Editor's note: This is the first in a two-part series.

"It is no longer enough just to be an excellent lawyer to succeed in a law firm. You have to add value to a firm's practice to be able to rise through the ranks. We need to empower young women to make business development a priority." This call to action from Sharon Lewis, global head of financial institutions at Hogan Lovells, is one we hear over and over.

That is why our law firm clients regularly ask us, "How can we support the women in our firms to develop new business and client relationships so that more women rise to partnership and leadership?" As one client puzzled, "We've hired the best business development specialists to work with our talented young women. Why isn't it helping?" When we ask those specialists how they see things, they say, "The funny thing is that business development is no different for women than men."