Consultants analysing market research data for law firm business development strategy

Market Research for Law Firms 


Informed Decisions. Confident Strategy. Targeted Growth.

Carton & Co helps UK law firms make sound business development decisions through targeted market research. We provide the evidence base you need to identify opportunities, understand your competitive position, and develop strategy with confidence—not guesswork.


Whether you're evaluating new markets, assessing competitors, profiling prospects, or understanding where your current clients come from, we design research that answers the specific questions your management team needs answered.


Why Market Research Matters for Law Firms


Law firm strategy too often relies on assumption and anecdote. Partners have views on where opportunities lie, but those views don't always align—and they're not always right.


Good research changes that. It provides:


  • Shared evidence that helps management teams reach agreement on priorities
  • Confidence to invest in new sectors, services, or locations
  • Focus for business development activity—targeting the right prospects, not just the obvious ones
  • Benchmarks to measure whether initiatives are working


The firms that invest in understanding their market - rather than assuming they already know it - make better decisions and waste less effort on unfocused BD activity.


Our Market Research Services


Competitor Analysis & Expert Evaluation

Understanding where you stand relative to competitors - and where the opportunities lie. We analyse your current client and referrer base alongside the competitive landscape to:


  • Identify gaps in the market you could fill
  • Define attractive segments worth targeting
  • Develop USPs and service propositions based on evidence
  • Qualify which competitors you're actually losing work to—and why


This isn't desk research alone. We combine data analysis with expert evaluation to give you insight you can act on.


Market Sector Research

Profiling target markets and qualifying prospects before you invest BD time. When you're considering entering a new sector or expanding in an existing one, we help you:


  • Profile the market size and characteristics
  • Identify and qualify key prospects and contacts
  • Understand what clients in that sector value from their legal advisors
  • Assess whether the opportunity justifies the investment
  • Develop a targeted approach rather than scattergun BD


Geo-Demographic Profiling

Understanding where your clients come from - and where similar prospects are. Particularly valuable for private client services (conveyancing, wills and probate, family), geo-demographic profiling helps you:


  • Map your current client base by location and characteristics
  • Identify areas with high concentrations of target demographics
  • Inform decisions on office locations and satellite presence
  • Target promotional activity to areas most likely to respond
  • Understand catchment areas and local competition


This evidence-based approach replaces "we think there's opportunity in X location" with "here's where the data shows there is an opportunity" - then providing insight and information to help open that up.


Client Insight Research

Understanding what existing clients value -  and where opportunities lie within current relationships. Our client listening programmes complement market research by:


  • Capturing structured feedback from clients, introducers, and business partners
  • Identifying cross-selling opportunities based on actual client needs
  • Understanding what's driving client satisfaction - and what's putting relationships at risk
  • Providing ammunition for new service initiatives and relationship development


We also conduct client and employee satisfaction surveys to establish benchmarks and track the impact of new initiatives.


How We Work


Every research project starts with the decisions you need to make. What questions does your management team need answered? What would change your strategy if you knew the answer?  We design research around those questions - not around a standard methodology. This keeps projects focused, timely, and actionable.


Our approach:


  • Scope together: Define the questions that matter and the decisions research will inform
  • Design appropriately: Choose methods that answer those questions efficiently
  • Deliver insight, not just data: Analysis and recommendations, not just reports
  • Support action: Help you translate findings into strategy and implementation


We work independently and objectively. Our job is to tell you what the research shows - even when that challenges assumptions.


Lead Consultant


Market research engagements are typically led by Allan Carton, who combines research expertise with deep understanding of law firm business development. This means research is designed around what actually drives decisions in legal practices - not generic market research methodology.


Let's Have a Conversation


If you're facing strategic decisions that would benefit from better market understanding - whether that's competitive positioning, new market entry, location strategy, or client insight - let's talk about what research could tell you.


Schedule a free consultation with Allan Carton here >>  No obligation. Just a practical conversation about what you need to know and how research could help.


Allan Carton


Email:  acarton@cartonconsultants.com   Phone:  07779 653105   LinkedIn


Carton & Co - Specialist consultants to UK law firms on technology adoption, client relationships, and business development.


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Frequently Asked Questions


Q: What types of market research do law firms typically need?


A: Law firms most commonly need competitor analysis to understand their market position, sector research to identify target markets and prospects, geo-demographic profiling for private client services like conveyancing and wills, and client insight research to strengthen existing relationships and identify new opportunities.


Q: How does market research help law firm business development?


A: Research provides the evidence base for confident decision-making. It helps firms identify attractive market segments, understand where they're winning and losing, qualify prospects before investing BD time, and develop service propositions based on genuine market needs rather than assumptions.


Q: What is geo-demographic profiling for law firms?


A: Geo-demographic profiling analyses the characteristics of your clients and prospects by location and demographics. For law firms, this is particularly valuable for private client services—residential conveyancing, probate and wills, family law—where understanding local market characteristics informs office location, service strategy, and targeted marketing.


Q: How is market research different from client listening?


Market research looks outward—understanding your competitive position, market opportunities, and prospect characteristics. Client listening looks at existing relationships—understanding what clients value, identifying opportunities within current accounts, and gathering feedback to improve service. Both inform business development, but from different angles. We often combine them.


Q: How long does a typical market research project take?


A: Timescales vary by scope. A focused competitor analysis might take 4-6 weeks. Comprehensive market sector research typically takes 6-10 weeks. Geo-demographic profiling can be completed in 3-4 weeks once data sources are agreed. We scope each project based on what decisions you need to make and when.


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