Q&A with Julia Bennett, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer at Davis Wright Tremaine
1. You began your career as a practicing attorney before moving into marketing and business development. What skills or experiences from that chapter most influence how you lead your team and collaborate with lawyers today?
My time as a practicing attorney gave me a real understanding of how lawyers generate value, whether they're at a law firm or working in-house. That experience informs how I lead my team and counsel my attorneys.
I always aim for consensus and outcomes that benefit everyone, and I use my negotiation experience—especially with sponsorships—to make sure our investments actually help lawyers reach their marketing and growth goals. Having been through the challenges of practicing law myself, I get how tough and competitive it can be, and that helps me anticipate what lawyers need, whether they're just starting out or are well established in their careers.
2. What KPIs or success measures do you find most meaningful when demonstrating BD value to firm leadership?
I look at a mix of meaningful metrics: how many client or prospect touch points we’re creating, whether more practice groups are working with each client year over year, and if our work-in-progress is really thriving after a BD and marketing push. I also don’t underestimate what I think of as Vibez—because sometimes anecdotes tell the most persuasive stories.
3. Can you share an example of a BD or marketing initiative that meaningfully deepened client relationships or drove measurable growth?
We segmented our clients in 2025 and used that segmentation to identify the clients with whom we would systematically work to deepen relationships.
We learned that introducing even one new practice area into a client relationship could have significant impact on the stickiness of the client – and we have seen leading and lagging indicators of success where we’ve done so. It has been fun to see new practices introduced into those client relationships. What’s been more rewarding is seeing our clients have their own business success as the result of support from capabilities that they previously didn’t know that we could offer.
4. You’ve been an advocate for using technology to strengthen client relationships and internal collaboration. How do you balance adopting new tools with ensuring they truly add value?
It's important to actually use the technology tools available, not just collect them for the sake of it. I always try to train myself to consider whether a tool can genuinely help before diving in. If something isn't useful, I let it go—no need to become a digital hoarder.
When it comes to AI, I think it's best to invest time in understanding exactly what both you and your client need. That way, you’re not just randomly trying things out and hoping something sticks; instead, you’re making sure the solutions are truly valuable.
5. What are the primary areas of focus for your team (i.e., client development, technology, and communications) and how do they collaborate to support firmwide goals?
The CMBDO organization is a revenue organization, with each function focused on supporting DWT’s capacity to meet its revenue objectives. We help the lawyers increase revenue by amplifying the brand of Davis Wright Tremaine, marketing practices and industry groups, enabling lawyers to deepen relationship with current clients and win new clients, and removing roadblocks so that DWT lawyers can be trusted advisors with loyal clients.
The team is made up of practice management, client experience (the firm’s LPM team), business development, and marketing. Client experience and practice management know what our lawyers do very well, and they see the trends in client demands. They share those with BD, who then partners with marketing to attract more work along those trends.
6. In a recent LinkedIn post, you outlined five elements that guide how you assess your own career — autonomy, respect, resources, alignment, and compensation. How do those principles influence the way you lead and develop your team?
I want everyone that works with me to have their own ideas about what matters most, and to be true to those. I firmly believe that each of us has agency over our own careers. I hope that my transparency empowers others to view their work in the same way. I probably, subconsciously, drive my day to ensure that I’m getting positive outcomes in each of those categories and that trickles into the way I set goals for the team, which impacts what everyone is doing all day.
7. As a member of the LSSO Board of Advisors, what excites you most about where the industry – and this community – is headed?
I’m incredibly excited to see business developers go from reactive to truly client-facing. LSSO is at the forefront of that and I’m eager to help the organization share the tools and resources our industry needs to keep pushing forward.
8. If you could give one piece of advice to fellow LSSO members about driving results in their firms, what would it be?
Be brave! If you think something could work at your firm, find a way to try it. You can start with a pilot of the coalition of the willing if the culture isn’t ready for a big change. That being said, in my experience most partners really want to see change and welcome fresh ideas.
9. What’s something you’re currently exploring or excited to push forward in 2026?
We are rolling out a business development and marketing training program in 2026 which is based on the tenets of apprenticeship, training, and self-study. In preparation, I surveyed our partners and counsel about business development to get a baseline confidence score for the firm. It’s been lots of fun working with the team to figure out how to see that score increase year over year as a result of the program.
About Julia
Julia Bennett is Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer at Davis Wright Tremaine. A former practicing attorney, Julia blends legal insight with strategic leadership to drive revenue, strengthen client relationships, and foster innovation. She is passionate about empowering her team and embracing technology that adds real value. Julia is a proud wife and mom of four who spends a lot of time shuffling kids between school, dance, and swimming.
