Lateral Lawyer Coaching
As an attorney, a lateral move is more than just a job change; it's an opportunity to redefine your professional trajectory. However, it also comes with unique challenges, such as adapting to a new law firm culture, ensuring that your clients come with you, managing relationships with new colleagues, and quickly establishing your value in a new environment. I coach lawyers at all stages of the lateral process, including:
Lawyers trying to evaluate whether or not to leave their current firms;
Partners and prospective partners navigating the interview and negotiation process and choosing a new law firm; and
Lawyers who have already made the lateral move and are seeking a sounding board as they establish a strong foundation at a new law firm.
My approach to lateral lawyer coaching is a hybrid of coaching and consulting. Coaching involves asking questions and helping clients figure out what they really want, set goals, and make choices in alignment with their values. Thus, there are times when I wear my coaching hat. Other times, I draw more on my experience in the industry and my work with other lateral lawyers as we strategize regarding which firm will be a better fit for a client’s practice area, develop lists of questions for the prospective new firm, or make a plan regarding transitioning clients.
I work with lawyers at all stages of the lateral process:
Lawyers Considering a Lateral Move
Partners who have been at their current firm for 15 or more years, value loyalty and relationships, yet believe it may be time for them to find a new platform to achieve their goals
Partners who moved laterally to their current firm but are considering another move due to lack of business alignment, office politics, institutional structures, personality conflicts, or other factors
Mid-level to senior-level associates questioning their prospects for making partner and considering the merits of a lateral move
Senior associates or counsel who have not been promoted according to the timeline they were led to expect and who are wondering if they should explore other opportunities
Lawyers who are fairly certain they want to move to a new firm but want to address concerns regarding change and risk aversion
Lawyers uncertain about whether now is the right time to move or if they should build a bigger book of business before transitioning
Lawyers Who Decided to Make a Lateral Move but Have Not Yet Chosen a Firm
Partners seeking support from someone in the industry to help them prepare for meetings, develop lists of questions and negotiate offers
Partners desiring an unbiased outside perspective to help them evaluate opportunities
Lawyers being recruited by multiple firms and trying to determine the best option
Lawyers who are proactively pursuing desired positions rather than relying exclusively on recruiters and the whims of the legal market
Lawyers from big law firms considering joining boutique or distributed law firms
Lawyers from small or regional law firms exploring offers from larger law firms
Lateral Lawyers Who Already Moved to the New Firm and Want a Sounding Board as They Navigate the New Environment
Partners enthusiasm about the new firm who want to doing everything right to optimize the experience
Lawyers who had a bad experience at their previous law firm and worry about similar issues at the new law firm
Partners needing to reassess their approach to business development based on the new practice group they are joining
Counsel focusing on both relationship-building and business development
Lateral lawyers aiming to build strong, productive relationships at the new firm as quickly as possible
Partners whose business development approach isn’t working as well in the new firm.
Lawyers who are moving to or from a larger or more prestigious firm and want to ensure they have the political and communication skills to thrive in the new environment
Please check out our other career coaching tracks if you are more focused on any of the following:
Satisfaction in Your Current Role
Getting Promoted to Partner
Business Development or
Leadership
Common Coaching Topics for Lateral Lawyers
While each coaching engagement is customized to the individual client, lateral lawyers typically focus initially on one of these topics:
Decide What You Really Want
Moving to a new law firm as a lateral partner, counsel or senior associate is a huge decision. While money and status are important, basing your choice solely on these criteria can lead to a poor fit, both culturally and in terms of how well your practice integrates with the rest of the firm. Even when you believe it is time to leave, you may feel loyalty to mentors, colleagues and friends. Our coaching provides structure and guidance to help you systematically examine your current situation, goals, priorities, and values, enabling you to make the right decision about whether to stay or go. Coaching topics may address the following:
What are your values, and how do they affect which firm is right for you?
How do you envision your practice in 5 or 10 years?
What general category of firm is the right fit for your professional goals (BigLaw, boutique, regional, distributed, etc.)?
What kind of culture (and tied to that, compensation structure) aligns with your strengths and values?
What are your areas of dissatisfaction at the current firm, and how might they be ameliorated? (This could include addressing internal politics, interpersonal challenges, pursuing better projects, etc.)
Lateral Partnership Discussions
When a law firm approaches a partner about a lateral move, it’s a combination of a job interview and a business negotiation. Relating to these conversations primarily as job interviews diminishes your power and poses an obstacle to accessing the information you need to make the best choice and negotiate the best offer. Once foundational issues of compatibility are sorted out during initial discussions, it is helpful to think of it like a merger negotiation, even if you are an individual partner seeking to join a much larger firm. Coaching topics may include:
Preparing for the numerous interviews
Identifying question to ask the firm and deciding when and how to disclose information
Navigating the timeline, including juggling discussions with multiple firms
Exploring your intellectual and intuitive reactions to the firm(s) and seeking alignment with your goals and priorities
Gaining a clear understanding of the firm’s compensation structure, partnership agreement and management to determine compatibility
Learning detailed information regarding the path to partnership, path to equity partnership and/or how levels of equity are determined
Negotiating and choosing among lateral partnership offers
Deciding how and when to tell your current law firm
Overcoming risk aversion in order to make the right choice for you
Thriving at the New Firm
When you have made a well-thought-out strategic decision regarding your lateral move, the transition is very likely to be successful. Nevertheless, it will take work to adapt to the new personalities and systems, and leverage emerging opportunities. Many lateral partners and associates find it helpful to continue with coaching in order to address the numerous issues that arise as they navigate the new firm. Coaching topics may include:
Deciding on the timing and approach for transitioning clients to the new firm
Developing a team of associates and staff to service your clients
Developing new structures to replace those that served you well in your previous firm
Best practices for developing relationships with key partners
Adapting to the team dynamics of your new firm or practice group
Designing a plan for how best to collaborate with specific partners in your practice group