RainDance 2026 Speaker Preview
We’re thrilled to feature a preview from Mark Howe, Head of Business Development, TDS LLP — and one of our featured speakers at LSSO RainDance 2026.
Collaboration + Competition: Dissecting a Business Development Gamification Program
Law firm business development leaders often face the same challenge: how do you motivate busy lawyers to consistently engage in business development (BD) activities – even during slower periods – without resorting to pressure, guilt, or quick fixes that never last?
Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP (TDS), a leading regional law firm in Canada, found its answer at the intersection of collaboration and competition, by designing a practical, sustainable gamification program that got lawyers more active, improved cross-firm relationships, and changed long‑term behavior.
Learning from Failure
The firm’s first attempt failed. When we tried pitting practice groups‑against‑each other, it just deepened silos. One group even sabotaged the leaderboard. The core lesson: you cannot layer competition on top of division. The answer? Rebuild the model to bring people together first, then introduce competition in a way that strengthens collaboration, not rivalry.
Timing Matters: Maintaining Momentum Through the Summer
In locations where summer slows BD activities due to cottage culture and lake time, BD momentum often collapses. Running the competition from May 1 to September 30 helped sustain meaningful BD activity through July and August.
Building BD Teams That Collaborate
The redesigned BD Groups created cross‑office, cross‑practice BD teams, mixing lawyers together from junior associates to senior partners. Articling Students supported administrative tasks, booking meetings, taking minutes, so partners could focus on leading. The philosophy was simple: Collaborative BD vs. Lone‑Wolf BD.
Focusing on Evidence‑Based Activities
The BD scorecard, intended to measure progress, was rooted in client feedback, not assumptions. We rewarded what mattered: cross‑serving introductions, proactive outreach to contacts, partners bringing associates to client meetings, and traveling to visit major clients in other cities. The TDS Business Development Department subsidized travel to remove cost barriers.
Tracking What Matters: The Scorecard
Activities only counted if logged in the CRM, strengthening firmwide CRM habits. In‑person and out‑of‑city activities were awarded higher points. Monthly standings were displayed on the home page of the Intranet and a digital screen in our Northern Lights Lounge to support friendly competition.
Offering Tools, Support and Non‑Traditional BD Options
The BD team reduced friction by offering templates, a client‑meeting question list, a site‑visit checklist, guidance on CRM entry and alternative BD options such as theatre, galleries and cooking classes, making BD accessible to all personalities, not just sports lovers.
Incentivizing Things That Motivate
Prizes were experiential – brewery tours, go‑karting, horse racing, group cooking classes – and chosen by group vote, increasing engagement and ownership.
Changing the Culture: From Project to Program
The BD competition was deliberately designed as an ongoing program, rather than a one-off project. It became a recurring program embedded into firm culture, with BD Groups meeting monthly or quarterly, based on preference. BD expenses were reimbursed only when paired with logged CRM activity, a “stick disguised as a carrot.”
Resulting in: Meaningful Engagement and Real ROI
47% of lawyers participated, logging 325+ activities during the competition period. Activities ranged from conferences, dinners, hiking, client AGMs, and charity events, to travel and client speaking engagements.
A standout success involved a $550M restructuring file that a banking syndicate initially intended to give to a large national firm. Because the TDS insolvency team had traveled to Toronto earlier to build relationships with special accounts bankers, they secured approval to retain the work. A $6,000 BD trip ultimately delivered a ROI exceeding 3,000%.
Best Practices for BD Leaders
• Build flexibility into the model – different groups can meet at different cadences.
• Remove friction wherever possible; make BD easy and fun.
• Align incentives with behaviors you want to reinforce.
• Encourage lawyers to integrate BD with personal interests.
• Leverage naturally competitive personalities, energy is contagious.
• Turn BD from a “have to” into a “want to.”
Mark Howe is the Head of Business Development at TDS LLP. He is in a client-facing sales role and coaches senior associates, laterals, and young partners. He also collaborates with the firm’s Executive Committee on the TDS Client Experience Program. He is based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. You can connect with Mark on LinkedIn.
