From Events to Strategy: Sandra Claudio on BD, Authenticity & the Art of Integration

From Events to Strategy: Sandra Claudio on BD, Authenticity & the Art of Integration

At LMA 2026 in New Orleans, Sandra Claudio made the case for something every BD team knows but rarely says out loud: not every RFP is worth your time — and chasing the wrong ones can actually hurt you. 🎧   Sandra is Director of BD at Ice Miller, where a team of two manages RFPs for the entire firm — responding to around 200 a year, not counting early-stage pitches. Their process is disciplined: every opportunity goes through a go/no-go evaluation before a single word gets written. The full episode covers Sandra's entire career — from events coordinator to BD leader across four major firms — plus her take on cross-selling, lateral integration, and why authenticity was the LMA 2026 theme that actually resonated.

Navigate the Tricky Channels: Tracy Kraft on AI, Efficiency & Staying Current

Tracy is Head of Marketing & BD at Kraft Kennedy — a firm that helps law firms navigate their most complex technology implementations. She's watched firms fall behind on technology decisions and then scramble to recover. She's also applying that same urgency to her own marketing function.   In the latest episode of The Pursuit Desk, Jason and Tracy cover how AI is changing proposal workflows at law firms and why the executive summary is still the most important page in any pitch.   At ikaun, we see the gap Tracy describes widen every year. Teams that invest in centralized experience, AI-powered proposal generation, and integrated data infrastructure now aren't just more efficient — they're positioned to win more work than the firms still catching up.

Building the Band: How Andrew Laver is Reshaping Legal Marketing at Porzio

In legal marketing, most leaders inherit a department. Andrew Laver built one — and he did it with a very specific philosophy.  In the latest episode of The Pursuit Desk, ikaun's Jason Noble sits down with Andrew Laver, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, for a candid conversation about what it really takes to run marketing and BD at a growing regional firm.   Andrew joined Porzio as the firm's first CMBO and built a six-person team from the ground up — designed intentionally, with overlapping skills, and a relentless focus on BD outcomesover marketing optics.

The Data Behind Winning RFPs—and Why Price Isn’t Everything with Jordan Weinstein

In this episode of The Pursuit Desk, Jason Noble, Co-Founder & Chief Product Strategy Officer at ikaun, sits down with Jordan Weinstein, VP of Data & Growth at Persuit. Together, they unpack what the data reveals about winning more RFPs, why the lowest price isn’t always the deciding factor, and how strategies and speed can change outcomes. They also explore the mounting pressure on the billable hour, the rise of AFAs, and how technology is reshaping the future of legal business development.

Winning Work: Proposal Best Practices and the Future of AI with Rick Harris

In this episode of The Pursuit Desk, Jason Noble sits down with Rick Harris, CEO of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP), to explore what truly makes a winning proposal. Rick shares timeless best practices—from the importance of executive summaries and compliance matrices to building authentic client relationships—and explains why proposals should never be cookie-cutter. The conversation also dives into the role of AI in streamlining proposal processes, balancing efficiency with authenticity, and what the future holds for business development professionals. As Rick prepares to transition from APMP leadership to launch his own venture, he reflects on lessons learned and offers practical insights for anyone looking to stand out and win more work.