Legal brilliance alone is no longer enough.
Firms across Canada are rethinking what it takes to drive growth—and they’re paying a premium for business development leaders who bring both strategic acumen and legal fluency.
Canadian Lawyer recently featured findings from Calibrate’s inaugural Canadian Legal Marketing & Business Development Compensation Study, which surveyed 92 professionals across Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. The study offers the first data-driven look at compensation trends, role focus, and retention drivers for marketing and business development leaders in Canadian law firms.
The Canadian Lawyer story spotlighted one of the study’s key insights: the growing premium on strategic business development talent—particularly those with legal backgrounds.
“The growth-oriented firms are competing for strategic business development leaders able to bring net new business, not just manage existing client relationships,” explains Ivan Ivanovitch, Director at Calibrate. “That’s one of the reasons for the higher compensation for JDs in business development roles.”
Among chief-level business development executives, those holding law degrees reported earning an average base salary of $317,000, nearly 30 percent higher than their non-JD peers. According to Ivanovitch, this advantage reflects both market demand and credibility within firm leadership structures.
“A former practicing lawyer understands the nature of the legal work; she can connect with prospective clients and generate net new business to the firm, like a partner would,” he adds. “They would also have the credibility and the gravitas to collaborate with partners on strategic projects. They have a seat at the table.”
Evolving Priorities in Law Firm Marketing
The feature also underscored the shift in law firm marketing toward business generation over brand visibility—a change inspired by the Big Four accounting firms’ approach to client development.
“Clients are getting much more sophisticated,” Ivanovitch told Canadian Lawyer. “They’re much more aware of what legal services can potentially cost, and they want value for their money. You need business development people that are sophisticated so that they can engage the clients and find the winning solution that creates that opportunity for a partnership between the law firm and their client.”
Persistent Gender Pay Gap and Retention Risks
The Canadian Lawyer piece also drew attention to findings showing that gender pay disparities remain entrenched in the field. Women respondents reported an average base compensation of $157,000, compared to $194,000 for men.
Equally notable were indicators of retention risk: 30% of respondents cited dissatisfaction with compensation as a reason to consider leaving their current roles, while another 30% pointed to limited career advancement opportunities.
“For the lawyers in the law firm, there is a very clear path to professional development,” Ivanovitch notes. “This does not exist for marketing or business development functions within the firm. The firms that want to retain their top talent need to create these opportunities for growth and development. They need to have clear pathways for people.”
