What is a Rainmaker and why your law firm needs one?

What is a Rainmaker?

We are living in the most competitive time in history in the legal sector. In this context, the term Rainmaker is more fashionable than ever. But it is not an empty label, but a profile with a real impact on the present and future of firms. A Rainmaker is much more than someone with people skills or a good network of contacts. It is someone who, within a firm, has a clear mission: to grow its own client portfolio. By doing so, they increase their value within the organization, boost their revenues and, by extension, those of the entire firm.

Connect with customers in an authentic way. Understands their real needs, beyond the file or the occasional query. He knows when to talk and when to listen. And, above all, they have the ability to turn a conversation into a real business opportunity. They may be young lawyers with great social skills, experienced partners who have cultivated strategic relationships, or lawyers with decades of experience and an established network of trust. The profile changes, but the result is the same: they are behind the key issues, the new clients, the strategic deals and the most powerful alliances.

What Makes a Rainmaker Different?

Across years of consulting and mentoring, I’ve seen consistent patterns in the lawyers who excel at business generation. And surprisingly, these traits have little to do with charisma or extroversion.

Rainmakers:

See law as a business, not just a profession
Build relationships strategically and empathetically, not from ego or urgency
Have crystal-clear value propositions, and know how to communicate them
Don’t sell—they bring value
And perhaps most importantly, they don’t hide behind spreadsheets or doctrine—they show up and lead

The Impact of Having Rainmakers in Your Firm

When a firm develops or brings in a Rainmaker, the short-term effect is usually noticeable. But the real magic happens in the long term:

You attract better clients, with more meaningful matters and healthier margins
You leave survival mode behind and start making strategic decisions
You choose who to work with, rather than accepting everything that comes
You can raise your fees with clarity and confidence
You begin building a brand that carries weight, trust, and relevance

This isn’t luck. It’s the result of integrating a business mindset into legal practice.

Are Rainmakers Born or Made?

It is trained. Although some people start out with more developed social skills, business development is not an innate talent; it is a discipline that is learned, structured and practiced. A lawyer can be technically brilliant and still not have developed a single ability to attract or retain clients. Therefore, the starting point is a change of mindset: moving from a purely technical approach to one that also takes responsibility for generating opportunities and valuable relationships. It is not about turning anyone into what they are not. It is about offering tools, method and confidence so that each professional can lead his or her own growth, without depending on others and without waiting for the phone to ring.

From Rainmaker to Activator

Some Rainmakers evolve into something even more powerful: the Activator. An Activator not only brings in business but also activates the firm’s growth culture from within. They inspire, they share, and they multiply their impact by empowering others. In a market where legal services are increasingly competitive and clients are more demanding, having one—or several—Activators in your structure might be your firm’s most valuable differentiator.

So, How Do You Train a Rainmaker?

This is where experience, method, and a tailored training environment come into play. That’s why we created the Rainmakers Room: a strategic mentorship designed to transform technical lawyers into professionals who know how to generate business. No gimmicks. No generic speeches. Just real tools applied to the daily context of a law firm.

Every week, we work on how to attract, build trust, and close deals that turn into long-term relationships. We do it with real examples, real situations, and personalized guidance. After more than a decade working with firms of all sizes, one thing is clear:

Growth doesn’t happen on its own. It’s a decision.

So—are you waiting for it to rain, or are you ready to learn how to make it rain?
Discover the Rainmakers Room

Marc Gericó

Founder and Managing Partner