PHILADELPHIA, January 21, 2025—Duane Morris LLP is pleased to announce that Director of Client Development Justin Edmondson has been named chief marketing and business development officer, succeeding retiring CMO Mark P. Messing. In his new role, Edmondson will oversee the firm’s brand strategy, communications, marketing technology, creative services functions and other aspects of its multifaceted go-to-market strategy.
Edmondson has more than two decades of experience in legal marketing, sales and business development. As the firm’s first director of client development, he established and implemented the firm’s key client relationship management program and launched a new functional team to work directly with billing partners to identify and capitalize on new revenue opportunities with the firm’s most important, highest potential clients. A core part of that effort has been the establishment of client feedback initiatives, enabling the firm to capture important insights from a broad array of clients since he joined the firm. Edmondson has extensive experience with attorney coaching and counseling, market research and competitive intelligence functions, brand-building campaigns and lead generation initiatives, with a focus on leveraging technology tools to develop data-driven insights that can help effectively assess opportunities, serve clients and grow revenue.
“Justin will lead our marketing efforts during a time of ongoing expansion for the firm and seismic changes in marketing tools,” said Duane Morris Chairman and CEO Matthew A. Taylor. “He’s a trusted resource for our partners and our leaders, and we look forward to working with him to continue elevating our platform globally, using technology to enhance the efforts of our strong and dynamic team. I’m confident we will achieve new heights with Justin’s forward-thinking perspective.”
Messing, who has served as CMO since 2009, is retiring after 20 years in the legal marketing industry and 25 years in advertising. He will continue to work with the firm on special projects. He skillfully fostered the global Duane Morris brand and developed agile marketing resources that benefitted both attorneys and clients. His successful tenure saw strong periods of growth for Duane Morris, including the creation of the firm’s industry focused go-to-market strategy, which saw 24% revenue growth across the industry focus areas between 2018 and 2023.
“Mark has dedicated his career to understanding what clients need and designing savvy business development strategies,” said Taylor. “Over the past 15 years, he has done an exceptional job establishing the Duane Morris brand globally, showing the world what we have to offer.”
“I’m honored to continue building on Mark’s tireless efforts to promote Duane Morris across key markets nationally and internationally,” said Edmondson. “His creative approach yielded strong growth, and I’m excited to leverage my knowledge of the firm, legal marketing and business development experience and client relationships to continue strengthening the firm’s reputation and client base for years to come.”
Edmondson received an M.A. in marketing strategy and management from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business and a B.A. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Duane Morris, he served in business development roles at Covington & Burling, Hogan Lovells, Deloitte and Thomson Reuters.
About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP provides innovative solutions to today’s multifaceted legal and business challenges through the collegial and collaborative culture of its more than 900 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally. The firm represents a broad array of clients, spanning all major practices and industries. Duane Morris has been recognized by BTI Consulting as both a client service leader and a highly recommended law firm.
