Vicki Odette | How Leading Rainmakers Play the Long Game in Business Development

Vicki Odette is a Partner at Haynes Boone, an Am Law 100 firm with more than 700 lawyers across 19 offices worldwide. Based in Dallas, she serves on the firm’s Executive Committee and is Global Chair of the Investment Management Practice Group.

Her practice focuses on advising fund sponsors and investors on structuring and negotiating private equity, hedge fund, and venture capital investments, as well as complex partnership and joint venture arrangements. Vicki also counsels ultra high net worth individuals and families with assets exceeding $1 billion on business planning for family offices and their investments.

In 2024, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association honored Vicki with its Rainmakers Award, recognizing her as one of the profession’s leading business developers and client relationship leaders.

WHAT’S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT BECOMING A RAINMAKER

For some lawyers, business development feels like a mystery, something reserved for extroverts or senior partners with decades of connections. Vicki Odette proves that’s a myth.

From her earliest years in practice, she treated business development as part of the job, not an afterthought. By asking questions, watching what successful partners did, and trying her own experiments, she built a network rooted in trust instead of transactions.

In this episode of The Lawyer’s Edge, Elise Holtzman and Vicki Odette talk about what it really takes to become a rainmaker. They highlight the patience, persistence, and consistency that separate future rainmakers from frustrated associates. They also share how finding strategies that fit your personality can lead to something even more valuable than clients, genuine control over your career.

2:35 – Starting business development early and laying the groundwork for future clients

4:31 – Learning by observing successful partners and adapting their strategies

5:49 – Overcoming intimidation and finding networking tactics that feel authentic

7:59 – Why introverts can excel at business development

11:03 – The personal and professional rewards of long-term client relationships

13:19 – How business development creates autonomy, leadership, and compensation growth

15:07 – Making clients feel like a top priority through proactive communication

17:35 – Anticipating client needs and cross-selling across practice areas

19:34 – Why small roundtables and intimate events outperform large networking mixers

22:58 – Handling rejection, asking for feedback, and using lost pitches as data

25:00 – Navigating bias and maintaining confidence in male dominated rooms

26:53 – Gender differences in rainmaking styles and how women can own their strengths

29:17 – Practical advice for young lawyers beginning their business development journey

32:37 – The overlooked key to client loyalty is caring about their business beyond the matter

MENTIONED IN HOW LEADING RAINMAKERS PLAY THE LONG GAME IN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Haynes Boone | LinkedIn

Vicki Odette on LinkedIn

Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA)

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The Lawyer's Edge

SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE

Today's episode is brought to you by the Ignite Women's Business Development Accelerator, a 9-month business development program created BY women lawyers for women lawyers. Ignite is a carefully designed business development program containing content, coaching, and a community of like-minded women who are committed to becoming rainmakers AND supporting the retention and advancement of other women in the profession.

If you are interested in either participating in the program or sponsoring a woman in your firm to enroll, learn more about Ignite and sign up for our registration alerts by visiting www.thelawyersedge.com/ignite.