2025 in review: A year that redefined legal marketing

Between the rapid rise of AI, a wave of new litigation categories, and intensifying competition in legal marketing, 2025 reshaped how plaintiff firms attract and convert clients. The firms that embraced new technology, data-driven intake, and strategic partnerships with marketing allies like Top Class Actions (TCA) didn’t just keep pace — they pulled ahead.

Five 2025 shifts that redefined case strategy and lead generation

1. Diversification: more cases driven by modern tech and pharma risks 

Class action and mass tort litigation is rapidly expanding as new forms of technology and pharmaceuticals introduce complex consumer harms. 

While traditional pharmaceutical and medical device cases remained steady, firms increasingly pursued matters involving GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, PFAS contamination, children’s data privacy violations, Roblox and Discord sex abuse, video game addiction, underage gambling, and AI-driven harms such as AI-generated robocalls. 

This diversification underscores how quickly emerging technologies and next-generation drugs are creating new vulnerabilities — and how urgently regulatory systems are being challenged to keep pace. 

2. Lead generation: rigorous qualification over volume

Courts are raising the bar on screening standards. From proving causation to meeting stricter expert-testimony requirements, it is more critical than ever that firms thoroughly vet every potential plaintiff before a case is filed. 

Firms that prioritize identifying only truly qualified claimants, supported by robust intake processes, verified data, and automated pre-screening tools, are seeing higher success rates and more substantial ROI. 

The message is clear: in the current landscape, careful qualification and vetting outperform sheer volume.

3. Jurisdictional shifts: focusing on state-level cases  

While federal MDLs remain central to litigation, an increasing number of cases are being argued in state courts. This shift impacts everything from geo-targeted ads to timing and compliance. The best-performing firms adjusted their outreach to align with jurisdictional trends — focusing campaigns on pertinent states.

4. Corporate risk: holding companies responsible 

Corporate risk is evolving as regulators and courts demand stronger compliance across data privacy, environmental safety, chemical use, and consumer protection. Companies are increasingly being held accountable for systemic failures, and gaps in oversight are drawing sharper legal scrutiny.

As corporate standards rise, plaintiff firms are finding more opportunities to challenge misconduct — and more pathways to hold companies responsible when they fall short. 

5. Compliance: elevating ethical, compliant advertising

Regulators are taking a closer look at mass action advertising, pushing plaintiff firms to tighten their practices and ensure that outreach is both accurate and ethical. 

Firms that invest in compliant marketing are building stronger, more sustainable pipelines — and earning greater trust from courts and clients alike. 

With state bar rules becoming more stringent, compliance-focused partners like TCA help firms maintain high standards while still reaching the right claimants effectively.

Together, these five shifts have reshaped how plaintiff firms approach lead generation — moving the industry away from broad, high-volume tactics and toward precision, qualification, and jurisdiction-aligned outreach. 

Today’s most effective firms aren’t chasing scale; they’re targeting relevance, strengthening compliance, and pursuing only the cases that meet the higher standards emerging from modern tech, pharma, and regulatory risk.

By the numbers: measuring momentum

2025 was a record-breaking year for TCA and our attorney partners:

• Over 20 million consumers were reached through our website alone.
• More than 170 targeted campaigns were launched across mass tort, consumer protection, and data privacy verticals.
• We saw higher engagement and conversion quality than ever before, driven in part by our viral social content, including multiple videos that surpassed 1 million views.

TCA continues to set the benchmark for reach, precision and credibility in plaintiff acquisition.

Lessons learned: What successful plaintiff firms did differently

As the year progressed, we noticed that our most successful partners shared a few key characteristics:

• Rapid response to new litigation trends: By moving quickly, these firms find potential plaintiffs while other firms are still researching trends. 
• Messaging that spoke directly to claimant pain points: By implementing empathetic, easy-to-understand language, successful law firms were able to educate and persuade consumers to take action. 
• Intake processes optimized for quality and speed: Faster response times often mean more signed plaintiffs. 

Why partnering with TCA still sets firms apart

TCA’s combination of trusted content, an expansive audience and compliant lead-generation campaigns remains unmatched. For over 17 years, TCA has continued to deliver what other legal marketing companies can’t: massive reach, reliability and results that stand up to regulatory scrutiny.

Plan your 2026 campaigns with confidence

2025 showed that the right legal marketing strategy — and the right partner — can transform your results. Keep that momentum going by mapping out your 2026 campaigns now.

Book by December 31 to receive 10% off one or more campaigns. That’s up to $1,000 off per campaign. Lock in your savings now and run your case anytime in 2026.