product names are trademarks of their owners, used only to identify them. The ideas are suggestions and opinion, not professional, legal or financial advice, and not statements about how Barnes & Thornburg runs its business.

Something wrong, or do you represent Barnes & Thornburg? Email [email protected] and we will correct it or take it down.

30/60/90 roadmap

What to focus on in each month, and the ideas that carry it.

  1. Days 1 to 306 ideas

    Experience on the Product Liability and Data Privacy pages, the Spanish page, sitemap cleanup, hreflang, homepage proof and a rankings page.

  2. Days 31 to 6011 ideas

    Experience search, content as a demand map, practice-page signups, lateral cross-selling, the privacy and AI hub, alumni, event follow-up, Japanese and Korean outreach, mobile weight and attorney videos.

  3. Days 61 to 905 ideas

    The settlement program page, measured AI results, client team dashboards, the intern capstone plan and new annual reports.

The research behind the plan

3 research areas, each summarised in a few lines. Open any of them for the full detail.

Customers

What customers say

Customers value national reach with Midwest value. The most cited problem: proving a firm has done their exact problem before.

  • Business-minded, practical advice
  • Rising legal spend
  • In their words: “national coordinating counsel”

Market

Competitive landscape

4 competitors compared: Faegre Drinker, Taft, Dinsmore and FBT Gibbons.

  • Gap to exploit: Searchable, current matter experience
  • Faegre Drinker: Higher rates
  • Taft: Integration of combined firms

Hiring signals

Barnes & Thornburg is hiring for growth practices and for the data to sell them.

  • Marketing Business Intelligence Analyst: Experience, relationship, rankings and white-space data. Ideas 1, 6, 7, 8, 20.
  • Counsel - Settlement Team (24 offices): Large mass-tort settlement programs. Ideas 1, 18.
  • Counsel - Drug, Device and Consumer Products: Product liability growth in five offices. Idea 1.

From the team that wrote this playbook

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