For many lawyers, networking is one of the most uncomfortable aspects of professional practice. Trained to analyse, argue, and solve technical problems, legal professionals often arrive late to business development, without a clear methodology and with the mistaken belief that being a good lawyer alone is enough for work to come naturally.

The reality of today’s legal market is very different. In an increasingly competitive sector, where corporate clients have more options than ever before and international legal directories such as Chambers and Partners or The Legal 500 also assess market perception of a firm, the ability to build and maintain strategic relationships is just as important as the technical quality of the legal service itself.

However, networking alone does not guarantee results. Networking effectively does. Over years of working with law firms across Spain and Latin America, I have identified seven recurring mistakes that limit (or directly undermine) the potential of these initiatives.

1. Networking only when clients are needed

This is probably the most widespread mistake. Many partners activate their network only when workflow decreases or when the firm launches a new practice area. The problem is that reactive networking is perceived exactly for what it is: an opportunistic approach. Trust, by contrast, is built before any specific need arises.

Effective networking is an ongoing practice, not a seasonal one. It means maintaining contact with the market even when the firm is at its busiest: sharing relevant insights, congratulating professional milestones, and making valuable introductions within one’s network without expecting anything in return. It is this relational capital that becomes active when a genuine opportunity arises.

2. Confusing presence with impact

Attending conferences, industry events, or professional association dinners is not the same as networking. Many lawyers fill their diaries with events and return without having had a single meaningful conversation. Physical presence is merely the starting point.

Before attending any event, it is worthwhile defining a specific objective: is there a particular profile you want to meet? Is there an outstanding conversation you should have with someone in the sector? What follow-up is planned for the contacts made? Without this minimum level of preparation, attending events becomes an investment of time and energy with very limited strategic return.

3. Talking too much about the firm and too little about the other person

Networking is not a sales pitch. Yet it is common to see lawyers immediately launching into a presentation about the firm’s services, rankings, team, and recent transactions when meeting someone new. The result is usually the opposite of what was intended: the other person disengages.

The most productive conversations in terms of legal business development are usually those in which the lawyer asks genuine questions about the other person’s business, current challenges, or priorities for the year ahead.

Listening carefully and connecting what is heard with genuine value is what distinguishes an effective networker  (and future rainmaker) from someone who is simply trying to sell.

4. Neglecting the relationship after the first contact

Meeting someone at an event, connecting on LinkedIn, and then disappearing for months is the most common pattern in legal networking. The first conversation is only the beginning of a relationship that requires ongoing maintenance.

Follow-up does not need to be intrusive or forced. It can be as simple as sharing an article relevant to the contact’s sector, congratulating them on a recent achievement, or making a useful introduction to a third party. What matters is consistency: ensuring the contact perceives a genuine interest in maintaining the relationship beyond a one-off interaction.

5. Ignoring the internal network

Many lawyers direct all their networking efforts externally  (towards prospective clients, referral sources, and industry peers) while completely neglecting their internal network: other partners within the firm, colleagues from complementary practice areas, or former colleagues now working for clients or other firms. Yet this internal network is often the source of the most immediate business opportunities.

In firms with multiple specialisms, a partner’s ability to generate cross-referrals to other practice areas depends directly on how well they understand the work of their colleagues and whether there is sufficient trust to recommend them confidently. Investing in those internal relationships delivers a direct and measurable return.

6. Failing to cultivate visibility as a networking lever

Networking does not occur exclusively in person. Today, a significant part of a lawyer’s reputation is built through digital channels: thought leadership articles, participation in industry podcasts, LinkedIn publications, or speaking engagements at international conferences. This visibility acts as a magnet, attracting conversations that might otherwise never take place.

A lawyer who publishes relevant analysis on LinkedIn about their practice area generates opportunities to connect with people who discover them through their content, without needing to attend an event. This form of networking is particularly valuable for partners with demanding schedules or for those operating across geographically dispersed markets, as is often the case for firms active simultaneously in Spain and Latin America.

7. Failing to measure or evaluate results

Networking without metrics is difficult to improve. Yet very few lawyers keep any meaningful record of their business development activities: whom they met, what follow-up actions were taken, or which contacts resulted in meetings, proposals, or specific mandates.

The objective is not to reduce relationships to a spreadsheet, but to achieve sufficient clarity to understand what works and what does not. Something as simple as periodically reviewing a list of key contacts and asking when the last interaction took place, and what the next appropriate step might be, can make a significant difference to long-term results.

Conclusion

Effective networking in the legal sector is neither an innate skill nor something reserved for naturally extroverted personalities. It is a discipline that can be learned, practised, and refined over time, provided there is a clear intention and at least a basic methodology behind it.

Avoiding these seven mistakes does not guarantee immediate results  (business relationships within the legal world operate on their own timelines) but it does ensure that the effort invested has direction and that, over time, the relational capital built becomes a clear competitive advantage.

María Sol Rubio

Partner at Gericó Associates