A. Harrison Barnes
Harrison Barnes
I. PARTNER LATERAL HIRING IS A FACT OF LIFE FOR LEADING NATIONAL LAW FIRMS.
 
  1. Every year literally thousands of talented lawyers move among the nation's leading firms. Most of those moves are made without an issue arising. But in a surprising number of situations, facts arise late in the game (or after the game is over) that should have been exposed to the full light of day before the offer was made.
  2. The challenge for law firms is to develop a system that allows this information to be collected accurately, completely, in a timely fashion, without disrupting the hiring process and without becoming unduly burdensome or oppressive for the firm or for the candidate.
  3. Over the past twenty years lateral hiring of partners and associates has exploded. And, the need for due diligence has increased. Not a year passes without a disclosure of a lateral lawyer who failed to disclose materials items about their background - resulting in profound embarrassment (or exposure to liability) for the acquiring firm.
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