Data Driven Business Development for Legal Professionals: Turning Insights into Action

Amy Shepherd | Davis+Gilbert LLP

Amy Shepherd is the Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Davis+Gilbert LLP, where she leads the firm’s integrated marketing and business development strategy. With more than 20 years of experience in legal marketing and business development, she focuses on aligning technology, data, and client intelligence with strategic initiatives that enhance client engagement, business growth, and overall firm performance. She works closely with firm leadership and attorneys to support client development, cross-selling, and market visibility while overseeing marketing, communications, client engagement, and competitive intelligence functions. She also plays a key role in advancing the firm’s use of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in its business strategy.

• Education & Credentials

Amy Shepherd earned her Bachelor of Science degree with distinction from The Pennsylvania State University. Her educational background supports her work at the intersection of legal industry marketing, business development strategy, and technology-driven innovation.

• Recognition & Leadership

Amy is recognized as a thought leader in legal marketing and business development, particularly in the integration of artificial intelligence into law firm strategy. She co-authored the 2025 State of the Industry Report in Legal Marketing & Business Development, which provides a comprehensive analysis of AI strategy in the legal sector. She has also been named a Top 50 Marketer by the OnConferences ICON Awards, reflecting her leadership and impact in the field.

• Professional Involvement

Amy is actively engaged in advancing innovation within the legal marketing and business development community. She is a frequent speaker and author on topics related to AI-enabled client development, law firm growth strategies, and legal industry innovation. Through her advisory work and leadership roles, she contributes to shaping how professional services firms adopt technology and data-driven approaches to client engagement and business development.

• Experience

Amy has more than two decades of experience in legal marketing and business development leadership roles. Prior to joining Davis+Gilbert LLP, she founded Gladstone AI Advisory, where she advised professional services firms on AI adoption and strategic growth. She also previously served as Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Ballard Spahr LLP and held senior marketing and business development roles at other leading law firms. Her experience spans firmwide strategy development, client engagement programs, marketing operations, and the integration of emerging technologies into business development initiatives.

Rafi Arbel | Market JD

Rafi Arbel is the President and Founder of Market JD, Inc., a Chicago-based digital marketing agency serving law firms nationwide. A former litigator who previously ran his own practice, he leverages firsthand legal industry experience to help small and mid-sized law firms strengthen their online presence and expand their client base. With more than 20 years of experience in law firm marketing, he focuses on SEO, website development, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and broader digital marketing strategies tailored specifically for attorneys.

• Education & Credentials

Rafi Arbel’s professional background is rooted in his experience as a former practicing litigator who operated his own law firm before transitioning into legal marketing. This hands-on legal experience informs his approach to helping attorneys develop effective client acquisition and digital growth strategies.

• Recognition & Leadership

Rafi is recognized as a leader in law firm marketing, particularly for his work helping attorneys build and optimize digital client acquisition strategies. Through Market JD, Inc., he has developed a reputation for delivering tailored, attorney-focused marketing services that emphasize practical results, personalized strategy, and industry-specific insight.

• Professional Involvement

Rafi is actively engaged in developing and implementing integrated digital marketing strategies for law firms. His work includes combining SEO, AI visibility, website design, PPC advertising, social media, and analytics into cohesive strategies designed specifically for attorneys. He also utilizes proprietary analytics tools to help clients track performance and understand which marketing efforts drive results.

• Experience

Rafi has over 20 years of experience in law firm marketing, including SEO, website development, PPC advertising, and digital strategy. Prior to founding Market JD, Inc., he practiced as a litigator and managed his own law firm, an experience that directly shaped his understanding of law firm operations and client acquisition. He now applies that experience to helping law firms navigate competitive online marketplaces and grow their practices through data-driven marketing strategies.

SESSION 1 – Building a Data-Driven Law Firm: What Drives Growth and Revenue | 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Explores how law firms can connect marketing activity to business outcomes, evaluate the role of intake in marketing performance, and use intake and revenue data to improve decisions, while building practical performance tracking systems for disciplined, data-driven law firm growth.

BREAK | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

SESSION 2 – From Data to Relationships | 2:10pm – 3:10pm

Explores how attorneys can move beyond data collection to meaningful action in business development, using portfolio-style thinking to manage client relationships, reading internal firm data as a relationship map, and applying AI as a practical supporting tool to identify opportunities, strengthen engagement, and build consistent growth habits.