By Simone Sullivan | 9th April 2026
Written by Hayley Brooksbank
A quiet but consequential pattern is now visible across the UK legal market. When firms want stronger growth, better cross-practice visibility, sharper positioning and a more commercial approach to marketing and business development, they often hire below the level the brief really demands.
The role is called ‘Head of’ or ‘Senior Manager’. The mandate, however, is much bigger: build a strategy, influence partners, improve cross-sell, professionalise client development, introduce measurement, protect team focus and create a more disciplined operating model. In practice, that is a director-level brief, whether the title says so or not.
This matters because law firms are not conventional corporates. In a partnership, progress depends on buy-in, judgement, governance and the ability to shift behaviour without excessive process. That is where experienced leadership pays for itself. Senior hires do not simply bring more capability. They bring pattern recognition, credibility and fewer expensive wrong turns.
The central argument of this paper is straightforward: many firms are not under-hiring because they lack ambition. They are under-hiring because they under-estimate the complexity of the role. They see the visible outputs of marketing and miss the invisible leadership work underneath it. The result is a false economy – lower salary cost in the short term, slower strategic progress and weaker commercial return over time.
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About the author:
Hayley Brooksbank is a senior marketing leader and consultant with more than 25 years of experience helping Professional Services firms translate business ambition into stronger market presence and performance. Through Studio B Consulting, she advises leadership teams on brand, go-to-market effectiveness, marketing transformation and commercial alignment across legal, consultancy and B2B environments.
Let’s talk: If you want to discuss what a senior marketing leader can do for your business DM ‘HIRE UP’ to: www.linkedin.com/in/hayleybrooksbank