The recent high-profile news of a Big Law marketing and business development team moving from one firm to another highlights that partner moves aren’t the only ones that matter. The business departments at Big Law firms are critical to growth, and the best client experiences come from working with multidisciplinary teams. To succeed in an increasingly competitive market, law firms need to break down the barriers that have long stood between their lawyers and business professionals.

The extraordinary adjustments firms had to make during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought a new sense of community that was novel to some. For those firms already steeped in a culture of community and a desire to be truly inclusive, where members feel welcomed and supported, the pandemic brought an opportunity to elevate and extend those efforts. The challenge now is to keep that momentum going.