Top 9 Questions Partners Should Ask When Looking for a New Law Firm

 

Harrison Barnes

You are a partner at a solid firm where you generate a respectable book of business on an annual basis. You feel your career at your current firm is heading toward a perpetual stagnation. You feel that you lack the resources to build your practice, or you view the firm's overall commitment to client relations or service as inadequate. Worse yet, you believe the culture or prestige of the firm has suffered because of the actions of your partners. Perhaps you have great concern regarding the firm's profitability or compensation structure. Or you question the management in guiding the firm through the uncertain future. Whatever the reason, you are contemplating leaving your firm to improve your unfulfilled expectations.

But taking your practice to another firm is complicated and requires extensive effort on your part to make sure your future home satisfies those concerns that you deemed deficient at your current firm.

The first and most important aspect of conducting your search is maintaining confidentiality. If word gets out that you are thinking about leaving your firm, the consequences could be harsh both to your professional development and for your clients. The most secure way to maintain confidentiality is to use a competent attorney search firm. In addition to maintaining confidentiality, there are two significant tasks that the search firm would handle on your behalf.

Second, the search firm should first provide an honest assessment of your marketability to potential firms, highlighting your strong and weak attributes. One of the most important determinants of your success in the marketplace today is your total book of business. Other related matters include your billing rate and utilization.

Third, the search firm should provide you with an appraisal of the market and how your candidacy will fare in the marketplace. A good recruiter should have anecdotal information regarding potential firms that would be beneficial to your search. Perhaps the firm is in talks to acquire a practice group that would require someone with your expertise. Sometimes, unending merger talks are demoralizing and may encourage exodus of highly productive partners to others firms.

Finally, the recruiter should undertake an affirmative search on your behalf. It is important that the recruiter not disclose you while conducting an affirmative search. The recruiter should have a complete understanding of why you want to switch firms and must diligently examine potential firms in the marketplace to determine the best firms that exhibit traits that would be a good fit for you and your practice.

Relations of partners to a firm are similar to being in a marriage. It used to be taboo for a partner to quit a firm to join another firm, but just like marriage the unthinkable has become more common. The common argument to support this is that if you are unhappy, why stay?

However, departing without a thoughtful analysis of all the pros and cons could be a huge mistake. Here is a list of issues - which is not listed in order of importance - to consider when you contemplate jumping ship.

1. Firm debt. We have all read or heard about Brobeck and the havoc it has wreaked on the lives of partners who stayed too long. A firm's debt undoubtedly is owned by the partners and it is a mistake to ignore it. Can you imagine if you had joined the firm 6 months prior to it dissolving?


2. Is profitability important to you? Would you be more interested in a firm that has $1 million profit per partner, or would you rather prefer a firm that is less profitable but provides a less demanding environment. There are plenty of firms that provide a better "quality of life" environment that are attractive to lawyers who are just as well-regarded and reputable as those in highly profitable firms. Also, is the firm highly leveraged with regard to partner/associate ratio, which may be indicative of lack of productivity on the partnership?


3. Compensation. What is the structure of the partnership? Would you be eligible for income or equity partnership? Partner compensations also are important in order to attract other talent. Maybe your clients require top quality tax work, but because of compensation issues the partner who handles such work leaves because she is unhappy with the compensation structure. Also, top associates will flock to better paying firms unless there is something to counter the attraction of the greenback. Perhaps, the firm provides a better quality of life, or allows associates to focus in their desired practice area, or provides associates with real partnership potential.


4. Would the billing rates of the firm discourage your existing or potential clients from sending work your way? The worst thing to do is to change firms, and later find your clients balking from raising the billing rates even though they may have agreed to it earlier.


5. A conflict with your existing clients is an obvious problem. But how about conflicts with potential clients? So many partners pick up and leave firms after a large piece of business is refused by their firm because of an institutional client of the firm.


6. Although people subtly focus on it, the culture of firm one wants to join is very important. Applying the philosopher Isaiah Berlin's definition of culture to a firm it would be its "goals, values and pictures of the world" that are demonstrated in its actions, relations internally and externally, rules and routine practices of its members who are self-monitoring. You won't find it written anywhere, but you feel it when you walk through its halls.


7. Is the firm democratically or autocratically run? Nothing drives people crazy like a renegade managing partner who makes significant decisions without consulting or informing his partners. It could be as simple as changing the firm's corporate credit cards, causing embarrassment to partners when attempting to pay for client lunches, to taking on more debt than was agreed during the last partnership meeting.


8. Can the firm service your clients? Does the firm have the requisite expertise that is essential for your clients? Does the firm value providing top client service, or is the firm more interested in business generation? Does the firm have an office in a city that is important to your clients? For example, clients who need access to the capital markets require a firm to have a New York office. Or, clients that need regulatory services desire to hire a firm that has a Washington, DC office.


9. Is the firm's prestige critical to you, your clients', or your reputation?

Although this is not an exhaustive list, thinking about these issues beforehand would make the process painless, interesting and, hopefully, rewarding at the end. At BCG, our recruiters stand ready to assist you in exploring opportunities in a new firm.
 

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About Harrison Barnes

No legal recruiter in the United States has placed more attorneys at top law firms across every practice area than Harrison Barnes. His unmatched expertise, industry connections, and proven placement strategies have made him the most influential legal career advisor for attorneys seeking success in Big Law, elite boutiques, mid-sized firms, small firms, firms in the largest and smallest markets, and in over 350 separate practice areas.

A Reach Unlike Any Other Legal Recruiter

Most legal recruiters focus only on placing attorneys in large markets or specific practice areas, but Harrison places attorneys at all levels, in all practice areas, and in all locations-from the most prestigious firms in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., to small and mid-sized firms in rural markets. Every week, he successfully places attorneys not only in high-demand practice areas like corporate and litigation but also in niche and less commonly recruited areas such as:

• Immigration Law
• Workers Compensation
• Insurance
• Family Law
• Trust and Estate
• Municipal law
• And many more...

This breadth of placements is unheard of in the legal recruiting industry and is a testament to his extraordinary ability to connect attorneys with the right firms, regardless of market size or practice area.

Proven Success at All Levels

With over 25 years of experience, Harrison has successfully placed attorneys at over 1,000 law firms, including:

• Top Am Law 100 firms such including Sullivan and Cromwell, and almost every AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 200 law firm.
• Elite boutique firms with specialized practices
• Mid-sized firms looking to expand their practice areas
• Growing firms in small and rural markets

He has also placed hundreds of law firm partners and has worked on firm and practice area mergers, helping law firms strategically grow their teams.

Unmatched Commitment to Attorney Success - The Story of BCG Attorney Search

Harrison Barnes is not just the most effective legal recruiter in the country, he is also the founder of BCG Attorney Search, a recruiting powerhouse that has helped thousands of attorneys transform their careers. His vision for BCG goes beyond just job placement; it is built on a mission to provide attorneys with opportunities they would never have access to otherwise. Unlike traditional recruiting firms, BCG Attorney Search operates as a career partner, not just a placement service. The firm's unparalleled resources, including a team of over 150 employees, enable it to offer customized job searches, direct outreach to firms, and market intelligence that no other legal recruiting service provides. Attorneys working with Harrison and BCG gain access to hidden opportunities, real-time insights on firm hiring trends, and guidance from a team that truly understands the legal market. You can read more about how BCG Attorney Search revolutionizes legal recruiting here: The Story of BCG Attorney Search and What We Do for You.

The Most Trusted Career Advisor for Attorneys

Harrison's legal career insights are the most widely followed in the profession.

• His articles on BCG Search alone are read by over 150,000 attorneys per month, making his guidance the most sought-after in the legal field. Read his latest insights here.
• He has conducted hundreds of hours of career development webinars, available here: Harrison Barnes Webinar Replays.
• His placement success is unmatched-see examples here: Harrison Barnes' Attorney Placements.
• He has created numerous comprehensive career development courses, including BigLaw Breakthrough, designed to help attorneys land positions at elite law firms.

Submit Your Resume to Work with Harrison Barnes

If you are serious about advancing your legal career and want access to the most sought-after law firm opportunities, Harrison Barnes is the most powerful recruiter to have on your side.

Submit your resume today to start working with him: Submit Resume Here

With an unmatched track record of success, a vast team of over 150 dedicated employees, and a reach into every market and practice area, Harrison Barnes is the recruiter who makes career transformations happen and has the talent and resources behind him to make this happen.

A Relentless Commitment to Attorney Success

Unlike most recruiters who work with only a narrow subset of attorneys, Harrison Barnes works with lawyers at all stages of their careers, from junior associates to senior partners, in every practice area imaginable. His placements are not limited to only those with "elite" credentials-he has helped thousands of attorneys, including those who thought it was impossible to move firms, find their next great opportunity.

Harrison's work is backed by a team of over 150 professionals who work around the clock to uncover hidden job opportunities at law firms across the country. His team:

• Finds and creates job openings that aren't publicly listed, giving attorneys access to exclusive opportunities.
• Works closely with candidates to ensure their resumes and applications stand out.
• Provides ongoing guidance and career coaching to help attorneys navigate interviews, negotiations, and transitions successfully.

This level of dedicated support is unmatched in the legal recruiting industry.

A Legal Recruiter Who Changes Lives

Harrison believes that every attorney-no matter their background, law school, or previous experience-has the potential to find success in the right law firm environment. Many attorneys come to him feeling stuck in their careers, underpaid, or unsure of their next steps. Through his unique ability to identify the right opportunities, he helps attorneys transform their careers in ways they never thought possible.

He has worked with:

• Attorneys making below-market salaries who went on to double or triple their earnings at new firms.
• Senior attorneys who believed they were "too experienced" to make a move and found better roles with firms eager for their expertise.
• Attorneys in small or remote markets who assumed they had no options-only to be placed at strong firms they never knew existed.
• Partners looking for a better platform or more autonomy who successfully transitioned to firms where they could grow their practice.

For attorneys who think their options are limited, Harrison Barnes has proven time and time again that opportunities exist-often in places they never expected.

Submit Your Resume Today - Start Your Career Transformation

If you want to explore new career opportunities, Harrison Barnes and BCG Attorney Search are your best resources. Whether you are looking for a BigLaw position, a boutique firm, or a move to a better work environment, Harrison's expertise will help you take control of your future.

Submit Your Resume Here to get started with Harrison Barnes today.

Harrison's reach, experience, and proven results make him the best legal recruiter in the industry. Don't settle for an average recruiter-work with the one who has changed the careers of thousands of attorneys and can do the same for you.

About BCG Attorney Search

BCG Attorney Search matches attorneys and law firms with unparalleled expertise and drive, while achieving results. Known globally for its success in locating and placing attorneys in law firms of all sizes, BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys in law firms in thousands of different law firms around the country. Unlike other legal placement firms, BCG Attorney Search brings massive resources of over 150 employees to its placement efforts locating positions and opportunities its competitors simply cannot. Every legal recruiter at BCG Attorney Search is a former successful attorney who attended a top law school, worked in top law firms and brought massive drive and commitment to their work. BCG Attorney Search legal recruiters take your legal career seriously and understand attorneys. For more information, please visit www.BCGSearch.com.