2026 Hiring Trends in Legal Marketing & BD

What will legal marketing & business development hiring look like in 2026 and how can both firms and legal M&BD professionals stay ahead?

In this on-demand webinar, Ben Curle and Sean Sweeney share an in-depth review of the legal BDM hiring market in 2025 and offer practical, data-driven insights into what lies ahead in 2026. Drawing on real placement data and day-to-day conversations with law firm leaders across the US, they explore the trends shaping hiring decisions, candidate expectations, and team structures in legal marketing and business development.

From demand across key practice areas such as litigation, antitrust, private equity and M&A, to the continued evolution of return-to-office policies, client development roles, and emerging areas like AI, this session provides a clear picture of how the market is moving.

Ben also shares exclusive compensation benchmarks, hiring timelines, and location trends based on real offers made in 2025, while Sean outlines predictions for hiring momentum, candidate movement, and growth areas in the year ahead.

Whether you’re a law firm leader planning your 2026 hiring strategy, or a legal marketing or BD professional considering your next career move, this webinar offers valuable insight into the realities of the market - and what to watch next.

Key Takeaways: 2026 Hiring Trends in Legal Business Development

Legal BD Manager roles dominated hiring volume in 2025, making it the most active segment of the legal marketing market.
Litigation, antitrust, private equity, private credit, and M&A were the most in-demand practice areas for BD talent.
Return-to-office requirements increased, with most firms now requiring three days in-office and many Am Law firms moving to four days.
Client development roles are growing rapidly, with firms investing more heavily in centralized client relationship and key account teams.
Hiring at the manager and senior manager level was particularly challenging, driven by high competition and a shortage of experienced mid-level talent.
Hiring processes averaged 73 days, with three to five interview stages depending on seniority.
Law firms overwhelmingly hired from within the legal industry, particularly for BD roles.
2026 is expected to start fast, with strong early hiring momentum, increased multi-location roles, and the emergence of AI roles.

Transcript

Sean Sweeney:
We’re excited to welcome you to the latest instalment of our webinar series. This session comes with a bit of a change - today, I’m joined by Ben Curle, Associate Director of our team, rather than Erin Lawler, who previously co-hosted this series.

Together, we’ll review key hiring trends from 2025 and share our outlook for 2026, all within the legal marketing and business development space. We’ll cover market activity, compensation data, hiring challenges, and what firms and candidates should be watching in the year ahead.

High-Level Hiring Trends in 2025

Ben Curle:
Starting with overall observations, it will come as no surprise that business development manager (BDM) roles represented the highest hiring volume throughout 2025. This is partly a numbers game - there are simply fewer roles at the most senior levels - but it was an especially active market this year.

From a practice-area perspective, litigation was the strongest area of demand, spanning manager through director-level roles. We also saw elevated hiring in antitrust and regulatory litigation, particularly at the BDM and senior manager levels. Beyond litigation, private equity, private credit, and M&A continued to drive demand.

Return-to-Office Trends

Return-to-office policies remained a major theme in 2025. While some firms still offer remote flexibility, those opportunities are becoming increasingly rare.

Three days in-office remains the most common policy.
Many Am Law 30–40 firms have moved to four days, with some implementing this as of January.
Despite earlier concerns, pushback from candidates has been relatively limited, suggesting gradual acceptance across the market.

Growth of Client Development Functions

One of the most notable shifts this year was the increased emphasis on client development and client relationship roles. Compared to previous years, firms are now investing more heavily in centralized client development teams or embedding these responsibilities within broader BD roles.

This trend mirrors what we’ve historically seen in other global markets and is expected to continue into 2026.

Hiring Challenges at the Manager Level

Hiring managers faced significant challenges in 2025, particularly at the BD manager level. Competition for talent was intense, and many qualified professionals remained passive in the market due to strong hiring activity in 2022 and 2023.

Additionally, a slowdown in junior hiring during the early COVID period has resulted in a shortage of experienced specialists ready to step into first-time management roles, further tightening the talent pool.

Compensation Benchmarks (Based on Actual Offers)

All compensation figures discussed are based on actual offers made, not advertised salary ranges. Due to higher hiring volume, these numbers skew slightly toward the New York market.

BD Manager:

Average base salary: $174,000

Senior Manager:

Average base salary: $231,000

Assistant Director:

Average base salary: $307,000

These figures reflect base salary only and do not include bonuses or sign-on incentives. Director-level compensation was excluded due to wide variation in responsibilities and insufficient comparable data.

Geographic Hiring Trends

74% of roles were based in New York
The next most active markets were Washington, DC and Chicago
Placements were made across seven U.S. cities, reflecting broader geographic reach despite New York’s dominance

Hiring Process Metrics

Average time to fill a role: 73 days (from intake to offer acceptance)
Average interview stages:

Manager level: ~3–4 interviews
Senior Manager and above: ~5 interviews

Where Firms Are Hiring From

Hiring remained highly insular within the legal industry:

79% of all placements came from candidates moving between law firms
91% of BD placements were law firm-to-law firm moves

While firms face hiring challenges, most continue to prioritize prior legal marketing and BD experience, particularly for core practice-facing roles.

2026 Hiring Outlook and Predictions

Sean Sweeney:
We expect 2026 to begin with strong hiring momentum, with many firms carrying active searches into the new year and others already approving roles set to launch in January.

Additional trends to watch include:

Continued expansion of client development roles
Early-stage growth of AI-focused positions within legal marketing and technology teams
Increased multi-location roles, allowing firms to access broader talent pools and candidates to pursue opportunities outside traditional hubs
Greater movement from previously passive candidates entering the market at the manager level

In Summary

Ben Curle:
Hiring will remain competitive in 2026, but opportunities will increase - particularly for candidates willing to explore roles across multiple locations.

Sean Sweeney:
If you’re interested in specific firms, practice areas, or emerging roles, raising your hand early can make a real difference. We’re always happy to have conversations and provide guidance.

About the Speakers:

Ben Curle and Sean Sweeney are specialist recruiters focusing on legal marketing & business development roles in New York, Washington D.C. and key cities across North America.

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