James Van

Most law firms go to market by practice group and geography. Most clients evaluate law firms by industry expertise and business acumen, the ability to derive business insights from industry sector-specific legal issues. That disconnect is where opportunities are lost—and where Client Sciences focuses. I am the Managing Principal of Client Sciences, a consulting and research platform dedicated to helping law firms and their clients understand, measure, and improve industry sector expertise. My work is grounded in a simple but often underestimated reality: clients care far more about a firm’s understanding of their industry than most law firms believe. Over the course of my career, I have served as Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Littler, Fenwick & West, and Blank Rome, and as Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer at Dickinson Wright. Earlier, I spent nearly two decades in senior industry-focused roles at PwC and Arthur Andersen, where industry specialization was not a marketing concept but an operating model. Today, Client Sciences does four things: 1. Measures industry sector strength in 24 industry sectors We rate and benchmark law firms based on the depth and breadth of their industry-sector approach, including proprietary frameworks such as the Sector Leadership Index™ (SLI) and the Client Performance Index™ (CPI). 2. Builds industry sector expertise profiles I create detailed, sector-specific law firm profiles that reflect how firms are actually perceived and experienced by clients in 24 unique industry sectors—moving beyond marketing claims to evidence-based positioning. 3. Advises law firms on industry sector strategy Using tools such as the Law Firm Industry Sector Maturity Model, I help firms assess where they truly sit on the industry maturity curve and how to move from fragmented participation to recognized leadership. 4. Advises clients on law firm selection I work with in-house legal departments to optimize law firm selection, improve client service outcomes, and optimize legal cost profiles—drawing on decades of experience overseeing more than 7,500 law firm selection and transition decisions. I help law firms and their clients close the gap between perceived expertise and real-world industry performance, using data, client insight, and an industry-first lens.