Technical excellence is expected in large law firms—it’s the baseline. What actually sets a firm apart is how clients feel during high-pressure, high-visibility moments. But “empathy” in a professional context is often misunderstood. Corporate clients aren’t looking for emotional hand-holding, and they can spot performative concern instantly.
What matters is cognitive empathy, the ability to understand a client’s business pressures, internal dynamics, risks, and decision constraints, and to respond in ways that reflect that understanding. This form of empathy is authentic, actionable, and teachable. In a market where GC roles are expanding and AI is taking on more routine work; cognitive empathy has become one of the few meaningful differentiators left.
Why empathy matters for Corporate Clients
General counsel roles are evolving fast. Today’s GCs must connect legal strategy to business objectives, justify legal spend to boards, support more work in-house, and demonstrate value with greater transparency. Outside counsel who pair legal expertise with business acumen help GCs make better decisions, reduce internal friction, and deliver impact.
Empathy in action
- GC expectations are shifting: 78% of general counsel surveyed by Simmons & Simmons (2024) expect human skills—like empathy, judgment, and communication—to become even more important as AI accelerates routine legal work.
- Leadership insights: At an ACC Foundation panel (2023), senior legal leaders emphasized that empathetic leadership strengthens collaboration, reduces operational risk, and helps surface issues early—often avoiding compliance failures altogether.
- Case example — Ironclad: Jasmine Sing, GC at Ironclad, has described how cultivating authentic, empathetic leadership improved trust, team performance, decision-making, and the value her department received from external counsel.
What Law Firms Should Do Next
Invest in training
Build lawyers’ cognitive empathy and commercial awareness. Integrate client experience (CX)-focused training and engagement and strategic use of AI solutions, giving lawyers tools to better understand the client journey, capture the voice of the client, communicate strategy clearly, scan for risks and opportunities, forecast spend, and anticipate dynamics that influence decision-making.
Embed empathy into marketing, BD, and announcements
Position the firm through a business lens. In marketing materials, PR, thought leadership, and RFP responses, move beyond firm-centric updates and demonstrate an understanding of business impact, operational realities, stakeholder concerns, and financial planning, not just legal outcomes.
Measure client sentiment
Use surveys, structured feedback loops, and informal check-ins to understand whether clients feel heard, supported, and aligned with legal strategies—and adjust accordingly. Cases, matters, and circumstances change.
Balance legal strategy options with human judgment
Ensure clients receive strategic framing, interpretation, and communication that reflect a meaningful level of understanding of their needs.
How It Shows in Practice
Firms that understand their clients’ pressures and internal realities deliver better outcomes more efficiently. What defines good lawyering is evolving—and those who combine legal expertise with genuine understanding of their clients’ world stand out in today’s market.