The 2025 ACC Chief Legal Officers Survey is out, delivering a compelling look at how CLOs are reshaping their roles, tackling rising challenges and finding ways to drive impact beyond the legal department. This year’s findings underscore a significant shift in the role of chief legal officers. They’re taking on more responsibilities beyond traditional legal work, managing rising costs and navigating an increasingly complex regulatory landscape, all while facing resource constraints. For law firms, these insights offer an invaluable opportunity to tailor their services and deepen relationships with chief legal officer clients. Here’s a breakdown of the survey’s key findings and actionable advice on how law firms can use this information to their advantage.
Key Insights from the Survey
CLOs Are Doing More Than Just Legal Work: How This Expands Opportunities for Law Firms
- 70% of CLOs oversee areas like risk, compliance, privacy and ethics.
- 58% are involved in M&A and corporate transactions.
- 44% identify their greatest impact as advising the CEO and shaping business strategy.
Litigation and Investigations Are Increasing
- 42% report an increase in litigation.
- 44% are handling more internal investigations, while 24% are seeing an uptick in external investigations.
- 60% are dealing with higher litigation costs.
Efficiency Is a Top Priority
- 35% cite operational efficiency as their top departmental goal.
- 41% have been asked to cut costs, making streamlined operations a necessity.
More Work Is Going to Outside Counsel
- 43% of CLOs plan to send more work to law firms in 2025 – a significant increase from last year.
- Regulatory complexity is a major driver of this trend.
Staffing Remains a Challenge
- Understaffing is the top concern, with 30% planning to hire more lawyers.
- Other hurdles include regulatory uncertainty (23%) and inefficient internal processes (18%).
Legal Tech Is Getting More Attention
- 44% plan to implement new legal technology this year.
- Top investment areas include contract management (62%), document management (32%), and workflow automation (26%).
Chief Legal Officers Want Teams with Business Acumen
- 59% say business acumen is the most important skill for their legal teams to develop.
- Demand for tech fluency and industry-specific expertise is also increasing.
How Law Firms Can Use These Insights
1. Tailor Services to CLOs’ Expanding Roles
Chief legal officers are no longer confined to legal matters. They’re becoming strategic advisors, risk managers and key contributors to business decisions. Law firms can:
- Offer holistic counsel: Position your firm as a partner that understands the broader implications of legal advice on business strategy, compliance and risk.
- Provide cross-disciplinary support: Expand your services to include areas like ethics, compliance and privacy – key areas that chief legal officers are managing more frequently.
Example Action: Create thought leadership content or host webinars on integrating legal advice with business strategy, tailored specifically for chief legal officers.
2. Be Ready to Handle Increased Litigation and Investigations
With litigation trends for law firms and investigations on the rise, chief legal officers need partners who can handle complex disputes efficiently and effectively. Law firms should:
- Focus on cost-efficient solutions: Highlight your ability to resolve disputes without unnecessary expenses, such as using alternative fee arrangements or leveraging technology for discovery.
- Offer specialized expertise: Develop a team with strong capabilities in internal investigations, regulatory compliance, and external dispute resolution.
3. Help CLOs Achieve Operational Efficiency
Operational efficiency is a top priority for chief legal officers, but achieving it requires collaboration with external partners, highlighting the need for law firm strategies for operational efficiency. Law firms can:
- Offer streamlined services: Use project management tools to keep cases on track and reduce inefficiencies.
- Leverage technology: Highlight how your firm uses legal tech to speed up processes like document review and contract analysis.
Example Action: Provide data-backed insights on how your firm has helped clients reduce costs and improve outcomes through efficient operations.
4. Position Yourself as a Trusted Partner for Outsourced Work
With 43% of chief legal officers planning to send more work to outside counsel, law firms have a clear opportunity to strengthen these relationships. To stand out, firms should:
- Be proactive: Reach out to clients with tailored solutions for the issues highlighted in the survey, such as managing regulatory complexity.
- Demonstrate value: Emphasize your firm’s expertise in areas that chief legal officers are outsourcing, such as contract management or compliance.
Example Action: Conduct client-specific workshops or training sessions to address their unique challenges.
5. Assist with Staffing and Talent Development
Understaffing is a major challenge for chief legal officers, and law firms can step in to provide support. Firms can:
- Act as an extension of the in-house team: Offer secondee programs where lawyers from your firm work directly with the client’s legal department.
- Support upskilling efforts: Help chief legal officers develop their teams by providing training on business acumen, legal tech, and industry-specific issues.
Example Action: Develop a resource library or training program tailored to in-house legal teams.
6. Embrace Legal Tech to Enhance Collaboration
As chief legal officers invest more in legal technology, law firms that can integrate seamlessly with these tools will have an edge. Firms should:
- Adopt compatible technology: Ensure your firm’s systems can integrate with clients’ tech investments, such as contract or document management platforms.
- Be a tech advisor: Offer guidance on the best tools for managing legal workflows and improving efficiency.
Example Action: Partner with legal tech providers to co-host demos or training sessions for clients.
7. Highlight Business Expertise
Chief legal officers want legal teams that understand business. Law firms can:
- Provide actionable insights: Go beyond legal advice to offer guidance on market trends, operational strategy and competitive positioning.
- Build industry-focused teams: Develop deep expertise in key sectors, ensuring your firm can meet clients’ unique needs.
Example Action: Publish industry-specific white papers or insights that address the intersection of legal and business strategy.
What This Means for Law Firms
The ACC survey highlights a dual challenge for chief legal officers: they’re being asked to do more with less while managing increasingly complex legal and business issues, underscoring the key chief legal officer challenges for 2025. For law firms, this presents both an opportunity and a responsibility. Firms that can align their services with these evolving needs will be best positioned to deepen relationships, win more work and deliver real value to their chief legal officer clients.
To stay competitive, law firms must focus on being more than just legal advisors. They need to act as strategic partners, offering solutions that address not only legal challenges but also operational, financial and business priorities. By leveraging the insights from this survey, firms can proactively meet the needs of chief legal officers and build long-term partnerships that drive success for both parties.
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