In an increasingly competitive landscape and with challenges from disrupters, the Big 4 and technology, business development has a pivotal role in a law firms’ strategic success and their ability to stand out from the crowd. The second edition of Business Development: A Practical Handbook for Lawyers, edited by Stephen Revell from Freshfields, revisits the theory, tools and skills needed to implement effective business development in law firms today.Content covers the practical elements – such as what the perfect pitch looks like – as well as the strategic elements, including the variety of structures and approaches to business development at law firms of all sizes. New chapters focus on technology and digital presence, as well as key client relationship management and the importance of emotional intelligence in successful business development and client retention.Listening to clients is also a key factor in business development, but how often do we really do so?In this edition, client interviews remain an important feature, and we also hear from 10 new General Counsels on what successful business development looks like to them.Business Development: A Practical Handbook for Lawyers is a one stop-shop on business development for law firms, marketing teams and lawyers in private practice.It will also be of interest to in-house lawyers, academics and other professional services providers.