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Adam C. Severson*

Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer
Nashville
T: 615.726.5728
F: 615.744.5728
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Adam Severson is the Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Baker Donelson.

Professional Biography

Mr. Severson is responsible for the strategic direction and execution of the Firm's business development and marketing initiatives, and collaborates with the Firm's lawyers and professional staff to maintain a client focus, increase marketplace awareness and facilitate cross-office and cross-practice collaboration. He sets direction for practice group- and industry-driven strategies, public relations, client interviews, brand management, advertising, competitive intelligence and market research. He is a nationally-recognized presenter and leader in the legal marketing and business development community.

Prior to joining Baker Donelson, he held similar roles at two other AMLAW 100 firms. Mr. Severson also spent more than six years with the Thomson Corporation (now Thomson Reuters) serving in various sales capacities, focusing on ensuring that firms' business development and marketing efforts were aligned with their clients' interests.

  • 2023 Editorial Board Member – Legal Sales and Service Organization (LSSO)
  • 2020 Legal Marketing Association Hall of Fame Inductee, the highest honor that the Legal Marketing Association bestows on any member and recognizes lifetime achievement in legal marketing and outstanding contributions to the association.
  • Fellow – College of Law Practice Management (2017)
  • Past President – The International Legal Marketing Association, the largest professional organization in the world dedicated to the advancement of the legal marketing and business development profession comprised of more than 3,000 members in more than 15 countries (2014 – 2016)
  • Named – "CMO of the Year" by the Nashville Business Journal (2013)
  • First place recognition by LMA National "Your Honor Awards," Communications: Content Marketing Category for Suite of Innovation Services Campaign (2019)
  • First place recognition by LMA National "Your Honor Awards," Marketing Management and Leadership for Women to Equity Program (2019)
  • First place recognition by LMA National "Your Honor Awards," Coaching/Training/Planning Category for BizDev App (2018)
  • First place recognition by LMA National "Your Honor Awards," Events Category for Cybercon Program (2018)
  • First place recognition by LMA Southeast Chapter "Your Honor Awards," Website Category for Best Website (2017)
  • First place recognition by LMA Southeast Chapter "Your Honor Awards," Events Category for Cybercon program (2017)
  • First place recognition by LMA Southeast Chapter "Your Honor Awards," Business Development Category for BizDev App (2017)
  • Co-Chair – 21st Annual Law Firm Marketing Partner Forum, Naples, Florida (2014)
  • First Place recognition by LMA Southeast Chapter "Your Honor Awards," Practice Development Category, for 2013 Key Client Initiative
  • Second Place recognition by LMA National "Your Honor Awards," Newsletter or Alert, for 2013 Entrepreneur Minute alert series
  • Third Place recognition by LMA National "Your Honor Awards," Social/Interactive Media for Pig Skin Pick’em League
  • Honorable Mention recognition by LMA National "Your Honor Awards," Marketing on a Shoestring, for 2013 Baker5 program
  • Named – "Top 200 Private Company Marketing Executive" by ExecRank, which recognizes leaders in the field from over 15,000 eligible executives (2012)
  • Leader of team recognized as the #1 Business Development & Marketing team while at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, by Marketing the Law Firm, an American Lawyer Media publication, in their 8th Annual "MLF 50" report (2012)
  • Legal Marketing Association (LMA) – Orlando Annual Conference Committee co-chair (2011); International Board of Directors member at large (2008 – 2009) and secretary (2007); Minnesota Chapter president (2006)
  • Leader of team recognized as the #1 Business Development & Marketing team (shared designation) while at Faegre & Benson LLP, by Marketing the Law Firm, an American Lawyer Media publication, in their 6th Annual "MLF 50" report (2010) 
  • Recognized – "Best of Industry" for Outstanding Achievement in Web Development by the Web Marketing Association
  • First Place recognition by LMA Minnesota Chapter "Your Honor Awards," Event category, for 2010 Food, Agriculture & Biofuels National Conference
  • Third Place recognition by LMA National Chapter "Your Honor Awards," Event category, for 2010 Food, Agriculture & Biofuels National Conference
  • Co-presenter – "Making Sales Strategy Sticky," Legal Sales & Service Organization Webinar (November 2023)
  • "Fueling Firm Growth," UniCourt and Ari Kaplan Advisory Virtual Lunch Program (September 2023)
  • "Law Firm Leadership," 2023 Legal Marketing Association Southwest Regional Conference (September 2023)
  • Featured – "CMO Series: Adam Severson of Baker Donelson on Navigating Lateral Growth, Mergers and the Role of Marketing," The Passle Podcast, Insights (May 2023)
  • Co-presenter – "Authentic (Social) Selling: A Sales Insider's View," 2023 Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference (April 2023)
  • "Cooking with Culture: Key Ingredients to Become a Top Culture Chef," 2022 Legal Marketing Association Southeastern Regional Conference (October 2022)
  • Co-presenter – "TerraLex Marketing and Business Development Forum: Listen. Encourage. Act. Cornerstones of Effective Engagement," TerraLex 2022 Global Meeting (October 2022)
  • Guest Lecturer – "Law as Business: Marketing, Clients and You," Vanderbilt University Law School (September 2022)
  • Moderator – "What is the Future of Our Profession?," Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference (March 2022)
  • Guest Lecturer – "Law as Business: Marketing, Clients and You," Vanderbilt University Law School (February 2022)
  • "Change Management Insights from LMA Leaders," Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference, Hollywood Florida (October 2021)
  • "The Art of Leadership," podcast, The Legal Slant (October 2021)
  • "The Attorney-Client Relationship Post-Pandemic with Baker Donelson," podcast, The National Law Review (October 2021)
  • Co-presenter – "From Survive to Thrive: Top 10 Career Tips that Stand the Test of Time (Pandemic or Not)," Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference (October 2020)
  • Co-presenter – "Pipeline Management," TerraLex 2019 Global Meeting (November 2019)
  • Co-presenter – "Leaders Lead and Lawyers Lawyer," 2019 Futures Conference, The College of Law Practice Management (October 2019)
  • Co-presenter – "Change Management: Positioning the Firm for the Future," 2019 Legal Marketing Association Southeastern Regional Conference (September 2019)
  • Panelist – "What's Next: Career Development for the Mid-Career Professional," Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference, Atlanta, Georgia (April 2019)
  • "Relationships Aren't Dead," Buying Legal Council North America Legal Procurement Conference, New York, New York (September 2018)
  • Moderator – "Getting to Know Your Internal Client," LMASE August Luncheon, Nashville, Tennessee (August 2018)
  • "Stop, Innovate and Listen," Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana (April 2018)
  • "Website Trends," Middle Tennessee Association of Legal Administrators, Nashville, Tennessee (March 2018)
  • "Technology Solutions - Leveraging Technology to Add Value to the Client Experience," Law Firm Marketing Summit, London, England (November 2017)
  • "Using Competitive Intelligence to Inform Law Firm Strategy," Legal Marketing Association webinar (September 2017)
  • "Bridging Gap Between KM and Marketing," International Legal Technology Association Annual Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada (August 2017)
  • Co-presenter – "Connecting the Dots: Practice What You Preach," Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada (February 2017)
  • "Understanding the Essential Elements of Growth," Thomson Reuters webinar (September 2016)
  • "Communicating in the Moment," Legal Marketing Association Southeastern Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida (September 2016)
  • "Adding Value by Getting Specific: How You Can Dig Deeper to Become a Trusted Advisor," Legal Marketing Association Capital Chapter, Washington, D.C. (May 2016); Legal Marketing Association Southern California Chapter, San Diego, California and Irvine, California (August 2016)
  • "Strategic Planning Requires Strategic Implementation," Legal Marketing Association Los Angeles Chapter, Continuing Marketing Education (CME) Annual Conference, Los Angeles, California (November 2015)
  • "Making the Perfect Pitch," Managing Partners Program, Terralex Global Meeting, Nashville, Tennessee (November 2015)
  • "The Evolving Role of a Legal Marketer," Legal Marketing Association Rocky Mountain Chapter, Denver, Colorado (November 2015)
  • Moderator – "Voice of the Client," Legal Marketing Association Southeastern Annual Conference, Atlanta, Georgia (September 2015)
  • "Perspectives from the Top," Legal Marketing Association Metro NY Chapter, Future Leaders Program, New York, New York (August 2015)
  • "The Business of Being a Lawyer," University of Florida School of Law, Gainesville, Florida (August 2015)
  • Moderator – "CMO Panel, Marketers Driving Change," Legal Marketing Association, Nashville City Group, Nashville, Tennessee (July 2015)
  • "Strategic Planning Requires Strategic Implementation," Legal Marketing Association Metro Philly Annual Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (July 2015)
  • "Pitch Best Practices," TerraLex Global Meeting, Munich, Germany (June 2015)
  • Presidential Opening Remarks, Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference, San Diego, California (April 2015)
  • "Your Honor Awards Emcee," Legal Marketing Association New England Chapter, Boston, Massachusetts (March 2015)
  • "Strategic Planning Requires Strategic Implementation," Professional Services Marketing Association, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (October 2014)
  • "In-House Counsel Panel: In Their Own Words," Legal Marketing Association Southeastern Regional Conference, Nashville, Tennessee (October 2014)
  • "Business Development: Mining Your Network," podcast, ABA Section of Litigation's Sound Advice Series (June 2014)
  • Panelist – "Creating the 'Experience Economy' in Law Firms," 21st Annual Marketing Partner Forum, Naples, Florida (January 2014)
  • "Strategic Planning Requires Strategic Implementation," 2013 Ohio Legal Practice Development Institute, Columbus, Ohio (October 2013)
  • "Marketing & Business Development Continuum," LMA Southeast Annual Conference, QuickStart Program, Charleston, South Carolina (October 2013)
  • Moderator – "In-House Counsel Panel: In Their Own Words," LMA Southeast Annual Conference, Charleston, South Carolina (October 2013)
  • "Competitive Landscape: Redefining Legal Services," Terralex Global Meeting, Paris, France (September 2013)
  • Panelist – "Winning in Marketing," Nashville Business Journal CMO Panel, Nashville, Tennessee (August 2013)
  • "Action Planning," Terralex Global Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana (May 2013)
  • "Law Firm Video − Director's Cut," 2013 LMA Annual Conference, Las Vegas (April 2013)
  • "360° View of Key Client Programs and Cross-Selling," Marketing Partner Forum, Rancho Palos Verdes, California (January 2013)
  • "Client Teams Rule/Client Teams Suck," Legal Sales and Service Organization RainDance Conference, Chicago, Illinois (June 2012)
  • Chief Marketing Officer Panel, Legal Marketing Association, Birmingham City Group, Birmingham, Alabama (April 2012)
  • "The Voice of the Client: Incorporating Your Client Into Your Business Development Initiatives," American Lawyer Media Law Firm Marketing & Business Development Leadership Forum, New York (May 2011)
  • "Use of Social Media for International Business," Finnish American Chamber of Commerce, Minneapolis (February 2011)
  • "Social Media's Impact on IT & Marketing," Twin Cities Business Journal Event, Minneapolis (November 2010)
  • Guest Lecturer – "Interactive Marketing," University of St. Thomas, MBA Program (November 2010)
  • "Translating Competitive Intelligence into Revenue," Ark Group Competitive Intelligence in the Modern Law Firm, New York (June 2010)
  • QuickStart Presenter, Legal Marketing Association Annual Conference, Denver (March 2010)
  • "Creating and Implementing a Sales and Business Development Culture in Your Firm," West LegalEdCenter, Hildebrandt webinar (March 2010)

Education

  • Harvard Law School Executive Education, Leadership in Law Firms Program 2022
  • University of Minnesota-Duluth, B.A.

Featured Media

Running on Empty? Take Time to Refuel Yourself and Your Team
Publication / April 19, 2023
Client Centricity: Fundamentals and Complexities for Successful Implementation of Client Target Programs
Publication / March 10, 2021
Adam Severson Featured on Litera TV Discussing the New Normal in Legal Marketing
News / December 8, 2020

Disclaimer

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Baker Donelson professional not admitted to the practice of law.

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