By Jonathan Fitzgarrald
Managing Partner at Equinox Strategy Partners on February 17, 2026

Watching the 2026 Winter Olympics Milan–Cortina, I couldn’t help but notice how closely elite athletic performance mirrors elite client development in law firms. Olympians don’t rely on flash–they train relentlessly, refine fundamentals, adapt in real time and execute under extraordinary pressure. The most effective rainmakers do the same.

In my recent The American Lawyer article, I explore what I call the Five Olympic Rings of Client Development—the disciplines that consistently put lawyers on their clients’ advisory podium. If you’re a lawyer in growth mode—or advising lawyers who are—this piece is about modernizing the basics and competing where it counts.